If you’re new—welcome. If you’re back—welcome home. Today I’m sitting down with my friend Melissa Clayton, founder & CEO of Tiny Tags—the personalized jewelry brand born at a kitchen table and now beloved by moms, worn by Meghan Markle, sold in Target stores nationwide, and (pinch-me) featured on Oprah’s Favorite Things 2025.
We talk about the quiet courage behind the milestones: bootstrapping for 15+ years, saying no to shiny objects, building a values-first team, and telling real stories of motherhood (the joyful, the messy, the holy ordinary). Melissa shares what focus actually looks like when you’re self-funded, how she course-corrected her brand to speak directly to moms and their villages, and why “hope” often sounds like one more email, one more DM, one more ask.
In this episode:
- Bootstrapping a jewelry brand without outside funding
- Choosing focus over “do it all”
- Storytelling as Tiny Tags’ secret sauce
- From online shop to 1,600+ Target stores (and how long that really takes)
Currently - What Oprah’s Favorite Things moment means to a scrappy team
Oprah Daily - Gentle truth-telling about new-mom pressure, comparison, and preparing your heart (and village), not just a nursery
Take this with you: You don’t have to be everything to everyone. Know your why. Build your bench. Keep asking.
Guest: Melissa Clayton — Tiny Tags
Web: tinytags.com • IG: @tinytags
Thank you for listening to Hope Comes to Visit. If this conversation helps, follow the show, share it with someone who needs hope today, and leave a review - it helps others find their way to these conversations.
New episodes drop every Monday, so you can begin your week with a little light and a lot of hope.
For more stories, reflections, and ways to connect, visit www.DanielleElliottSmith.com or follow along on Instagram @daniellesmithtv and @HopeComestoVisit
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_01 (00:00):
I don't know if we ever talked about this before,
but I I I love sharing thisstory because it is just the
transparent truth is if you hadasked me for many years why I
started the business, I wouldsay, Oh, because I love my boys
and I love wearing their namesand all that.
And I was at a met anentrepreneur group, and I had
someone say, Well, what's yourwhy?
(00:20):
And I said, Because I love mykids.
And he said, Oh, there's got tobe something more than that.
And I said, Well, that's myanswer.
And then he said, Well, what'syour relationship like with your
mother?
And I started to cry.
And I was like, Oh no, what'sgoing on here?
SPEAKER_00 (00:42):
Welcome in, friends.
I'm Dionyelle Elliott Smith, andthis is Hope Comes to Visit.
Today's conversation is with myfriend Melissa Clayton, who is
the CEO and founder of TinyTags.
She bootstrapped her vision,grew it into a beloved online
jewelry brand, and brought abespoke collection to more than
1,600 Target stores.
You've likely seen her on SharkTank on the Today Show, but what
(01:05):
I love most is her quiet couragebehind her milestones.
Melissa lives outside Boston, isa mom to three boys, and she's
here to share the hope, hustle,and heart behind building
something meaningful.
Melissa, thank you so much forbeing here with me today.
Thanks for having me, Danielle.
I love seeing old friends.
I know.
I love I love that we could havethis conversation.
(01:26):
And, you know, right before westarted recording, I I was
saying that I had seen Tiny Tagsin Target.
And I have that secondhandexcitement and pride whenever I
see a friend's success.
And it was so amazing for me tosee you continuing to grow.
(01:49):
So let's talk a little bit aboutwhere Tiny Tags came from and
how it's grown over the years.
SPEAKER_01 (01:57):
Sure.
Well, thank you.
And same to you.
I love seeing your success anddoing a podcast.
I love, I'm a huge, I listen topodcasts.
I'm driving to New York Citythis afternoon, so we'll podcast
it the whole way.
But I love, I'm the one thingwith me is I'm always, I think
what comes with age are laid outon the table.
So I've had the business forwell over 15 years.
(02:18):
So that overnight success isbeen 15, if not more, years in
the making.
But bootstrapped, haven't neverraised money, no investors.
And that has been very much bydesign and just how I like to
live my life.
I think it always comes back toyour value system.
And uh luckily also just thenature of the business.
(02:39):
We didn't, it didn't require alot of capital.
I understand there's certain,you know, whether it's cosmetics
or certain industries require alot of cosmetics or a lot of um
capital.
But started the business, veryold school hand stamping, had no
background in jewelry making,and slowly started making for
friends.
And then really, probably about10 years ago, we went to, we
(03:01):
kind of revamped the entirebusiness, probably actually more
like 12 years ago, and we wentto find personalized jewelry.
Um, luckily for me, outside ofBoston in Rhode Island is a huge
history of jewelrymanufacturers.
So we partner with um like twoor three manufacturers.
We actually sit inside one oftheir buildings, they make
Tiffany's, David Neerman, TinyTags, it's all kind of the same.
(03:24):
And they make it, walk it over,and we send it out.
So we've been doing an onlinebusiness for years.
And then the Target thinghappened is, and this is
whenever I talk to femaleentrepreneurs or anyone, is
about building a brand because Ithink it's so important,
especially nowadays.
And one of my favorite books wasbrand warfare.
(03:46):
And I received an email from abuyer from Target in 2017.
She said, Would love to chat,and we chatted, and she said,
Would you ever consider Target?
And I said, honestly, I can'teven imagine it.
It just seemed so overwhelmingat the time.
But we said, let's stay intouch, and we did, and we did a
bespoke collection at$25 pricepoint um in 2023.
(04:08):
And that was in 200 stores.
And long story short, now we'rein over 1,600.
And I think one, it is a pinchme moment for me because Target
just the pure distribution andthe getting our name out there.
But I like to think that it allhappened because we built a
(04:28):
brand, which is really hardbecause you say no a lot.
And I think she saw that we werereally putting a stake in the
ground, that we were going totalk about motherhood, we were
gonna be a vulnerable brand, wewere gonna be honest, and we
were not trying to be everythingto everybody.
And I think that's why the wholetarget thing happened.
So I mean, and I will say with ahuge asterisk there, it's really
(04:51):
hard even now to stay focusedand not chase the shiny object
because there's a lot of people.
SPEAKER_00 (04:57):
So let's talk about that focus a little bit because
I know that so you and I kneweach other back in the the
blogging world, right?
We came into contact inconferences, and and not only
have I had tiny tags pieces, um,but I it's so beautiful to me.
I have a close girlfriend now,Tina.
She has wears, loves her tinytags piece, and she had it
(05:18):
before I ever knew her.
And it was really beautiful tosee that on her years after you
and I knew each other.
And it's let's talk about thefocus then.
So, what what what was thefocus?
Has the focus evolved?
SPEAKER_01 (05:33):
Yep.
So when I first started thebusiness, I was trying just to
sell anything to anybody.
So on the website, you know, thethe gift guide had brides,
graduates, yogis, you name it.
I was trying to make somethingfor somebody.
And I listened to that book,Brand Warfare, and I really took
the time and said, okay, what doI really care about?
(05:54):
And it was about talking aboutmotherhood and about children
and your village.
So I literally went home anddeleted everything off the
website.
And so that has always remainedour focus.
And sometimes it's hard becauseit's like, okay, well, then if
you're really talking to justmothers and you're excluding
people and you're not beinginclusive.
And I always think of it thatone, everybody has a mother,
(06:16):
even if you don't have a goodrelationship with her or she's
no longer in your life, you hada mother.
