Thanks Mom!

Welcome to the Julio Designs Blog!

I’m Juli Hales.  Owner and designer for Julio Designs.  My customers are always asking how I got started and where I get my inspiration.  I’m going to start out with monthly blog installments, so check back to see what’s on my mind.  Hopefully this blog will shed a little light!

I’ll start with a basic introduction.  I was born and raised in Amarillo, Texas.  My Mother was a ballet teacher and ran her own school, so I saw firsthand that being a female business owner was an achievable goal.  She exposed me to the fine arts, travel and world music.  I remember travelling with her to summer ballet clinics for her students in New York City and Chicago when I was 7 or 8 years old.  I was fascinated to the point of obsession with skyscrapers. 

I went on to study design and architecture at the University of Texas at Austin.  I worked my way through college and grad school by working in upscale retail boutiques.  I learned to appreciate beautifully cut and draped clothing and I swoon over ball gowns.  I studied business in grad school because my parents wanted me to get a “real job.”  I tried that for a while; I worked as an accountant in banking and oil & gas.  That wasn’t for me so one day I walked out – I couldn’t handle the pantyhose and the “old boy” double standards!  So, I became the bookkeeper for a small boutique in Dallas and eventually bought the stores. 

While I had my stores, I began making and selling jewelry.  I realized that there was a broader market for my handmade jewelry, so I started selling wholesale.  I was fortunate to land in a great showroom in the old Dallas Apparel Mart through my buying connections.  When my son was born, I reluctantly realized that I couldn’t raise him in the stores (I honestly thought that I could pull that off) so I decided to sell the stores and focus exclusively on the jewelry, so I could spend more time with him.

Orders started to come in, so I hired a handful of neighborhood moms to help me with the jewelry production.  I made it a priority that the moms that work with me are always available for their children.  We operate around school schedules and holidays.  We try very hard not to miss a game, play, recital, concert, pep-rally, luncheon, etc.

That’s when things really started to take off.  It’s funny how all the seemingly disparate interests I had growing up -  my love of good design, an understanding of retail, a basic business knowledge and a desire to be accessible for my child - have all come together to create Julio Designs.  As I was writhing this, I realized that almost all these interests can be traced back to the things my mother encouraged me to learn about.  My mom passed away in 1987 and I miss her every day.

So, in honor of Mother’s Day – Thanks Mom!  And a big Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms of the world.

Juli Hales