196: Making Magic with Make it Minnie | Ashley Wolf

Ashley: 0:00

Like, at the end of the day, if I have to choose between like getting orders out in a timely manner or like dealing with kids, meltdowns and having a bad day where we're like all kind of frustrated, I'm just going to go deal with my family, you know, and business is going to have to wait.

Camille: 0:25

So you want to make an impact. You're thinking about starting a business, sharing your voice. How do women do it that handle motherhood, family and still chase after those dreams? We'll listen each week as we dive into the stories of women who know this is Call Me CEO. This is Call Me CEO. A dream is a wish your heart makes, and today we are talking to Ashley Wolf, who took that sentiment and turned it into a jewelry business that she loves, all based on the magic of Disney, nostalgia and creating moments in pieces of jewelry that you can remember forever. Tune into this episode to hear how you can chase after your dreams too, and what pivots and breaks we need to take to not lose our minds.

Camille: 1:12

Welcome back everyone to Call Me CEO, and I am a big Disney nerd. If you don't know that about me, I am and welcome, and I hope you are too. But if you're not, this story and inspiration may make you one, because my guest, ashley Wolf, is a real life Disney dream. The business that she created around Disney and the fun of Disney and the magic of Disney is so inspiring, and we've been friends for a good long time and I've been asking her since the inception of this podcast, by the way, to get on the show, and she's a busy young mom. She's amazing the CEO of Make it Mini, a fine jewelry brand that is all Disney themed, and it is so much fun. And, ashley, thank you for being on the show today. I cannot wait to share your story.

Ashley: 2:00

Of course I can't believe that you finally convinced me, after all of these years, to finally get on the podcast.

Camille: 2:06

I know I really have been trying. I even recorded a story today saying how excited I was because I love your brand. I love you, I love the story of how you built your business, so I'm so excited to hear more of the details that I don't even know yet. Yeah, I'm so excited. This will be fun. So tell our audience who you are, where you live, how many kids you have, and we'll get into the story of Make it Mini Cool.

Ashley: 2:31

So I'm Ashley Wolfe. I have three daughters a seven-year-old, five-year-old and two-and-a-half-year-old, and my husband and I we met and we got married in Utah and lived there for probably five-ish years and then now we have lived in California for about four years. So we moved to California mid-pandemic. We were just like, itching to get out, put our house up on the market within 24 hours of deciding we wanted to move and moved here to California with no idea of where to go, no idea what we were doing, but we were just like you know what let's follow some dreams. Let's do this. We want to move to California. Let's just do it. Which?

Camille: 3:13

is kind of crazy, because a lot of people were leaving California.

Ashley: 3:17

So do you feel like it was a?

Camille: 3:17

good time to find a place, because there was maybe more available than regularly there was.

Ashley: 3:23

Yeah, well, that was the funny thing too, is everybody kept saying why are you going to California? What is wrong with you? So I don't feel like there was actually as much inventory. But the great thing is is that we got in when the interest rates were so low, thank heavens. But now I feel like this is probably our forever home because the interest rate is so low. Um, but yeah, we, we love it it's. It's a continual summer, like you know, snow yeah, is that just so dreamy did you?

Camille: 3:55

where did you grow up? Are you used to that kind of weather, or so I was born in Texas.

Ashley: 4:00

I lived there until I was about seven or eight and then Utah, draper, utah, for like the rest of my growing up time. So most of what I know is winter, snow, cold. I feel like Utah it would snow in July. I remember my dad going skiing on the 4th of July and thinking this is too cold. Why are? Why are we skiing on the 4th?

Camille: 4:25

of July. Yeah, that's. Yeah, that's crazy. So you're loving California. It's been a good fit so far. Yeah, it's been amazing. And you're wanting to move closer to Disneyland. From what I saw recently on a on a story, Is that right or is that just wishful thinking? Maybe someday down the road, or?

Ashley: 4:42

Yeah, so that is for sure wishful thinking, I'm hoping within the next year, honestly. Um. So we live up in Moore Park, which is with no traffic. It's an hour and 15 minute drive to Disneyland. But it's California, there's always traffic. So we're looking at closer to two to two and a half hours to get there, which is better than coming from Utah to go to Disney like it used to be, but still too far. We got to get a little bit closer to the mouse.

Camille: 5:11

Okay, so tell us about Make it Mini Now. This is a business you've been doing for almost eight years. How did it all start?

Ashley: 5:19

Yeah. So I started the account Make it Mini on Instagram with a completely different goal in mind. Originally I wanted to do tips and tricks of going to the park, link outfits that I wear to the park, do kind of more of like the hey, here's how you can do Disney more of like the influencer type side. And then I saw in the Disney community there's like this little Disney Instagram community, right Like you know all of these influencers in the community and I saw these girls wearing these little teeny, dainty castle necklaces and I was like that's cute, but I haven't seen anything else like that.

Ashley: 6:04

Like I, whenever I go to the parks, I see these really big, colorful, like almost cartoony type jewelry Huge earrings, huge necklaces, like characters on your rings and I wanted something that I could wear every day that was more subtle, more dainty, more, um, just elegant, almost, you know, but still had the fun and whimsical element of Disney in it. So that is when I started designing jewelry and came out with the second star design, which is just two little stars next to each other. That represents Peter Pan Making a Wish on a Star, pinocchio, tiana, you know, like all of these different characters in that one necklace and that kind of like kickstarted it and it's been going great since then.

