Meet Lauren Grace Murphy | Business owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lauren Grace Murphy and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lauren Grace, what’s the most important lesson your business/career has taught you?
At times I have deviated from my own style and tried to keep up with trends. Each time that I deviated from my own creativity, my sales declined and I noticed less follower engagement. Sticking with the brand and trends that I have created on my own is why I have the interactive customers that I have, so I constantly have to remind myself to stay within my own relm of designs rather than following the trends.

What should our readers know about your business?
During my sophomore year of high school, I found myself wanting to have cute jewelry but did not pay for the price. I began going to Michaels and Hobby Lobby to get my own chains, beads, and charms to make jewelry for myself. Soon after, my friends noticed and wanted me to make them a piece of their own. By word of mouth, my designs continued to be spread throughout my county. I wasnt able to keep up with everything via text messages, so I made an Instagram account to post pictures of my designs. However, at this time I still was thinking this was just an outside hobby, not a business. More and more orders kept coming in through my Instagram direct messages and then I got my frist order that I was going to have to ship. This was a big step for me, because everyone else who had purchased I would just meet locally in my county. When I turned 18, I got my business lisence and began paying taxes. This is when I realized that this was actually going to be a business. As my brand became more and more poular, I received my first ever wholesale request in the Summer of 2018. I had never done wholesale for my business and really had no idea where to start. I sat down with my parents and figured out how to lay out my products and what to sell them for at a whoelsale cost. My freshman year of college was a hard time for LGM Designs as this was one of the times that I deviated from my own creativity and tried to make my designs trendy like other creator’s designs. This was probably the biggest learning curve that I made about sticking to my own creative designs. I was always hesitant to get a website due to the growth that I forsaw my business receiving. I knew with school as well as my already steady amount of individiual and wholesale orders that it was going to be hard to handle much more. However, in January of 2020 I created my website through Shopify. This was a big step for LGM Designs and allowed LGM Designs to double in sales from 2019 to 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic was also a big factor in the success of the business for 2020, because I had the capacity to spend all of my time focusing on the brand. Previously, I always had school and extracurriculars to fit into my schedule on top of being a business owner. 2021 was another successful year of growth for my business as wholesale sales increased more than double 2020. Throughout the years, more than anything I have learned to stick to my own designs and creativity becuase that is what makes LGM Designs stand out from others. Over 40% of my customers are repeat customers which I pride myself on. I think the personality and personability that I provide through my business, products and customer service are what makes LGM Designs stand out from others.

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.
I just moved to Charleston, SC for graduate school at the Medical University of South Carolina to pursue my Doctorate in Occupational Therapy. A daily activity that starts my mornings off is walking or running down at the Battery which is by the water. For food and drink, Edmunds Oast is one of my favorite places because it is outdoors and a great atmosphere at night. All of the rooftop bars in Charleston offer a great drink selection as well as an amazing view of downtown which is a perfect way to see the city. Of course, King and Market Street are a must for shopping and exploring. Isle of Palms and Sullivans Island are my favorite beach spots.
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?
My shoutout goes directly to my parents. While they have never funded my business, they have always given me the support that I needed. When I wanted to quit my waitressing job in high school to further pursue my business, my parents were hesitant. A few weeeks later, after recording my sales, my parents relaized the potential my business had and that I was making more with my business thn my waitressing. After quitting that job, they have been fully on board with helping me in anyway possible. They opened up our home in the early years of my business for me to have trunk shows, have helped me package orders at all hours of the night, and traveled with me to many trunkshows. Their unwaivering support is one of the biggest reasons while my business is where it is today. My friends and other family have also been a major factor in the success of my business. They were always the first to comment on social media posts or come participate in photo shoots for designs. I owe all of my success to my amazing customers, friends, and family.

Website: www.laurengracemurphydesigns.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lgm.deisgns/