129 PEOPLE Business is BL MING Senior Rachel Williams starts a clay earrings business. story by Ava Galyean RACHEL WILLIAMS During spring and summer 2020, senior Rachel Williams began making clay earrings for herself and her friends. When her sister encouraged her to turn the hobby into a business, Bloom Clay Co. (Bloom) was born. Bloom was best known for its trendy designs, Harding social club collections and personal, positive customer service. Williams said the purpose behind Bloom was to make women feel beautiful and spread joy. The company’s motto, “Bloom where you are planted,” was inspired by a painting given to Williams by alumna Meredith Palmer. Williams said the quote inspired her to be fully present and take advantage of where she was every day. “That’s where I got the name,” Williams said. “I took a dark time in our life and made something beautiful out of it. I’ve been able to give back to a lot of people and create a lot of beauty.” Senior Amanda McDuffie said she was drawn to Bloom because of the company’s online presence where Williams’s personality was evident in both the social media account and the jewelry designs. McDuffie was also impressed with Bloom’s personal customer service. “If you order from her, she makes it super personalized,” McDuffie said. “With my last order, she sent me flower seeds that said ‘Bloom where you are planted.’ I thought that was really cool and was a message that will last a whole lot longer than a pair of earrings.” Senior Lindlee Aspinwall, Williams’s roommate and friend, said she enjoyed seeing the behind the scenes of Bloom. Aspinwall saw how much effort Williams put in, like naming earrings after her friends, and how much Williams herself bloomed from creating the company. “I’m just really proud of her for doing it,” Aspinwall said. “It’s really cool to see her get out of her shell and do what she loves. I think it’s really great to watch and see how she blesses other peoples’ lives.” story by Ava Galyean Rachel Williams’ creations lay on display. Williams sold earrings to fellow Harding students. | photo by Audrey Jackson
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTc5NA==