HER STORY ⟡ Katie & Jill
Today, we are meeting Katie and Jill of Wood + Wolfe!
How did you get started?
By day, Katie is a corporate attorney + Jill is a certified welder + bartender with a degree in business. After seeing the permanent jewelry trend popularized in major cities like New York and LA, we knew not only that it was something we could do, but an industry that needed disrupting. "Move fast + break shit" as they say. Katie handled all the legal requirements + Jill taught us all how to be "dangerous enough" with a welder + we were on our way after we really started focusing on targeting both the demographic in our cities (bachelorette parties + 20 somethings), but also all the groups largely ignored in the permanent jewelry industry (LGBTQ+, culturally and racially diverse, etc.).
What is your business?
We are a permanent jewelry company, which is essentially dainty, claspless, welded on chains that can be bracelets, necklaces, rings, anklets, or body chains! All of our chains are 14K gold filled or silver filled + designed to be timeless so that you can wear them when you sweat, shower, swim, + sleep! Don't worry, no green skin here.
What do you love about owning a small business?
The typical answers are true: it's nice to not have a boss, make your own schedule, etc. But we've found that more than that, we like being ourselves (no, really, you should look at our TikTok, there are no rules there + we expect no judgment) + being the bosses we wish we always had. That means paying our people well, not asking anyone to do anything we wouldn't do ourselves, + having a damn good time while we're at it.
How can others partner with you?
We love to work with local small businesses + popup at their location, festival, market, etc. We don't charge anything to set up, we bring our own crowd of customers, + we have a lot of fun! We've even started doing what we call the "Nashville Beat of the Week" where we share local business events that people should check out, even if we're not there. (We're working on a "Beat" for Chattanooga + Charlotte too!)
How do we find you?
instagram: woodandwolfe
tiktok: woodandwolfe
www.woodandwolfe.com
info@woodandwolfe.com
What advice would you give a new fem-preneur?
Just say yes to every opportunity, figure out how to actually do it later on. They say possession is 9/10ths of the law + I say faux confidence is 9/10ths of a successful business. Even if you're terrified and unsure on the inside, convince everyone else you know what you're doing. We're literally all just flying by the seat of our pants, but you'll make it work.
Don't do what everyone else is doing, you'll never be them + frankly why would you want to? Saks Fifth Avenue and Walmart both exist in this world + they both make a lot of money. Don't target the exact same customer, don't sell the exact same stuff, be yourself, let that come through in your business.... move fast + break shit.