The Speech Source
Mary Brezik and Kim Dillon are two pediatric speech-language pathologists with over 25 years of combined experience. As speech therapists, we are often the first professionals to assess young children once they are referred by their pediatrician. Either they are not talking well or they are not eating well. We get to know our patients, their families, and how they are developing. We have a front row seat during the first critical and formative years of development for those who receive our services. Because of this, we have developed relationships with other professionals, observed what parent questions and concerns often arise, and see a need to share the resources and information we have compiled over the years. Join us as we dig into topics that show all of the overlapping aspects of child development and intervention. We invite you to be a part of our collaborative platform as we discuss, learn and grow for the betterment of our kids!
The Speech Source
S3E10: Glitter&Gold Goals with Mallory Dougherty
In this episode, Kim and Mary interview Mallory Dougherty, founder of Glitter&Gold, a unique jewelry and accessories business. Mallory grew up in a small town near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and later studied advertising and marketing at the University of South Carolina. Her career took unexpected turns, from selling wedding gowns to discovering her passion for accessories that transform simple outfits into statement looks. Inspired by her bridal styling days, Mallory launched Glitter&Gold, a brand that reflects her love for unique, curated pieces and her commitment to supporting small businesses.
Mallory’s approach to sourcing and selling jewelry sets her apart. Instead of sticking to traditional wholesale markets, she partners with small creators worldwide, often finding them on platforms like Etsy or Instagram. Her meticulous buying process and dedication to quality ensure every piece she sells is unique and personal. Whether designing her own products or collaborating with creators, Mallory balances quality, fair pricing, and customer appeal. Every item she offers reflects her style and her deep connection to her customers. Beyond her business, Mallory actively involves her two daughters, who help with tagging products, running cash registers, and learning the ropes of entrepreneurship. While she dreams of one day opening a brick-and-mortar store, Mallory remains focused on flexibility and creating a life that works for her family.
Mallory encourages other entrepreneurs to stay true to themselves, avoid fleeting trends, and build businesses aligned with their values. Her story is a testament that inspires others to dream big and create lives they love.
You can follow Mallory on Instagram here and don't forget to check out https://www.glitterandgoldfw.com/about-us
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I think the tennis court, truly other than sleeping, is the only time that my brain can truly shut off. Once I step on the tennis court, it's like it is only tennis. It really teaches you focus. It really teaches you okay, I can't think about what the score is right now. I say in my head, I say, hey, just stack the bricks. And that's how I live my day. Okay, let's just stack the bricks. Okay, it's love all. Okay, we're not going to think about winning this game yet. We're just going to think about okay, I just need to get the next point, and sometimes it's I just need to get the next shot over the net, and I think that's indicative of a day and that's indicative of how I live my day and how I live my life.
mallory :Sometimes it's I just have to get through this next five minutes and then eventually at the end of the day, you go I didn't get anything done. And then you look at your list and you go, oh, I, actually I did. It's like didn't plan on winning the tennis match, but look, I did it, and it was just one shot at a time. My tennis coach in high school always used to say the most important ball of the match is the one that you're currently hitting, and it's so true, and I think that's a great life lesson too. You have to just be present and the most important thing is the thing that you're currently working on.
Kim :Welcome to season three of the Speech Source Podcast with your hosts Kim and Mary. This season, our title is Changing the Game.
Mary :We are highlighting small business owners and entrepreneurs who have unwritten all the rules to starting a business and use their talents and their creativity to be able to build a business. That is a lifestyle designed just for them and is making incredible impact in our community of Fort Worth, Texas.
Kim :So don't forget to subscribe to this season so you don't miss an episode.
Mary :Today we have Mallory Doherty on to visit with us and tell us all about her business and how she got started with Glitter and Gold. So we are so excited to have you on. Glitter and Gold has lots of different jewelry items, accessories and really neat products. Mallory also is the mother of two beautiful little girls who are in elementary school, and she is just a doer, a person who does all of the things. She is a huge supporter of her children's school and is always leading things and running things with the PTA and she is just a huge giver as well to our community. So welcome, Mallory, for being with us today.
mallory :Thank you so much. I hope I can live up to all of the things that you just said. That was so sweet, but yeah, I'm happy to be here. Thank you all for having me.
Mary :Mallory, can you tell us a little bit about your background? So where did you go to school and what was your start with your education and how that led to the business that you have today?
mallory :Sure, so I am originally from Pennsylvania, like a small town close to Gettysburg, Hershey area. I grew up small town, went to the one town, one team, high school I ended up leaving for college. I went to the University of South Carolina. I studied advertising and marketing shocker so I got my degree from there and then, before my senior year, I met my now ex-husband. He moved from Fort Worth to South Carolina for a job and I met him and then we dated. I moved back to Pennsylvania for a few years and then I ended up moving. He moved back to Fort Worth and I moved here to be with him. So that's how I rollercoastered it to Fort Worth. But when I was in Pennsylvania after college I sold wedding gowns. So I was in the bridal business for two and a half to three years and that's what kind of roundabout led me to the jewelry business. To answer your question in a long story.