And I also think it is yourgrandmother, if you were raised
by your grandmother or yoursister.
Like I have a younger sister whogrowing up, I was like her
mother.
So it really is about who youlove in your life.
And that to me was what I knew Iwanted to talk about.
(06:37):
I wanted to have this emotionalconnection with our community.
And, you know, even now, youknow, we just launched um TT
Sport, which my husband has beenwanting to do for years to
really talk about, like to goafter athletes.
And I kept saying no, because Isaid it's not in my heart, and I
have to feel it.
(06:58):
And it wasn't until my oldestson went off to play lacrosse
college that I felt this realcalling and this pulling to the
sports world.
Not because I wanted to be theflashy athlete, but because I
was so thankful to sports of howit created instant community for
(07:19):
him and how much of his identitywas in was wrapped up in sports.
And it was like, oh, now I couldsee as his mom wanting to wear
his lacrosse number because itreally is kind of an
acknowledgement of all that hehas put into um this journey of
lacrosse.
SPEAKER_00 (07:37):
So that here's what it made me think of instantly is
the thank you, mom campaign thatProctor and Gamble always did
around the Olympics.
So I don't know if you rememberever seeing the ads.
It was actually the firstlarge-scale campaign I did in
the blogging world.
I was the first person that thatany of the brands sent anywhere.
(07:57):
They sent me to the Olympics tocover their thank you, mom
campaign.
And the whole campaign is basedaround the idea that the Olympic
athletes, it shows like moms andmoms getting their kids out of
athletes, getting athletes outof bed in the morning and
they're tying their skates andthey're taking them to the rink
and they're getting them ready.
And then when they have thosewinning moments, it's like thank
(08:18):
you, mom, because it's their momhas been the person who has been
with them on that journey andobviously dads as well.
But the the campaign is thankyou, mom, right?
So it's tying together thatpiece that you're you might be
wearing that that that sport,but it's also you're as the mom.
Right.
Yeah, the person who's beentaking them and in in the stands
(08:42):
on the sidelines, showing up asa as a mom of of two athletes.
Well, they know I have many,many games.
SPEAKER_01 (08:50):
I have to tell you, when how when was that campaign?
How many years ago?
SPEAKER_00 (08:54):
Um, well, the let's see.
They did it a number of a numberof Olympic games in a row.
I want to say the last timewould have been 2016, probably.
SPEAKER_01 (09:05):
Because we watched that as inspo for TT Sport.
I swear to God, that was on ourSlack channel.
And we were like, that's what weneed, that's the emotion we need
to show.
When so that is really funny.
I did not know that you workedon that.
That's very cool.
SPEAKER_00 (09:22):
Yes.
So I mean, I did it a few times.
So it's and it's always been oneof those series of commercials
that I would look forward toeven before I ever worked on
that campaign, but it would makeme cry, right?
It was that emotion that thathit me as a mom, thinking like
this is what I'm doing with mykids.
I'm showing up, I'm I'm thereand I'm present.
(09:43):
So I love that you are are doingthat.
And when will that has thatlaunched or is that getting
ready to launch?
SPEAKER_01 (09:49):
A couple of weeks ago, and now we're obviously uh
ready for holiday, and we feelbehind that we have it.
We're we're shooting holidaytomorrow.
So, which is kind of late, butthe teach you sport, we really
um put a lot of time and moneyinto that campaign, more than we
ever have.
We went to North Carolina toshoot content.
So that was a little bit of adistraction, but now we're
(10:11):
marching forward with holiday.
SPEAKER_00 (10:13):
This is so exciting.
So, one of the things, you know,mentioning that you're
self-funded, right?
Um, when I wrote um MomIncorporated with Lisa Sherman
years ago, it was about womenwho start businesses and
typically they start small andthey grow, which is a lot about
what you're talking about.
Very few go go after venturecapital.
(10:33):
But even so, it means that youdo have to say no a lot and you
do have to figure out what yourwhat your focus is.
What has been the mostchallenging piece of this
experience for you over the last15 years?
SPEAKER_01 (10:47):
I think probably hiring the right people and kind
of having to put the businessfirst sometimes.
I think I allowed bad people tostay, I shouldn't say bad
people, people that were not aright fit, whether it was the
energy they brought, theirperspective.
And I this whole business hasbeen built rooted in gratitude.
(11:12):
Gratitude for every single day.
You know, when I I I have said,if you could sit where I have
sat all these years, um theamount of stories that we have
heard that have like, you know,just break your heart.
Um I you almost have to havethat foundation of gratitude, I
(11:33):
think, to really work here andthrive.
Because you can't talk to a momof an angel and then get on a
Zoom call and complain aboutsomething.
Like it just never works for me.
And I've allowed people thatdidn't belong in the company to
stay on because I felt bad.
I didn't want to fire them.
And I think now I've learnedthat lesson.
(11:55):
So I think HR has always been achallenge.
And then I think it is also notlooking at what everyone else is
doing and be like, oh, I shoulddo that, I should do that, I'm
not doing that.
And which is why I love talkingabout tiny tags and the slow
growth, because it does most ofthe companies that get the big
headlines are the companies thathave had an idea, raised money,
(12:20):
and sold it for multi-millions,if not billions of dollars in
five years.
And that is the 1%, if not the1% of the 1%.
So I think I'm always having togo back to my why of why I love
this company, that I reallyvalue my time.
And I have built a business thathas given me that.
(12:42):
And um, so just kind ofreminding yourself of those
things.
Is this where you dreamed youwould be?
You know, it's funny, I wouldnever have said I was a dreamer,
which is I should probablyshould have, I always say I
should have dreamt bigger.
But I I pinched myself.
I was never someone that waslike, oh, I can't wait to be a
mom.
I I definitely think I alwayshad the entrepreneurial bug.
(13:03):
My dad was an entrepreneur.
I grew up going to the office,stuffing envelopes, sweeping the
floor.
And even when I left corporateAmerica, I was like, okay, I'm
gonna start something.
I never thought I'd be in thejewelry space, but I think I'm
more of a sales and marketer.
And I think I would have foundmy way into the motherhood space
because I think that wassomething I was pulled to.
SPEAKER_00 (13:25):
Do you have other avenues that you are planning to
go?
Not necessarily that you'replanning on sharing just yet,
but do you have other big ideas?
SPEAKER_01 (13:35):
No, I actually really think I could see having
this business to the end.
So it's funny, my oldest is incollege now, and he did he
interned with us this summer.
And I was like, what if I justwe kept this?
Because it was always like, oh,we'll sell it, we'll sell it at
some point.
And now I'm like, oh, I feellike it would be really amazing
(13:56):
if one of my boys wanted to jointhe company and it could be a
family business.
So I and I am a busybody.
My biggest fear of being anempty nester next year is what
am I gonna do with like at nighton the weekends?
Like, I mean, I love going.
I mean, right now I have twofootball games on the weekends.
I love it.
So I'm very thankful to havework to keep me busy.
SPEAKER_00 (14:19):
So I think one of the greatest things about having
these experiences, these up andthese downs, and and being
self-funded, we get to learnfrom our mistakes.
We get to learn what works andwhat doesn't.
And I think one of the thingsyou said was learning to say no.
What lessons have you learnedthat you like to pass on to
(14:41):
other women, especially who aremoving into an entrepreneurial
space, that you say, gosh, if Icould go back and I was doing it
again, these are the one or twothings that I would definitely
do or definitely not do.
