Interview with Joy Still, Mother of Dainty Jewell’s’ Founder & CEO
October 04, 2019
This month, I had the privilege of interviewing Sis. Joy Still, mother of Dainty Jewell’s’ creator and founder, Charity Walter. We were able to gain a little bit of insight from Charity’s early start in the fashion world and how the family realized it was growing into a real business at an early age. I hope you enjoy this interview as much as I did!
_______
1. When Charity was young, what indicators did you see that she might have a flair for fashion or design?
Charity was always creating. Whether it was drawing or sketching anything she could with markers or crayons, she did. In 2nd grade, Charity had an awesome teacher that really encouraged her to create. She loved to sit and draw and just design. She had that desire to create something out of nothing.
2. How did Charity’s Dainty Jewell’s’ business start?
The name came to be when we were visiting Wyoming. Charity came up with a few names she liked, and she decided that Dainty Jewell’s was the best one. She knew she wanted to incorporate her name [Charity Jewell] in there somewhere, and that was the name that she felt was the best.
Before Dainty Jewell’s the dress shop started, Charity started with headbands. We are home missions’ evangelists, and the kids were growing up, so something had to be done for them to earn some money. They were getting older and wanted to go out with the youth and out to eat. Charity had a knack for putting fabrics together. She would create headbands, and they sold really well. After headbands, she started recreating clothing. She would buy a simple dress and add things to it to make it unique and different.
3. When did you get the feeling that Dainty Jewell’s was beginning to grow into something bigger than what you may have originally imagined?
You don’t think that living for God, it would get as big as it is. I don’t think I realized how big it was getting until I was getting up every morning to drop off a stack of packages at the post office. That’s when I realized, “Hey, this is kind of big!” and then the post office employees would start breathing heavy, “Here she comes again!”
4. From the beginning until now, what roles have you and your husband played in the operations and success of Dainty Jewell’s?
From the start, my husband and I have always been low-key because we wanted the kids to start and run their own businesses. We made ourselves available to assist them along the way. I do whatever Charity needs me to help her with, but she runs it. I helped her set up at PEAK, conferences, etc. When she got married, Jess took over the heavy-duty part. Now that she is married, we set up and carry booths as a family to different conferences. Her dad would help proof her speeches anytime she would be speaking at an event. But she is the mastermind behind it all; we were just an extra set of working hands. She continually seeks advice from her parents and pastor. It makes it fun to travel to different conference now. We can’t wait to work together, be together, and eat together!
5. What advice do you have for mothers hoping to encourage their children to do great things with their lives?
I really encourage homeschooling when possible. You have room for them to branch out and be creative. Charity always loved math and was very business-minded. When you homeschool, you can hone in on these skills and encourage them to pursue them. Charity was supposed to only be homeschooled for middle school, but she ended up completing high school too.
I encourage parents to really know your child’s strengths. If you see something that your kids enjoy making or doing, encourage them to follow it.
Don’t make big investments; make small investments. Like a seed offering. There is no need to spend thousands of dollars. Start small. For example, we always skipped the fabric store and went to a thrift store instead. When Charity was making headbands, we could find great fabrics from clothing and tear them up. Find ways that don’t require a lot of money.
Charity used social media, and it was a great tool for her to get started. Thomas Edison, the lightbulb inventor – when he started, no one had confidence in the market. It’s up to the parent to encourage entrepreneurship in other children, and it will come back around to your children. As long as you are helping someone get started, it gives them the confidence that my work is worth something.