MEET OUR SUMMIT SPONSOR: Taylor Reese

Q: You operate three creative ventures under your brand. How did you get here and how is it going?

A: I do! I have Shop Taylor Reese (jewelry), Always the Host (table styling), and Reese’s Hardwear (style blog). I first started designing jewelry when I was 14. The first time I chose to make it a business, I started a blog to style the pieces I had at the time. It wasn’t long before the blog/ influencer space took off and I found a lot people coming to my blog for the outfits as much as the jewelry. Some of the earliest brands to get on board with blogging started pitching their products to be styled while I was pitching some of my favorite brands for partnerships. After a few years of hustling, LTK, ShopStyle, and monetization of content started happening. From there, the blog became my primary business. The more time I was spending shooting outfits meant less time making jewelry. The shift happened very naturally and it was a fun change. I shot looks and styled events faithfully until the COVID19 pandemic hit and everything came to a screeching halt. 

There were no events to attend or dress for, and it felt out of touch to be sharing links to outfits and higher priced retailers when so many were out of work. I wasn’t going anywhere that would require those looks but I was having small gatherings for close friends and family. I was pregnant with my second child that year and trying to keep life somewhat normal for my first so family dinners, baby showers, birthday parties were what we had to look forward to. I spent a lot of time styling those events, setting elaborate tables and coming up with fun themes to keep it light-hearted. A girlfriend of mine suggested that I start styling tables for others in similar positions. I loved the idea and realized there was an opportunity for the service in my area so Always the Host was created. Local magazines and websites I contributed to at the time were having similar thoughts and challenges and asked if I would shift my freelance articles from fashion to table styling. I’m happy to share the pivot was a success as ATH turns two this December. I’ve admittedly become somewhat of a homebody after the pandemic. This venture gives me another creative outlet and opportunity to explore a new vertical I wouldn’t have otherwise thought to pursue. I’m happy to help inspire others embrace staying home and creating beautiful, intimate events for their guests. 

While I was planning those small themed gatherings at home and nurturing ATH, I started getting the itch to create jewelry again. I set a few tables and thought, “I could make a set of napkin rings to go with this” and I did. Once I had all my boxes of beads in front of me, I started to feel inspired and began creating. I kept creating, invested in a new professional camera, gave the website a much-needed overhaul and took myself to the Southern C Founders Retreat in Round Top, TX. I was already inspired by the product, but being surrounded by this community in such an inspiring town like Round Top ignited a fire in me I hadn’t felt in a long time. I came home ready to bring a more thoughtful, cohesive, and purposeful line to market and haven’t looked back since.  

Today, each venture has its own social account and identity for clarity and ease. I have a lot of clients/ followers that follow all three accounts and some that only follow one or two. My focus is to keep each vertical pure so clients know what to expect and where to find it.