We had the good fortune of connecting with Jennifer McRae and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jennifer, what is the most important factor behind your success?
The one of a kind nature of my pieces! Every piece begins as a painting that is cut into the jewelry – my customers really connect with this and love that they have a one of a kind item. Many women are initially pulled in by the bright colors and fun aesthetic but then their jaws drop when I tell them that each piece is a tiny part of a painting. And the fact that each piece comes from a painting – the collections are always evolving and always new. I can not recreate a piece no matter how hard I try. It’s always going to have a different color combination or the tiny bubbles that are part of the creation process will be different.
I’m an artist at heart and creating the same thing over and over would get boring for me. And my customers appreciate that their jewelry and gifts that the give are so unique.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My jewelry and business journey began as an accident! I messed up a commissioned painting. After staring at it for a good month trying to figure out how to salvage the materials, I cut into it. That first cut turned into a pair of earrings for myself that started this whole journey. My biggest advice is learn from your mistakes, experiment and have fun. Don’t let set backs in small business discourage you. And don’t be afraid to just try things.

 

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
There are so many wonderful things to do in Raleigh and North Carolina. One of my favorite things to tell people is find the pop-ups, the art shows, the festivals. There is always one close by and you’ll get the best out of any day by supporting those artists and small businesses.

 

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My shout out is too all of the small businesses that are part of the community over competition movement! Seeing another woman creating art or making jewelry doesn’t maker her my competitor – I want to cheer for her to make it as much as I want to have a cheerleader! There are so many strong women in my life that have been cheerleaders for me. And I want to shoot out my fellow jewelry designers – Sarah Cash with SarahFide Creations and Jill Yeary with Margo Lane Creations. I couldn’t make it through markets without the support of Sarah Morris, Joy Thompson, Tracy Ranghelli and Mary Zlotnick – they are all amazing makers and artists!

 

Website: www.’mcraedesign.com

Instagram: @mcrae.designnc

Facebook: Facebook.com/mcraedesign

Nominate Someone: undefined is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.