SPEAKER_01 (14:55):
I wish I had gotten a mentor earlier on.
I DM a lot of people and I talkto a lot of people, because if
someone that has done thisbefore will give me 15 minutes
of his or her time.
So I wish I had found a mentor.
And I wish that I had found thethis is a very practical advice.
(15:16):
Every industry has a tradeorganization for the most part.
They have conventions, even ifit's like, you know, model
trains or something, there'slike there's conferences for
these people.
And I wish I had tapped intothat space earlier, like the
jewelry space.
We spend a lot of time and moneytrying to find the right
(15:38):
manufacturers and never realizethat they actually all get
together once a year.
So I think things like that,like tapping into the trade
organizations and thenot-for-profit industries or um,
like the trade organizationsthat support the industry.
unknown (15:54):
Okay.
SPEAKER_01 (15:54):
That's practical.
SPEAKER_00 (15:56):
Okay.
What about from the heart side?
SPEAKER_01 (15:59):
I think I I listen to, I'm a big avid business book
reader.
So I think knowing your why wasreally important for me, which
was Simon Cynics's.
SPEAKER_00 (16:09):
Simon Cynic.
SPEAKER_01 (16:10):
Because I think when things are not going well and
you feel discouraged and you goback to your why, that that can
fill up your cup because there'smore competition than ever
before.
There are tons of jewelrycompanies that have raised a lot
of money so they can do reallycool, amazing campaigns that we
(16:32):
can't afford to do.
And it's really easy to be like,oh, I wish, I wish, but then
I'll go back to like my deep whyof it all.
And then I'm like, okay, ohyeah, but I get to do this and I
get to that.
And I know the moms that I haveDM'd and the moms that we are
lifting up.
And I've always said, like, Inever want us to market by
deprivation.
(16:52):
I want us to market that we area place that mom comes to our
website, they come to an event,whatever it is, our social, and
they are reminded that joy iswithin them.
It's not outside of them.
SPEAKER_00 (17:06):
What has been the most surprising piece of having
this business?
The the thing that that hit youthat you didn't, I mean, you you
knew you were starting a jewelrybusiness.
SPEAKER_01 (17:15):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (17:16):
But what has surprised you?
SPEAKER_01 (17:18):
Well, I think I don't know if we ever talked
about this before, but I I Ilove sharing the story because
it is just the transparent truthis if you had asked me for many
years why I started thebusiness, I would say, Oh,
because I love my boys and Ilove wearing their names and all
that.
And I was at a an entrepreneurgroup, and I had someone say,
(17:39):
Well, what's your why?
And I said, Because I love mykids.
And he said, Oh, there's got tobe something more than that.
And I said, Well, that's myanswer.
And then he said, Well, what'syour relationship like with your
mother?
And I started to cry.
And I was like, Oh no, what'sgoing on here?
And I've been really moretransparent about this.
I grew up with my dad.
My mom lived in New York.
I grew up with my dad outside ofBoston.
(18:01):
And the truth was, my mom didstruggle to show up.
And I said to him, Oh, I grew upwith my dad and what have you.
And then on the drive home andthe couple of weeks that
followed, I definitely thoughtabout wow, like it is a little
bit weird that here I was a kidthat maybe didn't feel
celebrated by her own mother.
(18:22):
And now Mick in the business ofcelebrating children and sort of
screaming from the rooftops,hey, moms, it's okay to show up
as your imperfect self.
Just show up that your kids needyou.
They don't need you to beperfect, they just want you.
And I was like, oh God, that'sso like Freudian, but it can't
be true.
(18:42):
And it wasn't like I went homeand I like threw it on the
website.
I just sort of sat with it.
But then I did, I did aninterview one time.
We were trying to do like thestory of the business, and it
was just like, oh my God, like Icouldn't even get through
talking about my mother.
And then the the producer who'sa was a friend, she was like,
(19:04):
Missy, like your mother's inevery single tiny tags you make.
The and I was like, oh my gosh,that was such a beautiful way to
say it.
Um, but then I had another ahamoment, was when I realized that
my mom, and again, so much ofall these aha's have been from
the stories that we hear fromour community.
Was my mom's inability, herinability to show up was never
(19:29):
about her love for me.
It was about the lack of loveshe had for herself.
And then I felt like, okay, Ireally want to talk about what
it really means to loveyourself.
Because sometimes I think inlike the social media world, it
looks like a spa day.
Not, and that's not the type ofself-reflection and love
(19:53):
yourself that I think our womenneed to be talking about.
It's taking the time to heal andaddress, confront whatever that
looks for you, kind of like whatyou're bringing to your journey
of motherhood.
So we don't just rinse andrepeat.
And that to me was the real umaha moment for this whole
(20:14):
business that there really wasthis wanting to connect to
motherhood and understand it.
Because I don't think I neverhad motherhood as this beautiful
thing in my life.
Because then, on top of it all,then my dad had gotten remarried
when I was in kindergarten andshe was my mother for like eight
years.
And I called her mom, I livedwith her, and then they got
(20:36):
divorced, and she said, Oh,we're done.
And I was like, Oh, like, somotherhood is really not.
It's not a permanent thing.
Yeah.
Um, but I always say, like,there's a, you know, with my
mom, you know, she was an18-year-old pregnant teenager,
knew my dad for 45 days, and youknow, they got married.
And back then, you know, he wasItalian, she was Irish Catholic,
(20:59):
like that's a no-go.
And her whole journey ofmotherhood was filled with shame
and fear.
And that was what I wanted totalk about.
Because I I see now all theseyoung moms that are doing the
comparison game, that theirnursery doesn't look like this,
their maternity photos, theirbaby gender reveal.
(21:20):
And I'm uh and fine if you wantto do all that, but can we have
a conversation and be a placethat is saying, you know what,
you can do all that, but none ofthat's actually preparing you
for motherhood.
What's really going to prepareyou for motherhood is make sure
your heart is right.
You're in you love yourself,your relationship with your
in-laws, your parents, yoursisters, your village.
(21:42):
That to me is how you reallyshould prepare for motherhood.
And then if you do all that,then you have a shot at showing
up for your kids because that'sreally what is we all want to be
the best version of ourselvesfor our kids.
Right.
Um, and I just think if youdon't unpack all that crap, it's
just gonna show up in otherways.
SPEAKER_00 (22:02):
Well, and so much of what you're saying is, you know,
our insides don't match theoutsides of what everyone else
is showing, right?
And it's it's such a danger ofthat that social media world
that that you and I were growingup in as early mothers, right?
We're spending so much time andthat comparison game starts to
do it.
SPEAKER_01 (22:22):
Well, no, I say I'm older than you.
I did not have social media withmy kids, and I think that is
what I'm seeing now is thedifference.
So, um, but yeah, go ahead.
I didn't mean to interrupt.
SPEAKER_00 (22:33):
No, no, not at all.
I mean, it was, I mean, Istarted blogging when my kids
were three and one and three, Ithink, right in that range.
And it was just so interestingto watch.
It was a very, very, very earlydays of blogging.
There was very little othersocial at the time.
It was more just blogging andand Twitter.
Um we didn't have all the stuffwe have now.
(22:54):
So it's a completely differentgame now.
But a lot of the I wrote a lotabout the comparison game.
I wrote a lot about moms judgingother moms because I I really
strongly believed we were alljust doing the very best we
could.
And it wasn't for anyone to saythat anyone should be doing in
(23:15):
any one way or any other way.
