Today we’d like to introduce you to Addison Forrester.
Hi Addison, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My name is Addison Forrester and I am a recent college graduate who started my small business (Life & Etc.) in December of 2024. I’ve always been passionate about owning a business and have had some sort of entrepreneurial venture going since I was in third grade. I started out sewing and selling skirts under the brand name “Skirts in the Dirt Sewing”, named after a local women’s mountain bike race. I ran that from third grade to about seventh grade (2013-2017), took a break, and eventually re-branded into Life & Etc. in 2020. I’ve always made my own jewelry and started out by selling basic earrings and eventually some apparel (custom sweatshirts, can coozies, etc.). In December of 2024 I decided to open a permanent jewelry business as I saw an up and coming trend in the market that I wanted to take advantage of. I launched the business within a week of ordering the supplies and have been running the business on the side since. In the past year and a half I’ve had the opportunity to work with many local stores across the country, work with my college, my sorority, and many others. I’m continuously looking for opportunities to grow and events to host.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Launching a business in college presents its own unique challenges and although I’d say I’ve had it relatively easy, there were definitely times of struggle. A good example of this is when the mail room at school couldn’t get the mail sorted in time and I’d have to wait the whole weekend for a shipment I was expecting to have for an event that Saturday. Things like this that didn’t ruin me, but created obstacles that ended up teaching me a lot about business and grow with the business.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I do permanent jewelry, if you’re not familiar, permanent jewelry can be any piece of jewelry (necklace, bracelet, anklet, etc.) that is soldered together so you don’t have to take it on an off. How this works is I offer gold-filled and sterling-silver chains (and charms) to choose from, once the customer picks a chain, they pick a jewelry piece (bracelet, necklace, etc.). I take the chain, measure it to where they want it, and attach the two ends using a small circle called a jump ring. Once the chain is comfortable, I cut the excess chain and solder the jump ring using a small soldering machine. The process is very safe and fun. All of the chains are sourced with a lot of care, currently all of the gold-filled chains are purchased from here in michigan, the beaded chains are sourced from a special shop in Italy (I studied abroad last fall and brought them back with me), and the silver chains are from Michigan or other areas in the United States. It is very important to my business that the chains being purchased are gold-filled or sterling-silver because the properties of these chains don’t allow them to tarnish, so they are safe to get wet and worn in chlorine and saltwater as well. I’m most proud of how far I’ve come, from not knowing much about the in-depth business aspects, to building a successful LLC that I’m able to have events year-round.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
Growing up I was always an extrovert and very interested in business. I would constantly find ways to make money to buy things I wanted or save up for the next trending toy. When I was in fifth grade and running my Skirts in the Dirt business, I saved up enough money for a plane ticket to travel to Georgia and Tennessee to see some family. I did this travel by myself and was so proud of the money I was able to make because of my hard work. Ever since then I’ve placed a huge importance on working for what I want and what I believe in. My parents have always been my biggest supporters, especially since the beginning. I remember times when my dad would come home from work with new fabrics for me to use, and all the times my mom would drive me to the sewing store when I ran out of supplies. Growing up I was very athletic too, I played soccer up until late middle school, and competitively mountain biked. I still compete for a cycling team and actually pursued that in college on the team as well. I’m the type of person that always loves to be busy, try new things, and take risks, I always have been and I think I always will be.
Pricing:
- $50 – Gold Bracelet
- $45 – Silver Bracelet
Contact Info:
- Website: https://lifeandetc.square.site/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/life_and_etc._
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/15qRnioBNb/?mibextid=wwXIfr
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/addisonforrester