Camille: 6:53

Oh my goodness. So with that first, that first design that you had, you do all of your designs. How did you find a manufacturer that made quality, because one thing that I love about your jewelry is that the quality is unmatched. My, I have a Disney ring. If you're watching the video, you can see it's this Mickey mouse. I've had this Mickey mouse since I was 12 years old. It was from my sister's honeymoon and I was 12 and she brought it home for me and it's sterling silver and it's lasted forever. If you go to the park now, I love Disney, but the jewelry there is not pure silver, it's not made to last, and it wasn't until I found your account and your jewelry that I was like finally, this is quality jewelry that you can wear all the time. So how did you go about designing that and then finding a manufacturer that could do that for you?

Ashley: 7:46

So it's interesting. First of all, my husband actually helped me find my manufacturer. So my husband had a connection from college and this connection he actually lives in Utah. He imports goods for like the big companies like what's it called Home Depot and Lowe's, you know, like gardening tools and stuff like that. So he helps those companies. And Matt was like I know that he imports stuff so maybe we can ask him if he has any connections for jewelry. So we sat down with him, did a meeting and he was like absolutely, I can totally get that for you. Sat down with him, did a meeting and he was like absolutely, I can totally get that for you.

Ashley: 8:28

And it actually has been a process from day one. I actually started my jewelry as a brass base that was just dipped in sterling silver or 18 karat gold or rose gold and I loved it. But it just would like the plating would wear off pretty quickly. Like the plating would wear off pretty quickly and I was like I just I don't want these pieces to be, you know, breaking down after six months to a year. So same same factory, same supplier.

Ashley: 8:56

I decided to upgrade the metal to sterling silver. So now all the pieces are sterling silver and they're still plated with 18 karat gold or rose gold and that has just seemed to work so well across the board. They last for so long, they do so much better. They're high quality and they feel high quality too, like I just love the quality of them and on top of that I have super sensitive skin, so it's been great to have like a very high quality metal that doesn't give me rashes, it doesn't turn my skin green, it doesn't do like any of that weird stuff. So, yeah, I just like I make my jewelry for me and I just love that other people love it too, but I have to make it for, like, my skin, cause I want to wear it.

Camille: 9:40

Yeah, so this, this person that helped you. You didn't have to go through a whole bunch of different manufacturers. He said I have a guy and that's the one that it's been forever.

Ashley: 9:51

So that is who it was and I mean I still use him, but that's who it's been up until we moved to California. And then, now that we live close to the LA jewelry district, we have a couple of different contacts now in the LA jewelry district. So all of my solid 14 karat gold pieces are like white gold, rose gold. If they're solid gold, I have a guy in LA that just hand makes it like right there. I watched him make the mold and everything, so he hand makes them right there. And then also some more of my sterling silver pieces are another contact. That's just there in LA.

Camille: 10:30

Oh, that's cool and it's interesting. Do you remember that the way that I actually met you was from meeting your husband's partner on the airplane? Yes, which is so funny.

Ashley: 10:40

Yeah, no, I told him. I said, oh yeah, I've got a meeting with Camille. And he was like wait, isn't that the girl that my partner met on an airplane one time? I was like I am pretty sure it is. We went back and looked at text messages yeah, that's like like so crazy that's.

Camille: 10:57

You know, I love random connections like that and then through the years we did photos together and we've done collaborations and things back and forth and what I love about business in general is that small businesses tend to help and support each other and you never know where those connections are going to be from, and to have open conversations in airplanes or out at networking events or whatever the thing is. I would just encourage everyone who's listening to be open to those doors and windows that open for connection, because people do business with people and ultimately, that is what makes business successful. So I was lucky to have met him and that he said you know, I think you would like my friend, my husband or, sorry, my partner's wife. I think you two would have a lot in common or a lot to talk about or something. So it's cool that that's how we met that way.

Ashley: 11:51

Which is great, because I feel like I'm so introverted and I get so shy and I kind of like shut down and kind of crawl back into myself a little bit. But Matt and apparently his partners are great at networking. So if I need something I'm like, hey, matt, can you network and figure this out for me? And he's like, yeah, I got it. I got it.

Camille: 12:10

Oh, that's awesome. Yeah, it seems like your husband has been really supportive of your business all along. Can you tell us a little bit about that, how that developed into? I have this idea to now let's move to California. And he's like, okay, cool idea to now let's move to California.

Ashley: 12:25

And he's like, okay, cool, yeah. So he originally well, actually I was going. I got my master's degree in special education with an emphasis in behavior analysis. So I was working with kids with autism or oppositional defiance disorder and I was working with them and their parents to put together behavior plans and I loved it. Like if I ever was in a bind and I needed to do something to support us like more steadily and more consistently, I would totally do that work again. I loved it.

Ashley: 12:56

But when I got pregnant, I was working with teenagers and adults that could be physically aggressive when they had behaviors and we both, matt and I both talked about how, like it's probably not the safest environment if I had to do a restraint or if I needed to kind of get away and get out of a situation where you know like a teenager was kind of being a little bit more aggressive when I was pregnant. So I, when I said let's start doing jewelry, he was like, absolutely, this is a great way to kind of make up the income, but do something that's from home and you have a little bit more flexibility and it's physically safer. So he jumped right in and he started taking little or watching videos on YouTube to learn how to use a camera to help with pictures, which that has been a learning you know that has progressed. If you see the pictures from day one until now, it is like night and day difference. Um, and he just was super supportive and he always has said like, hey, let me find you a marketing company to help you with ads, let me help you find this person, or let me help you find this person, cause this would be really good for your business, or you know that kind of a thing. Um, and then when I said let's move to California, he's from California and he was all about it and said let's do it, let's go. Yeah, yeah, it took no work at all to get him to be sold to move back to California.

