Today marks 10 years since I started Epheriell!
On October 9th, 2008, I published the first item in my Etsy store, and started this journey… without any clue of where it would take me.
Back then, it was just a whim – a hobby business that I started simply to try and make back a bit of the money I’d spent on tools and materials.
I had yet to start working in silver. I had yet to take my silversmithing course. I had absolutely NO intention of making this my full-time career – I already had one I enjoyed!
Sure… I’d always harboured a vague dream that I could one day ‘make a living from the internet’ and I’d tried a number of things over the years (working as an editor, selling designs on Cafe Press, a blog about living sustainably… all small projects that never made big bucks) but I hadn’t really planned on Epheriell ever being anything more than a hobby.
Fast-forward a few years… and life happened. I went from having a comfortable full-time job to throwing myself into my business full-time… and it grew.
Along the way, I started and sold a zine – *bespoke* – ran a Pozible campaign to launch a calendar, had a successful design blog, spoke at conferences, got the opportunity to travel for free, and, finally – started Create & Thrive in 2013.
That was the third smartest biz move I made (after starting Epheriell – number 2 – and proposing to Nick – number 1 best decision ever!).
If you’d like to hear more about my journey – the ‘before’ Epheriell, and more about my first few years in business, click here and you can listen to my podcast episode about it.
Today, I want to take a moment to say THANK YOU.
Thank you to Nick for being right by my side – for being my biggest support, cheerleader, and partner in life and business.
Thank you to my parents for raising me to believe I could do anything I put my mind to.
Thank you to my friends for supporting me.
And finally, of course, thank you to YOU – my amazing customers and students. It has been an absolute honour and joy to serve you via Epheriell and Create & Thrive over the last 10 years, and I look forward to many, many more years of doing the same.
Much love to you all,
Jess x
October 9th, 2018
P.S. To celebrate this milestone, I’ve created a limited edition design. I will only ever make 10 pairs of these earrings (9 for sale, because I’m keeping a pair for me!), featuring a pair of ‘Epheriell blue’ Swarovski crystals. You can see them here.Â
