Podcasts about jewelry design

Welcome to another great episode of the Pearls of Wisdom Jewelry Podcast! Guy and Elisa Dillon of Southern Jewelry News sit down with Melissa Pierce of Pierce Custom Jewelers in Lake Mary, Florida. This episode gets into the artistry, trust and community that makes Pierce Custom Jewelers so special. Melissa shares the story behind the family business she co-owns with her husband Lance, a master jeweler with over 34 years experience. Melissa talks about how her career went from corporate consulting to jewelry making and how she earned her graduate gemology degree. Together Melissa and Lance have built a business based on trust and offer a mix of fine jewelry and custom designs that reflect their clients lives and memories. Melissa talks about the care that goes into each piece from understanding a client's lifestyle to using CAD design and gemological microscopes. She also talks about their honesty policy where every item on their website is physically in their store – no bait and switch here. Throughout the conversation Melissa talks about the challenges of modern jewelry retail such as educating clients on lab grown versus mined diamonds and managing changing client expectations. She shares stories of helping clients through big decisions like choosing engagement rings that balance sentimental value with practicality. A big part of the conversation is about the Pierces' community involvement. With clients spanning three generations Pierce Custom Jewelers is all about trust and relationships. Melissa shares a story about turning away a client who was uncomfortable with her ring being resized and then seeing that client come back as a loyal customer – proof of their integrity based business. In addition to jewelry Melissa talks about the creative passions she and Lance share including their love of music. Listeners get a special treat at the end of the episode – a piano performance by Melissa herself. Whether you're a jeweler looking for inspiration, a client curious about custom jewelry or someone who loves stories of artistry and connection this episode has you covered.  Listen now! Check out more episodes of the Pearls of Wisdom Jewelry Podcast.   Brought to you by: Southern Jewelry News: https://southernjewelrynews.com/ Jewelry Store Marketers: https://jewelrystoremarketers.com/ Learn more about the Pearls of Wisdom Jewelry Podcast https://southernjewelrynews.com/podcast Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform:  • Apple Podcast = https://podcastsconnect.apple.com/my.-..  • Amazon Music/Audible = https://www.audible.com/pd/Pearls-of.-.. • iHeartRadio = https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-pe... • Spotify = https://open.spotify.com/show/6IU1OHw... • Google Podcast = https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0...

Welcome to the Pearls of Wisdom Jewelry Podcast! In this episode, we welcome Slav, a leader in the jewelry industry and a key figure at Gems One, a top supplier of high-quality gemstones, diamonds, and fine jewelry serving over 1,000 independent jewelry stores across the U.S.    Slav shares valuable insights on the importance of effective marketing strategies and the necessity of integrating print media into your promotional efforts.    As we discuss the challenges jewelers face in today's competitive market, Slav emphasizes the concept of “the power of seven,” explaining how consumers need multiple impressions before purchasing.   Slav highlights the significance of maintaining a consistent marketing message across various platforms to build brand recognition and customer trust.    He shares advice on how jewelers can streamline their marketing efforts and align their product offerings with their messaging in order to create a more efficient business model. He stresses the need for clarity and authenticity in marketing communications to build trust and loyalty.    We also discuss Gems One's innovative initiatives, including their “Perfect Love” concept, which aims to enhance customer engagement and effectively close sales.    He added that this approach not only enhances their customers' experience but also differentiates their brand in a saturated market.    To support that, Slav shares insights into upcoming trends in jewelry design and marketing, reinforcing how a well-thought-out strategy can impact a jeweler's success.    It's been an absolute pleasure having Slav on this episode. His expertise and advice are something you won't want to miss. Tune in now and let his wisdom inspire your next steps!   Brought to you by: Southern Jewelry News: https://southernjewelrynews.com/ Jewelry Store Marketers: https://jewelrystoremarketers.com/ Learn more about the Pearls of Wisdom Jewelry Podcast https://southernjewelrynews.com/podcast Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform:  • Apple Podcast = https://podcastsconnect.apple.com/my.-..  • Amazon Music/Audible = https://www.audible.com/pd/Pearls-of.-.. • iHeartRadio = https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-pe... • Spotify = https://open.spotify.com/show/6IU1OHw... • Google Podcast = https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0...

