Lindsay Lane Christian Academy’s Lindsey Murr is more than an athlete; she’s also an artist and businesswoman.

As the proud owner of her small business specializing in beaded necklaces, Lou’s Beaded Beauties, Murr has to carve out time from her constantly busy schedule to handcraft her products, which generally takes place after school and after basketball/volleyball practice.

“Lou,” as her grandfather calls her, is currently a star hooper by day and a savvy, artistic business owner by night.

“I will go home every day and I make the necklaces, get them packaged, and put them in the mail. I go through that every single day,” Murr says. “It is just a specific schedule – school, basketball, then business. I have set it where I get an order, I have four days to ship it. So, usually, I can space it out to when I have time to work on it.”

While she has her routine down, along with her own page on Etsy and Instagram, starting a small business is not easy.

At the beginning, Murr had to overcome obstacles and people telling her it would be a waste of money.

When she first started purchasing the kits to make the necklaces, she said not everyone was on board it would pan out.

However, Murr calls herself “stubborn” and was able to stay persistent by turning Lou’s Beaded Beauties into a success.

“There were a lot of people who told me I did not need to spend the money, but I didn’t really listen to them,” Murr said. “I kept going because I thought I had something, and I did. It is a big accomplishment for me and I love to talk about it, because you don’t see a lot of people with a business my age.”

With running a successful business and bound for Blue Mountain College next year on a basketball scholarship, Murr also hopes to inspire other young women to take a chance at starting their own business.

“There have been girls in my school who have been younger who have come up to me that they want to start a small business. There have been people on Etsy who have messaged me asking how to get started,” Murr said.

While Murr, a senior, continues to be an inspiration to others, she follows a similar track to success as another female small business owner from northern Alabama who focuses on accessories.

Sarah Smyth, 2013 graduate of Bob Jones High School and 2017 graduate of Auburn University, started her jewelry business in high school as well.

She is now 28, and her business, Raw & Rebellious xo, has become a huge hit.

Her business has 73 thousand followers on Instagram and 1.6 million likes on TikTok.

Seeing the track to success Murr is on with Lou’s Beaded Beauties, Smyth encourages Murr to not be afraid to take risks at a young age.

“You’re 17 and doing what so many people have thought to do, but didn’t have the guts. How cool is that? So many people have ideas, but it’s a rare few that actually act on those ideas. So, rather than worrying about what you’re doing wrong, think about how you can make whatever you’re doing the most fun for yourself. T{span}he beautiful thing about being so young – I’m 28 and still feel young – is that we’ve got way less risk. Now’s the time!”

Murr, with as much of an artistic side to her as a business side, is certainly able to find joy in what she does, including calling it “peaceful” when she is able to work on her craft.

“I love being creative and coming up with new designs. I also like creating them because it has become so much like muscle memory. What I really like (creatively) is the marketing side of it – creating things to post on social media and creating banners for my Etsy shop.”

As far as how the business will expand next, Murr has some ideas. This includes talking to a few businesses and salons around town to sell her items near the front of the store. She also has thought to set up a booth at local markets.

Additionally, a degree from BMC should help her business expand more than anything, as an education and connections through friendships can go a long way.

“I just want to know the logistics of everything and be able to understand how the market is, so I can adjust the business to what is going to do better and sell more,” Murr said.

According to Smyth, one way to expand the business is through constant community engagement on social media, something Murr is trying hard to accomplish.

Smyth says to “answer every single DM (direct message) you get” on social media, which Murr has been doing by giving others the tips on how to start their own business.

However, there is always room to expand in the world of social media.

“Promote and invite your audience to get involved by posting things for them to respond to. You also have a full sounding board at your disposal with social media. Ask them their opinions about whatever you’re thinking of doing next. Then they get to be involved and you get real feedback. I’d also say be consistent – post as much as you can, and post everywhere on every platform. Spread your brand as far as you can,” Smyth said.

As both Murr and Smyth continue to encourage others to step out of their comfort zone and try starting something from scratch, Murr also finds ways to draw parallels from her time on the basketball/volleyball court to use it as tools for her business.

Murr comes from a family of athletes, as she has paved her own path, scoring over 1,000 points in her high school basketball career.

“My coach at school (Lauren Evans), she is a believer that you’re never losing by too many points. You’re always going to fight; you are always going to keep going until the game is over. That’s how it was for me. Even though my business wasn’t doing well at the beginning, I didn’t stop and I didn’t quit. I kept pushing myself, because that is what I have always been taught,” Murr said.

Smyth, in support of Murr with a basketball reference of her own, says “always shoot your shot. Good luck, Lindsey! You’re killing it!”

For those looking to purchase some of Murr’s handcrafted necklaces, go to “Lou’s Beaded Beauties” on Etsy or Instagram. There are currently 34 items to choose from on her Etsy shop. Lou’s Beaded Beauties also has a 5-star review, with 504 people reviewing the products.