Brittany Arnett

So nice to meet you! First off, what’s your name? Tell our readers a bit about yourself—where you’re from originally and where you live now.

I’m Brittany “B” Arnett, the founder and artist behind The Dappled Wood, a woman-owned jewelry brand based near Baltimore, Maryland. I’m originally from a small, small town in Southern Indiana.

Before building a jewelry business, I spent about a decade in corporate tech and software, working in product management and design. I earned my undergraduate and master’s degrees at Indiana University, where I studied informatics and user experience. My career has always involved understanding people and turning ideas into something useful. Today, that happens through color, clay, and wearable art.

I’m also a mother, a nature lover, and someone who believes women deserve to feel expressive and powerful in their everyday lives. That belief is the heart of my business.

Tell us one thing you love about where you live now.

I love how much room there is for individuality in Baltimore’s creative community. There are artists, makers, and small business owners building things with real personality, and I’ve found a lot of connection through markets and local collaborations.

There’s also something special about building a business where you can meet your customers face to face. You get to see how your work becomes part of someone’s life.

Tell us a little more about what your company does and how it started. How does it help your customers?

The Dappled Wood creates handmade polymer clay statement earrings and accessories inspired by flowers, leaves, stone patterns, and the changing seasons. Think sculptural blooms, striking snakes, and rich color, with lightweight designs and carefully selected metals.

I started the business in 2022 because I was interested in how color could influence the way women feel as they move through their day. Getting dressed can be a small opportunity to reconnect with yourself. A pair of earrings can bring a little joy to an ordinary morning or help you feel more expressive before walking into a room.

That’s what our tagline, Bold As Nature, means to me. Nature doesn’t apologize for its color or take up less space to make everyone comfortable.

Shine darling!

My product management background also shapes how I build the business. I pay attention to the whole experience: what someone wants to express, what feels comfortable, and what has kept them from wearing styles they love. Customer conversations influence everything from proportions to hardware options.

After more than 100 markets and over 4,000 pieces sold, I’ve had many opportunities to listen. Those conversations help me create jewelry that fits real people, rather than only looking beautiful in a photograph.

If someone wants to start a business, what advice would you give them?

Get clear about the change you create for your customer. What does your product help someone do, feel, or express? If you understand that, you can make better decisions about your designs, pricing, and marketing.

Then get close enough to your customers to test your assumptions. Markets have been invaluable for me because I can hear someone’s questions, notice what catches their eye, and learn why they choose one piece over another. That information is hard to get from a spreadsheet alone.

Know your numbers, too. Revenue feels exciting, but you need to understand what remains after materials, fees, labor, and all the time it takes to run the business.

And accept that experience takes time. Workshops, courses, and contractors can help, but you still have to build the business brick by brick. You learn by making decisions, seeing what happens, and adjusting. Stay curious enough to keep learning without changing direction every time someone offers a new formula.

What is one piece of feedback from a happy customer or client that you won't forget?

A customer named Dani wrote a review explaining that her sensitive skin limited the earrings she could wear, but she wanted something more expressive. The part that stood out was, “I am whimsical and I needed more.”

She shared that she had found four pairs from The Dappled Wood that gave her the whimsy she wanted without bothering her ears.

That captures something meaningful about the work. People have practical needs, but they also have personalities they want to express. Being able to bring those things together is incredibly rewarding.

Where do you see your company in the future?

I want The Dappled Wood to reach more women through a stronger online presence and thoughtfully chosen retail partnerships. I’m building out our wholesale assortment so people can discover the jewelry in shops that value distinctive design and independent artists.

I also want to expand our workshops and private classes. There’s something powerful about giving someone the materials and guidance to make a piece they’re excited to wear. It creates another way to experience the joy behind the brand.

My goal is a sustainable business that supports my family, creates opportunities for others, and keeps its artistic identity as it grows. I want the business to become stronger while the work remains personal.

What is the biggest misconception about your industry?

That statement jewelry is only for special occasions, or for people who already consider themselves bold.

You don’t need an entirely new wardrobe to experiment with personal style. Sometimes the thing that makes a familiar outfit feel like you is one unexpected accessory. Flowers can be dramatic, snakes can be elegant, and color can belong in your everyday routine.

Another misconception is that large earrings must be heavy. Polymer clay gives me room to create dimension and generous shapes while keeping pieces lightweight. That opens up possibilities for people who love a statement but don’t enjoy the weight of traditional statement jewelry.

What has been one of your biggest struggles building your business, and how did you deal with it?

One of my biggest struggles has been balancing creative work with everything required to make the business sustainable, while also being a mother.

My corporate experience gave me useful skills, but running a small business means being responsible for the entire operation. Making the jewelry is one part. There’s also photography, inventory, marketing, customer service, finances, and deciding which opportunities deserve your limited time.

I’ve been learning to create more structure around that work: clearer priorities, repeatable processes, and help where it makes sense. I also pay attention to what customers actually respond to, so I can make decisions with evidence.

It’s still a work in progress. Some days I’m an artist, some days I’m an operations manager, and most days I’m both. Progress has come from becoming more deliberate about where my energy goes.

Any shoutouts you want to make?

My family, friends, and the customers who have supported The Dappled Wood deserve a huge thank-you. Every purchase, recommendation, review, and photo of someone wearing my work helps this business grow.

I’m also grateful for the fellow women business owners who share ideas, celebrate wins, and talk honestly about the difficult parts. Having people who understand the work behind the scenes makes a difference.

And thank you to the local shops, event organizers, and creative collaborators who make space for independent artists. Those relationships help small businesses become part of a community.

Where can our readers learn more about you and your company?

You can explore The Dappled Wood at https://thedappledwood.com, where you’ll find our handmade jewelry, upcoming events, and workshops.

If you’re curious about the designs that started it all, explore our flower earrings at https://thedappledwood.com/collections/floral-earrings.

You can also follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.dappled.wood for new collections, studio experiments, and the everyday process of building an art business.

Start with a piece that catches your eye. You don’t need a special event to wear something that makes you feel more like yourself.

Darling, the occasion is you.