Wear Earrings That Tell a Story From AZE Boutique

Opened in 2018, AZE Boutique, was created when its founder, Alana Esty, was going through a mentally and academically rigorous master’s program and was desperately looking for a way to disconnect and recharge.

Her love of earrings that tell a story motivated Alana to get through a stressful STEM program, and two years later, during a pandemic, she’s still going strong.

How to Make a Statement with Earrings

BGA: Would it be accurate to say that anyone wearing your earrings has to have a bold personality or be someone who likes to make a statement?

Alana Esty: This is accurate, most people who gravitate towards my earrings are those who don’t fit the mold. They want to make a statement with their fashion and earrings in particular.

The personalization aspect of my earrings is an opportunity for people to add phrases or words which resonate with them and makes these earrings unique to them.

One customer wanted to put the words “Good Enough” on her earrings to signify a rough transition period she was able to persevere through.

Everyone has their own story and expressing it through your fashion is a fun way to do so! 

Starting a Business Online

BGA: What advice or reality checks do you have for women wanting to start a jewelry business and sell online?

Alana Esty: The advice I would give to women wanting to start their own jewelry business and sell online is to take the time to sit down and brainstorm a 2, 5 and 10-year business plan.

I think there is a movement online pushing this get rich quick mentality and for many people selling products online is an uphill battle and can take months to attract interested customers, especially jewelry which can be an over saturated market.

Therefore, it’s important to have a strong business plan and lots of patience. In this business plan you can outline why you think your product is of value, target a specific niche for your products  (i.e. I sell metal-stamped Afro-centric earrings not just earrings) and brainstorm creative ways to promote and sell your product online.

Lastly, have fun. My background is in engineering and being in this creative space has taught me so much about social media marketing, entrepreneurship and I have had the opportunity to connect and learn from driven Black women creating their own businesses.

The Blog

BGA: AZE Boutique is also a blog where you share personal growth and life skills for millennials. Explain how this has helped you mentally and what kind of feedback you receive from readers.

Alana Esty: I started this blog because when I graduated from University I felt completely lost without the regiment of a structured school life and I had to go through a 2-year period of personal development and self-reflection.

The purpose of this blog is to provide advice to young people to help make this transition smoother. Some of the blog posts that have resonated with people were posts I wrote about “The 4 Things I Wish I Knew Before Starting Grad School“, “How to Start A Self-Love Journey ” and the “Critical Mistakes I Made Starting My Etsy Shop”