Meet the Vendor: SP & Company

I am so excited to have you meet Amy Grace! She has been one of my favorite people to follow on social media over the years. Her style is colorful, bright, and when I see her posts- I just think of pure happiness! If you don’t follow her, you are definitely missing out!

You can shop her website at www.thesandypearls.com, shop her looks on https://www.liketoknow.it/styledamygrace or visit her Instagram and Facebook pages.

Comment below and show her some love!

Tell us a little about yourself…

I’m Amy Grace, the owner, creator & designer of The Sandy Pearls! We are an online lifestyle, accessories brand. Our mission is to provide on-trend & curated accessories, that are sure to upgrade any outfit.

We strive to make women feel pretty, put together, and confident, one accessory at a time! You can shop all our accessories at: www.thesandypearls.com

When and how did your business begin?

Tell us your story!

Created in 2014, I had no idea my passion & hobby would turn into a business! After sharing jewelry on social media, I started receiving orders for my jewelry I was sharing!!

Although after sharing my jewelry, I soon realized women had an even bigger need!! They wanted and needed to know how to style the outfit with the accessories!! Which is a WHOLE other aspect to accessories! This can be the true reason why women don’t show up for themselves. They toss on an outfit with no purpose, feeling less confident, and not as pretty!

Realizing this, one day it clicked for me that THIS would be my mission! To help encourage women one accessory and outfit at a time!

What’s your favorite thing about what you do?

My favorite thing about what I do is encouraging women to be the best version they are, one accessory at a time! I see them smile, feel pretty, and feel confident when they wear my creations! That itself-keeps me creating!

If you could turn and talk to yourself when you first started your business, what would you tell yourself?

Oh man!!! I'd tell myself, not to wait until I had it all figured out! Not to strive for perfection but to enjoy the imperfections! And just GO FOR IT! The Lord will figure out the rest!!

You have a great online presence! Any advice for someone who is planning to sell their products online? Any social media strategy tips?

Wow!!! Thank you!! My advice for anyone wanting to sell online, is to create a website and get on social media! And again, touching back on not waiting until you have it all figured out! Toss your products on the site, and roll with it! Figure it out as you go!

When it comes to social media tips, BE YOURSELF! Allow your audience to "like, know and trust" you! Create a community which allows them to feel a part of!! Those will soon become your lifetime customers!!

Time management is hard. How do you cope with having to do "all the things" like work, family, friendships, & personal time?

SO hard it is, balancing all the things!!! And to be honest, there isn't always balance! Being an entrepreneur who works from home, you must create boundaries and balance!! Owning your own business is a 24/7 gig, but you MUST know when to turn the hustle off! It's a lot of sacrifice and late nights but creating the boundaries and balance allow you to take control of time!!

The accessories you sell are ADORABLE! How have you learned to best manage your inventory? Do you have a process that you've developed in order to get orders out in a timely manner?

Aww thank you so much! That's such a compliment!!!

When it comes to inventory, I am purchasing 1 month in advance! I like to work 2-3 weeks ahead of the launch date to ensure I have all items in stock for the launch date!

To ensure orders get out in a timely manner, I work them in batches!! Due to Covid, I have decreased my staffing down to just me!!! So I try to work as quickly as possible with not having all hands on deck!

But communicating order turn around on your website is key for the customer!!

Do you ever experience burnout? What makes you feel inspired & revived?

Oh, of course!!!!! I experience burn out a lot! All creatives do in some way!! However, you MUST recognize you need the break! However, a good weekend unplugged from my phone and creating to be with my family does my soul some good! There also has to be some kind of chips & salsa involved with this weekend!!! ;)

Looking back when you first started, what are some hard lessons you've learned? Any funny stories?

Ahhhhh!!! FLASH CARDS! I used to take orders through emails and FB messages!! I lost track of who was who, and what they ordered, it was a mess!! That's why I say just get the website! Don't wait for perfection! A website will keep it all nice and pretty for you!!

Ps. I love and highly recommend Shopify! So easy to jump in and use!!

What are your hopes and dreams for your business in the future?

I have so many but my biggest hope and dream for The Sandy Pearls is to reach more women, while keeping my eyes on Christ! I’ve been shown this is my purpose and I will continue to use my platform to encourage and be a light! Again, the Lord will figure out and handle the rest!!!!

Photos by Julie Hall Photography

Written by Whitnee Mosley