Mary :Wow, I did not realize that about you. So you said advertising and marketing wedding gowns. Was it connections? Was it jobs? How did you make your way into jewelry?
mallory :So I feel like it was a little bit of both. So I had a degree in advertising. I got a job in advertising selling yellow page ads right out of college, which, I mean, kids today don't even know what that is and I said, okay, this is horrific, no, ma'am. So I left that job. I moved back to Pennsylvania and I actually sold prom dresses while I was in college at the same bridal store. So my dad he was a CPA, he had done their taxes and all of their business stuff my whole life and he said if Mallory ever moves back here after college, she has a job, she will sell wedding gowns. We need her back. So they offered me a job as soon as I moved back and so I sold wedding gowns and then I ended up doing some of the buying for them.
mallory :And I feel like when I would style a bride or I would style prom dresses, I still sold prom dresses.
mallory :For me it was you could take the most simple white wedding gown and if you would add the most amazing belt or necklace or any type of accessory, it would totally change the entire thing and I would watch brides faces just absolutely light up if I would put a colored belt on a wedding gown.
mallory :I'm like, oh, you don't have to wear this for the ceremony, just wear it for the reception. And their eyes would just like, all of a sudden it was transformed into something completely different and I said I think there's something here and that is my personal style too, like I just like to wear jeans and, honestly, my secret style is I buy the boys Hanes tank tops like the like they call them wife beaters. I used to in the five pack for twelve dollars from Target and I put them with jeans that I like and then, if you put amazing accessories with it, all of a sudden it looks like something. And so I just like felt very passionate about accessories and I said, so many people sell clothes, I knew I wanted something of my own, but so many people sell clothes and I'm like I just want to do just accessories, because you can change an entire outfit with a pair of earrings.
Kim :I want to know a little bit about you when you were younger. Was this something that you were drawn to, even as a little girl? Just the accessories and the add-ons.
mallory :So it's weird that you say that, because I honestly didn't.
mallory :I didn't have this memory until maybe just a couple of years ago.
mallory :I have a memory of in third grade I made jewelry, like I made necklaces and bracelets, and I even remember my teacher's name and I remember I sat on the end row in third grade and I would make these necklaces and then I would take them to school, I would tape them with Scotch tape on the side of my desk and I would sell them at school in the third grade.
mallory :Like I'm kidding, I kid you not, and it's like I didn't remember that until a couple of years ago. And I'm like I guess I've always been supposed to do this and I do remember as a kid always asking my dad for a cash register for Christmas, but I told him that I didn't want like the play one, I didn't want the little tights, like I wanted the one that like spit out a receipt and made the real sounds. And I remember putting stickers on everything in my bedroom and I would have my dad come up and like shop in my store and just put all of my own stuff on sale because I just wanted a store. So bad. So I think it's always been there.
Mary :That is so cool. Tell us a little bit about the behind the scenes of jewelry. So obviously there's people who create jewelry like you were just describing, like you created the jewelry and then you bought it. But then there's also the buying aspect, like the bridal gowns. Clearly, you don't make the bridal gown. You go to market and pick them out. So what is your process with your jewelry and where you are able to find the beautiful things that you want to sell?
mallory :Sure. So I like most things in my life. I do things a little bit differently than a lot of people. So, whereas I would say the normal process that probably people are most familiar with is you have markets, so you have an Atlanta market, you have markets in New York City, you have markets in Dallas, you have markets in Las Vegas those are about the four biggest ones and then, a couple times a year, there's an accessory market and you'll go there and a lot of the companies will have their items for sale and you'd place a wholesale order. You see all of these companies within a couple days. You come home and within a couple weeks, everything starts to ship to you. Right, that's what most people understand it to be. The problem with that sometimes is that all of it starts to look the same and then everybody's carrying a lot of the same brands.
mallory :And what I really pride myself on and what I really strive to do and I feel like the biggest thing that sets me apart is I try to find these small, little, tiny businesses owned by moms with little kids that don't want to have a store, don't have the time for that, and I really try to support them, and so I really try to find these little niche items that I love and that I would wear myself, and I try to support them. So, for example, I will go on Etsy, which is not a wholesale website at all, and I will go on Etsy and I will find pieces that I like and then I'll side message them and I say, hey, do you wholesale? And I've had girls and women say I do not, I've never done it, I don't know how to do it. I go okay, I'm going to give you a crash course If you're open to it. I would love to do that. And they'll say yes or no or whatever.
mallory :So, for example, just before Cowtown, I had found a company on Instagram. They had popped up on my feed like things you would like, and it was this earring company and they're in Australia. And so I reached out and she said we're actually in Australia. I'm like that's fine, we can ship. And I said would you be willing to ship to me in the US? Could I place a wholesale order, because I think your pieces are incredible and I think they would do really well with my clients? And she said, sure, if you'll work with me a little bit, I need to figure out the shipping, but I'm happy to do it. She said just by the way, you're the only person in the United States that I wholesale to and I'm like that's amazing, and so it's. I just always try to find these little tiny businesses and I mix it in with the bigger ones that you're more familiar with, but I really try to find the smaller ones and just start conversations and become friends with these people and really support their dreams too, because they're absolutely supporting mine.
