Many teenagers spend most of their time with friends, studying, and doing other extracurricular activities. Not only did Emma Johnson o0 all of these things before graduating high school, but she is also the founder of a wildly successful jewelry company, Em John Jewelry. Her brand has been featured in several publications including Seventeen, The Huffington Post, Oprah Magazine, and E! Online.
In addition to designing jewelry, Emma also creates pouches that have clever sayings and expressions on them. I had the amazing opportunity to interview Emma about her brand, advice for young entrepreneurs, and how she managed to balance high school with a thriving company. Emma is currently a sophomore at Boston University, and I can’t wait to see what she will accomplish in the years to come.
When did you realize you wanted to start your company?
I’ve always been obsessed with jewelry, especially bracelets, and I’m interested in entrepreneurship because it’s a hot topic in my family. So in my junior year of high school I started thinking more seriously about college and wondered if I could start a business to generate enough revenue to pre-pay for my education. Almost overnight I started designing charms, I found a manufacturer, and I posted a few pieces on Instagram. Friends instantly asked if they could buy them. When peers are willing to pay you cash, not just a compliment, for your products, you know you’re onto something!
What has been the best thing that has happened to you since founding Em John Jewelry?
I got an email from the creative director of Oprah Magazine who wanted to do an exclusive collaboration for Oprah’s huge Live The Life You Want tour, so I created thousands of limited edition bracelets for VIP attendees. My initial charm bracelets were then featured in the December 2014 holiday issue of O Magazine! From there I knew Em John was going places!
Where do you find inspiration for your designs?
My friends and my neighborhood! I live on the Upper West Side in New York City and there’s color and cool stuff everywhere. Whether I’m walking my dog in Central Park or FaceTiming with friends, I also spot things that lead me to think of cool charm designs. I’m Instragam obsessed so tons of my creative quotes and charm designs come from posts I stumbled upon on Instagram!
You grew your brand so much while you were in high school; how did you manage to balance schoolwork with growing your company?
I try to treat the business just like friends treat their commitment to sports or other extracurricular activities. It’s not a chore or a burden. We all make time for what’s important to us. Em John is extremely important to me! I have an extremely supportive family so they are here 24/7 to help me with all things Em John.
What piece of advice do you have to share with young entrepreneurs?
I’d say don’t over-think it. Just dive in. You won’t know what works and what doesn’t until you just start doing it. You can spend weeks and months plotting and planning, but there’s nothing like reality. Also, a business only works if you can generate sales — otherwise it’s a hobby. So learn early on to have confidence in your pricing and to ask for the sale. Make sure your pricing allows you to generate a profit. Where you start isn’t where you have to stay. You’ll evolve as you go. Don’t worry about having all the answers because you won’t even know all the questions to ask–and that’s okay!