Ashley: 14:27

And yeah, when we moved here during COVID, his job had kind of disintegrated, like it had just gone away, because he used to do in-person seminars. So my business was fully financially supporting our family when we moved here and so he was like my. He was on the phone with our marketing company doing like, talking about ads, talking about email campaigns, talking about text message campaigns. He was constantly watching videos, learning how to get better at photography, constantly buying new equipment to figure out how to make the lighting for pictures better. You know, planning out like, hey, let's go to the parks this day to do pictures, let's do it this day, let's do a launch this day.

Ashley: 15:09

So he was heavily involved when we first moved here and then he ended up building his own business and he's been kind of doing that now. So I've taken over most of Make it Mini again, but he still is just like, if I need something, he's like, yeah, for sure. Yeah, you need to do pictures, I'll help you out. Oh, yeah, you need help finding an email marketer person. Great, I'll help you out. So he's been really involved.

Camille: 15:30

That's really cool, I think what I really enjoyed watching. You have such a clever sense of style with the way that you put together your rings and you're really good at including your audience with different designs where you'll say, do you like this or this, do you? And then you'll show you know, shoots of you doing photography in your garage where you bought like backdrops for all the different colors and outfits, and I think that the way you've developed your marketing is really clever and organic and I think that that's made your audience really invested in the process of growing. Make it Mini. Would you agree with that?

Ashley: 16:06

Totally. I think keeping my audience involved and asking opinions like, hey, do you want this as a design or this as a design? What color of stone should we use for this princess? You know, keeping everybody involved has been really fun and it helps my audience also feel like they are a part of the magic. They are like part of the design process and so they get excited. They're like, oh my gosh, I helped to like decide on that ring color. I want that ring, I want it for myself now, yeah. So yeah, it's been really fun and keeping it organic and just keeping it real, like I'm just a mom that's working on my garage. So I think it's relatable to that. I mean, I don't have a huge fancy house. I don't have like a room dedicated to the business. It's the garage. That was our space. That's what we've been able to put together.

Camille: 16:59

Yeah, what do you think would be, you know, transitioning from I'm doing this as an influencer I have this Instagram account to then becoming a successful business? What are some of those landmarks or, I guess, stepping stones that you saw that made really big progress for your business and finding that success?

Ashley: 17:18

Yeah, so for sure, having built a small audience to begin with I think I had about 3,500 followers before I even started selling products. So I had already built like a fun group of people that I knew loved Disney, that were involved and wanted like to look at different outfits or they wanted to put the whole look together for when they went to the parks. So I already had that, which made it really helpful when I launched my first product and I will say I did not sell out on my first product immediately, that was like it took a few weeks to a month to actually sell out. And then it was great because I had this like little focus group basically that I could say, hey, what should I change, what should I do differently? And my audience helped me kind of refine hey, we want us, we want a smaller chain, we want a polished necklace instead of a matte necklace. You know, like it was great to have this little focus group. Um, and then as soon as I started reaching out to other influencers in the space that I had already connected with and that I was friends with and saying, hey, can I send you a necklace for you to post about?

Ashley: 18:32

That has grown the business, more than probably anything else, is actually making friends in the space and then being able to help out each other, like sharing their stuff on my page or they're sharing my stuff on their page. So I think it's instead of thinking of how can I make the most money possible and how can I grow my audience to be massive, it's more like, hey, I have these friends, what connections can I make, and let's help each other out. Let's be you know we can balance each other out, instead of just like, hey, what can you do for me? What can you do for me? Like, what can we do for each other? Um, so that has been a big turning point. But any other business owners definitely start making friends and connections in your space and be giving out product for free left and right if you can.

Camille: 19:26

Yeah, I'd agree with that. It's interesting because I think, with the way that you built your business, it is an advantage in this space where you are relatable and seen more as like a cohort or you know someone doing similar things that influencers or creators are doing where it was like not a take, take, take, but it was a hey, let, what can I do for you?

Camille: 19:52

And I'll send this to you. Where I've talked to other businesses before, where they'll say things like oh, I sent free stuff but nothing happened. And I think that where that gap can be is in the relationship, where a lot of people will send people, influencers and creators stuff. In fact, I took a step back from influencing and creating because I started getting overwhelmed by all this stuff. If I'm honest and so it part of that is that you had built the relationship and it wasn't this, you know, exchange of like, oh, I want you for this, and then I'm out. You had invested a long-term friendship, that it was something that was real and genuine, Totally.

Ashley: 20:32

And like still having conversations even after sending product, like I'm still friends with a lot of these girls that I will send product to and we'll chat back and forth, we'll comment on each other's stories or on each other's posts. Product to and we'll chat back and forth, we'll comment on each other's stories or on each other's posts, and like actually engaging with people is that actually makes the business a lot more fun too. So instead of just being like, oh, I'm just trying to sell, I'm trying to sell, it's like I get to watch other people too and watch their Disney experiences, and be like, oh, a lot of people are relating to this nostalgic feature, I'm going to turn this into jewelry, and we all love the same thing. So now I can send out these pieces to these girls that I'm friends with that I know love this certain thing about Disney and we can all kind of like have these pieces together and we can like have these magical little pieces to wear every day. So it's fun, too, to get inspiration from the girls that I follow on Instagram.