Kim :Do you have an aesthetic that you go towards when you're looking at pieces to try to keep things cohesive, or are you just if something catches your eye, you're willing to try something new and different?
mallory :It's probably more the latter, if something catches my eye. I've been doing this business about 12 years now, so it's. I sometimes had to flirt the gray area between okay, I love that, but I know that I'm a lot, so I'm also sometimes I'm like, okay, I love that, but we might have taken down a couple notches and maybe meet somewhere here. But most of the time it's just oh, that's unique and different, that catches my eye. And the other thing is because I don't create most of the items, while I do collab with some people and I do design some things.
mallory :I really have done some soul searching the last year or two, I would say, as far as what makes me different, what makes my business different Because you can buy jewelry from anybody. You can buy it from Amazon, you can buy it from any boutique in Fort Worth, you can buy it from any boutique online, and I've really done some digging and what makes me different and I think it's the buying process that I take so much pride in, that and I am so careful about the things that I do choose to carry, because at the end of the day, it's just me and at the end of the day, I feel like every single piece that I carry is a true representation of me and the things that I love and the things that I think my clients would love too.
Mary :This is really interesting because we have interviewed a lot of people who are on the flip side. We just interviewed, in fact, several different artists, and so they're the people who are cold calling or cold emailing people like you to say whatnot, but then you are the buyer. So you are on that other end, the buyer. What kind of you said catches your eye, but that's such an intangible thing obviously.
Mary :What kind of things can make it a little bit yeah put into words what does it mean to catch your eye? I get you, but as an artist, what advice would you even give a jewelry designer to be able to be a good candidate to get into? A store like yours.
mallory :Sure, that's a great question. I've actually never been asked that question. It's a really good one, I think first and foremost I look at quality, and there is so much out there, but whenever you've been doing it for a while you can start to tell just quality, and I feel like so many things now are just so fastly and readily made that I look for things that are unique, things that you know aren't sold everywhere. That just has a certain take or it can be. I'm also like a very detail oriented person. So even if they choose to use a different color than, let's say, you see everywhere.
mallory :So, for example, for those people that weren't able to make it to Christmas in Cowtown, I happen to have a hot pink Christmas tree. I'm not the person who's going to have a standard green tree. So let's just say, if I'm looking at a pair of bow earrings, for example, and they're holiday earrings, if they would do a red bow with, like neon pink polka dots, that would probably catch my eye. So I would say my style and my aesthetic going back to one of the previous questions is like classic with a twist, like classic with a little unexpected, if that kind of makes sense. So just something that, like you, wouldn't maybe typically see in a boutique that you've seen several other times before. Somebody that's seen something but said no wait, I'm going to do that, but I'm going to do my spin on it.
Kim :Seeing what your vision is, then do you seek out other clothing stores and places that you want your product in that matches your style?
mallory :Yes, I would say so In Fort Worth. I don't really seek out like just in our local market, I don't really seek them out. The stores that I'm carried in are just friends of mine because once you've been in this, as you guys know, like this Fort Worth community, it's a lot smaller than it may seem and whenever you've been doing it for a certain length of time, no matter what the business, it just gets smaller and smaller and you just know people and where your product would fit or where your service would fit for someone. So, for example, elle Maxine and I was talking to Mary about this the other night.
mallory :I have known Brittany, for we used to live in Ridgemar together and I remember her coming to me saying I'm going to start a kid's clothing store and I'm like, oh, that's excellent, and a lot of people say those things. But she's like, oh, we signed a lease, like we're ready to go, and it's just like our relationship just built upon itself. And then whenever she opened, elle Maxine, she texted me a couple of weeks before opening. She said we would love to carry your stuff in our store. And I'm like, oh, my gosh, that's such an honor. And it's just that my stuff has also carried a house of blonde. Brittany, who owns house of blonde is a very dear friend of mine and she said the same thing. So it was just like that Fort Worth community just collaborating and just knowing that, oh, we have the same clientele, and just knowing that, yeah, that will probably work, just based on a couple of different parameters. But it's more like friends helping friends. Truly, that makes sense.
Kim :And going back to the buying process, how do you organize or keep track of the inventory that you want to hold? Or do you test the waters first and then, if it does, go back and up your inventory? What does that process look like?
mallory :Sure, so I feel like, okay, first of all, I just really started keeping track of inventory last year the inventory it's. I think I got more serious about the business last year and I was like, oh, I guess I should probably start working on that, because, normally, about the business last year and I was like, oh, I guess I should probably start working on that, because normally I would just buy what I saw and it just is an ongoing process, and so I work it differently depending upon the product, if that makes sense. So, to be more specific, for higher priced items or more higher end lines that I carry, I normally, with certain styles, will only carry, let's say, one or two of each specific SKU number or item. And I say, okay, let's see how that would do, let's see if people would feel comfortable paying that price because it is a higher end item, like, for example, like Neiman Marcus carry some of these brands. It's a certain type of level.
mallory :And then, let's say, with, like little stud earrings, which are super popular right now and I have carried those since the beginning, I'm like, okay, I know that these are probably going to sell because I've proven that process over and over again, so for those I'd buy 50 or 60 pairs at a time, because I've already proven that they will sell. So it just really depends on, I would say, price point and whether or not it's a new or different product. As far as you know the quantities that I would buy right away.
