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

Hi Adrienne, do you have some perspective or insight you can share with us on the question of when someone should give up versus when they should keep going?
Whew this is a great question. I would have to sum it up with, knowing and remembering your why. My why begins with the gifts I have been given by The creator, God. Gifts are given to us to be given to others. I use my gifts to create jewelry, accessories and other quality products with my hands, that make people feel good about themselves and who they naturally are. I encourage my clients to be their unique selves and my pieces serve as a reminder to do so.
In addition, I also teach other women (so far) my perfected skills used to create jewelry as well as how to level up their customer experience through custom packaging and branding. I strive to empower them to know they are capable and to trust their instincts when it comes to their business. This includes knowing their worth so they can price their new products for profit.

I have also been blessed with another why which is my 5 year old daughter. As a single mother, working a corporate full-time job while running a full-time business, she keeps me going when I really don’t want to. I am working my business to provide a life for her like nothing I have ever experienced and I am determined to do so. So when doors close in my face and I want to give up, I am reminded that I am doing it all for her and she is watching everything I do. The last thing I want to do is to teach her to be a quitter. I teach her to go after her dreams, that its ok to want to build your own business and that although it may not be easy, anything is possible when God is in it. I don’t want to just be all talk and then show her something different.

Purpose is at the center of everything I do and because of that, I have more power behind my push. It breeds tenacity and resilience and each hurdle I overcome, I become stronger.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Most of my art is wearable. I create beaded bracelets, necklaces sometimes with chain, leather and other mediums. I use only the premium metals up to precious metals and semi-precious gemstones. I pride myself on the quality materials and craftsmanship put into each piece. I also have a love for paper so I have married my love for beads with my love for paper to create one of my best sellers, the Paper earrings! Over the last 10 years, I have become an artisan through self-taught techniques that I perfected as well as classes I have taken from other artisans. My brand while focusing on quality is also known for the superb customer service. Customer service for us begins when you visit our site but does not end after the purchase is made. One major highlight of my brand is the unboxing experience. It is a luxury experience intended to remind every customer that they are a VIP.

How did I get here? I started my business from a fluke accident in which I broke my wrist. Naturally after having surgery I was out of work for a period of time. During that time off, I decided to make holiday gifts. This quickly turned into a business when family and friends wanted to buy more bracelets. I have always been and am still currently working full-time in corporate America while running my business. While ultimately my plan is to fully support my family with the business alone, I have chosen to use my corporate job to help fund my dream. I also use skills, knowledge and experiences from my career to make my business better and more professional. This is one of the reasons my brand continues to stand out in the market.

What I would like the world to know about my brand is that it was built from a normal girl with a gift and a dream and that every purchase, like, share or referral puts me one step closer to my goals of growing it into a globally known empire. I value every client and customer the same and work hard to make their experience one they will never forget!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Well, my friends and I love to eat! So I would most definitely take them to some of may favorite restaraunts for great food, ambiance and drinks of course. Places like Tin Lizzys for tacos, Copelands for brunch, Nuevo Laredo Cantina for the absolute best lobster tacos ever, Two urban licks for amazing salmon chips and steaks and of course all of these places have excellent drinks.

When we want to get out to hear some good music and dance we would most likely hit up Boogalou Restaurant and Lounge or Rose Bar. (pre/post-pandemic of course)

The High Museum always has really interesting exhibits so I would definitely take them there to check that out. And of course we would have to do some shopping at the Shoppes in Buckhead and Lenox Square.

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?
In 2020, I was connected to THE Ms. Creative CEO, Karen Baxter. She is an empowerment coach, Mindset mentor and has an overall heart to serve the creative community. I quickly grew close to her and with that single relationship, I developed many more valuable connections, grew my business revenue by more than double what I had done in the previous 8 years and most importantly I shifted my mindset! She started a group of like-minded female creative business owners called The Creative Boss Collective Inner Circle and recruited me as an admin for her organization. Through her coaching, I have been interviewed on a Michaels National platform, became a Michaels Stores National Instructor and had my products featured in a chic boutique in downtown Lawrenceville, GA all within the last 2 years. She and my other business besties (Sheilita Joseph of CPNS Boutique, Hatina Covington of The Creative Brown Girl and so many more) on our team are absolutely a HUGE part of my story and will continue to be! I am so grateful to have been blessed to be a part of her walking in her purpose, while I continue to seek and walk in mine.

Website: www.youneakdesigns.com

Instagram: @TheYouneakDesigns and @Youneakdesignsjewelry

Facebook: Youneak Designs

Other: I am also building a non-profit called Riley’s Love to benefit NICU parents and their small but mighty preemie babies. Since my own daughter was born 1lb 11.5 oz. 3 1/2 months early, I found a need to donate items to the families to help them during this unexpected tough time. We donate things like blankets for incubators and preemie size clothing/accessories to fit their babies just right. The Instagram page for that organization is @Rileyslovenonprofit and the link to donate is paypal.me/rileysloveinc.

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutAtlanta is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.