Camille: 21:28

Yeah, ooh. Well, I mean fashion and Disney and memory making these are like all the things that make me really happy. I'm like this is so fun. I'm curious about what. Maybe a time that you had a hard lesson in your business, and I know from having talked, spoken with you in the past that there have been times that you've had to step back a bit to kind of tighten the nest or be more in with your kids, and that has ebbed and flowed. But are there specific times you can share with us where there have been maybe lessons or times you had to slow down or what that looked like for you?

Ashley: 22:05

Yes, so actually the last two and a half years after I had my third daughter she's two and a half years old when I gave birth to her. It was such a hard adjustment having a third kid and trying to run the business still that I just stepped back. I stopped posting on Instagram, I stopped. I mean, I'm sure there was a little bit of like postpartum depression and anxiety going on that contributed to that. But I had to take a huge step back and it's just barely within the last maybe three or four months that I've been able to like okay, I can like get back on social media again. I can start marketing, I can start designing again. Like I feel like myself again.

Ashley: 22:48

Um, and I was getting so frustrated with myself the past two and a half years that I wasn't bringing in as much income to our family, that I wasn't as active and participating in like the friendships that I had built on social media. I felt like I had just fallen off and kind of like ignored all of those relationships that I had made. So I had to just I've had to give myself some grace and realize that like it's hard, it's really hard having kids. You have four kids, right? Yes, so you know you get it. Oh, I know, yeah, and family comes first, like at the end of the day, if I have to choose between like getting orders out in a timely manner or like dealing with kids meltdowns and having a bad day where we're like all kind of frustrated, I'm just going to go deal with my family, you know, and business is going to have to wait. Yeah.

Camille: 23:46

I think that that's so refreshing to share that perspective, though, because as a mom, you never know when those waves and those times are going to hit. And for myself, when I had when I added three and then four and I had very little tiny ones I was blogging and I could take a step back and say, okay, I need to slow it down or take a breather and then show back up, and then take a breather and then show back up, and I don't think that there's anything wrong with that. I also know that we can feel the pressure, because social media it is more forward facing than it was when I was blogging, where, when I was having that third and fourth baby, I feel like there's even more pressure now than there was then that you had to show up on stories every day, and so if you're not doing that, you're like do I even exist? Will people remember me? What will happen? Will I fall off the planet?

Camille: 24:39

You know and that is intensified from where it was when I was having little ones, and now for me, on the flip side, teenagers need me and they require so much more emotional support and connection time in a different way than your babies do, but I feel like the pullback is similar, where you have to kind of evaluate where you are and then say, okay, this is a time where I need to focus on being mom, and it doesn't mean that everything has to crash and burn, which is the nice thing about owning a business. But it is hard when you are the one carrying the load, because if it's not you showing up, who is it you know? And that can be really challenging on the psyche, especially when you have been doing it, and not you showing up, who is it you know? And that can be really challenging on the psyche, especially when you have been doing it. And then you're like, oh no, not that I need to be the sole provider, but you, you put pressure on yourself. At least I do.

Ashley: 25:33

Totally 100%. And yeah, like you said, like there has to be ebbs and flows, and I think, for me at least, I've gotten worried saying like, oh, I'm not showing up every day. I even tried here's the other thing I even tried bringing on one of my friends, lauren. You know, lauren, yes, so I tried to bring Lauren on and I said you know what, maybe if I had like a partner in this that was coming on to social media and could be a little bit more present, more present while I have my my kind of like draw back a little bit time with my kids, um, maybe just having a partner to, like you know, kind of bounce off responsibilities with, I was like this is a great idea, this is genius.

Ashley: 26:22

But I learned that, like my audience would rather have me disappear for a while than have a new face come in. So I think it's okay to have to step back for a while, as long as you're just being genuine when you are present, and like you don't have to come on every day, you don't have to post every day. You don't have to be like showing up, you don't have to post every day. You don't have to be like showing up and putting your whole life on social media. You can just pick and choose and you can go and be with your family for most of the time and just show up when you want to on social media, and that's okay, yeah.

Camille: 26:58

I feel like this is a piece, too, where, if you're feeling this sense of burnout because I coach women in this all of the time and if you're identifying with this, it is probably most likely time that you need to hire an assistant that can do the things that don't require your face.

Camille: 27:14

And so when I evaluate this with people that I coach, we'll go through and say what are the things that you're that you enjoy doing and or need your face, and what are the things that you are good at doing, or even bad at doing, that don't require your face, that you don't enjoy, because sometimes people will show up doing something that they're really proficient at, even if it doesn't have to be them, and that's still a drawback of your time. And so if you're listening to this and thinking, gosh, I really need to look at that. I have people do what is called a 24 hour time audit, where you go through and just jot down what you're doing, how you're using your time, how does it make you feel, how does it actually move the needle of profitability in your business?

Camille: 27:59

And if there's room for someone to step in and not be the face of you but to be the helper for you. That is where you can hire a virtual assistant If you need help with that. I do that. This is like a little pitch for me, but for real, that's what's. That is what has made it possible for me to keep going in my business as a mom of four period. That is totally so.