Mary :While we're diving into the nitty gritty of this, I'm really curious about the art of pricing an item, because it's just really tricky. And so Kim and I do not have physical items, but we do sell items. We sell items on our store, we have digital products, we have resources that we do, we have trainings, and no matter what you are selling even if you're selling a service like speech therapy, like we do you're always having to price it. So I'm just thinking through the nuts and bolts of it. Obviously, there's a wholesale price of the item, and then there's all of the expenses overhead, whatever, of your business, and then, after all, that's said and done is your profit. So do you have some kind of formula or any insight on how you figure out how to price your items appropriately?
mallory :Sure, and again, because of the way I do things, again like I'm not like a lot of other people, I feel like because I have a wide variety of ways in which I purchase items or curate the items. There are different algorithms in my head as far as how they're priced. If that makes sense, okay. So, for example, if you want to get like nitty gritty, so let's say I design a product myself, which I've done, and I have it made in a factory, whether that be India, whether that be China, because, let's be honest, that's where a lot of it's coming from, not all of it. There are products that I purchase and design that are coming from the US, like smaller quantities, but let's say I design one and it's made in India, for example, okay, that's going to be a much higher margin product for me, only because there's no middleman added in there, whereas if I'm purchasing an item from Sunshine Tienda, for example, at their wholesale cost, it's a much, much lower margin item because they have to make their money on it first as the middleman and then it's sent to me.
mallory :So those are like the two basic categories, but then that also comes at a cost, because if I'm designing something and I'm having it made in India. They're not going to let me buy five, I have to buy 200. So there's a much, much higher risk for me because I have to buy 200, which kind of then justifies the margin, if that makes sense. And then also because I do some wholesaling. I am not going to wholesale, let's say, sunshine Tienda's products to L Maxine because they can buy them at wholesale also, but the products that I designer have made that I have to buy 200, of that I do have the margin for wholesale. Those are the products that I can then wholesale to other companies because there's a margin there for me, because then I would become the middleman.
Mary :Yeah, no, that makes a lot of sense because I think of your brand as being extremely well-priced and there is quite a range, and so I can tell you that you've really thought carefully about how you should price an item. The other thing that you do really well is your packaging.
Mary :So, it's so beautiful. You gave my daughter a little bracelet in this little box and I was just thinking about it going. This is so well packaged and just the package itself made it feel so, so special. Did you design the packaging or are you getting that?
Kim :from somewhere, her marketing degree coming in handy so special?
Mary :Did you design the packaging, or are you getting that from somewhere? Her?
mallory :marketing degree coming in handy, I know. So I designed the product. I've seen those before, so those I buy in super high quantities. Obviously I have to because my logo is on them. But I have the custom size and then I obviously choose the colors and then on my bags, like I choose the ribbon color and all the colors and the sizing for that and everything. So that's basically curated from companies like factories that specialize in that. So I choose all the colors and the designs and that type of thing. But I didn't start from scratch on those. But I just feel like, again, like packaging, it's like the. It's the first thing that somebody sees.
mallory :You can decide if you're going to love an item more or less based on the box that it comes in. There is a reason that a Louis Vuitton box looks very different than a box that you're going to get somewhere else. There's a difference and there's a reason and you're like I have to like it more if the box looks better and also it's a representation of me and my brand, Kind of going back, looks better and also it's a representation of me and my brand. Going back to what I said earlier, it's all just a representation of me.
Kim :We've talked a lot on this series about collaboration, which I know is huge for you, but then networking and using the people and it sounds like for the selling part of your business that's strong, especially here in Fort Worth. But I'm curious about the flip side, as a buyer and trying to get the product and the packaging for your products within that network of other buyers. Do they share information or, like I know this great person in India where they will help you design something? Or is that all just trial and error?
mallory :Again, I think it's a combination of a lot of things and I think it depends on who you talk to. So I would love to say that everyone in this business is very open and they're very apt to share information. However, that's not always the case. I approach it that way because I look at it as so many people have helped me along the way and there's enough room for everyone is how I look at it. So I would say friends share information, but it's very rare for I don't want to say a stranger, but somebody who you don't really know that well to just readily supply you with information. I want to say that with some people it's almost hey, it took me six years to find this one person myself. How am I going to just give you that information when it took me six years to find them? Do you know what I mean? So I think there's a lot of that in this business, unfortunately. But the information sharing, I always think it's. I think it's karma. If I give you this information, I am happy to help you. So many people have helped me.
mallory :And if you want to buy your bags from the same person who I buy my bags from, my goodness, here's the information and it'll all come back in the end. It's all good. That's just who I buy my bags from, my goodness. Here's the information and it'll all come back in the end. It's all good. That's just who I am as a person. But I can understand the other side of it too. So it's. I'm not putting anyone down for being a little bit more protective, but that's just. It just depends on the person.