But I I like what you say aboutreally getting yourself and your
village in order, um, and thatreally being such a huge piece.
But it makes me think about theum the world piece of the tiny
text jewelry that I had.
Oh, the reflection coin kind of,yeah.
Yes, it was just so beautiful.
(23:36):
And I always got get so manycompliments on it because it is
such a reflection of thatduality of motherhood, me and
and what's important to me, allthe different pieces of who I am
and the and me as a mother.
And I love that.
I love everything that you arebringing to motherhood and all
(23:59):
the all it encompasses.
SPEAKER_01 (24:02):
Yeah, and I just think it's important as like an
older mom now, like, is I justwant us to have the conversation
because I do think, you know, IDM with a lot of young moms, and
the so much of motherhood isnow, I I always laugh.
I'm like, nobody would even seemy nursery.
Like I put a tee up for Tyler,that was it.
(24:24):
I went into the office, I put atea up, and that was his
nursery.
And now the idea that people arespending so much money on a
nursery, so much money, money onall these things.
And I always say if the numberone cause for divorce is money,
and you're starting off, youknow, when I have moms DMing me
(24:45):
that they're putting theirgender reveal parties on their
credit card and all of this, andthey're getting financially
stressed.
And it's like, can we have aconversation about what really
matters as we prepare forbecoming a mom?
And I just think there's a lotof young moms out there that
look to brands like us to say,you know what?
(25:05):
Like, I we always look like wewant to be like a big sister.
Like it's okay if you don't doall that, just so you know.
And your kid will never lookback at your nursery and be
like, gee, thanks, mom, for theamazing nursery.
Um, but they will say thank youfor putting money away for my
college.
Yes.
So I'm not, I can go to thecollege of my choice, or I'm
(25:27):
able, and even if it's notcollege, it's hey, here's some
money I save for you for downpayment to a house.
I mean, I say to my husband, howare our kids ever gonna afford a
house?
Um anyway, and it's not about ashame game.
Like if you want to do all that,you do that.
But I just think there's a placefor the conversation and just
changing it a little bit becauseI do think there is a lot of I
(25:52):
hear from a lot of young momsthat feel pressure to do all
this stuff as they're preparingfor uh, you know, motherhood.
SPEAKER_00 (26:00):
Has there ever been a point during this whole
process that you thought maybe,maybe this isn't gonna work?
SPEAKER_01 (26:07):
Oh, yeah.
I mean, and we still alwayswonder.
I mean, there's so much, there'sso many brands that raise a lot
of money.
Um, but that's why, like, likeI've said to my husband, if it
all ended tomorrow, we wouldhave no regrets that we've been
able to do.
I mean, he he does it to workand he gets to coach at night
(26:29):
and do the things that he lovesbecause that's was his dream.
And that if it ended tomorrow,we would still be very thankful
for the journey.
And I think that's for me, I'mvery focused on the journey of
it, not just okay, let me try tomake as much money as possible
so I can go lay by a pool allday.
That's never been my goal.
(26:49):
Um, so I'm just focused ontoday's holiday and making sure
that we, I mean, we we do havefive-year plans and 10-year
plans, but we understand thatsomething could change.
And who's to say, maybe if ifsomeone did say, hey, a right
partner, I want to invest andhelp you take your vision to be
(27:11):
bigger and better?
Maybe I mean, I would never sayno to, you know, I'm always
open, but right now we've beenenjoying our team right now.
It was amazing, and I feel likewe're heading in the right
direction.
SPEAKER_00 (27:24):
I know I saw you post recently on LinkedIn that
Megan Markle had worn a piece oftiny tags.
What was that moment like foryou?
SPEAKER_01 (27:35):
That was pretty amazing, and I love to share
because that was pure hustle.
That was not a PR firm.
That was, I always give twopieces of things that have
worked for me is one, talk toeveryone that you meet because
everyone knows something thatyou don't, and to about and the
the good old-fashioned art ofhustling.
(27:55):
Is a woman I know is a writer,and she came to a pop-up that we
were doing, and she was like,Oh, you gotta get Megan Markle a
tiny tags.
I'm like, Yeah, I know, but Idon't know where to send it.
And she said, I'm interviewingher at four o'clock today.
I said, Can I be the thank yougift?
And she was like, I love thatidea.
So that was how we got her thenecklace, and then I didn't
(28:18):
actually think she'd wear it, tobe honest.
And then we were just watchingeverything that she was doing,
and we saw, and it definitelywas a run around the kitchen
moment, just because you'relike, okay, she's got, I mean,
whether you I I hate that peopledon't like her because I'm like,
come on, we we gotta do betteras women, but um I love her.
I I mean, I think no one hasever been in her shoes, so I
(28:42):
feel like who's to judge?
But I think she's a style icon,and for her to wear tiny tags
was very cool.
So we're very excited aboutthat.
I think the piece was gorgeous,so it was it's very exciting.
SPEAKER_00 (28:55):
Congratulations.
And I'm excited for you becausewhen you have someone who is a
style icon, wear a piece ofjewelry that you've created.
That is a a valid beautifulmoment.
Absolutely.
Where do your ideas for jewelrycome from?
SPEAKER_01 (29:09):
So we have a jewelry designer on staff, so I won't
pretend to be um some wonderfuljewelry designer.
I always say, like in thebeginning, I was like, anyone
could put a name on a circle,but now we definitely have.
We've I mean, our lockets aregorgeous.
And that was the piece that shewas wearing.
And our launch, we're doing,we've already teased them out.
We have these gorgeous keys thatare launching for holiday.
(29:31):
So I the jewelry designer does alot of the inspiration now.
But I mean, I look around, Imean, whether you're on vacation
or somewhere and just seeingwhat other people are doing or
trend reports.
But I think for us, it hasalways been about the
personalization, is what makesour pieces special, and that you
can do back engraving andwhether it's your kid's birth
(29:52):
time or birth weight.
I mean, one of my favoritestories was when a mom she put
their kids' birth weight andthere was like one pound.
Nine ounces and she had twins.
And this was years ago.
And I was like, oh my gosh, arethese babies okay?
And I found her on the internetand I found that they were
healthy.
And then we did a whole storybehind the tag with her.
And then we did a follow-upstory when they were like three
(30:14):
years old.
So that to me has always beenit's the storytelling that Tiny
Tags does really well that Ilove.
SPEAKER_00 (30:20):
See, I love that.
Storytelling is obviously wheremy heart is.
So it's uh it's amazing.
How do you define hope, Melissa?
SPEAKER_01 (30:29):
How do I define hope?
I think it's those quiet momentswhen you have to look within
you.
I think that is when I feel Ifeel hope.
And I think hope when I likelook at children and their
natural joy and you see themplaying, you know, whether it's
(30:49):
coming in through your Instagramfeed or you're at a park, just
the beauty of children.
And I think that gives me hopethat we are innately good, kind
people that love each other.
I think the world can feelpretty dark sometimes.
And I think when you're aroundchildren and their laughter, we
have a neighborhood pool that mykids grew up going to, a very
(31:12):
basic neighborhood pool.
And all summer, when I walk byand I walk my dog, I hear the
kids laughing and playing, andit like pulls out my
heartstrings, and it really isuh that gives me hope.
SPEAKER_00 (31:26):
So well, you are an inspiration, and it is always
such a joy to be able to talk toyou.
Where can everyone find TinyTags?