Camille: 28:24

I love that you're saying this for yourself, that you're like no, I needed a minute. And that you also learned people are there for you because you do have a brand that's been focused around who you are as much as it is around your jewelry, and that's a lesson that you know. Had you started with a partner, that would work, but after this many years, it's like no, we just want. We want to see Ashley. What, where are you? You know, even if it's showing up and saying you know, hi, here I am and sharing a picture here and there. But you don't have to sacrifice everything because otherwise you'll burn out and not show up again.

Ashley: 28:56

Yep, a hundred percent. So it's funny that you say like hiring help, because I've been meaning to reach out to you, because I do need help, I need to hire somebody. So, when we moved to California actually when we were still in Utah I had a marketing company that I used that Matt found for probably two years, and they were doing my email campaigns, they were doing my text message campaigns, they were doing my ads like running ads on Instagram, google, facebook, you know, running all of the ads and to some degree, it was amazing. They were so helpful in increasing my revenue, were so helpful in increasing my revenue not my profit, my revenue so I was making more money with them, um, but it was so overwhelming to me to have to get them content, so, like I have to get them content by x date, I need to have content for this necklace, this, this ring, whatever, by this date, and having it all so scheduled was so overwhelming for me that I finally I had to let them go, because I was like this is too much for me. Even having help, it was too much.

Ashley: 30:15

So I also think, though, learning your work flow. My workflow is batch working. So I, during certain times of my hormonal cycle I am really motivated. I can get tons of pictures, tons of emails, tons of text messages, all scheduled and ready to go for the entire month. But then there are some weeks that I'm like I don't even want to show my face on social media, I don't want to even pick up my phone, I'm not even going to look at my business, I'm not even going to, I'm going to pretend like it doesn't exist. So I think learning your workflow too, before you hire somebody, and having kind of that relationship where you can go back and forth with somebody and say, hey, I'm going to get you all of the content this week for you to use for the rest of the month, or like however it works best for you and your teammates, like, I think that's really important to learn.

Camille: 31:14

Ooh, I love that you shared that, because it's true. I don't think I know that I I have a few people that have been on the podcast actually and talked about the phases of your period and how it affects your energy levels, and I don't know that I prescribe to that exactly every single month for myself.

Camille: 31:29

but I do know that there are bursts of energy that I get where I'm like all about it and I'm in this growth mindset and I'm ready to pump it out. And then there are other weeks where I'm like, yeah, no, like I need to be like hiking in the mountains or like eating ice cream with my kids or you know, just like really connecting and rooting into myself and my family. So it is so good to find someone who understands and can work with you in your flow, because otherwise, like you said, with that marketing company, you can almost feel like you're the employee of someone else's company and then you're feeling guilt for not getting them the employee of someone else's company, and then you're feeling guilt for not getting them the amount of whatever they need at the time, which is good for like. If you need someone for accountability and you like the rigidity of that, then great.

Camille: 32:14

But for me I'm a lot like you where I'm like, no, I need flexibility of like, okay, this is go time, this is when I have to put into my business and then I need to step away, because I think, as a mom and as a woman too, we are cyclical beings and we have seasons of productivity and then also seasons that we need to rest and recover, and I don't think there's any guilt that should be associated with that, because that hustle culture or that timeline culture of having to do it all equally the same is not the way human nature or mother nature intended us to be, and so I feel like if we respect that and lean into that feminine, you know where we are respecting our intuition in that way, we will be so much more successful.

Ashley: 32:59

A hundred percent. Yeah, I think if we have periods where we need to step back and we need to just like I need to not show my face on social media, I need to not design any jewelry, I need to just be with my family, I need to be present, I want to go play, I want to take my kids to the beach those moments are just as important for your business as you showing up and you pushing forward in your business, because those moments of recharge are what get you through those moments where you have this burst of energy. But if you're I mean for me at least if I'm just constantly pushing through, pushing through, being like I have to get this done, I have to get this done, then I resent it and I'm like I don't want to do this business anymore.

Camille: 33:46

I'm telling you why am I even here? Yeah, am I doing this? I hate it, oh my gosh. I so agree with that.

Ashley: 33:52

Yeah, I think it's a huge thing.

Camille: 33:54

Yeah. So tell me, I love that. You're watching all of the designs that you've done and there are so many. I still I have a good handful of them and I, every time you come up with something new, I'm like, oh, I want that one. I'm still that, your pipe, your Ahoy matey coin, or what do you call it. Oh yeah, the Yoho, I love that and I need to get that one. What is one of your favorite pieces that you've ever created?

Ashley: 34:28

The Yoho. I love it. Oh, I love that one. So I so, first of all, the second star, I think, will forever and always be like my number one, because that was like the first design that I did and I still get so excited when I'm like scrolling through social media and watching like Disney influencers, and I'm like that's my necklace, oh, those are, those are my earrings, like I get so excited but for sure, like I have my Yoho grunge ring on right now and then the Yoho grunge necklace. So I have two versions of the necklace the classic one and the coin is a little bit smaller, more dainty, more feminine. And then I've got the grunge version. The coin is bigger and it's double-sided. It has like a really cute engraving around the edge that says dead men tell no tales, you know, like super detailed. I love it. That is like my childhood dream of wanting to be Elizabeth Swan.

Camille: 35:15

Yes, oh my gosh, I, as you're talking about it, I'm like I need to get on right now and order it. I do. I need this one. So tell me, do you think that there is ever? I know we talked about this years ago, but do you think there would ever be a chance that your line of jewelry would be held in the parks? Is that still a dream that you have, or do you feel like the parks would take too much of the profit? I mean, I don't know that it would even matter, because it's like you're in the park so you would sell literally millions. I don't know.

