what i know now
emma jane hunt
age: 28
hometown: Auburn, Alabama
career: Owner of Emma Jane Designs, a beautiful handmade jewelry line
that is now carried in more than 30 boutiques nationwide.
“I’m doing the very thing I always thought I was too scared to do. But, after
having my ‘dream job’ for 2 years – living in Rome, Italy and working as the
Youth Outreach Coordinator for the UN World Food Programme – I realized
I wasn’t fulfilled. I felt like something was missing. So my husband and I
moved back to the States to re-group and that’s when I decided to focus on
building and growing Emma Jane Designs.”
growing up: “I had always loved being creative, but I had been on
several mission trips – my first being to Haiti in 2002 – and had a passion
for helping those less fortunate, so I set my sights on the UN World Food
Programme. I never quite felt like I could just have a jewelry design business
– the thought actually terrified me – so I didn’t focus on that while I was in
school.”
handmade advice from
emma jane
college: “I attended Auburn University and majored in Human
Development and Family Studies with a focus on Policy & Legislation. I chose
that major because it allowed me to have the most flexibility and combined a
lot of my interests with what I thought I needed to have the career I wanted.”
secret to success: “I spend about 20 hours a week in production,
making all the jewelry by hand. But as the owner, I also spend a lot of time
doing paper work – accounting, taxes, paychecks, preparing invoices, etc. I
don’t love the accounting and business management side of things, but I think
it is so important to understand all the aspects of your business.”
parental influence: ”I definitely get my work ethic from my mom.
Growing up I watched her work hard as a single mom to provide for me and
my sister. I’m so thankful I had that strong work ethic modeled for me.”
advice for teens: “In high school and college I was very stressed
about the big picture. I thought I needed to have a perfect path to my dream
job and I was really concerned with not knowing what to major in that
perfect job. Looking back, I would have focused on a skill set rather than the
big picture job. In my job at the UN and in my current role with Emma Jane
Designs, communications and marketing are used daily. Those degrees and
areas of study were not even on my radar while I was in school.”
can’t live without
1. Pure Barre
2. Level 99 High-waist Skinny Jeans
3. Justice Chocolate Hazelnut Spread
downtime
“I have 2 small kids, so when I’m not working I’m
hanging out with them and having family time. We
love playing outside and I love coming up with fun
educational crafts to keep them occupied.”
10 |
Summer 2016
eye opener: “What was most surprising to me is that most people aren’t
doing jobs that pertain 100% to what they majored in. I really thought careers
were a straight path and I remember feeling so relieved when I realized
everyone has a winding path.”
future focus: “My long term goal is to connect Emma Jane Designs
back to my other passion and make a difference in the world. I’m currently
exploring options to work with a women’s cooperative group to produce a
non-profit line for Emma Jane Designs. From my time at the UN I know that
educating women and supporting women is one of the best ways to affect
change in the developing world. My hope is that I can train women in not
only jewelry design, but also business, and give them the tools and skills they
need to be successful.
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