Mary :That's a really interesting concept. Kim and I have talked about that quite a bit. Our spirits are very much in the total collaboration vein. There's room for everyone, abundance mentality. We're all in this together. We support each other, we help each other. But the reality is not everyone is like that. There's quite a bit of competition out there and frankly, like you're saying, it's a long game, short game kind of idea too. It is Sure that might get you ahead right now, but you might burn some big bridges or you might really regret some of that competitive spirit later on. So how do you stay in this hustle? It's a hard thing to be able to stay in it.
mallory :It's a gray area, and I've learned so much along the way. And you, just I call my life every single day. It's like a rapid river. I'm like, okay, we're just going to strap on the life jacket, put the hat on, hope, we make it to the turkey sandwich at lunch. Honestly, that's how I live my life, it's just.
mallory :Every day looks a little bit different, every conversation looks a little bit different, but I just look at it as and I've always been this person just in general, it's you're my friend, even if you're a stranger. Until you prove to me that you shouldn't be my friend, I will trust you. Until you tell me not to trust you, or show me not to trust you, I will help somebody until I get burned, and then, if I get burned, I'm so sorry, but I don't. It's like I don't know where to go from there. But I feel like sometimes I've been too trusting of other people and given out too much information, and I've learned my lesson from there. So I just I think a lot of it, though, is just treading with caution. Just I'm happy to give out the information, but I've learned to not give out too much information, if that makes sense.
Mary :Definitely. We saw you very recently at Christmas in Cowtown, the Christmas market here in Fort Worth. Tell us a little bit about putting on that space, because obviously your jewelry was showcased beautifully. But how do you go about designing a booth, because that is legitimately a blank concrete? Maybe you get carpet, maybe not, I don't know. Pipe and drape situation you get a black pipe and drape is what you get no carpet.
Mary :Yeah, yeah. So how did you go about designing that? Because it's like your jewelry box, like you've got to build the whole thing out. So how did you design that?
mallory :Sure, that's a good question. So last year was the first time I did Christmas in Cowtown. Sure, that's a good question. So last year was the first time I did Christmas in Cowtown, and it was the first time I was like, oh no, I have to design a store, basically like you're saying. So, actually, upstairs in my house, my office has built-in shelves and I've often used those as my backdrop for videos or pictures or whatever, and so I was asking myself questions as to if I had a brick and mortar store, what would I want it to look like? Okay, it's in my head. Now, how do I scale that down, put it in a 10 foot by 10 foot space and make it movable? That was where I was.
mallory :I didn't even have a bag with my logo on it, as, like last year April, like there was nothing. I had boxes, but I didn't really have bags because I didn't. I just used just generic bags when I would do smaller pop-ups. But I'm like, oh boy, I felt like I had been called to the major leagues. I was like, oh gosh, like I'm now on the pitcher's mound, better get out of the dugout. Here we go. And of the dugout, here we go.
mallory :And so I did a couple sketches, I started looking online. I reached out to friends of mine who I already had known had done Cowtown and I'm like, okay, I need help 9-1-1. What am I going to do? And honestly, I think I just started from the ground up and I said, okay, I knew that I wanted white shelving because that was recognizable and it was like on brand for who I was and what people already knew glitter and gold to be, and just pure display standpoint. I knew that white shelves with a white background was going to be the best case scenario for my product to display itself, because if you have no background, things get lost. So I found shelves on Amazon. I think I got them on Amazon. I bought a couple and then I said, okay, I have to set everything up, because I'm very particular about the aesthetic of everything Because, again, at the end of the day, that's all I've got. I'm not making it.
mallory :So I said, okay, I took my bar room in my house. There was nothing in it, it was a blank space. I took green painters tape and I taped out a 10 by 10 space on the floor and I said, okay, fine, I am going to build my booth step-by-step in my bar room and that way I could see what I liked, I could see what I didn't like, I could see what the flow was like, I could see what the spacing was like. I could see oh, I didn't even think that I would need that. I do need that. Oh, the color of this looks great. No, it doesn't.
mallory :So I truly, last summer, built out that entire space with bookshelves. I started with four bookshelves and I was like, no, it's not enough space, I need six. I bought a cash wrap on Amazon and then I had to find a place that I could do like a little acrylic logo that I wanted in my head, and I just basically built it out step-by-step and I would make lists upon lists, like I'm a handwriting list person and I would just make okay, I need tissue paper. Oh, shoot, I'm going to carry ornaments. If you carry ornaments, you need ornament boxes. I want my logo on those boxes. So it's every little step.
mallory :I just had to just check mark and then with this year's booth, because it was a different layout than last year's, I had to change it up a little bit get a bigger rug, get different displays, because I didn't have. I went from having three sides on a booth to having one backdrop on a booth, and that's a big deal, because then I had all these open sides and I couldn't have my six bookcases anymore, because then it would close in one side, making it pointless to have the end cap. So then I had to buy these white cubes so that people could still see through it, and it's just a step-by-step. What do I want it to look like? Okay, let's build it and we'll see what happens.
