Today we’d like to introduce you to Shari Shula.
Hi Shari, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
About five years ago, we were living in Charlotte. We were raising our three daughters. Mike was happy coaching for the Panthers and life was good. Except that below the surface, I was very unhappy. I wanted more than doing laundry, grocery shopping and cleaning the house. I had been doing that for about 15 years at that point. I struggled with the unhappy feelings and the guilt that being a mom wasn’t enough. I was 47-48 years old and for the first time in my life, I was very aware of how fast time was going by. I felt panicked, restless and depressed. I was avoiding people and isolating them.
I remember the turning point was my daughter, who was 12 years old asking me why I was so sad all the time. I had no idea how obvious it was. I felt awful. My daughter thinks I’m unhappy. And I needed to face the fact that I was. I knew I wanted to work but I had three girls. Mike’s schedule is grueling, to say the least. How could I work and still be there for the girls? I started to research “Best Jobs for stay-at-home moms” and started to write everything down. I knew if I started a business, it would need to be online. And something that I could bring the girls into somehow. Slowly over two years, my thoughts started to come together. I would start an online women’s accessory business. Bags, Scarves and sunglasses to begin. I would name my first three designs after my girls and involve them in the design and decision process as much as possible. I wanted to name it Joey James, a name that just came to me one morning. I had been playing around with the girl’s names, my family’s names and friends. Joey is my favorite name and if I had a son, we would have named him Joey. James is my dad. The greatest person I know. The best dad anyone could ever have. I wrote it down once and that became my logo.
I remember the first time I told the girls about what I was thinking of doing and they went crazy! They thought It was the best idea Ever! It’s their excitement and support that has kept me going. There have been many days that I thought, “What am I doing?” “I can’t start a business, I’m too old, I’m not smart enough” on and on, the negative thoughts and self-doubt would take over. I would shut my computer and think, “this is nuts, I can’t pull this off” Then, one day I was on a site I had found on Facebook called Makers Row. A great resource for manufacturing and an email popped up from Liz Long. She has a business called “How To Make A Product” The email said If you have any questions, set up a call and I’d love to help guide you through this process. And that was it. After speaking with her the ball really started rolling. She got me in touch with Christina at Leatherworks by Arturo. A factory in NJ and we started working on my first three bags. The Samantha, The Brooke and The Ryan. Named after my daughters. All of my bags are named after women and girls who have deeply impacted my life. They are exquisitely made with the finest leather and materials. They are very luxurious. I have ten designs on the site now. Two more in production and a few more that Christina and I are working on. There is so much more I want to do with Joey James! I see everything! Jewelry, makeup, shoes, clothes.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
My biggest struggle, in the beginning, was mom guilt. Feeling bad that being a mom wasn’t enough. And my age, I was facing 50 and thinking I’m too old to start this big dream.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am most proud of the bags I’ve designed. I’ve always been creative but never thought I’d have the opportunity to express it in any real way. I’m also extremely proud that my daughters have been involved in the process every step of the way. I want them to realize the power they have over their own lives. That wherever they are in life, if they aren’t happy and fulfilled, they can change it. They can do anything if they work hard and want it bad enough.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
To not give up. To not let self-doubt take over and make you back away from your dreams. To listen to your heart and believe.
Contact Info:
- Website: Joey-jamesthelabel.com
- Instagram: Joey-James-the-Label
- Facebook: Joey James the Label
Image Credits
Jeremy Parker Good People NYC
