Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in jewelry and accessories but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Mae Velasco, founder of Fresh Wind Clay, located in Miami, FL, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Fresh Wind Clay is about capturing life's simple joys and turning them into tangible, delightful pieces you can hold. Through Fresh Wind Clay, I handcraft and slow-make clay earrings and trinkets that are intentionally molded and unique in character from handmaking...the same way we've been created! These accessories are lightweight, graceful, whimsical, charming, and a mix of colors, charms, colors and textures to cater to each person's authentic personality.

My goal is to create stylish pieces that bring people joy and faith. Whether to adorn themselves with or to gift to someone else, I pray that they can have these little touches to decorate life's little moments — and the little moments matter most. Fresh Wind Clay is for anyone who wants to add more light and love into the world...and who wants a "fresh" zeal for each morning!

Tell us about yourself

Hello, nice to meet you! My name is Mae, and joy is my motto. In a nutshell, I'm a right-brained thinker but a left-brained executor. Even with starting my small business, I actually still work full-time in digital marketing and audience development, with a focus on paid media and audience analytics. (This is where I get to wave my master's degree.) Fresh Wind Clay is both a leap of faith and my break away from the computer screen. Why work a 9-to-5 when you can work 24/7, am I right? Sarcasm intended.

The ironic thing is I have never wanted to be an entrepreneur. The thought of it had always been too intimidating for me. In the last ten years, I've progressed up the corporate ladder and was comfortable with the stability of my career. It was odd. By nature, I am a spontaneous adventurer and risk-taker (I've rappelled down waterfalls and even skydived to the start of a half marathon), so it was strange to me how my feet felt bolted down whenever it came to taking a leap of faith in business.

The crazy part is that I have NO background in earrings or clay-making. While I am generally a creative person who enjoys hobbies like writing, dancing, painting, and all that fun, I've never worked with clay. So, how did this come about? To be incredibly transparent, it was my faith. It was literally a leap of faith.

I hit an emotional and spiritual dry well in my heart for about six months…I felt so uninspired and unmotivated, like I was on autopilot, day-in, and day-out. I had been praying to God for a new outlet, a new way to see Him or talk to Him, a new way to express myself, or just a new way to live my life. One night at 3 a.m., after another quiet prayer, I woke up and heard God tell me, "Earrings." That was it. Just "earrings."

The even crazier part is that I didn't question it — didn't question my lack of experience, lack of knowledge. I didn't even know what I had to buy or how to do it, but I committed to it. I ordered some small materials on Amazon that same night to start learning and experimenting with clay, and the rest is history.

A new part of me has been unlocked. The adventurer in me, which originally saw entrepreneurship as off-limits or even scary, had finally been unleashed and had a new playground of risk-taking and growing. It is demanding working full-time as a digital marketer by day and clay creator by night, but it is fulfilling and empowering. I have newfound freedom, inspiration, drive, and passion. I have a new way to bring joy to others, and it's humbling to see them share that joy back. I'm so grateful. I am proud to be a solopreneur!

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Is it cheesy to say this interview? Just kidding. (Mostly.) Is it also cheesy to say that my biggest accomplishment was simply just STARTING? Because it's true. Starting is the hardest part of the journey. I am living proof that you don't need to know everything (or anything, really...haha, but that's not the best advice) to begin — you simply need the courage to take the first step and the commitment to keep walking step-by-step, even if you have to trip forward until you can confidently run.

Without starting, you can never hit milestones. Since I've started, I've had way too many blessings to list that I would want to celebrate, but they all go back to just getting past my fear of investing in entrepreneurship. Once I learned how to accept the risk and now even enjoy it, I have been more rewarded than ever before in both my professional and personal life.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

As someone who is a business owner while still working full-time in a fast-paced, demanding media-on-demand industry, the hardest part is reminding myself that I DO have the time to rest. I CAN and SHOULD rest. Isn't it ironic that we as solopreneurs are so great at taking care of our business — from operations to marketing to accounting to sourcing — yet we often don't take care of ourselves?

I'm incredibly fortunate to have my husband, family, friends, and small business community support me. Their gentle reminders ground me. Like in any marathon, it is better to have a minute to rest and run farther than to keep sprinting at a punishing pace that could lead to an injury that could stop you from running. Never forget to rest!

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Make your faith bigger than your fear. What is your biggest apprehension about starting your business? When you retrain your brain to embrace any potential failures as a learning opportunity rather than a wall that is unclimbable or unbreakable, you actually end up seeing more solutions and being more prepared for any situation.
  2. You don't need a perfect plan, but you still need to plan. Before you make any investment in marketing materials or infrastructure, you need an outline of your vision. "I hope" can only take you so far, but a vision will be the mast of your ship, even as you sail through inevitable rough waters. Although I had no background in clay-making, I still had a plan of attack to guide me and my own decade of industry experience I could apply to my business. Do your research: Is your name even legally available? How do you plan to operate? Are you creating a solid structure that still gives room to scale? You need to plan for the future vision of your business, not just what you see now.
  3. Seek wise counsel and share freely! A lot of times, when people start a new business or embark on a new endeavor, they withdraw and covet their thoughts into a corner, either because they're afraid of someone stealing their ideas before they can bring them to fruition or because they're afraid to ask for help. Obviously, you should carefully select and discern who you open up to, but when you find that mentor or community, open up freely. Those people want to help you succeed. Two brains are better than one. For example, I once hesitated asking for business tax counseling on Instagram out of the fear of sounding dumb, but after I got over the narrative I made up in my head, a dear friend read my question...and revealed she actually used to be a tax lawyer! What could have cost $700 to $1,000+ in consultation, she ended up guiding me for free. There is beauty in the community!

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Solopreneurship is a path of collaboration, not competition. We're all running our own unique race. I'm sure you've been helped or touched by others along your journey, so never forget, once you've been guided by someone else's helpful hand, don't forget to extend yours and reach out to uplift another solopreneur!

Where can people find you and your business?

Website:
https://msha.ke/freshwindclay/
https://freshwindclay.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freshwindclay/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-elysee-mae-velasco/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.