Today we’d like to introduce you to Susan Horowitz.
Hi Susan, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My story begins with being a trained ballet dancer. I grew up in Hibbing, MN and my ballet teachers came from Royal Winnipeg Ballet. I left Hibbing in 1970 to attend University of Minnesota. As life would have it I met someone and got married at a young age. I continued my Ballet training and was in a company in St Paul called St. Paul City Ballet.
I always loved fashion and design and worked in many retail stores throughout my lifetime. In 1981 I made the bold decision to sell everything I owned, and I got a one-way ticket to Los Angeles and started a new chapter in my life. I continued with my dance training and my first job was working at a worldwide advertising agency.
I always liked being surrounded by creative people which gave me inspiration. I continued to work in retail, advertising, and a famous graphic design firm. While at the design firm, I was motivated to create something myself. I always thought I had an entrepreneurial spirit, but didn’t have the courage to pursue it until 1989. On a whim, I got an idea to design decorative tennis shoes, which were very popular at that time. I had no training in design, I don’t draw, but I had a vision. Every day on my lunch hour I would drive to downtown Los Angeles and seek out sources for tennis shoes and materials. I made prototypes and took them around to a variety of people for feedback. Lo and behold, everyone asked me where I purchased them. Thus, began a short term journey of selling tennis shoes to high end boutiques around the country..
In 1991 my daughter was born. I decided to go back and train to teach dance to children. I pursued a 16 year career teaching in Los Angeles and Minneapolis. My program was called SMALL STEPS, and I trained young children in pre-Ballet, tap and movement.
As life would have it, in 1994 I left LA and moved back to Minneapolis to start my SMALL STEPS program that would last for 13 years.
In 1998 while going through a divorce, I taught myself how to bead. It was a distraction and a creative outlet. I completed about a dozen necklaces and when I started to show them to people they asked me where I got them, Thus began the journey of .SHExclusive Jewelry. My sister is a graphic designer, and she came up with the name of my business, which is. Susan Horowitz exclusive designs, SHE.
My Jewelry business was off and on for many years, including having a partner that didn’t work out. I started over in 2021 vigorously pursuing SHE designs as a real business. I started working with FashionWeekMN, and showing in their runway shows and doing vendor pop-ups. Over the course of time, I met a designer from Ethiopia, who loved my jewelry and we partnered with her beautiful African fabrics and SHE jewelry. My jewelry was shown with NUBI designs at NY Fashion Week on Runway 7. Thus began a partnership with a local model who promotes my jewelry on social media everyday.
Today I’m in a few local retail stores and galleries. I’m now pursuing fundraisers as a higher calling.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I don’t think life is a smooth road or a straight line. In 1991 when my daughter was born, I had to make the difficult decision to end my tennis shoe business.
There are many obstacles and challenges that come along with being a small business owner and doing everything yourself. I find one of the biggest challenges is doing my own marketing and promoting. Rejection is definitely a challenge in being a sole proprietor,
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
Going to family reunions.
Pricing:
- $45-$1,200
Contact Info:
- Website: https://shexclusivejewelry.com
- Instagram: susan-o-horowitz
- Facebook: Susan Horowitz
- LinkedIn: Susan Horowitz