SPEAKER_01 (31:34):
Well, our website is tiny tags.com, our Instagram is
tiny tags, and I'm my email.
I will always share my email, isMelissa at tiny tags.com because
I love talking to other women.
And always, whether it's just atalk shop, you name it, I'm
always available.
SPEAKER_00 (31:51):
So you are delightful.
Thank you so much for spendingtime with me today.
SPEAKER_01 (31:55):
Well, thank you, and congratulations to you for uh
this podcast.
SPEAKER_00 (31:59):
I love it.
Thank you so, so much.
And friends, thank you forjoining us on Hope Comes to
Visit.
I hope we have met you exactlywhere you are today, and that
you will take the time to sharethis episode of Melissa and Tiny
Tags.
And you will join us again thenext time you are tuning into a
podcast.
Please take very good care ofyou until the next time we are
(32:20):
able to join you.
I don't know if we ever talked about this before,
but I I I love sharing thisstory because it is just the
transparent truth is if you hadasked me for many years why I
started the business, I wouldsay, Oh, because I love my boys
and I love wearing their namesand all that.
And I was at a met anentrepreneur group, and I had
someone say, Well, what's yourwhy?
(00:20):
And I said, Because I love mykids.
And he said, Oh, there's got tobe something more than that.
And I said, Well, that's myanswer.
And then he said, Well, what'syour relationship like with your
mother?
And I started to cry.
And I was like, Oh no, what'sgoing on here?
SPEAKER_00 (00:42):
Welcome in, friends.
I'm Dionyelle Elliott Smith, andthis is Hope Comes to Visit.
Today's conversation is with myfriend Melissa Clayton, who is
the CEO and founder of TinyTags.
She bootstrapped her vision,grew it into a beloved online
jewelry brand, and brought abespoke collection to more than
1,600 Target stores.
You've likely seen her on SharkTank on the Today Show, but what
(01:05):
I love most is her quiet couragebehind her milestones.
Melissa lives outside Boston, isa mom to three boys, and she's
here to share the hope, hustle,and heart behind building
something meaningful.
Melissa, thank you so much forbeing here with me today.
Thanks for having me, Danielle.
I love seeing old friends.
I know.
I love I love that we could havethis conversation.
(01:26):
And, you know, right before westarted recording, I I was
saying that I had seen Tiny Tagsin Target.
And I have that secondhandexcitement and pride whenever I
see a friend's success.
And it was so amazing for me tosee you continuing to grow.
(01:49):
So let's talk a little bit aboutwhere Tiny Tags came from and
how it's grown over the years.
SPEAKER_01 (01:57):
Sure.
Well, thank you.
And same to you.
I love seeing your success anddoing a podcast.
I love, I'm a huge, I listen topodcasts.
I'm driving to New York Citythis afternoon, so we'll podcast
it the whole way.
But I love, I'm the one thingwith me is I'm always, I think
what comes with age are laid outon the table.
So I've had the business forwell over 15 years.
(02:18):
So that overnight success isbeen 15, if not more, years in
the making.
But bootstrapped, haven't neverraised money, no investors.
And that has been very much bydesign and just how I like to
live my life.
I think it always comes back toyour value system.
And uh luckily also just thenature of the business.
(02:39):
We didn't, it didn't require alot of capital.
I understand there's certain,you know, whether it's cosmetics
or certain industries require alot of cosmetics or a lot of um
capital.
But started the business, veryold school hand stamping, had no
background in jewelry making,and slowly started making for
friends.
And then really, probably about10 years ago, we went to, we
(03:01):
kind of revamped the entirebusiness, probably actually more
like 12 years ago, and we wentto find personalized jewelry.
Um, luckily for me, outside ofBoston in Rhode Island is a huge
history of jewelrymanufacturers.
So we partner with um like twoor three manufacturers.
We actually sit inside one oftheir buildings, they make
Tiffany's, David Neerman, TinyTags, it's all kind of the same.
(03:24):
And they make it, walk it over,and we send it out.
So we've been doing an onlinebusiness for years.
And then the Target thinghappened is, and this is
whenever I talk to femaleentrepreneurs or anyone, is
about building a brand because Ithink it's so important,
especially nowadays.
And one of my favorite books wasbrand warfare.
(03:46):
And I received an email from abuyer from Target in 2017.
She said, Would love to chat,and we chatted, and she said,
Would you ever consider Target?
And I said, honestly, I can'teven imagine it.
It just seemed so overwhelmingat the time.
But we said, let's stay intouch, and we did, and we did a
bespoke collection at$25 pricepoint um in 2023.
(04:08):
And that was in 200 stores.
And long story short, now we'rein over 1,600.
And I think one, it is a pinchme moment for me because Target
just the pure distribution andthe getting our name out there.
But I like to think that it allhappened because we built a
(04:28):
brand, which is really hardbecause you say no a lot.
And I think she saw that we werereally putting a stake in the
ground, that we were going totalk about motherhood, we were
gonna be a vulnerable brand, wewere gonna be honest, and we
were not trying to be everythingto everybody.
And I think that's why the wholetarget thing happened.
So I mean, and I will say with ahuge asterisk there, it's really
(04:51):
hard even now to stay focusedand not chase the shiny object
because there's a lot of people.
SPEAKER_00 (04:57):
So let's talk about that focus a little bit because
I know that so you and I kneweach other back in the the
blogging world, right?
We came into contact inconferences, and and not only
have I had tiny tags pieces, um,but I it's so beautiful to me.
I have a close girlfriend now,Tina.
She has wears, loves her tinytags piece, and she had it
(05:18):
before I ever knew her.
And it was really beautiful tosee that on her years after you
and I knew each other.
And it's let's talk about thefocus then.
So, what what what was thefocus?
Has the focus evolved?
SPEAKER_01 (05:33):
Yep.
So when I first started thebusiness, I was trying just to
sell anything to anybody.
So on the website, you know, thethe gift guide had brides,
graduates, yogis, you name it.
I was trying to make somethingfor somebody.
And I listened to that book,Brand Warfare, and I really took
the time and said, okay, what doI really care about?
(05:54):
And it was about talking aboutmotherhood and about children
and your village.
So I literally went home anddeleted everything off the
website.
And so that has always remainedour focus.
And sometimes it's hard becauseit's like, okay, well, then if
you're really talking to justmothers and you're excluding
people and you're not beinginclusive.
And I always think of it thatone, everybody has a mother,
(06:16):
even if you don't have a goodrelationship with her or she's
no longer in your life, you hada mother.
And I also think it is yourgrandmother, if you were raised
by your grandmother or yoursister.
Like I have a younger sister whogrowing up, I was like her
mother.
So it really is about who youlove in your life.
And that to me was what I knew Iwanted to talk about.
(06:37):
I wanted to have this emotionalconnection with our community.
And, you know, even now, youknow, we just launched um TT
Sport, which my husband has beenwanting to do for years to
really talk about, like to goafter athletes.
And I kept saying no, because Isaid it's not in my heart, and I
have to feel it.
(06:58):
And it wasn't until my oldestson went off to play lacrosse
college that I felt this realcalling and this pulling to the
sports world.
Not because I wanted to be theflashy athlete, but because I
was so thankful to sports of howit created instant community for
(07:19):
him and how much of his identitywas in was wrapped up in sports.
And it was like, oh, now I couldsee as his mom wanting to wear
his lacrosse number because itreally is kind of an
acknowledgement of all that hehas put into um this journey of
lacrosse.
