Now and again, you read an article, and it just stays with you. I read a piece in Sweet Lemon Magazine last summer about Katie Schloss. Her entrepreneurial spirit and her company, Three Jane, have never left my mind. In my opinion, that’s the best trait of a great entrepreneur with a beautiful, unique product!
Katie is known for designing the Map Necklace. Each necklace features the names of several streets, and the location most meaningful to the wearer is marked with a small diamond. From custom pieces complete with the streets in your childhood neighborhood to the location of your wedding reception, Katie’s pieces are perfect no matter what season of life you (or your recipient!) are experiencing.
Not only is the jewelry she designs unique, but her story is too. I am thrilled to introduce Katie because she is definitely someone I am continually inspired by, and I hope she inspires you after today’s Q&A. (Note: Jennifer Lawrence just wore one of her necklaces on the cover of Martha Stewart Weddings. Unreal.)
Photo courtesy of Katie Schloss
Let’s get to know you! Explain a little bit about your background. How did you get to where you are now?
I interned for a variety of different jewelry designers throughout college, most notably Rachel Leigh, who was in over 500 stores nationwide at the time. Rachel & her team taught me how to make some of the jewelry in her collection, and I began making little things here & there moving forward. After college, I worked for a PR agency, working on accounts such as Target. Once I decided that I’d rather go in a slightly different direction, I began freelancing for various social media campaigns and began developing my own collection. Once I launched the website, I immediately had a ton of orders, and then I was able to focus on the business full-time.
What are your favorite ways to stay inspired? Who inspires you?
My favorite way to stay inspired is to talk to my customers directly. It’s inspiring to learn what they really want, identify the gaps in the market, and create new products accordingly. Entrepreneurial women inspire me the most. It doesn’t matter if it’s Alexis Maybank & Alexandra Wilkis Wilson from GILT or a couple of little girls selling lemonade on the side of the road. One woman that has really inspired me most recently is milliner Satya Twena (one look at her most recent Kickstarter video and you’ll see why). Satya encouraged me to do Marie Forleo’s B-School with her & two other female entrepreneurs. Now each week we discuss what we learned in the modules, but we mostly talk about our businesses, where we are in them, and what we need moving forward. Each session is more inspiring than the last and talking to these women each week has dramatically improved my business acumen.
If you’re having a bad moment, how do you turn your day around?
I actually keep a wall of all of the nice emails I’ve received from customers, celebrities, and editors alike, so whenever I’m having a low moment, I read them, go for a run (if time allows), and get back at it.
Photo courtesy of Three Jane
How did you know you had made the right decision to follow your current path? Have you had a favorite moment?
I’ve been very fortunately to have many defining moments, from selling at Henri Bendel to being included in InStyle’s gift guide. My most recent moment though was this month’s cover of Martha Stewart Weddings. The magazine cover features Jennifer Lawrence, her sister-in-law, and 10 other bridesmaids, all wearing Map Necklaces. Each map represents where the bride met each of her bridesmaids, and it was a really special project to work on & see come into full fruition.
What’s next for you? What are you most excited about right now?
A ton actually! I spent the first year of my business saving my pennies, and now I’m starting to re-invest, re-brand, re-everything! I’m re-doing & re-launching my website, I’m coming out with fully collections, that I’m SO excited about. I think by this time next year, I’ll really have the company I always envisioned, and that’s definitely something to look forward to.
Five Favorites:
1. Song: “The Wire” by Haim
2. Outfit: Every dress by Three Floor – I’m obsessed with everything they’ve ever done.
3. Quote: “Not all those who wander are lost.” -J.R.R. Tolkien
4. Day of the year: July 12th – who doesn’t like a birthday?
5. Ideal way to spend your day: Waking up somewhere new & exploring
I hope you loved “meeting” Katie has much as I have (I cheered on a group of girls manning a lemonade stand last weekend after reading Katie’s interview)! I also hope you’ve starting planning which Map Necklace you would like to purchase. :) Be sure to visit Katie’s website and keep up with her on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter! She has a lot planned that you won’t want to miss.
Stay tied to Carly is Inspired…
What a beautiful and unique green dress!