Selling handmade jewelry builds alternative high school skills.

Junior Rachel Moate spends eight hours a day in classes including AP Lit and AP Bio at Fresno Christian. When the clock strikes 3 p.m., she hits the volleyball courts only to head home afterwards, tired and stressed by the mountain of homework that awaits her. This is a normal day in the life for most students, however, Moate has added running a small business to her plate.

Rain Song Jewelry opened in Oct. 2020 under the boredom of at-home learning due to COVID restrictions. This hobby has continued to grow into a real business that requires her continual commitment to clients and her product.

Moate shares her insight into the reason owning a business is worth extra pressure.

“My hobby of jewelry mainly started because of my business idea, I wanted an online store and jewelry seemed like a great option,” Moate said, “As I started building up my skill, I found that making jewelry was so much fun, as I had full creative liberty and couldn’t mess it up too bad. So I really appreciate both aspects of my business: making items and communicating and selling to customers.”

Moate continues to show her perseverance time and time again throughout this process, but does find that balancing being a student athlete and a business owner is easier when she is doing something she loves. However, she has had her fair share of setbacks.

“The most discouraging event happened about a month into my business,” Moate continued, “I had just sold about $35 worth of jewelry and sent it out, but the package got lost on its way. I had no idea what to do but I kept in touch with the buyer and they asked if I could remake the jewelry and resend it. Even though it all worked out it definitely placed a setback in my mind and I still worry about losing packages.”

It isn’t always outside forces that Moate must overcome, at times she must push self doubt and insecurities aside in order to continue getting her products to clients.

“Usually I find myself being the hardest on myself. I question if what I make people actually like, or if they get disappointed when they actually receive their order,” Moate continued, “When that happens, I just tell myself that people wouldn’t spend their money buying something they do not like.”

Moate’s parents, Thomas and Dawn Moate, have been by her side throughout the process to rely on and ask for help when she needs it.

“We helped her with purchasing some of her initial supplies, and I helped make a wooden earring display with her. I also came up with the name for her business, called ‘Rain Song Jewelry,’” her father said, “We have encouraged her when she has had questions and when she doesn’t have the answer we help her.”

After over a year of running her own small business, Moate shares advice with anyone who might be interested in doing the same thing, but is either doubting themselves or experiencing discouragement from people in their lives.

“Starting out is the hardest part, but after you get going it is an amazing experience I would always recommend. Having this business gives me a part of my identity, and is always cool to share with other people,” Moate said, “Not only is making and selling jewelry fun, but I also learn a lot of important skills I would never have learned otherwise, so just go for it.”

To see Rachel Moate’s products, go to Rain Song Jewelry. If you are interested in other students who have started their own small business, read Did you know… No.1.

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