Prior to launching her shop, Rya Ramsay considered jewelry an afterthought — something to bring an outfit together.

A few years later, she is now the sole proprietor of Rya Ramsay’s Designs, an online shop that produces sustainable and minimalistic accessories. 

Ramsay said when she made the switch to more sustainable jewelry, she hoped to find a necklace with the initials of her four children. 

After several failed attempts to purchase a necklace from an online store, she said she decided to learn to make the necklace herself. This venture sparked the idea of her own store. 

“In 2019, I was working at Sanctuary Yoga Barre and we were planning Mom’s Weekend,” Ramsay said. “We had trouble booking vendors so I saw an opportunity to make more necklaces and find out if making jewelry was something I enjoyed.”

She officially launched her shop in August 2019 and proceeded as a vendor during Mom’s Weekend.  

Jamie Appel, customer of Ramsay’s, said Ramsay works hard to produce her jewelry. 

“She produces things that are extremely high quality, down to the smallest details that people tend to overlook like the clasps or the detailing in the plates of the jewelry,” Appel said. 

Appel and her daughter love their pieces and wear them almost every day, she said. 

Ramsay said although the production process is the bulk of her work, she still finds it enjoyable. 

“Besides the dining table becoming my ‘studio,’ this business has brought so much joy into my life,” she said. “It fuels me and calms me, and I still do a little happy dance every time a new order comes in.”

Aside from the joy of creating, she enjoys the flexibility of owning her business. She said it feels great to be in the “driver’s seat” of her life, working toward her own goals and not the goals of another person. 

Additionally, Ramsay said those who are considering the possibility of starting their own business should not hesitate. She also shared a quote by self-help author Napoleon Hill that inspired her in the early stages of her career. 

“The quote goes like this, ‘Do not wait. The time will never be just right. Start where you stand, and work whatever tools you may have at your command and better tools will be found as you go along,’” she said.

Kristin Brattebo, close friend of Ramsay’s for over a decade, she commends Ramsay and her beautiful work. 

“Knowing [Ramsay], I knew when she told me [about the shop] that she would put her all into it because when she’s determined, she puts her whole heart into it,” Brattebo said. “She has the unique ability to discover beautiful things and I love seeing her create these special pieces.”