Ashley: 35:49

I keep my fingers crossed all the time, like all the time that I will get licensed and that I will be able to be in the parks or even just have. I know that there are some designers that they will go and set up booths at the park and they'll have like a booth that runs for like a weekend or like three or four days where they are selling like their exclusive stuff for those three or four days at the park. I would love that. I think that would be so magical and so cool to have my stuff at the parks.

Camille: 36:22

Oh my gosh, Even just the pirate part of the park. There is nothing that is cute for women. There they are. I actually just bought my son a keychain. He just turned 16 and he is a big pirate lover and so he has like the coin looking keychain and it's cool. But they don't have anything for women that is cool, like your yo-ho necklace and ring. I'm just saying.

Ashley: 36:44

I, when I see the stuff at the parks, I'm like this looks dinky, like, yeah, some of it, some of it. I'm like they have their higher end stuff right, that's like sterling silver, but that's gonna cost like 200 bucks. Like a lot of it's 150 to 200 bucks and I's why you old, that is so expensive. So I try to keep my costs like at a reasonable price, which definitely cuts down on my profit margin. I don't care Like I want you guys to have magical pieces that you love that are high quality, because I just get so excited about seeing people wear it and seeing other people get excited about it too. So I would so much rather cut down on my profit margin. But if I got to sell in the parks like I don't care, I'll do it for free, like I'll give all the profit, I just want to be there.

Camille: 37:36

I think that'd be well I know a few people, maybe I could make this happen. Disney wouldn't that be, cool. Well, I mean kind of. I mean kind of. I have some contacts at Disney from doing travel with them for sure.

Ashley: 37:49

Oh my gosh, we got to make this happen?

Camille: 37:52

Yeah, that'd be amazing. I'll be your silent partner, okay, okay. So, with who you've seen wearing your jewelry, who have you been most excited that you have seen wearing one of your pieces?

Ashley: 38:03

Okay, Honestly, just random people at the parks, like random people that I'll be standing in line, I'll be like gosh do you ever see anything?

Camille: 38:15

for earrings, so I'm sure people recognize you too, because you model the jewelry, so they probably spot you.

Ashley: 38:22

Yes, so I definitely. Actually last week on Sunday, we went to Disneyland and I was in line at salt and straw and I, when somebody says hi to me, my brain like shuts off and I forget how to have a normal human conversation. So if you see me at the parks and you say hi, I apologize in advance. I swear it's not you being weird, it's me being weird. So this cute girl next to me in line, she was like hi, and I didn't know if she was talking to me or not. So I was like okay, and she was like I have your jewelry. And I was like oh, hi, cool, like this is so exciting. So I just think it's so fun when I see other people wearing my stuff and I try not to be like in their faces about it, but sometimes I will be like hey, cute earrings. And they're like oh, yeah, thanks, they're from you. And I'm like I know I love them, they're so cute. So that's cool.

Ashley: 39:16

But I don't want to like bug anybody you know and like ruin their day. So I just kind of try to give people space. But sometimes I will be like hey, cute earrings, hey, cute necklace, you know.

Camille: 39:29

Yeah Well, I feel like that's very Disney behavior. Anyway, Like most people you don't know, we compliment each other, we're happy. I mean it says, especially if you're dressed cute and you see that in each other and I don't know, I think that is not bothering people in the slightest. So if I had designed some jewelry that people were wearing, I would be like I love your necklace.

Ashley: 39:53

I'd probably be way annoying because I think I talked to people about their wearing anyway, yeah.

Camille: 39:59

Yeah, I don't think that would bother anyone at all. That's very, very normal. So, with your big dreams moving forward with Make it Mini, what would you say? I don't know, I didn't prep you with this question but, like, in five years, 10 years, where would you hope to be with Make it Mini? Is it gradual growth? Do you want to make it really big, like what feels right to you?

Ashley: 40:23

Um, I would say gradual growth, just because I have a problem with letting go of the reins and so I definitely need gradual growth rather than just like, oh, it's blown up and now you have to hire like 10 employees to help, like I think that would be super overwhelming. Um, so I think gradual growth and like I'm actually really content with where I'm at. So like if it doesn't ever grow and if it doesn't ever get bigger than what it is right now, like I'm so happy with where I'm at and the goals that I've hit for myself that, yeah, even if it was just this for the rest of forever, I would be so, just so happy, that's cool, that's real success.

Camille: 41:08

right there I feel like when you can be content with the progress that you've had, but then you're also not like oh, I'm not going to try, but I'm also not going to kill myself, like that, that is the sweet spot, I think, especially being a mom where you're like I can keep going with what I'm doing, but I don't have to totally change my lifestyle to have what I need and be where I want to be with my kids, like that. That's really cool.

Ashley: 41:35

Yeah for sure, and I think I mean if I was still the primary provider for our family, then I think I would probably feel a little bit more pressure to like really get going. But since my income has been a lot more of like the supplemental to pay for our Disneyland passes or to, you know, be able to buy some extras here and there, I don't feel as much pressure, which is such a blessing that Matt has been able to build his business to take care of all of our like necessities, so I don't feel a ton of pressure. I do like being able to make bets with Matt though that's like a super smart part and be like hey, I'm going to make X amount this week, I'm going to make more than you, and he'll be like no way and we'll like have a competition to see if you can make more. So that's like been a fun aspect in our marriage as well, to like have some fun competitive stuff that we both benefit from Heck.