SPEAKER_00 (07:37):
So that here's what it made me think of instantly is
the thank you, mom campaign thatProctor and Gamble always did
around the Olympics.
So I don't know if you rememberever seeing the ads.
It was actually the firstlarge-scale campaign I did in
the blogging world.
I was the first person that thatany of the brands sent anywhere.
(07:57):
They sent me to the Olympics tocover their thank you, mom
campaign.
And the whole campaign is basedaround the idea that the Olympic
athletes, it shows like moms andmoms getting their kids out of
athletes, getting athletes outof bed in the morning and
they're tying their skates andthey're taking them to the rink
and they're getting them ready.
And then when they have thosewinning moments, it's like thank
(08:18):
you, mom, because it's their momhas been the person who has been
with them on that journey andobviously dads as well.
But the the campaign is thankyou, mom, right?
So it's tying together thatpiece that you're you might be
wearing that that that sport,but it's also you're as the mom.
Right.
Yeah, the person who's beentaking them and in in the stands
(08:42):
on the sidelines, showing up asa as a mom of of two athletes.
Well, they know I have many,many games.
SPEAKER_01 (08:50):
I have to tell you, when how when was that campaign?
How many years ago?
SPEAKER_00 (08:54):
Um, well, the let's see.
They did it a number of a numberof Olympic games in a row.
I want to say the last timewould have been 2016, probably.
SPEAKER_01 (09:05):
Because we watched that as inspo for TT Sport.
I swear to God, that was on ourSlack channel.
And we were like, that's what weneed, that's the emotion we need
to show.
When so that is really funny.
I did not know that you workedon that.
That's very cool.
SPEAKER_00 (09:22):
Yes.
So I mean, I did it a few times.
So it's and it's always been oneof those series of commercials
that I would look forward toeven before I ever worked on
that campaign, but it would makeme cry, right?
It was that emotion that thathit me as a mom, thinking like
this is what I'm doing with mykids.
I'm showing up, I'm I'm thereand I'm present.
(09:43):
So I love that you are are doingthat.
And when will that has thatlaunched or is that getting
ready to launch?
SPEAKER_01 (09:49):
A couple of weeks ago, and now we're obviously uh
ready for holiday, and we feelbehind that we have it.
We're we're shooting holidaytomorrow.
So, which is kind of late, butthe teach you sport, we really
um put a lot of time and moneyinto that campaign, more than we
ever have.
We went to North Carolina toshoot content.
So that was a little bit of adistraction, but now we're
(10:11):
marching forward with holiday.
SPEAKER_00 (10:13):
This is so exciting.
So, one of the things, you know,mentioning that you're
self-funded, right?
Um, when I wrote um MomIncorporated with Lisa Sherman
years ago, it was about womenwho start businesses and
typically they start small andthey grow, which is a lot about
what you're talking about.
Very few go go after venturecapital.
(10:33):
But even so, it means that youdo have to say no a lot and you
do have to figure out what yourwhat your focus is.
What has been the mostchallenging piece of this
experience for you over the last15 years?
SPEAKER_01 (10:47):
I think probably hiring the right people and kind
of having to put the businessfirst sometimes.
I think I allowed bad people tostay, I shouldn't say bad
people, people that were not aright fit, whether it was the
energy they brought, theirperspective.
And I this whole business hasbeen built rooted in gratitude.
(11:12):
Gratitude for every single day.
You know, when I I I have said,if you could sit where I have
sat all these years, um theamount of stories that we have
heard that have like, you know,just break your heart.
Um I you almost have to havethat foundation of gratitude, I
(11:33):
think, to really work here andthrive.
Because you can't talk to a momof an angel and then get on a
Zoom call and complain aboutsomething.
Like it just never works for me.
And I've allowed people thatdidn't belong in the company to
stay on because I felt bad.
I didn't want to fire them.
And I think now I've learnedthat lesson.
(11:55):
So I think HR has always been achallenge.
And then I think it is also notlooking at what everyone else is
doing and be like, oh, I shoulddo that, I should do that, I'm
not doing that.
And which is why I love talkingabout tiny tags and the slow
growth, because it does most ofthe companies that get the big
headlines are the companies thathave had an idea, raised money,
(12:20):
and sold it for multi-millions,if not billions of dollars in
five years.
And that is the 1%, if not the1% of the 1%.
So I think I'm always having togo back to my why of why I love
this company, that I reallyvalue my time.
And I have built a business thathas given me that.
(12:42):
And um, so just kind ofreminding yourself of those
things.
Is this where you dreamed youwould be?
You know, it's funny, I wouldnever have said I was a dreamer,
which is I should probablyshould have, I always say I
should have dreamt bigger.
But I I pinched myself.
I was never someone that waslike, oh, I can't wait to be a
mom.
I I definitely think I alwayshad the entrepreneurial bug.
(13:03):
My dad was an entrepreneur.
I grew up going to the office,stuffing envelopes, sweeping the
floor.
And even when I left corporateAmerica, I was like, okay, I'm
gonna start something.
I never thought I'd be in thejewelry space, but I think I'm
more of a sales and marketer.
And I think I would have foundmy way into the motherhood space
because I think that wassomething I was pulled to.
SPEAKER_00 (13:25):
Do you have other avenues that you are planning to
go?
Not necessarily that you'replanning on sharing just yet,
but do you have other big ideas?
SPEAKER_01 (13:35):
No, I actually really think I could see having
this business to the end.
So it's funny, my oldest is incollege now, and he did he
interned with us this summer.
And I was like, what if I justwe kept this?
Because it was always like, oh,we'll sell it, we'll sell it at
some point.
And now I'm like, oh, I feellike it would be really amazing
(13:56):
if one of my boys wanted to jointhe company and it could be a
family business.
So I and I am a busybody.
My biggest fear of being anempty nester next year is what
am I gonna do with like at nighton the weekends?
Like, I mean, I love going.
I mean, right now I have twofootball games on the weekends.
I love it.
So I'm very thankful to havework to keep me busy.
SPEAKER_00 (14:19):
So I think one of the greatest things about having
these experiences, these up andthese downs, and and being
self-funded, we get to learnfrom our mistakes.
We get to learn what works andwhat doesn't.
And I think one of the thingsyou said was learning to say no.
What lessons have you learnedthat you like to pass on to
(14:41):
other women, especially who aremoving into an entrepreneurial
space, that you say, gosh, if Icould go back and I was doing it
again, these are the one or twothings that I would definitely
do or definitely not do.
SPEAKER_01 (14:55):
I wish I had gotten a mentor earlier on.
I DM a lot of people and I talkto a lot of people, because if
someone that has done thisbefore will give me 15 minutes
of his or her time.
So I wish I had found a mentor.
And I wish that I had found thethis is a very practical advice.
(15:16):
Every industry has a tradeorganization for the most part.
They have conventions, even ifit's like, you know, model
trains or something, there'slike there's conferences for
these people.
And I wish I had tapped intothat space earlier, like the
jewelry space.
We spend a lot of time and moneytrying to find the right
(15:38):
manufacturers and never realizethat they actually all get
together once a year.
So I think things like that,like tapping into the trade
organizations and thenot-for-profit industries or um,
like the trade organizationsthat support the industry.
unknown (15:54):
Okay.
SPEAKER_01 (15:54):
That's practical.