Welcome to the Pearls of Wisdom Podcast. In this episode, we have the visionary master jewelry co-founder of Jamie Turner Designs, a jewelry company known for its handcrafted jewelry inspired by the beauty of Texas. As he sits with us, Patrick opens up about his exciting journey into the design industry, and now he's been at it for over three decades. He gets into the heart of what makes jewelry special, and it's fascinating to hear how he turned his passion for jewelry into a thriving business. We glimpse how much thought and care went into each piece he crafted when he shares his insights into the design process. As he recounts memorable client interactions, Patrick emphasizes how his collaboration with clients involves understanding their personal stories, preferences, and desired aesthetics. He also mentions some of his favorite projects, including custom engagement rings and commemorative pieces. This commitment to craftsmanship is especially refreshing in an industry that often focuses on trends. Patrick was also generous enough to share his process for sourcing materials. He shares the challenges and ethics of choosing sustainable and high-quality gemstones and metals. He explains how important it is for him to maintain integrity in sourcing while ensuring that each piece reflects his commitment to craftsmanship. Like many modern jewelers, he reflects on the role of technology in jewelry design, including the use of CAD (computer-aided design) software to visualize concepts before creating them physically. With his deep experience at Jamie Turner Designs, Patrick is ready to share amazing insights with anyone in the jewelry world.  Don't miss out on his tips for running a successful jewelry business! Listen in now and get inspired! Brought to you by: Southern Jewelry News: https://southernjewelrynews.com/  Jewelry Store Marketers: https://jewelrystoremarketers.com/  Learn more about the Pearls of Wisdom Jewelry Podcast https://southernjewelrynews.com/podcast Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform: • Apple Podcast = https://podcastsconnect.apple.com/my.-..  • Amazon Music/Audible = https://www.audible.com/pd/Pearls-of.-..  • iHeartRadio = https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-pe...  • Spotify = https://open.spotify.com/show/6IU1OHw...  • Google Podcast = https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0... 

Marla Aaron's rebellious approach to jewelry landed her with the Gem Award for Jewelry Design by the Jewelers of America. She talks turning fish hooks into necklaces and pushing through against all odds.Produced by Dear MediaThis episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct, or indirect financial interest in products, or services referred to in this episode.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Learn about the minimalist jewelry designer, Betty Cooke, from another legend, Ellen Lupton, graphic designer, educator, and author of dozens of books including "Thinking With Type"This show is powered by Nice PeopleJoin this podcast and the Patreon community: patreon.com/womendesignersyoushouldknowHave a 1:1 mentor call with Amber Asay: intro.co/amberasayLinks:Thinking with Type, book by Ellen LuptonExtra Bold, book co-authored by Ellen LuptonBetty Cooke's Store_________About Betty Cooke:We recently lost another design legend, Betty Cooke, whose passing marks the end of an era in modernist jewelry design. Born in 1924 in Baltimore, Maryland, Betty Cooke was a trailblazing designer celebrated for her minimalist and sculptural jewelry. Her work is defined by clean lines, geometric forms, and a timeless elegance that resonated across generations. After studying at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA), where she later became a beloved faculty member, Betty opened her own studio and eventually co-founded The Store Ltd., a Baltimore institution that showcased her work for over five decades. Her jewelry, often handcrafted in silver and gold with touches of wood or acrylic, is iconic for its simplicity and boldness—pieces that remain instantly recognizable as “Betty Cooke.” Cooke's influence is immortalized in museums, galleries, and in the collections of those fortunate enough to own her designs. Her legacy is one of innovation, elegance, and unwavering dedication to her craft.About Ellen Lupton:Ellen Lupton is one of the most influential voices in contemporary graphic design. Born in 1963, she is a celebrated designer, writer, curator, and educator whose work has profoundly shaped design education and practice. After graduating from Cooper Union in 1985, she became a curator at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, where she curated groundbreaking exhibitions that connected design to culture and society. Ellen is perhaps best known for her book Thinking with Type, first published in 2004, which has become an essential guide for designers and is used in classrooms worldwide. Beyond her writing, she has played a pivotal role in shaping the Graphic Design MFA program at MICA, inspiring generations of designers with her innovative teaching methods. Her body of work extends to over 20 books, exploring topics from typography to storytelling in design. Ellen's contributions continue to influence how designers think, create, and communicate in today's visual world.Keep up with what Ellen Lupton's up to:Instagram  |  Website ____View all the visually rich 1-min reels of each woman on IG below:Instagram: Amber AsayInstagram: Women Designers Pod