Camille: 42:32

Yeah, that's the best kind of competition there is. That's awesome. What do you hope your girls learn from watching you build this business and what are some moments you've shared with them because of it?

Ashley: 42:43

So I hope that my girls learn that they can do whatever they want, like it doesn't have to be some grandiose, huge, like life changing career, you know. It can be something that's just like from their garage that they love to do, or it doesn't have to be like a traditional they love to do, or it doesn't have to be like a traditional nine to five. They can build a business that they love, that they can do when they have the time or when they get their like burst of energy. So I want them to know that they can just do whatever they want and whatever their dreams are. Follow those dreams. If that is just being a Disney adult, follow that dream. That'll get you somewhere.

Camille: 43:27

That's awesome.

Ashley: 43:28

Yeah, and it's been fun that they I mean they got to a point where they were done going to Disney for a while. They were like we don't want to go, we don't, don't take us there anymore. So we did have to kind of like step back for a while, but it's been so fun to watch, like my seven-year-old. She got her ears pierced and she immediately put in a pair of my earrings. She loves them and so she'll ask to like trade out to do different designs when we go to the parks. Or my two-year-old every single time I package orders she says I help, I help, I'm like yeah, for sure. So sometimes people will get some extra little freebies in there because my two-year-old is like helping to stuff the orders.

Ashley: 44:16

Um, but yeah, it's been fun to just like have these little moments where or my. My favorite favorite thing is that when we go to Disneyland and somebody says hi, it can be a cast member, just being like, hey, happy birthday, because I'm wearing a birthday pin or whatever. Anybody that says hi, my kids will say is that a make it mini girl? I'm like maybe it doesn't make it mini girl, maybe it's a customer, I don't know. But they always like is that a make it mini girl? Is that a make it mini boy? I'm like I don't know, but it's fun that they know this is my business, this is what I do, and they think that everybody around is just like super excited about Make it Mini.

Camille: 44:55

Yeah as they should be. As they should be. Well, one question that I've been asking everyone closing up the episode is what are you reading, listening or watching?

Ashley: 45:07

So I am a big fantasy romance book nerd. The whole ACOTAR series, you know. Yes, I think I was like I think I know where this is going. I read that a couple of years ago and that was kind of the catalyst into the whole world of all of it. So I've read, like the Prison Healer series, this Trial of the Sun Queen series I'm reading another series right now I can't think of the name off the top of my head, but I'm in the second book of the series already. But it's all like the fantasy escape reality, which obviously is my mo because, like I love disney, which is escaping reality, just making it all magical. So obviously that's the kind of book that I read too. Um, so I'm always, I always have my audible playing and I'm always listening to something. When I'm like doing dishes, packaging, orders, orders, all of it Always listening to something. Watching. I love Curb your Enthusiasm. I'm watching the last season of that. Awesome. What else? I'm watching the Office for like the seventh time.

Camille: 46:22

That is my husband every night. Oh, did you say Gilmore Girls? Yes, yes, I love Gilmore Girl. That is my husband every night.

Ashley: 46:25

Oh, did you say.

Camille: 46:26

Gilmore Girls.

Ashley: 46:27

Yes, yes, I love Gilmore Girls.

Camille: 46:30

I just went to Lauren Graham's book tour. She's doing a book tour right now. Was she in Utah? Yeah, you should check her travel. I think she's still doing it for the next month or two, so you should check and see if she's coming to California soon. It was her first time to Utah. She said she'd never been here before.

Ashley: 46:48

Wow, I know I was like wait what. She just recently joined Instagram and I think it's for the book it is.

Camille: 46:56

Yeah, she talked about that on her tour. She said I just never really saw a point in it. And so I, I don't know, I'm an old fashioned girl and she's like so now I'm doing it and so when I on that day, I think she just had about 300,000. But she is talking about it on her tour to kind of which smart, a great way to build it up while you go around and see all your fans. But yeah, it was a lot of fun. She's awesome.

Ashley: 47:23

Oh, that's amazing. I'm going to have to look it up. I'm going to have to look up when she's here, because I would love to go see her.

Camille: 47:28

Have you done the tour at Warner Brothers ever?

Ashley: 47:33

Not at Warner Brothers. No, I need to, though I'm so close.

Camille: 47:39

So here's what's funny Before Netflix was rebooted, I was a big Gilmore Girls fan, like I legit brought in the Gilmore Girls DVDs to three of my births when you. This was like before they had. You know, you had to bring your own DVDs if you're in labor and like wanted to buy the time or whatever. And I actually was invited to go out to the Fantastic Beasts and where to find them media junket where they had, like, um, ginny Weasley come first.

Camille: 48:10

she was a guest there and then the man who has the mustache, who's like one of the main characters, but I don't know his name. Do you know who I'm talking about?

Camille: 48:18

I know we were talking about the baker yeah, so he was there and so we got, got to see props from the film and they actually had all of the costumes from the Harry Potter films that we could actually touch and like, put the sorting hat on our head and like. It was so cool. So what's fun, though, is at the time I was a big Gilmore Girls fan. Not a lot of people really, I mean the OG Gilmore Girls fans would know. Not a lot of people, really, I mean the OG Gilmore Girl fans would know.

