Two CCU students created an online business selling earrings

During Dec. 2019, two Coastal Carolina students fell in love with making earrings, so they decided to turn their expertise into an online business called Tally Clays.  

Jordan Tittle and Samantha Elsey first started making earrings because they wanted to give their families “creative and personal” gifts for Christmas. Yet, what initiated the idea of starting a business was their passion for making earrings, and to potentially make a profit off them.

“We started this because we were broke college students who wanted to make money in a different way,” said Tittle and Elsey. “We didn’t want to do a regular 9-5 job. Tally Clays has given us the opportunity to make money doing something we love.”

Tally Clays has been offered great opportunities that has helped the growth of the business. Miss South Carolina, Morgan Nichols, bought and wore earrings from Tally Clays, and gave the business a shoutout because of how much she liked them. 

Running an online business as college seniors isn't easy, especially in the early stages. Tittle and Elsey divide their responsibilities or do everything together. A typical routine for Tally Clays is messaging people, posting to social media, making earrings and going to the post office to ship orders. The earring making process involves making hand prints and cuts out of polymer clay, then baking in an oven. After the baking process, they attach any extra details to the earrings, and then the creation is finished.

The future of Tally Clays is uncertain. 

Tittle and Elsey said, “Recently we have been playing around with resin. We have a couple of things under our sleeves, so stay tuned.”

Since the two seniors will be graduating in May of 2021, they are not sure what will happen to the business of Tally Clays.

Tally Clays is only on Instagram, and there are currently no plans to create a website, or other social media accounts. The ordering process is also through Instagram. Tally Clays has their own collection of earrings; however, they also do custom orders. To purchase a pair of earrings, one would need to DM the Tally Clays Instagram account and state which earrings are wanted (the payment is through Venmo). A pair of earrings typically costs between $10-$20, and shipping is $5. Tittle and Elsey also offer pickups in Conway, and sometimes in Charleston, South Carolina, if one doesn’t want to pay for shipping.

Tally Clays Instagram: @tallyclays