 Episode NotesHave you ever wondered any of these: What the science is behind creativity? What causes creativity in the brain? What part of the brain is used in creativity? Or maybe even how to activate creativity in the brain? In this episode Kate speaks with Dr. Cheryl Arutt a clinical and forensic psychologist based in Los Angeles, California working with actors, writers, directors and showrunners supporting their psychological well-being. A specialist in trauma recovery, creativity and post-traumatic growth, Dr. Cheryl is currently Access Hollywood's go-to psychologist for trauma issues, a frequent psychological expert on many networks including CNN, HLN and DiscoveryID, and has been interviewed by the BBC and 20/20 Australia.  For more information about Dr. Cheryl please visit askdrcheryl.com, and for info about her online courses for creative artists please visit www.thecreativeresilience.comDr. Cheryl explains how creativity works and what it even is from a Brain Science Perspective. We talk about the link between education and creativity. I ask her if we are doing enough to foster creativity & creating thinking in the school system? And she gives us some actionable things we can do at home for ourselves and our children to rev our own creative engines. One of my favourite moments though, comes towards the end  when I ask her about the possibility of the opposite of inheriting generational trauma existing. We know we can inherit trauma but can we inherit magical wonderful things too? We shared a really tender moment - one where I felt like she was talking to ALL of us. It's beautiful, uplifting and inspiring.  I think you'll be really moved by it. What Dr. Cheryl Arutt & I talk about-What creativity IS from a brain science perspective. -What is really going on inside our psychology when people say “I'm not creative”-Why processing trauma including intergenerational trauma, and converting it to post traumatic growth is so important (and is absolutely possible)-The link between education and creativity. Are we fostering creativity and creating thinking enough in the school system? And if we are seeing that our children are not getting as much focus on creativity in school what can we do at home? -What is the one question you can ask yourself (or your kids) to kick start your creativity (what is another way to do that/look at that/solve that)-How the “we only use 10% of our brains” thing is a myth-How to use creativity to safely access our traumas -What is EMDR (eye movement and desensitization and reprocessing therapy how it was discovered and how creative people can use it to heal trauma and access even more of their innate creativity-Post traumatic growth - learning to integrate and recognize all the ways you grew as a person as a result of living through your trauma-What she thinks creativity is trying to do - from a brain science perspectiveAbout Dr. Cheryl AruttDr. Cheryl Arutt is an accomplished clinical and forensic psychologist based in Beverly Hills, CA whose amalgamation of rigorous training and experience allows her to engage with people from a place of deep insight and empathy. Through compassion, skill and sometimes even humor, she helps her patients uncover what is in the way of living a full-access life, empowering them to move forward.Following over 20 years as a working actor, Dr. Cheryl's interest in human behavior shifted to psychology after volunteering on a crisis line. With scholarships from both SAG and AFTRA to study at University of California, Los Angeles, Dr. Cheryl graduated summa cum laude and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. She earned her Doctor of Psychology degree from California School of Professional Psychology in Los Angeles, where she received the Outstanding Doctoral Project Award for her Clinical Dissertation: Healing Together: A program for couples coping with the aftermath of rape.Her postdoctoral fellowship at WILA culminated in a certificate of psychoanalytic psychotherapy, and she received further advanced training in Interpersonal Neurobiology with Dr. Daniel Siegel, with whom she gave a TEDx talk. A lifelong student of power dynamics and an ally for social justice, Dr. Cheryl taught courses to PhD and PsyD students at Allliant International University/CSPP, including: Intercultural Processes and Human Diversity, Sex Roles and Gender, Ethics and Clinical Interviewing.Dr. Cheryl Arutt - Clinical PsychologistAs a trauma specialist, Dr. Cheryl helps her patients understand how adaptations to the source of distress often outlive their usefulness and provides guidance and inspiration to navigate life from a place of wholeness. In continual pursuit of deepening her knowledge of trauma recovery and post-traumatic growth, Dr. Cheryl is devoted to continuing education in effective and evidence-based therapies, including EMDR therapy. A certified Rape and Domestic Violence counselor for decades, Dr. Cheryl also serves on the Board of the national victim's organization, PAVE, dedicated to shattering the silence of sexual violence.  