Sami Welter
About Sami
I was born and raised in Valpo. After graduating from Purdue in 2009 and working for several years in Houston in a couple different retail & fashion merchandising roles, I came back to Indiana (Indianapolis) to launch ellajayms.com. For the first three years, I kept a full time job while growing EJ & doing pop up shops all over the in the Indy area. Opening a brick + mortar has been in the plan since day one, and in 2019, I moved home to marry my best friend and open the doors to our first store. I couldn't be more grateful to be putting down roots & establishing my business in the very place that has made me, me. When I'm not at the store, you can find me home with my husband, my girl (Black Lab Mix), Chloe, and my boy (English Bulldog), Bruce.
ELLA JAYMS, a Shop with Purpose, is a lifestyle boutique dedicated to women of all generations offering thoughtfully curated goods that spark joy and celebrate life's happiest moments.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS
I love hand lettering and have found that it's a good stress reducer for me. I've had friends ask for various custom projects, and I used to sell on Etsy. I also love a good tv binge watch session and creating charcuterie boards.
FAVORITE PASTIME OR HOBBY
PARTY TRICK, USELESS TALENT, OR FUN FACT
I grew up in competitive gymnastics & went on to cheer for the Purdue Boilermakers and the Houston Rockets. I may still be seen flipping around from time to time.
WHY DO YOU ENJOY BEING A MEMBER OF THE COLLECTIVE?
Being a member of The Collective is proof that when a community comes together, we can achieve great things. I witnessed it first hand over the 2020 holiday season & the huge give back mission that Mandy championed for Stepping Stone Shelter. It's also been very uplifting to know that I'm surrounded by a group of talented, creative, & like-minded people that truly want to support and continue to learn together. I'm inspired by The Collective and its members every day.