Meet Darien mom of two, Beth Ladd, who moved here from NYC shortly before having her second child. This former interior designer started Beth Ladd Collections, a jewelry and accessories company. She creates everything from beaded statement earrings to custom handbags—and it’s all handmade by artisans she works with in India. Find out how she launched her business, and what she loves to do around town.
1. How many children do you have and what are their ages?
I have two children—Millie (3.5), George (1.5)
2. What brought you and your family to town?
We made the pilgrimage from NYC when I was pregnant with George. High rise living was fun but we were ready to get back to a town like where we grew up. We love Darien’s proximity to the beach and the city—best of both worlds!
3. What’s your favorite aspect about being part of the community?
Everyone we’ve met since we moved here has been so friendly and welcoming. We really feel that “southern hospitality” even though we’re no longer in the South.
4. What’s your favorite family activity to do in the area?
We haven’t done a ton of exploring because we moved right before the pandemic (and had a baby around the same time), but we love having lunch or dinner at Pear Tree Point Beach!
5. Tell us about Beth Ladd Collections and how you decided to launch it?
Beth Ladd Collections is a jewelry and accessories company focused on handmade, small batch designs that you really can’t get anywhere else. Right now we are focusing a lot on beaded statement earrings and custom beaded handbags. I design them and have them handmade by a group of super talented artisans in India. We sell through our website and also in several boutiques across the country. I started the business in 2014 while working full time in interior design in NYC. It started as mostly a hobby but now I’m fortunate to be doing it full time!
6. Can you please tell us a little bit about your path to entrepreneurship?
There are several entrepreneurs in my family so I was always interested in having my own business one day. Both my mom and her father were entrepreneurs who started their businesses from scratch and it’s been truly amazing to watch their hard work lead to such success. When I first started BLC, I didn’t have a business plan, revenue goals, anything like that. It started more as a creative outlet and side hustle, and after a while, I realized that I could turn it into a real business. I left my job in interior design in 2016 and haven’t looked back since!
7. What does your daughter think of the line?
She’s still pretty young, so every time new inventory arrives she gets so excited and thinks it’s for her. I do order a lot of first round samples with her name on it, so she’s developing quite the purse collection! She really loves to try on all of the purses and bracelets, and will happily model during our photoshoots if she can fill the bags with animal crackers and make silly faces!
8. What’s the best advice you’ve gotten from another mom?
There are two phrases that my mom always says: “Rome wasn’t built in a day” and “Patience is a virtue.” Quite frankly, I always found these phrases to be annoying, but now I find myself saying them more often than I’d care to admit. My business certainly wasn’t built in a day—or even in a year. It took a lot of time, hard work and patience to get to where I am today. And the same goes for parenting—it takes hard work and maybe most importantly – patience!
9. Do you have any advice for other working moms, or single moms, considering entrepreneurship?
Just DO IT! The quote “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take” is spot on. I’m a firm believer that if you are truly passionate about something, you will succeed no matter what. I feel incredibly lucky to have a job that I love, and that provides me with flexibility to spend time with my family. It’s been totally worth the learning curve and growing pains. I would highly recommend it to anyone considering!
10. How do you unwind when you need some “me time?”
I don’t get too much “me time” and when I do, I don’t usually unwind because I like to be on the go! I love a good estate sale / thrift excursion—there are so many fun spots to check out in Fairfield County. I also love to drink wine and paint.
Grab a drink with friends: Cisco Brewers in Stamford
Have a date night: Tavern at GrayBarns, Don Memo and Rowayton Seafood. For an at home date night, I love take-out sushi from Hashi Sushi in New Canaan.
Spend time together as a family: Darien beaches, Compo Beach, Waveny Park
Shop for yourself/shop for your kids? I love to shop local whenever possible… Darien Sports Shop, EGG NY and Dudley Stephens to name a few!
Spa/salon (or anywhere you go to treat yourself): Still working on my go-to spots since we are relatively new to town, but the ladies at Jade Nail & Spa are so nice and do a great job!
Website: www.bethladdcollections.com
Instagram: @bethladdcollections
Photo credit: @juliadags (she’s the best local photographer!)