Dr. Cheryl understands and supports the unique needs and challenges of creative artists and performers. In collaboration with Dr. Cheryl, actors, writers, showrunners, musicians and other creative professionals learn to thrive and clear obstacles to their success and happiness, both personally and professionally. She is a firm believer that the best way to protect the art is to protect the artist.In addition to working with people in private practice, Dr. Cheryl enjoys speaking to professional organizations, institutions of higher learning, at events and on television about creative resilience, post-traumatic growth, recovery from trauma and why people do what they do.  Dr. Cheryl Arutt: website | facebook | instagram | twitterKate Shepherd: art | website | instagram | twitterMorning Moon Nature Jewelry | website |  instagramCreative Genius Podcast | website | instagram Resources discussed in this episode:-Dan Siegel, MD-Dan Siegel's “Window of Tolerance”-EMDR Institute-Access Hollywood video about EMDR-Bessel van der Kolk, MD book: The Body Keeps the Score 

In today's podcast episode I talk about finding your sexy with jewelry designer Twyla Dill. We discuss how embracing your true self can really guide you when venturing through the world of fashion.We talk about:✨The jewelry design process✨Twyla's personal business journey✨What we both have learnt from our clientsTwyla's links: https://linktr.ee/twyladilldesignLet me know if you have any questions that I didn't cover in this episode! XO, Tannya❤️

Jewelry design is a creative and rewarding career path that offers various conventional routes. One popular option is becoming a jewelry designer for a retail brand or manufacturer, where you'll design and develop new collections. Another path is working as a freelance jewelry designer, creating custom pieces for clients. You can also consider teaching jewelry design at a school or college, sharing your skills with the next generation. Some jewelry designers also start their own businesses, creating and selling their designs. These paths require a strong foundation in design, materials, and craftsmanship. Let us all listen to Rahul Desai, who will help us intricate world of gems and jewelry, sharing insights, industry trends, and practical strategies. Our mission is to empower professionals and enthusiasts with the knowledge and tools to excel in this fascinating field.

What you'll learn in this episode: How Gabriela produces jewelry in Mexico, manages her business from Montreal, and sells her jewelry worldwide. Gabriela's favorite stone to work with, and how she chooses and sources gems for her colorful jewelry. How moving from Mexico to Canada (and experiencing seasons for the first time) influenced Gabriela's work. What it means for jewelry to be slow made. Why COVID prompted Gabriela to transition from packaging design to jewelry design, and how she overcame her hesitation to call herself a jewelry maker. About Gabriela Sierra Gaby, designer and creator of Gabriela Sierra jewelry, is anything but a minimalist. Unafraid of color, she plays with bold shapes, textures and asymmetry. Her meticulously crafted pieces are meant to be conversation starters. With a background in Industrial Design followed by a variety of courses at Alchimia Contemporary Jewellery School, Gabriela Sierra merges design and fashion to create unique sculptural jewelry. The brand seeks to reflect the spirit of the slowmade process (quality over quantity). Founded in 2021, Gabriela Sierra is committed to good design by focusing on quality materials and the revaluation of craftsmanship. Her work has been shown at different worldwide exhibitions: "Todo es Diseño" Queretaro, Mexico 2021 "The Fab" Milano Jewelry Week 2022 "Cluster Contemporary Jewelry", London 2022 "The Earring Show", Vancouver, Canada 2023 "Earrings Galore 2023 - 2024", United States   Additional Resources: Website Instagram Facebook Photos available on TheJewelryJourney.com Transcript: Expertly combining bold colors and shapes in her jewelry, it's clear that Gabriela Sierra has an eye for design. Beginning her career in furniture and packaging design, Gabriela made her lifelong dream of becoming a jewelry maker come true in 2021, when she opened Gabriela Sierra Jewelry. She joined the Jewelry Journey Podcast to talk about how her upbringing in Mexico and her current home in Montreal influence her work; why her business follows “slow made” principles; and how she became more confident about calling herself a jewelry designer. Read the episode transcript here.   