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Melanie Ledford: Holistic Jewelry for a Healthier Lifestyle

“People that face huge struggles but continue to move forward and face their fears and make their dreams come true speak to me. They show me that if I will just put myself out there and work, work, work, just about anything can be made to happen.”

96Victoria Flexner
By Victoria Flexner

This story is part of our 1,000 stories campaign. What’s your story?

Name: Melanie Ledford

Business: Beads-N-Style, therapeutic magnetic jewelry

Industry: Apparel & Accessories

Location: Texas, U.S.

Reason for starting: I started my business in 2007 selling handcrafted therapeutic magnetic jewelry. My husband and I had found magnetic jewelry to be quite beneficial in easing joint pain from Arthritis. As we researched further, we found that magnetic jewelry helped greatly in easing pain from other painful conditions, such as gout, carpal tunnel syndrome, and many more.

A little over a year ago, I discovered essential oils and found them to be so beneficial! At the suggestion of a dear friend, I began designing aromatherapy bracelets and necklaces to help share the use of essential oils and how they could so easily be incorporated into our everyday lives.

Related: Read about another entrepreneur working with essential oils here. 

How do you define success? For me, success is loving what I do. But, more importantly, it is being able to help others as I share something that I love to create that can lead them to a more healthy and happy lifestyle.

Biggest Success: Outside of my family, it would be when I was able to leave my corporate job that I no longer found challenging or meaningful so I could run my business, Beads-N-Style, full time. This has also allowed me to be accessible and available to my family and this is a great thing, too!

What is your top challenge and how have you addressed it? Putting myself out there is most definitely my biggest challenge. I am a true introvert at heart and am happy to sit behind my computer or at my design table. Having to get out and market my business is always a challenge. I have discovered that if I just get out and talk it up, make contacts, etc, the benefits far outweigh the fear that I feel.

Related: Read about the Business of Introverts here. 

Who is your most important role model? Oh, wow… there are so many! People that face huge struggles but continue to move forward and face their fears and make their dreams come true speak to me. They show me that if I will just put myself out there and work, work, work, just about anything can be made to happen.

[box_light]Website   http://www.beads-n-style.com
Twitter   http://www.twitter.com/BeadsNStyle
Facebook   http://www.facebook.com/BeadsNStyle
Pinterest   http://www.pinterest.com/beadsnstyle[/box_light]

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Edited by The Story Exchange