Meet Haley Naegele | Owner and Designer of 29 AND 11

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

Hi Haley, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
29 AND 11 was born out of a desire for me to find something I could wear on a daily basis that would help display my journey of faith (And I wanted to do it stylishly if I’m being honest). This idea started several years ago while we were on vacation in Charleston at this beautiful jewelry store on King Street (Croghans) and I was wearing this cross from my mother, and I was looking to add something to my ‘stack’. And as I looked and looked while they had some religious pieces – lots of diamond crosses, lots of petite crosses, and a few religious saints – they just didn’t have anything unique or different. And so I’m thinking…’Well, that’s not what I’m looking for’. Which then started this quiet internal dialog of ‘Then what is it exactly that am I looking for’? This went on for a good several years – just this nagging sensation of feeling like there had to be something more. Couple that with my own personal practice of reciting chapter and verse to kind of keep my eyes on Him so if I feel myself getting out of my own lane and judging (Which are all the things I totally don’t need to be doing), I just come back to his word and repeat it over and over. One of the first verses I remember learning was Jeremiah 29:11 and that’s where it started.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
What does 29 and 11 do?

So at the core of what 29 AND 11 does is to create religious and faith based jewelry to help you start conversations and inspire connections with other like minded people. We want you to point your intentions to him. And we do it because we want you to look good doing it. We think this is an amazing way to show people your relationship with God maybe without outwardly talking about it because if you’re like us – outward displays can be hard.

A little more about us.

Most associate the cross with the main piece of religious jewelry that you will see a person wear. 29 AND 11 takes wearable religious pieces a step further by using chapter and verse to help a person represent or outwardly wear a specific part of their journey of faith for the rest of the world to see and support. 29 AND 11 represents a person who is genuine in their intentions to walk in faith with God. We know that life is messy, mistake laden, and filled with setbacks. We also know that the highs can be crazy high or just a win getting out of bed in the morning. Each person’s journey is different. We are an imperfect company that is focused on our truest north which IS perfect.

How did you start designing?

I am a very visual person, but I’m not a great artist in the sense that I don’t sketch well and I don’t draw well – my freehand is horrible. But I knew that it needed to be more than just numbers on a chain or letters on a chain. It needed to be significant. The first sketch I sent was to a freelance designer that created me the most basic brass pendant. I got it back and went ‘Okay, I’m on the right track but no, I can’t spend thousands of dollars reworking these over and over’. I knew I had to go back to the drawing board and figure out how to tweak my own designs. And I learned very quickly that at the heart of designing would be a CAD (Computer Aided Design) file that had to be structurally sound in order to cast it in metal. So at the beginning I had to step back for about 6 months and immerse myself in learning CAD to design the right way. Once I had the foundational knowledge in it, I spent my design time in CAD so as opposed to drawing or sketching I was able to translate my designs into manufacturable pieces. Once those files were done I would sample them at home with a resin printer, and from there I could get a really good idea if they were going to work. Then they were sent off to the manufacturer for sampling. This might go back and forth 5 or 6 times before all the tweaks were out and it was ready for production. Every ounce of 29 AND 11 designs are original, and I would say start to finish a design can take anywhere from 9 to 12 months until you have a tangible final product ready to take to market.

What makes you qualified to do this?

Nothing but hard work. I was never a jewelry designer. I majored in finance and economics. I’ve had a messy relationship with God for a large part of my life and I just really deep down felt that I’m not the only one. So wherever anyone is on their journey, is where 29 AND 11 wants to meet them. We want people to be in community with each other, to know that they don’t need to be alone, and to know that other people are using the same mantras as you to keep their eyes on Christ.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I thought a lot about this because Fort Worth has some pretty legendary hang outs that I’m guessing have made more than one list. But my ideal weekend starts as soon as the kids’ days have ended. We spend time with friends at some of our neighborhood favorites – Maria’s, Quince, Tokyo Cafe, Press, Paloma Suerte for bevs and dinner. If we make it past that, we most likely have Tannahills, Billy Bobs, a TCU game, or a neighborhood patio on tap. We are lucky to live right in the heart of FTW, so local and laid back is our vibe.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Lots of people knowingly and unknowingly have left their mark on 29 AND 11. My kids that found their own way to God inspire me everyday, my husband who never said no to any part of this idea, a previous career that left me a little uninspired, and a network of close friends who lift each other up like you could only hope for. Then there are the female entrepreneurs who top my list – Tara Lee Cobble (Dallas resident and creator of The Bible Recap), Jane Win, Kendra Scott, and Sarah Blakely just to name a few!

Website: https://www.29and11.com

Instagram: @29and11

Facebook: 29and11

Image Credits
Haley Naegele