Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Shinnick.
Emily, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I grew up in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago. I created Locked And Layered: a Men’s/Unisex jewelry line as an expression of my environment – one that’s architectural, industrial, and minimal.
Growing up in a city with one of the most breathtaking skylines in the world, I often found myself looking up, fascinated by intricacies of all the buildings. As a child, I also was drawn to Finkl Steel – a huge steel company blocks from my home. I would walk past, mesmerized by the large steel machines and the blasts of sparks illuminating within. Also, during this time, I developed an admiration and love for minimalism. I believe that a stripped down, minimalist look creates versatility. By combining all three of these inspirations, I created a line that speaks to the masses and, more importantly, encapsulates everything I love.
Has it been a smooth road?
My biggest struggle was believing in myself enough to take the next step: operating my jewelry business full time. At first, I was juggling a full-time job selling wine and operating my business on the side. I soon realized the only thing holding me back was myself and the fear of failure. In order to succeed, I needed to put all my focus into my true passion: jewelry. Earlier this year, I took the plunge and have been successfully self-employed ever since. My advice to women would be to believe in yourself. Recently, it’s become very apparent that there is still a glass ceiling telling us what we can and cannot do. I hope that my success story gives them enough to fuel to propel through it.
We’d love to hear more about Locked And Layered.
In a market saturated by women’s designs, I have separated my brand from others by creating a men’s/unisex line that is modern, chic, and approachable, especially for men. My brand is known best for its necklaces, but the entire line includes bracelets, earrings, and rings. I am proud of being a Chicago native and having created a collection completely inspired by my city. Although you will not see a Chicago flag etched into any of my designs the inspiration lies within fragments that I have seen from my childhood until now.
We’re interested to hear your thoughts on female leadership – in particular, what do you feel are the biggest barriers or obstacles?
James Brown once said, “it’s a man’s world.” Despite that, I have found the biggest barrier to female leadership has been our, women’s collective thought process. At times, I have found that some women in my industry fight to carve out a piece of this “man’s world” at the expense of other women. It has been my mission to try to build a network of strong females that want to help each other create a “woman’s world.” By remaining positive and focusing on my craft, I have slowly found a collection of female entrepreneurs that share my passion for lifting each other up. Together, we collaborate on ways to enhance and grow each others’ businesses simultaneously.
Pricing:
- Most of my jewelry is priced from the $40-$65 range.
- But it can vary from $30-$125
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.lockedandlayered.com/
- Email: lockedandlayered@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lockedandlayered/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LockedAndLayered/
Image Credit:
Francis Son Photography
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