TaylorMade Bling Embellishments

TaylorMade Bling-A Swarovski Crystal & High-Quality Rhinestone Embellishment Boutique, owned & operated by Teneka Moore of St. Louis, MO. Born and raised in St. Louis, MO, Teneka brings a luxurious look to all your keepsakes & momentous for babies & beyond! Each item is embellished with individually applied Swarovski crystals or high-quality rhinestones enhancing, customizing, and personalizing each and every item to your specific liking. TaylorMade Bling offers a large variety of crystal colors to match to your favorite colors, upcoming events or special theme. We love to help you create the most uniquely customized gifts that are perfect for Baby Shower gifts, Baby photos, Weddings, Birthdays, Bachelor /Bachelorette, Graduations, Career promotions, VIP events, a self-Splurge, or any occasion you can imagine. All items are designed with 100% Swarovski or high-quality rhinestones (depending on your selection & budget) which are individually applied by hand onto your keepsake.

Have an idea for an item? Just send an email to embellishme12@gmail.com

#IBLINGANYTHING (just about)!!

“They’ll laugh at you at first, but follow your dreams anyway “

TaylorMade Bling
TaylorMade Bling

What was life growing up for you? What kind of family did you grow up in?

I was raised in a middle-class working family, where my parents sacrificed to make sure I had the best by attending private school and being a part of a wide-range of opportunities and extracurricular activities.  At a young age, I was taught three (3) things: 1) work hard for what you want, 2) be yourself, and 3) think for yourself. Those three factors that my parents instilled in me from young, I am grateful, as I found them very important in adulthood.

How old were you when you knew this was your calling and what you were going to do with the rest of your life?

A:  I honestly did not know this was going to be what I was going to do, it just seemed to fall into place.  At 28 years old, I was laid off from my corporate job as Operation Manager at a communications firm.  I was a new mother, now laid off, with lots of time on my hands.  I started blinging baby items (inspired by my daughter, Taylor, who was 3months at the time).  Every time we ventured out, Taylor had a new item designed by me.  People started inquiring where they could purchase those items and I said I designed it.  Voila! Before I knew it, people were asking me to recreate items for them.  I actually loved the art and found therapy in the tedious work, as crazy as it sounds.

Were you a dreamer growing up? What kind of dreams did you have?

I was always a dreamer and to some point, to this day, still have big dreams and hopes. Growing up, I always dreamed of being my own boss.  I didn’t know what that meant or what business would take shape, but I always envisioned myself as “the Big Boss” at my own company.

Can you tell us how you decided to go into business blinging products? What were some of your earlier influences?

Again, my daughter Taylor (who my company is named after) was having a 3-month photo shoot and I wanted it to be fabulous! Lol. I waited too late to place an order anywhere, so I opted to bling all her baby items (i.e. pacifier, baby bottle, baby shoes, etc.  Since I knew what I wanted, I took the time and did everything myself.  It was a hit at the shoot with the photographer and other patrons at the studio.  Everyone loved the items and wanted me to recreate for them.  I did and the rest is history.  Imagine, my dream started as a vision with small baby items and now a reality, with everything being embellished with crystals (or rhinestones).

Was it hard breaking into the business?  Have you worked for any celebrities?

Owning your own business is not for the faint of heart, especially in the beginning. Many can relate, an artist, an accountant, marketing, PR, photographer, videographer, customer service, shipping, inventory, just to name a few.  It means being laughed at or dismissed and still deciding to push through regardless.  I remained present on social media as much as possible and networked heavy with other businesses and their followers to grow my own following and gain attention.  It was all worth it!  When Jlo’s manicurist reached out via Instagram, via direct message, and ordered the infamous cup, some other celebrities have also inquired about my products, such as Alex Rodriguez (Arod), Ne-Yo, Derek Hough, Jimmy Fallen, Hoda Kotb, Kathy Lee Gifford, Misty Copeland, John Legend and Chrissy Teigen, and a few others.

How do you maintain your integrity in an otherwise very competitive and sometimes unscrupulous industry, as the business can be very cut throat?

It’s important to remain humble and continue to hone your craft. I appreciate more than anything the clients that took a chance on me when I had 150 followers and still support me to this day. I remember to focus mainly on TaylorMade Bling and stay in my lane and come with fresh designs and new items that set me apart, but also take heed of real talent in the industry and encourage when I can.  A little encouragement and empowerment can go a long way.

How difficult is it to maintain a work-life balance?  Splitting time between you and your family?

My business is still quite young (only 6 years old) and honestly work-life balance isn’t something I have mastered yet. It is still a lot of long nights, long weekends, and telling friends and family that I can’t attend a lot of events or even holidays and just pray they understand. It is definitely a challenge that I’m still trying to navigate, but I know the end result will be all worth it.

“The goal is to be booked, not popular “

TaylorMade Bling
TaylorMade Bling

Would you consider yourself a driven person?  What makes you a powerhouse? What is the source of your strength?

I would say that I am very driven, in the sense that I am not a quitter. Even when days or weeks get hard and I think about quitting, I Don’t! My faith in God & my daughter is a lot of my motivation & the source of my strength.  I want to be Taylor’s main example of working hard and never giving up no matter what.

How would you define peace?

Peace to me is a calm or tranquil state of mind. People ask me all the time “how do you sit there and do that without going crazy?”  My response is Blinging for me is very therapeutic, I get in a zone and focus on the job at hand.”  I can zone out to be alone with my thoughts. My bling studio is typically (most times, lol) a place of peace.

What can we expect from you in the future?

Coming soon will be classes and hopefully various products brought to you by TaylorMade Bling. I would really like the art of embellishing to be taken seriously as a true industry. There is a lot of work, detail and steps to setting each stone, just as with jewelry.  I would love the opportunity to be able to say I had a hand in it being recognized as such.

TaylorMade Bling
TaylorMade Bling

What advice would you offer others who are interested in starting their own business?

Again – NEVER GIVE UP! If you have a genuine passion for something, go for it wholeheartedly. Ignore all the laughs, and dismissals, and people who won’t even acknowledge what you do and remain focused on your goal. I would have never guessed 10 years ago that I would be customizing items for celebrities at top dollar, but here I am now with this vision and chasing it.

 

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