Welcome to the Jewelry Journey, exploring the hidden world of art around you. Because every piece of art has a story, and jewelry is no exception. Sharon: Hello, everyone. Welcome to the Jewelry Journey Podcast. This is the second part of a two-part episode. If you haven't heard part one, please head to TheJewelryJourney.com. Today, I'm talking with Gabriela Sierra of Gabriela Sierra Jewelry. Welcome back. So, everything might not be handcrafted, but you have chosen those individual stones to go together or the kind of stone to work with. For instance, will you choose a faceted stone to work with? Could you have a combination of a faceted stone with a cabochon with a smooth curve? Gabriela: Yes. I already have some designs before combining these different types of cuts. Yes, for sure. I'm not like, “I'm just going to work with cabochon and that's it.” No. I think t I'm open to work with different kinds of cuts. I like to work with cuts that are not the traditional ones. I just create new cuts and new cuts, and then as I mentioned, I make an order with my suppliers to have a sample to see if it really works, because in my mind everything works perfectly. I need to see the real thing physically, here with me in my hands, to see if everything is okay. Sharon: Do you go to the Tucson Show in Arizona to choose stones? Gabriela: No, I haven't had a chance to go. I see the videos and I see that all the jewelers I follow go there. I do wish to go there, but I just recently received my American visa. That was one of the reasons why I didn't go to the Tucson Show. But I would love to have the opportunity to go. Maybe next year. For sure, I want to go. Next year it's easier. Here in Montreal there's also a gem show, a smaller version. It was last year. I think it's here every year. I went there last year, and it was very good. Of course, to a new person it's just huge. There are a lot of suppliers from everywhere, from every part of the world, so I really wanted to go. Sharon: How do you decide if it's a good quality stone versus one that's not as good? Is it just by eye, or do you look through a loupe? Gabriela: I don't have a lot of knowledge. I'm not trained to really recognize if a stone is a very good quality stone. I think I just need to love the stone and see that it's without any breakage, it's not with a hole or some kind of damage. I need to love the stone, and it needs to be a good cut in my opinion. I'm not an expert gemologist, so I cannot tell if it's perfectly cut. I just need to see the stone and if it's love at first sight. If I love the stone, it's perfect. Sharon: Does it have to fit a certain bezel or do you make the bezel to fit the stone? Most of your gems seem to be bezel set. Gabriela: At the beginning, when I first chose the stones and then designed, yes, I based my design on the gemstone. I created the bezel around it. But after that, when I had a clear concept, I designed first and then chose the stone. When I order the stones, they need to be the size that I need because I cannot change the design. But yes, basically all my gemstones are with a bezel. Sharon: Do you have a studio outside your home, or a place inside your apartment or home where you design your jewelry? Gabriela: In Mexico, my studio is in my house in Querétaro. Querétaro is the city where I live. It's in my house. The first floor is all my studio. Now Samantha is working there. But now here in Montréal, last year, last October, I found a place that rents a space for jewelers. I'm a resident there and I work from there. I have all the necessary things because it's an atelier. The atelier is called Artéfact. A lot of jewelers from Montreal rent their space and work there to create their pieces. Sharon: Can you go any time, or do you have to sign up for certain times? Gabriela: No, because I'm a resident, I can go if I want to go. During the night I can go. Any time I want. They give classes there also, but it doesn't matter if they are giving classes. I can go whenever I want. In Montreal it's a little bit different. It's difficult to have a studio in your house or apartment. You need a permit because you're working with gas, with fire, with chemicals. It's different. In Mexico we don't need permits to have a gas tank in our house. Here it's a little bit different. Sharon: Do you ever get nervous working with fire and chemicals? Does that make you nervous? Gabriela: At the beginning, yes. Yes, of course. Because you're working with gas, if you're not careful enough, there could be an accident. Also, because my studio is in my house, I was worried at the beginning that I needed to be very careful because this is my house. My husband lives here. My stuff is here. So, yeah, I need to be careful. I was nervous at the beginning because I was working with fire. But you just need to follow the steps. That's it. If you work carefully and follow the precautions, you are good. Sharon: And you have a pet. Do they keep you company in the studio? Where do they keep you company? Gabriela: Yes, I have a dog. Her name is Jude Right now, she is in Mexico, but I will bring her here very soon because I miss her so much. She was the one reminding me every day, “Hey, Gabi, it's time to go home. I'm hungry. Let's go home.” Home for her was the second floor of our house. I miss her so much. It's more than love for me and