A
lucky few are able to do what they truly love for a
living. Husband and wife business partners William
and Emily Kelly consider themselves extremely
blessed to be in this exclusive group. Emily had
dreamed of opening her own boutique for as long as she could
remember. “I’ve made several pieces over the years and just feel
I have a soul for art,” explained Emily. She worked for years as
a nurse and never fully had the confidence to open a store, until
her husband gave her the assurance to take the leap of faith and
follow her dreams. Their journey began one evening while the
couple was watching a picturesque sunset over the beautiful
emerald Gulf on Okaloosa Island. “The Lord
spoke to us, and my husband, William,
asked me if I would like to start selling
jewelry and open a small store in the
area,” described Emily. William had
always worked in finance and never
thought he would end up selling jewelry
for a living, but now considers what he
does far more rewarding than any day in
finance. Emily has always loved people and helping people, so
she loves helping people find the perfect gift or the perfect piece
of jewelry for that special occasion. The couple encourages other
entrepreneurs to always follow their dreams and do whatever it
takes to make it happen. Also to be open to your ship changing
patterns, for what lies ahead is usually better than the path you
would of taken.
Over the course of 12 months they proceeded to open three
stores amongst their two brands; Sea & Sand Jewelry and Emma
& Kate Jewelry. Sea & Sand sells top quality jewelry that is
affordable to a wide spectrum of budgets, with pieces ranging
from $10 to $1,000. This brand is known for nautical themed
jewelry with hints of leather and pearls. Most of their pieces
are handmade and they sell lines from some of the world’s top
designers as well as budding local jewelry artists.
Their second line, Emma & Kate Jewelry was named with
family in mind. Emma sounds like the first part of Emily’s
name and Kate for their daughter Katherine. William says they
are his two angels. The store sells high-end designer pieces
from a variety of well-known jewelry lines as well as talented
story by
Courtney Murray
|
photos by
Kristina Wright
Business spotlight
24 | VIPDestinMagazine.com
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