Stories Make Their Mark
Interview by Middle School Girl, TheBookWorm
Parrish Walsh. Entrepreneur. Mother. Designer. Inspiration. Parrish is the owner and creator of Fiction Jewelry. Inspired by her passion for reading and her best friend who is an author, she designed jewelry celebrating her friend's book. Now, a couple of years later she has built an entire company from that initial spark. Her goal is to help bring stories into people's everyday lives by creating personal jewelry that can be worn.
First learning from books when she was younger, then working at multiple bead stores, partnering with jewelry designer Pade Vavra, and taking courses to learn metalsmithing, Parrish developed her passion for jewelry making through many different learning opportunities. The first piece of jewelry she made for this company was for her friend Staci Hart's book, Wasted Words. Since then, the company has evolved into so much more. She now sells cuffs, necklaces, and rings. Fiction Jewelry is a jewelry company that specializes in incorporating stories into their designs.
Growing up, Parrish’s mom, who was also an entrepreneur, was her main role model. Together they would mentor middle school students and teach them many things, marking the start of Parrish’s passion for helping young girls. She also has fond memories of a nanny who was the emotional support and cheerleader in her life. Without these two empowering women, Parrish would not be the person she is today.
Although she is on the road to success, it has been a long and hard journey that took grit and determination to overcome the obstacles. Looking back now, Parrish realizes that if she had been focusing on what inspired her and who she thought her dream customer was, that it would have been more effective than to design jewelry for everyone. When giving advice to new entrepreneurs, Parrish says, "You may overestimate what you can do in a year, but you will underestimate what you can do in three years, and don't hesitate to ask for help." She wants people starting a business to know that they should ask for help even when they are embarrassed, and to know not to give yourself unreasonably high goals.
While her work days are devoted to running Fiction Jewelry, she also helps to run a program sponsored by Recruiting for Good. This program gives young girls the opportunity to learn and work with design, creative writing and about being an entrepreneur. Parrish is particularly excited about We Use our Voice for Good, which helps girls discover writing through the working world and introduces them to inspiring women authors and leaders. Parrish wants to express that, “All of the opportunities are exposing the girls to the possibilities of following their passion and giving them the support and knowledge to help their dreams develop and come true.” In addition to this, Parrish has a full personal life. When not working, she likes to play with her kids, go to the beach, read, relax with a mug of tea, create things, and draw. All of these things help her unwind after a long day.
Parrish is such a strong person, and she hasn’t given up even when things didn’t go as planned. She is looking forward to growing her small company with a few key employees in the future. From making jewelry for her friend's book to now creating jewelry for many authors and customers, there doesn’t seem to be an end in sight for Parrish and Fiction Jewelry. Parrish is a creative independent woman who hopes to inspire girls and women to keep following their dreams and to not give up.
TheBookWorm is a Middle School Girl, who lives in NJ; to learn more about her visit www.GirlsDesignTomorrow.com