Exploring Life & Business with Margo Franklin of margo.rebecca

Today we’d like to introduce you to Margo Franklin.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I started margo.rebecca when I was a senior at the University of Arizona in Tucson. Coincidentally, Tucson hosts one of the country’s biggest “Gem and Jewelry” shows, so right before I left Tucson for good, I begged a friend to come with me and check it out.

As I saw all these beautiful beads, chains, metals, and more, I was super inspired and wanted to see what I could create. My friends were so kind and loved my early pieces. They wore them around campus, and I soon realized that margo.rebecca could be more than just a hobby.

I moved home to Memphis in 2016 and thanks to word of mouth, plus my Instagram presence, a popular, local store, Dazzle, placed their first wholesale order. This and a couple of other orders officially launched margo.rebecca, and I continued to grow my brand and wholesale accounts in the Memphis and Chicago areas, focusing on different types of jewelry.

Then, like so many businesses, the pandemic changed the trajectory of my brand. When everyone was stuck in the house, jewelry sales plummeted. No one was looking to accessorize their sweats! With the downtime, I rediscovered my love for painting and design.

This focus led to the launch of my second product line that includes lifestyle and home items, such as paintings, acrylic trays, coasters, and so much more. Post-pandemic, I’m creating products for both my jewelry and lifestyle lines, and can’t wait to see how each evolves!

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Like most small businesses, I’ve definitely had my fair share of hurdles.

Initially, it was the confidence to focus solely on my brand versus a more traditional, post-college career. It’s scary to build something from scratch by yourself, especially in your early twenties. I was lucky to have a strong support network that gave me the space and foundation to commit to the margo.rebecca concept.

Along with launching the brand, I was nervous about the business aspect. I knew I could create designs, but the marketing and sales components intimidated me. It was overwhelming as a new business owner without a traditional business background.

Now that I’m more established, I realize there will always be ups and downs, particularly as a sole proprietor. Every success you get to take credit for, but at the same time, every failure falls squarely on your shoulders. In the past, when I lost an important account or was denied from a show, it hit me hard, and I doubted myself.

But I kept moving forward, even when it felt easier to shut down the brand. I’m sure there will be more challenges in the future, but I’m hoping I can use my past experiences to help tackle whatever else may come my way!

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Professionally, I have two main goals: (1) Grow the number of wholesale accounts in markets around the US and (2) Build my brand identity and brand awareness.

To achieve these goals, I’ve worked with different sales representatives and put a lot of energy into creating bright and engaging content for social media. I’ve also focused on social media collaborations and influencers to build my reach.

Most importantly, the diversification of my product lines has helped significantly. By creating fresh and new designs, I’ve attracted new customers while retaining my current ones.

What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
COVID taught me that predicting trends more than a few months out has a low probability of success. My philosophy is to make items that I would wear or buy for my own home.

With that approach, the best-case scenario is I sell all my items, the worst-case scenario is I have a bunch of new pieces that I like to wear and hang up in my house!

Pricing:

• My jewelry items retail for between $25 and $150
• Home good items such as trays and sets of coasters fall between $40 and $100
• Paintings and resin-covered wall art depending on size can range from $50 to $500

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.margorebecca.com/
• Instagram: @margo.rebecca_designs
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/margorebeccadesigns
• TikTok: @margo.rebecca.designs