Meet the Sisters Behind Kate & Mae, GSNETX's Newest Featured Jewelry Collection
August 21, 2026
What started as a trip to Hobby Lobby and a handful of pearls has grown into a successful area-based jewelry brand with a mission to inspire girls.
Sisters Kate and Mae Parsons launched their business, Kate & Mae in 2020 when Kate was just 14 years old and Mae was 9. Today, the sisters design jewelry with a classic, timeless flair that has expanded far beyond local pop-up markets, including an exclusive collection created especially for Girl Scouts—and soon partnering national with Girl Scouts of the USA to appear in council shops across the country.
Their line is currently available in Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas retail shops and features bracelets, necklaces, earrings, phone charms, and other accessories designed to celebrate Girl Scout pride and stylish enough for everyday wear.
Kate, now a student at the University of Arkansas, first envisioned partnering with Girl Scouts because of her own experience with the program and following involvement with Girl Scouts through Kappa Delta, whose national philanthropy supports the organization. Working alongside younger sister Mae, the pair has built a business centered on creativity, encouragement and empowering girls to "shine their light."
We sat down with the sisters to talk about entrepreneurship, designing for Girl Scouts, and what they've learned along the way.
Q: How did Kate and Mae begin?
Kate: We started Kate and Mae back in 2020. I really wanted to start a business and was trying a bunch of different things. Then we went to Hobby Lobby together and our mom wanted us to make bracelets. We fell in love with the pearls [from that trip], and that became the business that I was really wanting to start. We did a lot of pop-ups and it was a good side hustle. I was 14...
Mae: ...and I was 9.
When Kate began the second semester of her freshman year at University of Arkansas, she realized jewelry making was something she wanted to scale up and turn into a full-fledged business. Having volunteered for Girl Scouts through her sorority and being a Girl Scout herself in her childhood, she had a burst of inspiration.
Kate: I have a Girl Scout I mentor, and so that was an idea: “Wait, we should see if see if we can [partner] with Girl Scouts and do jewelry for them!”
In collaboration with Julie Reese, GSNETX’s retail manager, the sisters then set about tailoring a line of their jewelry exclusively for the council’s shops.
Q: How did your own Girl Scout experience shape the business you have today?
Kate: There are so many entrepreneurial and business skills you learn in Girl Scouts, like selling cookies. I remember my dad would take me out to go sell cookies and I was knocking on doors and I really learned sales from doing that. It's kind of funny that you don't really [understand the impact it’s making] as kid. And then growing up now I'm realizing I gained so many skills from doing Girl Scouts. That's when I first was doing sales and talking to people and gaining that confidence to just go up to a random person, starting a conversation, and getting to share the products and their value with them. So, I loved Girl Scouts.
Q: What's it like designing jewelry as sisters?
Mae: We're such girly girls. We love fashion. We both have the same style, so when we come up with ideas, we build off each other. She'll send me designs and say, “I think these pearls are really cute,” and I'll say, “Let's add a charm.” The design process is really fun because we get each other and understand each other's thought process.
Kate: It's easy for us to bounce ideas off each other. She knows exactly what I'm trying to describe.
When we were younger, figuring out how to be sisters and business partners was hard. Now we've found a really good flow. We know each other's strengths... She's also very honest. Sometimes she'll say, “It's gorgeous,” and sometimes she'll say, “No, that was bad. Start over.” Then I may realize, “I’ve been working on this for too long. I need to come back.”
Q: Fashion trends change quickly. How do you create jewelry that lasts?
Mae: Kate is really good at following trends. We study what's popular and ask, “How can we make sure [our version of] this doesn't go out of style?” We want it to stay classy and true to our brand.
Kate: "We're definitely trend forecasting all the time, but we also design our jewelry to be as timeless as possible. We use a lot of pearls and gold, things you could have worn five years ago and still want to wear today.
Q: What advice would you give Girl Scouts who dream of starting their own business?
Mae: Take whatever chance you get. I remember we were sitting in the car together with our family coming home from church and Kate said, "What if we do something with Girl Scouts?" And we're like, "I don't know, that sounds kind of crazy..." Our dad suggested we try it, and now we're here, we get to partner with Girl Scouts, and it's so fun.
When [something] comes onto heart and you think, "Okay, I really want to do this," take the step and don’t wait […] because there never will be a perfect time, and waiting for it can mean missing an opportunity that may not come again.
Kate: I definitely agree. Our mission at Kate & Mae is to inspire girls to shine their light. To us, that’s using what you're good at and what you love doing to help other people. Not only do we want to inspire girls to do that, we also do bracelet making workshops with nonprofits to use our gifts and talents—the things that we're passionate about and have gotten skilled in—to be able to help other people.
When you find a way where you can help other people [while doing what you love], that's really what makes it fulfilling and those long nights worth it because you're doing it for other people. Because I feel like if you're just doing it for yourself, you kind of burn out easily. But if you're doing it for others, it really makes it all worthwhile.
Q: Do you have a favorite piece you've designed?
Both: The Words Matter bracelets.
Mae: They’re these pearl bracelets with different words on them. It's so fun to stack cute bracelets, but these also have words that are meaningful to you. I'll be wearing my bracelet, and someone will be like, "Oh my gosh, that's so cute." And they can see the words on it, like Purpose. I feel it's such a great reminder for yourself and the others around you. And it's also a way to shine your light and show others like, "Hey, look, you have a purpose. I have a purpose." And I feel like it's so encouraging. Those have been really good sellers and I feel like they're such great pieces in that they can be meaningful to you, but also meaningful to others.
The sisters’ story is an inspiring reminder that big dreams don't have to wait until adulthood to pursue. With creativity, determination, and confidence to reach for big things Kate and Mae transformed a hobby into a thriving business and want to encourage other girls to do the same. You can find Girl Scout Kate & Mae jewelry and accessories in our GSNETX retail shops as well as a growing number of other councils across the country.