Kim :So in Christmas in Cowtown you're interacting with your customers and they're getting to see you behind the product. What does that do for just your business in general? Is that something that fills your cup for what you're doing, or do you feel more uncomfortable in those situations? Or do you feel more uncomfortable in those situations? What do you like between the two?
mallory :So for me, I love the selling part. So let's say we were talking about artists before and they love creating and they love making art. For me, the selling part is what I've always loved. I love talking to people, I love getting to know new people. I love when people came into my booth this year and they said, oh my gosh, like I got a bunch of decor from you last year for Christmas. I just want to get these two sets to add to what I got from you last year. And it was so nice meeting you last year. I wanted to make a point to come see you this year. That just fills up my cup to no end.
mallory :But I've always wanted to be in sales. I think I've been in sales since I was like 16. And my dream job as a kid was QVC. I wanted to be the QVC person. So it's like this just makes sense, like I wanted to be like the one co-hosting with Lisa Renna. That was what I wanted, and so I guess it all makes sense now, except I don't have Lisa Brenna in my booth.
mallory :But I just love talking to people, I love interacting with people, and I think some of that too is. I think it would be more exhausting those five days if I had a brick and mortar and then had to do that on top of it. But because so much of my year, especially like January through August or September, is spent in my house, working online or through Instagram or whatever. It's so nice to go out and do those shows with complete strangers and really hear what people have to say, and I also learn so much Like I really try to listen. What are people saying? What are they like, what are they not like? Do they want to spend that much on there? Do they think that's a bargain? And so I really try to take in as much information as I can while doing the selling.
mallory :I love the styling of it. Like I love when someone says this is my favorite. When someone comes into my booth and they come up to me with five bangles on and they say do you think this is too much? Does this look on? And they say, do you think this is too much? Does this look? And I like look at them and I show them the 16 that I'm wearing and I say, okay, I'm not the person to ask if it's too much. Like I am too much and I'm probably not the person for that, but I will help you tone it down and I will help you with it. But I love the styling aspect of that too that I get to do at Cowtown which I don't get to do in person all year long.
Mary :One thing that I think you have always done really well is you've always brought your girls into your business, and I want to talk a little bit about that because I can tell you have a great mindset about that. This is like a family business and this is for them, and with them in the booth at Christmas and catch on your girls were there and I think your mom was there too. It's like a family affair. You have done modeling together. You obviously are having to work and be on your phone while the girls are home after school, so can you tell us a little bit about what that looks like and what your goals and your dreams are for them and how it is with your business?
mallory :Sure, okay, I'll try to do this without crying because, like, just the thought of them just gets me all like emotional. So the short of it all is it is for them, and I think on the hard days or on the days where I'm like I might never sell a thing again, like nobody, like everyone's busy, I just ask myself, like why are you doing this? And the answer is for them, and then it just gives me this motivation to just keep going, because so much of being a mom, as you guys know, it's not what you say, it's them seeing you and seeing who you are and seeing what you're doing and seeing how you interact and how you treat other people, and a lot of it is like them seeing my business in the house go from the much smaller side that it was not that they remember a lot of it. I've always been doing it since they've been alive. But just seeing that it does make me happy, it does fill me up and it's you can do this too. There is no limit to anything that you can do. If I can do this, you can do this too. There is no limit to anything that you can do. If I can do this, you can do this type of thing and every show I do, I have a picture of them in a picture frame and it sits at the top of the shelf and it's just. They are with me all the time. Even when they aren't with me, they are with me. I carry them everywhere and I call us like the three musketeers. It's we are just one person is how I look at it and what's mine is theirs.
mallory :I named the business Glitter and Gold 12 years ago when I started it, which is very generic, very basic, aware. That's when statement necklaces were a thing and we've moved on. Now, if I were to name my business, the business name would be Willa's, which is Willow and Isla's names together. Obviously, like, I've thought this through and so I'm not saying that will never happen, because it may, but I just look at it as a reflection of me and they are a reflection of me and it's, at the end of the day, just for them.
mallory :And so, as far as my scheduling with them and working so, I didn't I was always just on the back burner. Whenever they were younger, I just did it here and there when I had time and it was more of a hobby. And then, when they got older, my goal was to have it be more of a full-time situation. Then, two and a half years ago, I got divorced, so now I have one week with them and then one week without them, which it's so hard.
mallory :However, I'm a very much a silver lining person, like we're going to find the positive here somewhere. I don't care what it is, we're going to find it. One of the silver linings of that is when I don't have them, I work for 12 or 14 hours a day for seven days straight, so that when I do have them, I can be present with them and I can be there and I'm like, oh shoot, I don't have to tag all of that jewelry. I do a lot of the organizing. I do a lot of the website updates. I do a lot of the follow-ups whenever I don't have them. That way, whenever I do have them, I can just do the selling part more and I schedule all of my shows around when I have them and when I don't have them. So when I have them, there aren't many shows happening, if at all, and when I don't have them, that's whenever I'm able to do all of the other things so that I can just be their mom whenever they're with me.