SPEAKER_00 (15:56):
Okay.
What about from the heart side?
SPEAKER_01 (15:59):
I think I I listen to, I'm a big avid business book
reader.
So I think knowing your why wasreally important for me, which
was Simon Cynics's.
SPEAKER_00 (16:09):
Simon Cynic.
SPEAKER_01 (16:10):
Because I think when things are not going well and
you feel discouraged and you goback to your why, that that can
fill up your cup because there'smore competition than ever
before.
There are tons of jewelrycompanies that have raised a lot
of money so they can do reallycool, amazing campaigns that we
(16:32):
can't afford to do.
And it's really easy to be like,oh, I wish, I wish, but then
I'll go back to like my deep whyof it all.
And then I'm like, okay, ohyeah, but I get to do this and I
get to that.
And I know the moms that I haveDM'd and the moms that we are
lifting up.
And I've always said, like, Inever want us to market by
deprivation.
(16:52):
I want us to market that we area place that mom comes to our
website, they come to an event,whatever it is, our social, and
they are reminded that joy iswithin them.
It's not outside of them.
SPEAKER_00 (17:06):
What has been the most surprising piece of having
this business?
The the thing that that hit youthat you didn't, I mean, you you
knew you were starting a jewelrybusiness.
SPEAKER_01 (17:15):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (17:16):
But what has surprised you?
SPEAKER_01 (17:18):
Well, I think I don't know if we ever talked
about this before, but I I Ilove sharing the story because
it is just the transparent truthis if you had asked me for many
years why I started thebusiness, I would say, Oh,
because I love my boys and Ilove wearing their names and all
that.
And I was at a an entrepreneurgroup, and I had someone say,
(17:39):
Well, what's your why?
And I said, Because I love mykids.
And he said, Oh, there's got tobe something more than that.
And I said, Well, that's myanswer.
And then he said, Well, what'syour relationship like with your
mother?
And I started to cry.
And I was like, Oh no, what'sgoing on here?
And I've been really moretransparent about this.
I grew up with my dad.
My mom lived in New York.
I grew up with my dad outside ofBoston.
(18:01):
And the truth was, my mom didstruggle to show up.
And I said to him, Oh, I grew upwith my dad and what have you.
And then on the drive home andthe couple of weeks that
followed, I definitely thoughtabout wow, like it is a little
bit weird that here I was a kidthat maybe didn't feel
celebrated by her own mother.
(18:22):
And now Mick in the business ofcelebrating children and sort of
screaming from the rooftops,hey, moms, it's okay to show up
as your imperfect self.
Just show up that your kids needyou.
They don't need you to beperfect, they just want you.
And I was like, oh God, that'sso like Freudian, but it can't
be true.
(18:42):
And it wasn't like I went homeand I like threw it on the
website.
I just sort of sat with it.
But then I did, I did aninterview one time.
We were trying to do like thestory of the business, and it
was just like, oh my God, like Icouldn't even get through
talking about my mother.
And then the the producer who'sa was a friend, she was like,
(19:04):
Missy, like your mother's inevery single tiny tags you make.
The and I was like, oh my gosh,that was such a beautiful way to
say it.
Um, but then I had another ahamoment, was when I realized that
my mom, and again, so much ofall these aha's have been from
the stories that we hear fromour community.
Was my mom's inability, herinability to show up was never
(19:29):
about her love for me.
It was about the lack of loveshe had for herself.
And then I felt like, okay, Ireally want to talk about what
it really means to loveyourself.
Because sometimes I think inlike the social media world, it
looks like a spa day.
Not, and that's not the type ofself-reflection and love
(19:53):
yourself that I think our womenneed to be talking about.
It's taking the time to heal andaddress, confront whatever that
looks for you, kind of like whatyou're bringing to your journey
of motherhood.
So we don't just rinse andrepeat.
And that to me was the real umaha moment for this whole
(20:14):
business that there really wasthis wanting to connect to
motherhood and understand it.
Because I don't think I neverhad motherhood as this beautiful
thing in my life.
Because then, on top of it all,then my dad had gotten remarried
when I was in kindergarten andshe was my mother for like eight
years.
And I called her mom, I livedwith her, and then they got
(20:36):
divorced, and she said, Oh,we're done.
And I was like, Oh, like, somotherhood is really not.
It's not a permanent thing.
Yeah.
Um, but I always say, like,there's a, you know, with my
mom, you know, she was an18-year-old pregnant teenager,
knew my dad for 45 days, and youknow, they got married.
And back then, you know, he wasItalian, she was Irish Catholic,
(20:59):
like that's a no-go.
And her whole journey ofmotherhood was filled with shame
and fear.
And that was what I wanted totalk about.
Because I I see now all theseyoung moms that are doing the
comparison game, that theirnursery doesn't look like this,
their maternity photos, theirbaby gender reveal.
(21:20):
And I'm uh and fine if you wantto do all that, but can we have
a conversation and be a placethat is saying, you know what,
you can do all that, but none ofthat's actually preparing you
for motherhood.
What's really going to prepareyou for motherhood is make sure
your heart is right.
You're in you love yourself,your relationship with your
in-laws, your parents, yoursisters, your village.
(21:42):
That to me is how you reallyshould prepare for motherhood.
And then if you do all that,then you have a shot at showing
up for your kids because that'sreally what is we all want to be
the best version of ourselvesfor our kids.
Right.
Um, and I just think if youdon't unpack all that crap, it's
just gonna show up in otherways.
SPEAKER_00 (22:02):
Well, and so much of what you're saying is, you know,
our insides don't match theoutsides of what everyone else
is showing, right?
And it's it's such a danger ofthat that social media world
that that you and I were growingup in as early mothers, right?
We're spending so much time andthat comparison game starts to
do it.
SPEAKER_01 (22:22):
Well, no, I say I'm older than you.
I did not have social media withmy kids, and I think that is
what I'm seeing now is thedifference.
So, um, but yeah, go ahead.
I didn't mean to interrupt.
SPEAKER_00 (22:33):
No, no, not at all.
I mean, it was, I mean, Istarted blogging when my kids
were three and one and three, Ithink, right in that range.
And it was just so interestingto watch.
It was a very, very, very earlydays of blogging.
There was very little othersocial at the time.
It was more just blogging andand Twitter.
Um we didn't have all the stuffwe have now.
(22:54):
So it's a completely differentgame now.
But a lot of the I wrote a lotabout the comparison game.
I wrote a lot about moms judgingother moms because I I really
strongly believed we were alljust doing the very best we
could.
And it wasn't for anyone to saythat anyone should be doing in
(23:15):
any one way or any other way.
But I I like what you say aboutreally getting yourself and your
village in order, um, and thatreally being such a huge piece.
But it makes me think about theum the world piece of the tiny
text jewelry that I had.
Oh, the reflection coin kind of,yeah.
Yes, it was just so beautiful.
(23:36):
And I always got get so manycompliments on it because it is
such a reflection of thatduality of motherhood, me and
and what's important to me, allthe different pieces of who I am
and the and me as a mother.
And I love that.
I love everything that you arebringing to motherhood and all
(23:59):
the all it encompasses.
SPEAKER_01 (24:02):
Yeah, and I just think it's important as like an
older mom now, like, is I justwant us to have the conversation
because I do think, you know, IDM with a lot of young moms, and
the so much of motherhood isnow, I I always laugh.
I'm like, nobody would even seemy nursery.
