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Ashley Bostwick of Wander and Lust Jewelry

November 01, 2018

Ashley Bostwick of Wander and Lust Jewelry

Hey Clever Girls!

You may already know through my posts, products, and give back program that I’m passionate about empowering women to live their best life.  In my own journey, I’ve had a tribe of powerful women advocating for me and I continue to meet incredible women every day. I think of the Clever Girl Squad as a community focused on encouraging, mentoring, and advocating for others doing good. I wanted to do more to bring you the stories and wisdom of other women so we can learn from and help each other rise to equality and fully reach our potential. SO. I introduce to you a new blog series, What A Clever Girl!, which will spotlight inspiring women living their best life.

Our very first spotlight is Ashley from Wander and Lust Jewelry. If you haven’t seen her pieces all over social media yet, go check them out! She hand makes her gorgeous, dainty jewelry in Florida and got her start on Etsy! Keep reading to learn more about this sweet + talented clever girl and her tips for starting a successful business.


Tell us a little bit about you + your biz.

 

I’m Ashley. A mama to a 16 month old baby boy Finn, a wife, & jewelry entrepreneur. I started Wander + Lust Jewelry in 2014 as a hobby. I wanted to do something fun & different, so I started to make and design jewelry! As I got better and better at my craft, I started making sales and I realized this could turn into a REAL business. 4 years later here I am with a thriving business where I can work wherever I want, set my own hours, and have unlimited creative freedom with every aspect of my business. 

I design dainty + delicate jewelry with a touch of bohemian flare. I want my pieces to be unique, yet simplistic enough to be worn everyday. I use high-quality materials such as gold fill and sterling silver so the jewelry will last, but will still be affordable for the everyday woman. I am a full-time work at home mama, so I juggle running a business while running after my baby. It's a handful, but I stay focused on my tasks at hand and in the end, I always get the job done. 


What inspired you to start?

 

I was inspired to start my business because I was bored in how my life was. I was 25 working at a monotonous job and didn't like how my life was turning out. I thought - "I need something new in my life other than just working at a job I hate, coming home watching TV, getting up to do the same thing again and again." I knew that sort of life was not going to be fulfilling, and I needed to make a change. At first, I hoped my new "hobby" of jewelry making would give me something new to do on my off time, but as the weeks went by, and people started to love my jewelry, I started to dream bigger and really worked on making this my full-time gig. Jewelry has always been one of my favorite things to shop for, and I thought I had a good sense of style. With my drive for success, and eye for jewelry design, I was excited to start working towards my new goal of being a full-time business owner. 


How has mentorship played a role in your success?

 

I really haven't had a specific mentor. Being a one woman show, I have to do a lot of research on every aspect of my business whether it be taking better photography, tax questions, SEO, following the fashion trends, etc. I rely a lot on Facebook groups with like minded people, discussion boards and working with influencers in my industry. I listen to a lot of business podcasts and women entrepreneur audio books. I'm always learning and trying to grow. Also, I have started to outsource things I used to do myself. It's hard to let go of the control, but in the end it's worth the time saver. 


What would you say is most important for other clever girls just starting a biz or wanting to take the leap?

 

The most important thing I would tell someone just started out would be to KEEP GOING. There are so many people who reach out to me asking how I became so successful on Etsy and how they can too. It's really about pushing yourself and learn something new everyday. You truly have to work day and night and treat your business like a BUSINESS. Pour your blood, sweat and ALL your tears into it. Treat it your dreams and goals like your life depends on it, and you will see results. Mistakes will happen, but every mistake or misstep is a learning experience. Don't TRY to be successful, just BE successful, no matters what that means in your book. Make a decision and a promise to yourself that you will always do your best work towards achieving your goals every single day. You can do it, you just have to work hard at it. If success was easy, everyone would do it, right?


If you could go anywhere in the world tomorrow for free, where would you go and why?

 

That's such a hard question! Since it's free, I would choose somewhere very expensive normally such as Bora Bora or Moorea and stay in one of those over water bungalows. That is definitely on my bucket list for obvious reasons. Would wouldn't want to wake up overlooking clear turquoise water??


What kind of jewelry trends are you into right now?

 

I'm obsessed with the dainty layered looks. You can never have too many dainty gold necklaces on! Also, rose gold is my obsession, and in my most recent Fall Collection, I've been using it a lot in my designs in combination with rose quartz. It's the most beautiful duo! 


Where can we go to buy your goodies?

 

Thanks for asking! You can shop my jewelry on my website at www.wanderandlustjewelry.com or my Etsy shop at www.wanderandlustjewelry.etsy.com. I just released my new Fall Collection entitled, "Love Is Kind". It's inspired by self-love and self-care. Each piece in the collection has a special meaning behind it, so I encourage you to check it out!

 

blingsling jewelry case with wander and lust jewelry

wander and lust jewelry fall for blingsling

wander and lust jewelry for the blingsling jewelry bagwander and lust jewelry for the blingsling



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