Camille: 48:44

But I went on the tour you can take like a little buggy, like golf cart tour, and I said could you take me to Lorelei's house? Is it still here? Because they repurpose homes on the lots for other films that they do. So a lot of the homes in Gilmore Girls were actually repurposed for Pretty Little Liars. Anyway, that's kind of its own little thing. But the guy that was driving me around they said you know, what never changed from Gilmore Girls was the inside garage where she paints the garage and like stencils it after she breaks up with Luke, anyway.

Camille: 49:16

So we got to go in and see that. But what was really fun too is they took us to a back lot and showed us the gazebo from, like, the main city center. I love that, yeah, and it wasn't even on like display for public, but they knew that I was a big Gilmore girls fan, so they're like we'll drive you back there and see it. So for you now, if you're a Gilmore girls fan, they're actually offering, like this, gilmore girls lunch where you can go and do like a coffee and lunch brunch situation. They did it for a few years I don't know if it's still happening right now, but because it's such a revival of Gilmore Girls, they're offering it where you can go see the, the old filming locations which, by the way, lauren Graham told us that one episode would take eight to 12 days to film one episode because it was like thick, like a book.

Camille: 50:07

Oh, I'm sure, yes, that you. It just took days to film one episode, which is just crazy. Anyway, that was a very far tangent. But there you go. You need to go on that tour.

Ashley: 50:18

I love it. I mean, I have done universal studios and their backlot tour. Um, they do say that there are bits and pieces of gilmore girls that they filmed like this is where this was filmed for gilmore girls. This was where this was filmed for gilmore girls, but like not the iconic places you know, like laurel's house or her garage or the gazebo. So that would be so fun maybe I'll play out.

Camille: 50:42

We'll do disney and go check out the gilmore Girls again.

Ashley: 50:46

Oh my gosh, I have been wanting to put together a girls trip for so long. Like I want you to come, I want Lauren to come, I want Jen to come, like I just want our little like group to come and just like go have a good time you know girls just totally nerd out.

Camille: 51:01

Well, I love people. I feel like I spent my 40th birthday there and I had my little pin on and I just felt like it doesn't matter what age you are, it doesn't matter if you're covered in tattoos or what you look like. I just love that Disney is such a happy, everyone's unique and welcome and involved and happy, and I love that your brand celebrates that too, and it's literally, I feel, like jewelry is such a fantastic way to hold a memory of a space in time that you can come back to. It always fits and it's always something that you can remember, a special moment in magic that happens. So I think you're brilliant and I think your brand is so brilliant and I'm so grateful that you came on our show today.

Ashley: 51:46

Well, thank you so much for having me and thanks for waiting for so many years for me to finally build up the courage to come on and chat. You're welcome.

Camille: 51:55

Well and hey, let everyone know where they can find out where to follow you, how to support you will, of course, put the links below. I did have a discount code at one time to use, so maybe we can reactivate that. I don't even know if it's still there, but let's make it up. Yeah, what do you want your code to be? Let's just have it be Camille, so that way it can be used wherever. But yeah, tell us where we can find your stuff.

Ashley: 52:20

So everything across all platforms is make it mini, like M-I-N-N-I-E, like Minnie Mouse. So make it mini. And that name originally was like how can you make your everyday outfits like Minnie Mouse, like bring in a whimsical element of Minnie Mouse? So that's where the name came from, because it was all going to be an influencer account. So make it mini. And then it just so happened that all my jewelry is kind of like miniature and it's kind of like dainty and like girly. So I was like make it mini. This still works. It's great. So, yeah, make it minicom. Instagram is make it mini. I think I have a TikTok. I'm pretty sure Matt made me a TikTok. I'm sure that's make it mini.

Camille: 53:03

And are you still selling clothing pieces or is? Did you? Was that just for a minute in time?

Ashley: 53:09

so that was just for a minute and I actually loved selling clothes. But let me tell you something jewelry is so much better in terms of the fact that I have full say of my size ranges. I can say, hey, I want my rings to come in a size four, all the way up to a size 12. Like I can give my supplier this is my size range. I want everybody to be able to wear this, whereas the clothing industry is a whole different ballgame and a lot harder to ship too.

Ashley: 53:42

So much harder to ship, a lot harder to ship too. So much harder to ship, so much harder to find, like, good clothes that are in the size range that I would want it to be in. Um, so yeah, I have just kind of gone back to jewelry because I love it so much, and then if I find clothes that I love, I can still just link those, you know.

Camille: 54:02

Yeah, well, that's perfect. Well, this has been so fun. I'm sure everyone listening has learned a lot. I know that I did, and I think the main takeaway here is that if you are feeling overwhelmed, if there's burnout that you have, give yourself grace. Find ways to create a support system that works for you. Find a way that you can take a step back so that you feel fueled and creative to move forward and know that what you have to offer is enough, because, at the end of the day, you are amazing, and I hope that this message has rung true to you. If it has, please make sure to subscribe, leave a review and share with a friend who would find this beneficial, and thank you so much for being here today. Of course, have a magical day, bye-bye. Of course, have a magical day, bye-bye.

Camille: 55:06

As well as four in-person events, it is networking, it is mastermind, and all of our goal setting is based on brain performance, psychology and how you can use a step-by-step approach to reach your goals. I would love to have you join us. You can reach out to me at camille, at camillewalkerco, or message me at callmeceopodcast on Instagram. Hey, ceos, thank you so much for spending your time with me. If you found this episode inspiring or helpful, please let me know in a comment and a five-star review. You could have the chance of being a featured review on an upcoming episode. Continue the conversation on Instagram at callmeCEOPodcast, and remember you are the boss.