Hidden Gems: Meet Erin Rudolph of Desert Peach

Today we’d like to introduce you to Erin Rudolph.

Hi Erin, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself
I started out with a background in graphic design and branding, but put my career on hold during my husband’s time in the military. Like many military spouses, it can be really challenging to find work when you move every couple years. Then you add in deployments, long hours, and kids, it often doesn’t make sense to go back to work. We spent over a decade moving around the country and even abroad with our three kids. I’m so grateful for that time we had to experience parts of the world I would have never dreamed of going to, let alone living in, but I’m happy to say, we have decided to plant our roots and settle in the KC area for good!

Having a permanent home base for the first time has really opened up possibilities for us to grow a business of our own. This last year has really made me realize, I needed something that gave me the flexibility to be home with my kids when needed, which is ultimately how we ended up in the e-commerce industry.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I would be lying if I said it has been an easy road! I think any type of entrepreneurship comes with lots of ups and downs—Questioning if you can really make it work. The biggest obstacle I have faced is overcoming those fears of, “What if this doesn’t work?” and shifting that to, “This is going to work because I believe in what I’m doing.” As a chronic over-thinker, having that mindset shift and gaining the confidence to make hard decisions and sticking to them is where we have really started to experience the most growth in our business.

After months of behind the scenes work, preparation, and research before we ever launched our website, it’s been really exciting to see our business start to gain momentum.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Desert Peach?
We curate high quality jewelry and accessories at more attainable price points. We dedicate a lot of time to quality testing products before we ever release them on our site. It’s important to us to only offer pieces that we would be confident gifting ourselves. For every piece you see on our site, know that there are several others that didn’t make the cut!

In addition to selling on our own site, we have also started wholesaling. We know how hard it is to find vendors you trust and deliver the quality promised, which is why we have decided to also offer our products to other small businesses and boutiques to carry in their own stores.

Please contact us for more information on wholesaling.

Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I’m not a natural risk-taker by any means, so leaving my remote, 9-5 job to build an e-commerce business from the ground up has pushed me far beyond my comfort zone. With that being said, I knew I wanted to build a life for our family that allowed for more flexibility and time with our kids, so this felt like a risk worth taking. If I have learned anything from this venture, it’s that growth does not come from comfort zones. It has been uncomfortable and messy and mistakes have been made, but that’s the only way to learn and grow in your business.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: shopdesertpeach.com
• Instagram: @desertpeachofficial
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shopdesertpeach

Image Credits
Chic Charlie’s Photography