Kim :Do they ever help you with any of those little tasks like tagging or boxing or things like that, so they can feel like they're a part of it?
mallory :Oh, absolutely Like. I have pictures of them. Willow loves helping Isla, she helps for a little. Isla's the younger one, she helps for a little bit. But Willow, she calls herself the manager. She's mom, you're the CEO, I'm the manager. I'm like fantastic, I'm not paying you a manager's wage. That's great. But she loves to take all the earrings off of the earring cards, because when they come in, especially from factories, they come in on earring cards that I'm not going to put on mine or they have no earring cards. So she likes to take them all out. She puts them in piles, then she puts them on earring cards and they tag things for me. And, honestly, as they've gotten older, I've tried to give them more and more responsibility. So, for example, at Cowtown, mary, I don't know if you were in the booth, but people were checking out and Isla was doing the whole thing. So she boxed in, she was behind the cash register.
Mary :She was, she's got that what you had when you were little.
Kim :where's my cash register Exactly?
mallory :It was funny because my mom was there, like Mary said, and Willow wanted to go around and shop and Isla said oh, I'm not leaving, mom, I'm going to be here and I'm going to bring up these customers. So she rang them up start to finish, and so they've done little pop-ups with me and I've started teaching them that whole process as far as thank you, would you like a receipt, that type of thing. So as they've gotten older, I've really tried to give them a lot more responsibilities.
Mary :Yeah, that's cool. What amazing social skills to be able to teach them Just the art of how to interact with someone that you don't know, respectfully of all different ages. I think it's just a great thing that you're able to teach them and practice. Another thing that I wanted to ask you about is when I think of you, mallory. Another thing that I just really respect about you is that you play tennis a lot and you stay very physically fit, and I know that helps you stay mentally fit. It is just part of who you are. So can you tell us how you're able to prioritize that or what does? How does that go together for you of movement and your body and being physically fit, and how does that make you more mentally fit for your girls and your family and for your business?
mallory :Sure, I think staying physically fit and just being accountable to yourself and your body, it just it makes you feel better about yourself. And I feel like when you feel good about yourself and how you present yourself to the world, I just think that gives you mental clarity. I think it obviously gives you self confidence enough to go out and talk to people, whether that's strangers or friends or whomever and I feel like honestly, like in my business and line of work, like I want to wear a certain clothes and I want to feel confident and comfortable wearing a sequin jumpsuit which I do often and I don't want to be like, oh, I don't want to wear that because I just don't feel great. So tennis has always been a part of my life. I've played tennis since I can remember and I just think that's a great full body. It clears my mind, it clears everything. It just gives me not only a physical restart, it gives me a mental restart too.
mallory :I think the tennis court, truly, other than sleeping, is the only time that my brain can truly shut off. Once I step on the tennis court, it's like it is only tennis. It really teaches you focus. It really teaches you okay, I can't think about what the score is right now. I say in my head, I say, okay, just stack the bricks. And that's how I live my day. Okay, let's just stack the bricks. Okay, it's level. Okay, we're not going to think about winning this game yet, we're just going to think about okay, I just need to get the next point, and sometimes it's I just need to get the next shot over the net. And I think that's indicative of a day and that's indicative of how I live my day and how I live my life. Sometimes it's I just have to get through this next five minutes and then eventually at the end of the day, you go I didn't get anything done. And then you look at your list and you go, oh, I, actually I did. It's like didn't plan on winning the tennis match, but look, I did it, and it was just one shot at a time.
mallory :My tennis coach in high school always used to say the most important ball of the match is the one that you're currently hitting. And it's so true, and I think that's a great life lesson too. You have to just be present and the most important thing is the thing that you're currently working on. So, for example, when I was in Cowtown and I was doing it. I pretty much shut out the rest of the world. I pretty much was like guys, I have a Cowtown, I'll talk to you in six days and it's just. If I wanted to do a good job at countdown and I wanted to be engaged with people and I wanted to be present, I had to truly give that my 100% focus, which is why I try to work so hard when I don't have the girls or even when they're at school, just so that I can be present and be the 100% mom that they absolutely deserve me to be. So I don't know. I just think that a lot of the tennis is just how I live my life in general.
Kim :I like that analogy. I wanted to ask about outsourcing. Do you have product that you're delivering to the stores? Do you have product you're selling in person when you do the pop-up shops, and then you have your online orders, also through your website? So are you doing all of the packaging and shipping and all of those things behind the scenes also? That would be me.
mallory :I'm trying to figure out how to be Ursula and just grow six more hands.
mallory :But I haven't figured that out yet. But it's just me. Yeah, I just try to just do a little bit every day. Just every day is not going to be perfect. I never get as much done in a day that I want to get done. And again, I think I've just really had to learn how to prioritize, and what I was talking about earlier is just like okay, and a lot of times I truly tell myself this in a day.
mallory :So I have all these to-do lists. I'm a handwritten, old-fashioned person, and so I'll have a list. And then, to focus myself more, I will then go to the right-hand side and I will number. Okay, what is the next most important thing you have to do? Because sometimes even the list can get overwhelming, as I'm sure you guys know. It's okay, I don't even know where to start. I know I have to do all this, but where do I go from here? And so I go. Okay, what's the next most important thing If that means I have to order the books for the visiting author, and that's the number one thing? Okay, I can't go to number two until I check off number one, and so I just I get it all done somehow. But it's just, I've really just had to try to learn how to prioritize, like what's important and what's not.
