Working Women Wednesday: Meet the Owner of

Earley Bird Jewelry

Sarah Hyder

Her Advice on How to Be an Entrepreneur

Hi Readers,

Today is Wednesday, so that means we are honoring all our WORKING WOMEN. What better way to start Wednesday off then sitting down with business owner Sarah Hyder? Sarah Hyder is the owner of Earley Bird Jewelry and has had a passion for making her very own custom jewelry since she was in college. I was so excited to sit down with her and discuss a little bit about her business, how she started, what were the pros and cons of running her own business, and what advice would she give to younger generations of women wanting to follow in her footsteps.

Check out full interview below

“Tell me a little about yourself and Earley Bird Jewelry?”

My name is Sarah Hyder and I live in Raleigh, NC. I recently got married to an amazing man who is the better half of me. I have one puppy named Rio and two cats, Jemma & Smokey. Besides making jewelry, I consult for small companies in Human Resources. I love people so everything I do revolves around that. The company is run out of my home. The name came from my Maiden Name: Earley. I always heard “Early Bird Gets the Worm” so I went with Earley Bird. My jewelry is inspired by nature so I use a lot of natural stone, but I also want to stay fashionable so I watch fashion blogs and designer websites. The mission of the company is “Jewelry as unique as the woman who wears it.” I want to create unique pieces, but also ones that make an outfit cohesive.

“When did you first realize you wanted to pursue a career as a jewelry owner and designer?”

I started making jewelry in college when I couldn’t find something that brought my outfit together but I took a break when I got into HR in the corporate world. I started again as a hobby, but was encouraged to do it as a career because some people were willing to pay for what I was making. It’s taken off since then.

“Who has been your biggest mentors in this industry and what is the best advice they have given you?”

My mom. She was the one who encouraged me to do it as a career and who constantly sends me ideas. Her and my dad live in Houston so they see very different fashion trends than we have in NC.

“What about your jewelry line do you think sets you apart from your competitors?”

I think my focus on natural stones is different than other pieces out there. I’m using both polished and unpolished stones to make jewelry. I also have three specific lines that are special to me: Essential Oil, Namaste, and Endometriosis Awareness.

• Essential Oils: these bracelets have 1-3 beads that have been soaked in either lavender, eucalyptus, or peppermint and then made into bracelets
• Namaste: this comes from my love of both traditional and aerial yoga. The bracelets have charms related to some symbol in Yoga.
• Endometriosis Awareness: I suffer from endometriosis, so wanted to do something for others suffering from the same disease. These bracelets are black and yellow with a yellow ribbon charm. 50% of all the proceeds from the sale of these bracelets go to Endometriosis Foundation.

“If you could go back in time and tell yourself one thing before starting your business what would it be?”

Don’t expect success overnight. I still don’t consider my business a huge success, but I’m taking strides to get there and I believe eventually it will become as successful as I want it to be.

“How has your experience working as an entrepreneur been like since you started?”

Fun and hard at the same time. Fun because I get to make the decisions and because I’m doing something I love to do. Hard because I’m doing it on my own. I fail or succeed based on the decisions I make.

“Where do you go for inspiration when creating new jewelry?”

Pinterest or fashion magazines. I don’t do a lot of work with gold or silver, but brands like David Yurman do inspire me too.

“What advice would you give to younger girls wanting to start a business?”

Do what you love.  I heard a quote and took it to heart “If you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life.” Now starting a business is still hard work but it’s work you love doing, even the boring things.

Thank you Sarah for taking the time out to sit down with me.

As a special thank you Sarah has provided me with a coupon code to give all my readers today!!

Use Coupon Code: ANGIE101

Click the Link to Shop

www.earleybirdjewelry.etsy.com