I had the pleasure of photographing Beth Ladd and her beautiful designs. I was already a fan and own several pairs of her earrings. I loved learning more about Beth and her business.

Background of Beth and her business.

Beth Ladd is a jewelry and accessories designer and mom of two living in Darien, Connecticut.  Beth founded Beth Ladd Collections in 2014 while working full-time in interior design in New York City.  While at first the collections were made up of products curated from other vendors, she quickly knew that she wanted to find better quality pieces and be a part of the design process.  So, in 2018 Beth started creating her own designs with a family of artisans in India.  Her pieces were an immediate success with her customers and led Beth to embrace taking over the design and development of her products.

With each creation, Beth combines the design acumen learned in her past career in interior design with the traditional techniques and authentic craftwork of carefully selected Indian artisan families.  The collection strives to stand apart from competitors by using only the highest quality materials in each of the unique, preppy and bold designs.  Beth and her team take pride in knowing that each piece is crafted with care and attention to detail, ensuring that clients receive a truly special and consistently well-crafted piece.  As the company grows, Beth is dedicated to providing an ethical and sustainable alternative to mass-produced jewelry and to showcasing the talents of artisans who are committed to keeping traditional techniques alive. 

What makes your products unique?

All of our pieces are designed in Connecticut and made in India.   We have several wonderful teams of artisans – each with different skills and talents – that bring our visions to life!  Because everything is handmade, we are only able to produce in small batches, so when you receive a Beth Ladd piece, you know that you are one of few that has it!

What inspired you to create your business?

My mom inspired and encouraged me to start the business.  I had an entrepreneurial spirit from a young age and always knew that I wanted to have my own business, so I finally took the plunge!  At the time I was working 40+ hours a week, but I didn’t have kids yet so I thought – what better way to use my free time than start my own business.   I hustled before and after work and on the weekends, but it was well worth it at the end!  I cannot imagine this business not being a big part of my life!

What’s the best piece of business advice you’ve ever been given?

Always be open to learning and never give up!  It’s imperative that entrepreneurs and small business owners continue to learn and grow as the world changes.  We must be open to adapting to new changes (technology, social media, etc) and implementing the ones that apply to us.  It’s not easy but it’s always worth it in the end so never give up!

What was your absolute biggest challenge prior to doing a personal brand shoot?

Having good quality content to be able to post consistently and having content with me in it.  I don’t love being in front of the camera – I would much rather be behind it!  But I think it’s important as a brand and small business to let followers and customers know who we ar.  Our customers are choosing to buy from us instead of the millions of companies out there – the least we an do is show them who we are and educate them on how and where their pieces are made.  A personal branding shoot is the perfect way to capture this.

What changed after getting your images?

It’s an incredible feeling to have a treasure trove of beautiful photos to choose from when updating your website and social media.  As soon as Melissa sent the photo gallery, I went to our website to see where I could add in all the photos.  It instantly elevated the look of the website and gave me some great content to post on social media.  Iphone photos can be great, but having some well though out and executed professional photos really takes it up a notch!

What would you say to somebody on the fence about booking a shoot?

Just do it!  Doing a personal branding shoot forces you to really think about your brand in a new way.  Melissa was so helpful before the shoot – she gave lots of tips, outfit ideas, even specific shots that would showcase the product and brand best.  She went over the top in helping me prepare for the shoot, which gave me so much confidence in going into it.  The shoot itself was so easy and relaxed.  Melissa really has a way of making you feel comfortable in front of the camera which is so important!

How can people find you?

https://www.bethladdcollections.com/

https://www.instagram.com/bethladdcollections/