Today we’d like to introduce you to Liana Choate.
Hi Liana, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Charmed by Choate really started with my love of creating things and making them personal. I’ve always enjoyed finding little ways to make something feel special, whether it’s a gift, a piece of jewelry, or something that reflects a person’s personality and story. What began as a creative outlet gradually turned into something I realized other people genuinely enjoyed being a part of, too.
The idea behind Charmed by Choate is simple: I want people to be part of the creative process. Rather than just choosing something I’ve already made, they can choose the charms, beads, colors, and pieces that mean something to them. I love watching someone start with a blank necklace, bracelet, keychain, bookmark, or other accessory and build something that is completely their own. Sometimes the charms represent their children, pets, hobbies, travels, or milestones, and sometimes they simply choose things that make them happy. Either way, there is usually a story behind what they create.
I started small, experimenting with designs and taking my creations to local vendor shows. Those events really helped shape the business because I got to see firsthand how much people enjoyed not only the finished products, but the experience of creating them. One of my favorite parts has been watching people gather around the charm bar, helping each other choose pieces and getting excited about what they’re making. It turned something I loved doing into something that creates connection with other people.
Since then, I’ve continued expanding Charmed by Choate with new designs, accessories, vendor events and opportunities for people to create together. I’m still growing and figuring out where this journey might lead, which is part of what makes it so exciting. I have a full-time professional career, so this business has truly been a passion project built in the spaces between work, family and everyday life.
What I’m most proud of is that it has stayed true to why I started creating in the first place. Charmed by Choate isn’t about everyone having the same trendy piece of jewelry. It’s about giving people a chance to create something that feels like them—something fun, meaningful and uniquely theirs.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I definitely wouldn’t say it has always been a smooth road, although most of the challenges have also helped me figure out what I want Charmed by Choate to become.
One of my biggest struggles has simply been time. I have a full-time career and a family, so Charmed by Choate has been built during evenings, weekends and whatever pockets of time I can find. When you genuinely love creating, it’s very easy to have ten new ideas before you’ve finished the first one! Learning to prioritize, stay organized and accept that everything doesn’t have to happen at once has probably been one of my biggest lessons.
There has also been a lot of trial and error. Vendor shows can be unpredictable—you’re constantly learning what people gravitate toward, what price points work, how much inventory to bring and which ideas are worth pursuing. Not every idea is a winner, and I’ve had to learn that something I personally love may not necessarily be what a customer chooses.
I’ve also had to push myself outside of my comfort zone. Creating comes naturally to me; promoting myself does not always come quite as easily. There’s a vulnerability in putting something you’ve made out into the world and essentially asking, “Do you like this?” Over time, though, seeing customers get excited about their creations and come back to make something else has given me much more confidence.
Probably my biggest ongoing challenge is learning how to dream bigger while still enjoying where I am right now. I have lots of ideas about what Charmed by Choate could eventually become, but I’m trying not to rush past the fun of building it one customer, one vendor show and one slightly overfilled craft room at a time. But man, I can certainly go into overtime thinking mode of all the possibilities!
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I sometimes joke that I live in two very different worlds. By day, I have a full-time career in the legal industry, where I currently work as a Project Manager supporting discovery in corporate litigation. My work involves managing complex projects, coordinating across teams and jurisdictions, solving problems and keeping a lot of moving pieces moving in the same direction. Outside of that role, I’m the creator behind Charmed by Choate, where my world is filled with charms, beads, color and creativity.
As different as those two worlds may seem, I’ve realized that what connects them is probably what I’m most known for: I like bringing people together, and I tend to bring creativity with me wherever I go.
That even shows up in my corporate life. During an especially stressful period at work, a coworker and I started secretly bedazzling random office items and leaving them for people to discover. We became known anonymously as “Razzle and Dazzle, the Bedazzling Bandits.” What started as something silly to make a few coworkers smile eventually spread across our floor, inspired copycats, made its way into leadership conversations and even sparked interest from colleagues in London who wanted to bring the idea there. Watching something so small create genuine joy during a stressful time reminded me how powerful creativity and connection can be.
That same idea is at the heart of Charmed by Choate. I specialize in customizable charm-and-bead jewelry and accessories, but what I really love is creating an experience. I want someone to walk up to my table, start looking through all the possibilities and immediately begin imagining what they can make. There are no rules about what goes together or what something is “supposed” to look like. If it makes you happy or means something to you, it belongs.
I think that freedom is part of what sets Charmed by Choate apart. I’m not trying to create one signature piece that everyone owns. I’m creating the space and providing the pieces for people to tell their own stories.
What I’m most proud of, both professionally and creatively, is probably the same thing: making people feel connected, encouraged and excited to participate. Whether I’m organizing a complex project, secretly bedazzling an office stapler or helping someone create a bracelet that represents the people they love, I’ve learned that creativity doesn’t have to be confined to traditionally creative spaces. Sometimes it’s simply about finding a way to bring a little more joy into wherever you happen to be.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I don’t necessarily think of myself as a risk-taker. I’m probably more of a cautious thinker —I like to know there’s solid ground somewhere beneath me before I even think about jumping!
Starting Charmed by Choate has been a lesson in taking smaller risks and becoming more comfortable with uncertainty. Every vendor show is a risk. You invest in inventory, supplies, booth fees and, most importantly, your time without knowing what the turnout will be or whether what you’ve created will resonate with people. There is also a surprisingly personal risk in putting something you’ve created in front of strangers and waiting to see how they respond.
But I’ve learned that risk doesn’t always have to mean making one enormous, life-changing leap. Sometimes it means saying yes to something before you feel completely ready. It means investing a little more in an idea because you believe it has potential. It means putting yourself out there, talking about what you’ve created and being willing to fail, adjust and try again.
I think my professional career has influenced the way I approach risk as well. I spend a lot of my work life thinking about problems, anticipating what could go wrong and developing a plan to address it. That part of my personality definitely follows me into entrepreneurship! I’m a dreamer, but I’m also a planner.
What I am learning, though, is that you can plan so much that you accidentally talk yourself out of trying. Some of the things I’m
about for the future of Charmed by Choate would require me to take bigger risks than I have so far, and I’m not sure yet exactly where those ideas will lead, or if they are actually feasible. But I’ve reached a point where I’m much more willing to ask myself, “What if this actually works?” instead of only asking, “What if it doesn’t?”
For me, that’s what risk-taking looks like: not being fearless, but deciding that something matters enough to move forward even when you can’t guarantee the outcome.
Pricing:
- I try to keep Charmed by Choate fun and affordable so that creating something personal feels accessible. My customizable necklaces and bracelets start at $30 and include up to five charms, with additional charms available for $2 each. I also offer smaller accessories and giftable items, including keychains, bookmarks, pens and ornaments, starting around $8
- Pricing can vary depending on the item or event, but one of my goals has always been to offer options at different price points so someone can create something meaningful without feeling like they have to spend a fortune\.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @charmedbychoate