Like I put a tee up for Tyler,that was it.
(24:24):
I went into the office, I put atea up, and that was his
nursery.
And now the idea that people arespending so much money on a
nursery, so much money, money onall these things.
And I always say if the numberone cause for divorce is money,
and you're starting off, youknow, when I have moms DMing me
(24:45):
that they're putting theirgender reveal parties on their
credit card and all of this, andthey're getting financially
stressed.
And it's like, can we have aconversation about what really
matters as we prepare forbecoming a mom?
And I just think there's a lotof young moms out there that
look to brands like us to say,you know what?
(25:05):
Like, I we always look like wewant to be like a big sister.
Like it's okay if you don't doall that, just so you know.
And your kid will never lookback at your nursery and be
like, gee, thanks, mom, for theamazing nursery.
Um, but they will say thank youfor putting money away for my
college.
Yes.
So I'm not, I can go to thecollege of my choice, or I'm
(25:27):
able, and even if it's notcollege, it's hey, here's some
money I save for you for downpayment to a house.
I mean, I say to my husband, howare our kids ever gonna afford a
house?
Um anyway, and it's not about ashame game.
Like if you want to do all that,you do that.
But I just think there's a placefor the conversation and just
changing it a little bit becauseI do think there is a lot of I
(25:52):
hear from a lot of young momsthat feel pressure to do all
this stuff as they're preparingfor uh, you know, motherhood.
SPEAKER_00 (26:00):
Has there ever been a point during this whole
process that you thought maybe,maybe this isn't gonna work?
SPEAKER_01 (26:07):
Oh, yeah.
I mean, and we still alwayswonder.
I mean, there's so much, there'sso many brands that raise a lot
of money.
Um, but that's why, like, likeI've said to my husband, if it
all ended tomorrow, we wouldhave no regrets that we've been
able to do.
I mean, he he does it to workand he gets to coach at night
(26:29):
and do the things that he lovesbecause that's was his dream.
And that if it ended tomorrow,we would still be very thankful
for the journey.
And I think that's for me, I'mvery focused on the journey of
it, not just okay, let me try tomake as much money as possible
so I can go lay by a pool allday.
That's never been my goal.
(26:49):
Um, so I'm just focused ontoday's holiday and making sure
that we, I mean, we we do havefive-year plans and 10-year
plans, but we understand thatsomething could change.
And who's to say, maybe if ifsomeone did say, hey, a right
partner, I want to invest andhelp you take your vision to be
(27:11):
bigger and better?
Maybe I mean, I would never sayno to, you know, I'm always
open, but right now we've beenenjoying our team right now.
It was amazing, and I feel likewe're heading in the right
direction.
SPEAKER_00 (27:24):
I know I saw you post recently on LinkedIn that
Megan Markle had worn a piece oftiny tags.
What was that moment like foryou?
SPEAKER_01 (27:35):
That was pretty amazing, and I love to share
because that was pure hustle.
That was not a PR firm.
That was, I always give twopieces of things that have
worked for me is one, talk toeveryone that you meet because
everyone knows something thatyou don't, and to about and the
the good old-fashioned art ofhustling.
(27:55):
Is a woman I know is a writer,and she came to a pop-up that we
were doing, and she was like,Oh, you gotta get Megan Markle a
tiny tags.
I'm like, Yeah, I know, but Idon't know where to send it.
And she said, I'm interviewingher at four o'clock today.
I said, Can I be the thank yougift?
And she was like, I love thatidea.
So that was how we got her thenecklace, and then I didn't
(28:18):
actually think she'd wear it, tobe honest.
And then we were just watchingeverything that she was doing,
and we saw, and it definitelywas a run around the kitchen
moment, just because you'relike, okay, she's got, I mean,
whether you I I hate that peopledon't like her because I'm like,
come on, we we gotta do betteras women, but um I love her.
I I mean, I think no one hasever been in her shoes, so I
(28:42):
feel like who's to judge?
But I think she's a style icon,and for her to wear tiny tags
was very cool.
So we're very excited aboutthat.
I think the piece was gorgeous,so it was it's very exciting.
SPEAKER_00 (28:55):
Congratulations.
And I'm excited for you becausewhen you have someone who is a
style icon, wear a piece ofjewelry that you've created.
That is a a valid beautifulmoment.
Absolutely.
Where do your ideas for jewelrycome from?
SPEAKER_01 (29:09):
So we have a jewelry designer on staff, so I won't
pretend to be um some wonderfuljewelry designer.
I always say, like in thebeginning, I was like, anyone
could put a name on a circle,but now we definitely have.
We've I mean, our lockets aregorgeous.
And that was the piece that shewas wearing.
And our launch, we're doing,we've already teased them out.
We have these gorgeous keys thatare launching for holiday.
(29:31):
So I the jewelry designer does alot of the inspiration now.
But I mean, I look around, Imean, whether you're on vacation
or somewhere and just seeingwhat other people are doing or
trend reports.
But I think for us, it hasalways been about the
personalization, is what makesour pieces special, and that you
can do back engraving andwhether it's your kid's birth
(29:52):
time or birth weight.
I mean, one of my favoritestories was when a mom she put
their kids' birth weight andthere was like one pound.
Nine ounces and she had twins.
And this was years ago.
And I was like, oh my gosh, arethese babies okay?
And I found her on the internetand I found that they were
healthy.
And then we did a whole storybehind the tag with her.
And then we did a follow-upstory when they were like three
(30:14):
years old.
So that to me has always beenit's the storytelling that Tiny
Tags does really well that Ilove.
SPEAKER_00 (30:20):
See, I love that.
Storytelling is obviously wheremy heart is.
So it's uh it's amazing.
How do you define hope, Melissa?
SPEAKER_01 (30:29):
How do I define hope?
I think it's those quiet momentswhen you have to look within
you.
I think that is when I feel Ifeel hope.
And I think hope when I likelook at children and their
natural joy and you see themplaying, you know, whether it's
(30:49):
coming in through your Instagramfeed or you're at a park, just
the beauty of children.
And I think that gives me hopethat we are innately good, kind
people that love each other.
I think the world can feelpretty dark sometimes.
And I think when you're aroundchildren and their laughter, we
have a neighborhood pool that mykids grew up going to, a very
(31:12):
basic neighborhood pool.
And all summer, when I walk byand I walk my dog, I hear the
kids laughing and playing, andit like pulls out my
heartstrings, and it really isuh that gives me hope.
SPEAKER_00 (31:26):
So well, you are an inspiration, and it is always
such a joy to be able to talk toyou.
Where can everyone find TinyTags?
SPEAKER_01 (31:34):
Well, our website is tiny tags.com, our Instagram is
tiny tags, and I'm my email.
I will always share my email, isMelissa at tiny tags.com because
I love talking to other women.
And always, whether it's just atalk shop, you name it, I'm
always available.
SPEAKER_00 (31:51):
So you are delightful.
Thank you so much for spendingtime with me today.
SPEAKER_01 (31:55):
Well, thank you, and congratulations to you for uh
this podcast.
SPEAKER_00 (31:59):
I love it.
Thank you so, so much.
And friends, thank you forjoining us on Hope Comes to
Visit.
I hope we have met you exactlywhere you are today, and that
you will take the time to sharethis episode of Melissa and Tiny
Tags.
And you will join us again thenext time you are tuning into a
podcast.
Please take very good care ofyou until the next time we are
(32:20):
able to join you.
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