Mary :Glitter and gold is predominantly jewelry and then some accessories. Social media influencers they start off being known for a certain thing, but then, quickly, they're saying here's also the yoga gear that I'm wearing. And there's also what I'm eating, and then here's also where we're and it just is this just okay? What are you even sharing about?
mallory :us? Where are we? Are we selling grills now?
Mary :what are right. What is this? Here's the vacuum cleaner, right? What is this? And so how have you managed to stay in the jewelry and accessory space without being tempted by oh, but these, like frosted cups, are really trendy right now, or oh, but this is really trendy right now? How do you react or respond to those kinds of things?
mallory :Sure, I've always really tried hard to stay true to who I really am, and so I have carried glassware, but it wasn't because it was trendy. It was because it was like, oh, that's beautiful glassware. And I feel like, as I get older, I'm developing a glassware issue. I really like glassware and I really like things have changed and progressed over the years as I have. I started this when I was in my 20s and I'm certainly not buying the same things I was when I was in my 20s, as I'm sure you ladies aren't either. So the business has definitely evolved with me and I do carry some more decor items, but a lot of that truly is. This will just make the jewelry look better. And, yes, there are things that I like and things that I would want in my house, but I've never really jumped on the band wagon as far as trends go, because they are fleeting, going back to what we were talking about nitty gritty in the buying. If you buy all this stuff and it's trendy and then all of a sudden, the trend is over, what are you going to do with it all? Most retail businesses fail because of inventory issues. That's the number one reason, because they overbuy and they don't think it through. And then all of a sudden they're stuck with all this inventory and no way to sell it, because nobody wants it anymore.
mallory :And I think I would much rather sell less product, but be true to who I am and stay in my lane, than try to follow these ever-changing and evolving trends. It would be like trying to sell iPhone accessories. They come out with a new iPhone every three and a half days. All of a sudden it's a new size and new chargers. Now I can't sell the old chargers and so it's just. If you just stay true to yourself, it's like it'll solve so many issues. It's just be who you are, know your lane, stay in your lane. I have friends who sell clothes. I have so many friends who sell clothes. That's amazing. I love that because I can go buy clothes from you. But it's if I just stay in my little accessory lane, I'm going to be okay. So there's like a saying I don't know if you've heard of it they don't shoot the rabbit when you're hunting an elephant, it's.
Mary :Don't get off track over here and go for, like the Stanley cup, accessories If, at the end of the day, you're a jewelry company that is so true Cause, who thought you could top the Stanley and then, sure enough, someone bought me like the hydro jug and I'm like this is so much better.
mallory :And you're like wow so glad I didn't buy more of those Exactly At the school, like at our kids' school, it's like everyone had the Stanley. Now we can't use the regular straws anymore. Glad I didn't buy 10 of those, I just bought one or two and now we have the flip top straw. I mean, it's just ever changing. So I've really just tried to stay true to who I am and that's not always been cool and that's fine. But you know what? It all comes full circle and I preach that to my girls all the time. I'm like listen, I was playing tennis in high school whenever you all were playing volleyball and softball and soccer and you guys were the cool kids in town. Now everybody wants to play tennis, like I play tennis, and it's cool. It's if you just stay in your lane, it eventually will all come back around.
Mary :Just to wrap up, I wanted to know, as you think about glitter and gold, is there anything, any dreams that you have for it in the future, or even as you're in respect to your girls, or like how it will make an impact on their life, or what you hope for it to be your future plans, or is it? Is the best, really the best approach, to think of it one day at a time, of it's serving you for right now, and that is enough, and it's more than enough?
mallory :I think I would have answered that question differently two years ago. How I would answer it now is what you said is. It is serving me today, and I've learned in the last couple of years just again life can change in one instant. Today is maybe not how exactly how I planned today, or tomorrow might not be how tomorrow is planned. So as of now, I think I'm going to just let the girls in some sense lead it, Because if I do it the way I continue to do it now, I'm so much more flexible and I'm so much more able to do things for them that I need to do.
mallory :But my dream has always been to have a store and to have a brick and mortar and to have their name on it. But if that's not what they want and that's not how I could best serve them as a mom and at least in these next couple years then we'll go that route. But they're seeming to love it and they seem to love being at Cowtown and they seem to love that aspect of it and talking to people, and so if that's something that let's say in a couple of years that they would support and they would want me to do, then I would absolutely love nothing more than to do that but also the changing landscape of just so much being online and me selling small accessories. It's just easy to do it out of my house. So I don't know. I haven't really fully answered that question. I don't think in my own brain, but for now it's good for today, and so I survived the rapid river today, and who knows what tomorrow will bring, but we're figuring it out.
Kim :One day at a time. Thank you for sharing all of the behind the scenes. I know people see your beautiful stuff. There's a lot to know and learn just about what goes into all of that. So thank you for sharing with us today and just answering all of our questions.
mallory :Of course, I hope I didn't give too much detail and be confusing, but thank you guys so much for having me.
Kim :Thanks for listening. Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss an episode.
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