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Today we’d like to introduce you to Shelley Limpert.
Hi Shelley, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My background is in online marketing in entertainment. I worked in advertising for an agency for many years and always wished I would have my own company someday. Valley of the Beads is the ultimate for me; it’s my passion and I have so much respect for business owners, small and large because if you can create the space to have something that is yours and take what you’ve learned in your life experiences and actually have it be successful, it’s magic.
When I was working for the ad agency, I met my close friend Brandon Yano. It was before life had almost broken me and we would laugh and joke about how crazy it was that our boss bought the bar to Shooters from Melrose Place and we were having drinks in it. Fast forward to when I knew I wanted to launch Valley of the Beads and the first call was to Brandon. He designed our logo and built our website and manages all tech and development. He gets the brand better than anyone else and never says no to my insane requests.
I always loved jewelry and growing up in West Los Angeles, I have a love and admiration for the local artists. I went to Beverly Hills high school and my friends and I would ditch class to have lunch at Fred Segal. I loved all the eclectic styles. It was the 90s and I guess that’s back now.
After I had my girls, I was consulting from home but would always play with jewelry as a hobby. I started to make bracelets for the moms at drop off and it literally took off from there. I would sell them right off my wrists at the local Trader Joe’s. I knew I wanted a brand identity and I knew it had to be original.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Ha! No, not smooth at all. We launched Valley of the Beads in December 2019 and then even though sales were incredible, the pandemic arrived. We had to pivot like Ross from Friends and that couch. I had to jump to online and set up a little office in my bedroom. Picture Real Housewives on loop in the background and I would just bead all the time sometimes all night long. It’s amazing what moms get done when the house is quiet and everyone is sleeping.
As you know, we’re big fans of Valley of the Beads. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
I would say the brand is known for edginess and a bit of quirkiness. I’m really proud of the brand identity and originality. Our packaging is a pill bottle and I just love it because you don’t see that everywhere. You’ll see that some of my photos are shot in my miniature dollhouse which so fun to see the juxtaposition of a mini story and these huge statement pieces.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
Jonathan Adler, are you listening? I’m obsessed with his “dolls” and pill collections obviously. I would love to have a collab with him someday.
I’m always looking for the right collaborations. They can contact me through my website or on Instagram.
