Meet Shantel Dang | Self-taught Jewelry Designer & Maker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Shantel Dang and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Shantel, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I used to joke around with my friends and family that I didn’t have even one creative bone in my body. Haha! Seriously, I was probably the last person to be picked for a game of Pictionary (still am by the way).

My journey to making jewelry and owning a jewelry business is definitely unconventional. I didn’t love making jewelry as a little girl. I didn’t come from a family of jewelers. I wore Forever 21 jewelry for most of my life and I never knew how to style it most of the time. I was a science girl. I have a Bachelors Degree in Biochemistry and Cell Biology. In college, I grew cells in a lab to support myself. Crazy, right? My end goal at the time was dental school. I wanted to be a dentist with every fiber of my being. Well, at least I thought I did. Fast forward to 2020, I was still working on dental school applications but something just didn’t feel right. I didn’t feel aligned. I didn’t feel like that career path was MY choice anymore.

In November 2020, I lost my dad unexpectedly. Losing him combined with the self-doubt I already had about my future, I needed to just simply escape. I was at a place that felt like the end of my world, my rock bottom. When I think back, I’m not sure why I decided one day to pull up tutorials on how to make a ring from wire on Youtube. I ordered the minimum amount of supplies I needed, made a simple stacking ring, and just never looked back. Once I started making other ring designs and even taught myself how to saw custom name necklaces from a sheet of metal, I showed some of my friends. They were all like “I want one,” “Can you make me something like this?”. I knew I could be good at this. I started to make whatever came to mind and it felt GOOD.

I think my dad led me here. He knew I had a lot of healing to do. That’s what it was for me, it was therapy. I don’t know where I’d be if I never took the chance on myself to be creative. There’s just something about closing your eyes and envisioning a jewelry piece then creating it with your hands and seeing it come to life. It makes me feel like this is meant for me.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I knew from the beginning that I didn’t want to just sell jewelry. I wanted to make an impact in the lives of other women. My jewelry brand is all about self-love. I’m excited to dig deeper and tap into all the ideas that surround self-love while using my jewelry pieces as inspiration. As I mentioned before, I started my jewelry brand during a dark time in my life. Being able to make jewelry for others helped me find myself again and inspired me to show myself the love I deserved.

Being a first time business owner was not easy for me. I had to learn about marketing, finances, and how to communicate with customers over the internet. I’m still learning every single day! I’m currently in a mentorship program that focuses mostly on building a jewelry brand. I learned that if you need help, you should seek it. Don’t get in your own way. In order to grow and make your vision come to life, you need to keep learning and the best way to learn is from people who have done it before.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
There’s an abundance of places to visit! I’d recommend to take advantage of all the hiking trails in LA. I love the Griffith Trails and the view at the Observatory. After the hike, I’d recommend stopping by Kazunori for some quick yummy handrolls then heading over to Santa Monica Pier for the rest of the day. I’m from Orange County, so dinner would definitely be some authentic Vietnamese food there.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My boyfriend, Andy, who never gave up on me when I was down. He has helped support me financially when I was getting my business up and running. He always has an opinion on my designs when I ask for one. He’s built out my mini jewelry studio for me every time I’ve changed it (and that is many times!). Without his support, I wouldn’t have made it through being a first time business owner. I had no idea what I was doing and thanks to him, he tried to make everything a little bit easier for me. He just cares so much about my ideas, my dreams, and my passions. I don’t think I could ever thank him enough!

Website: www.secretlyhers.com

Instagram: instagram.com/secretlyhers.jewelry