Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Cuozzo.
Hi Emily, 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?
By trade I am an interior designer, and have been one for almost 20 years. Ive always loved everything and anything creative, whether it be interior design, cooking, baking, art, and everything in between. In December of 2024 I took my sister, Gina Lee, and her daughter/my niece, Bellamarie Lee, to a vendor show. I had recently discovered a charm bar and I couldn’t wait to relive the nostalgia that I had as a kid on the 80s/90’s with the original colorful plastic charm necklaces. This time however, it was the grown up version and jewelry that I could were as a 42 year old. It turned out that Gina and my niece loved the charm bar as much as I and on the car ride home Gina mentioned that we should start one ourselves. And we did. That following day we placed an order for all the product, I came up with the business name, the logo, the branding and everything in between. Each of us had a role. Gina took care of booking events and the finances, I did all the creative work as well as put the actual necklaces and bracelets together for the guests, and Bella was the social media girl. We have sold thousands of pieces after just a year and a half in. Things slowly changed in the business, as Bella freshly graduated college and started her career so had to pull back her time. So now its run by Gina and I. I still do all the creative, the assembly of the pieces, the social media, branding and now have become the “face ” of the business, while Gina still handles booking, finances and the sales transactions.
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?
It has not been an entirley smooth road. With any new business you find yourself figuring out what works and what doesnt work. What events are worth your time and what arent. What products are selling and for how much. I will say that the vendor community is a lot more competitive than what I thought it would be. With the majority of them being small women owned businesses, I would have thought they would be more supportive of each other. I still find it odd to see small buinesses posting on social media issues they have with another small buiness. There is enough buiness out there for eveyone, so I don’t really get the pettiness. You find that its more common for people to lift you up…..but only if they remain slightly above you. With that being said, we have been very lucky to build some amazing friendships and relationships with many small businesses.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My full time “9-5” job is as an interior designer. I work for a great company and have worked extreemly hard that has put me as a top performer for the company. I love helping to make a house a home, as chessey as that may be, its true. With design you are solving a problem. What does this person or family love about their home, and what do they not love? What do they want their home to feel like? Interior design is more than just pretty pillows and paint colors. When you think back on a found memory like being at a grandparents house, you think about what the house smelled like, the comfy (or not so comfy) furniture they had, the holdiays spent at the dining room table, the sleep overs and movie nights in the basement. Design evokes an emotion. My job is to see what emotions my clients are wanting to achieve. I do the charm bar as my fun, after work job. It gives me the same creative outlet. Helping guests make a very personal necklace or bracelet that makes them happy. I love seeing a customer get so excited making one of our pieces. Its the same way I felt when I would make mine. You know its going to be a very personal piece. Your zodiac sign, your birth stone, your initital all are easy ones. But then you pick the butterfly charm that reminds you of someone who’s passed, a cross to keep your connection with god, a softball to represent the hobby of one of your children. Its a very personal process and means a lot to those making them. The Theia & Eve Jewels (thats our business name) customer selects their necklace or bracelet, then their choose their charms, and I connect all of those charms to their necklace or bracelet for them.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
I know what I like, and I know what I dont like. I listen to my customers, whether it be my interior design clients, or the Theia & Eve customers. This helps ensure that I am doing what they like. Many people get confused in design and often want what they like for someone else. My job is the execute the vision they have or want.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @theiaevejewels
- Facebook: Theia & Eve Jewels
