Meet Emily Hammer | Designer & Owner Emmy Lou Jewelry, Yoga Instructor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Emily Hammer and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Emily, do you have any habits that you feel contribute to your effectiveness?
I’d like to reword this question….what habits do you feel HELP not HELPED you succeed?

Habit 1: I love talking to people and asking questions! I believe we are always learning. Someone always has a brilliant idea to the problem you’re trying to solve. The catch is…you have to be open to different ways of looking at things & willing to talk to people. Sparking up a conversation can be intimidating, it can seem strange to talk to someone you don’t know but if you never put yourself out there…you miss so much!
*Book Recommended to get into this mind space: “Who Not How” The Formula to Achieve Bigger Goals Through Accelerating Teamwork

Habit 2: I embrace the struggle. Most people give up when they hit road blocks. When building your passion, whatever that means for you, you WILL hit roadblocks. Most people take this as a “sign” that they are on the wrong path or should stop. Hurdles are inevitable, being able to persevere sets you apart from others. If it was easy…everyone would be pursuing their passion!

Habit 3: I take time for personal development. It’s easy to charge through to do lists and not take time to reflect. My journey into personal development has trained me to take time to journal & meditate. I strive for daily but give myself grace when it doesn’t happen on any given day. Both of these practices have made an immense difference for me and the people I interact with!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story? I want people to know that starting and maintaining a small business is one of the most rewarding and difficult things a person can do. Anyone you know who has started their own thing…a coaching business, a brewery, a clothing store… you name it…has more passion than you will ever know. It takes a dream to come up with a plan but it takes guts and perserverence to keep it up! The word fear comes to mind. I want people to know that when small business owners put themselves out there….we feel fear. We work hard to ensure you, our customer, feels well taken care of. We want you to know our passion for what we do and to feel as if you are a part of the vision. We, small business owners, want to serve YOU. It’s why we wake up every morning.
Emmy Lou Jewelry comes directly from my heart. Nothing makes me happier than to see one of my customers wearing their Emmy Lou Jewelry and just loving it! I truly feel that jewelry is an expression of your unique style.
Whether we know it or not, we are drawn to a piece of jewelry for reasons that go much deeper than aesthetics. Perhaps it’s the color of a stone that reminds us of a memorable trip. Maybe it incites a memory of the first time we met the person we love. It can even drum up a moment in time when we’ve felt accomplished. Whatever it is that draws us to a piece; our jewelry is a reflection of our unique expression.
I make my jewelry in honor of these moments.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Ooh, this one is fun! I live in Encinitas so I’m a bit partial to this area-we’ll start there! You can fill a full day with a bike ride from Swami’s beach in Encinitas up to Carlsbad on the 101.
Starting the day with food of course at Swami’s Cafe on the 101. An oldie but a goodie- and the portions are enormous!
Stop on the 101 to shop-don’t miss Bliss 101, Hansen’s Surf Shop, Coast Trading Company, and Earth’s Elements just to name a few. Continue on & make sure to stop at Dave’s Rock Garden-not so secret succulent garden masterpiece!
Roll through Leucadia-stop at Coffee Coffee & go west until you hit Neptune St-take a dip at Grandview Beach before you continue your ride.
As you continue through Leucadia, you’ll roll into Carlsbad. The beach views are amazing. Once you get up to Carlsbad…Campfire is a must for food-and if you’ve left room-Handel’s for ice cream of course!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
1. Shoutout to the bead store shop owners(see below for some of my favorites)! I spent so much time in bead shops all over this country but in recent years, right here in San Diego. Perusing through all of the tiny bowls with shiny gems in them just made me happy! Over time, I started asking questions. The shop owners were patient with me, teaching me techniques, giving me tips and just nerding out on all things jewelry!

2. Local jewelers! I reached out to two local jewelers in North County San Diego. Sometimes it’s daunting when you’re starting to build a business. You can try to navigate it all on your own or use your resources! I’ve learned so much and developed great friendships along the way!
Brenda McDermott: https://reioflightjewelry.com/
Kelsey Overstreet: https://giustajewelry.com/

3. Personal Development. Over the last few years, I’ve started diving into the personal development world. Whatever visceral reaction you have to that statement; there is no denying the fact that if you want to grow and succeed, you need to start with yourself! Personal development has shown me that no one is in this alone and there is wealth of knowledge and guidance if you just know where to look and what questions to ask! Some of my favorites are Brendon Burchard, Glennon Doyle, Brene Brown, Glo Atanmo.

A few book recommendations:
High Performance Habits: Brendon Burchard
Who Not How: The Formula to Achieve Bigger Goals Through Accelerating Teamwork: Dan Sullivan
Untamed: Glennon Doyle
Atomic Habits: James Clear

My favorite Bead Shops:

Beads & More(Pacific Beach): Julia & Juan are the sweetest! They have a beautiful selection and are so personable.
https://l.instagram.com/u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.etsy.com%2Fshop%2Fbeadsandmoresandiego&e=ATN9PrF5zOhNIvR2ZPj4SZ2nvBHnyruv_fEyy0zgrMk2W59QwyG8ip_gusZ-RsmF4RgtnGyFH259Xk1U2qjDn3X37URag3L0HGp5Zg&s=1

Lost Cities Beads(Old Town): Jenny has been such an amazing resource. It’s no wonder she’s been in business for so long.
https://lostcitiesbeads.com/

Oskadusa(Solana Beach): Lauren has a beautiful shop and is one of the most unique people I’ve ever met!
https://www.oskadusa.com/
Local Bead Shops:

Ocean Sky Beads(Carlsbad): Wonderful couple! https://oceanskybeads.com/

Website: https://emmyloujewelry.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emmyloujewelry/

Image Credits
Rob Hammer Photography