for my husband. Sharon: Does she comfort you? If you're having a bad day with the stones, do you get comfort from her? Gabriela: Yes. I don't know what dogs have, but they know if you are feeling bad or you are sad or you are happy. They just know. She approaches every time I feel bad or sad, or I break a bezel or I break a gemstone. She knows. Also because I scream a lot and I'm saying bad words. Sharon: I want to talk to you a little bit about starting the business, deciding to start the business and keeping it going. You're newer in your making journey than some of the people I've talked to on the podcast. What made you decide that it was time to leave? Gabriela: Well, COVID hit, and I think for many people, it was a time to reflect, and I reflected and reevaluated my path. That was the moment that I decided to quit my job as a packaging specialist. It was hard. A lot of people called me crazy because it was a very difficult time, but I was so sure. I don't know what COVID had at that particular time but it gave me a signal or something that I wasn't in the right place. That particular time was hard, but it gave me the strength to start my jewelry business and start to set up my studio. During COVID, I took some classes to refresh the techniques that I had learned years before at Alchimia to start making jewelry. I learned a lot of techniques, but the years passed, and I needed a refresh. But it was hard. I'm not going to lie; it was really hard. Because I was new, I was scared. I was afraid of failure. In my mind, I was thinking, “Who is going to buy my jewelry? Who is going to like my jewelry? How will I pay all my bills.?” All those questions started to appear in my mind. You asked me a question about how I introduce myself, and I told you that I felt comfortable to say I was a jewelry maker a year ago. I had a lot of insecurity. I wasn't sure that I was a jewelry maker because I wasn't prepared in a jewelry school. I didn't have the proper school, I didn't have a proper education for being a jeweler. It was tough at the beginning, but then my work started to get noticed, to get exposed, and I had the opportunity to be in different exhibitions. I think the trust grew from there, and I feel more and more comfortable calling myself a jewelry maker now. Sharon: What is your distribution? How do people hear about you? Do people place orders at shows, or do you exhibit all over the world? Gabriela: Mainly my clients buy the pieces from my webpage. I also have my pieces in some stores in Mexico City. Right now, I have some of my pieces in Vancouver in a gallery. For exhibitions, they could have been bought during the exhibitions, but the exhibition is just for a couple of days, and those exhibitions were one or two years ago. The other one was two years ago. The last one is actually right now. It's Earrings Galore. The last place this exhibition was in was Mexico City, actually. Before that, Earrings Galore was in New York City at New York City Jewelry Week. Sharon: You exhibited there. Do you have to go into galleries? Are you a salesperson? Are you the salesperson, or do you put the jewelry out and people can decide what they're doing? Gabriela: Well, I'm the one who gets all the customers' messages and everything, but in the exhibitions, I cannot go to every single one of them, so I just send the pieces and there's a person there in charge of showing the pieces and selling the pieces. Sharon: Do you ever have to go to galleries and sell your stuff? You mentioned these stores in Mexico City that have your things. Did you have to show it yourself? Did they see your pieces and like them beforehand without knowing you? How did it work? Gabriela: For example, that one in Mexico City, I couldn't be there because I was here in Montreal. So, they could go to the exhibition and see my pieces there and try them on, see if they like them or not, but I couldn't be there. I wish I could have, but I couldn't. I want to go and attend different expositions or craft fairs. I want to start doing those, probably next year or at the end of this year. Sharon: Who buys your jewelry? Who buys your earrings? Do men buy them for women? Do women buy them for themselves? Gabriela: My main customers are from the U.S., actually. And most of my customers, the majority are women. A few of them are men. Actually, they are the ones who message me first through my Instagram account and ask me, “My wife really likes these earrings. She's showing me these earrings, but I don't know if she is going to wear them. Can you tell me if they are too big or too heavy? Can you show me pictures or a video wearing them?” Sometimes I can do that because if you message me through my Instagram account, I'm the one who answers every single message. Maybe I can take a little bit long to answer back, but for sure you will get an answer. Sharon: You mentioned COVID. Did that affect taking classes? Were you doing it through Zoom? Did it affect your business? How did you do it? Gabriela: During COVID, yeah. Mexico had a lot of restrictions, but during COVID, I went to my friend's studio. She is an amazing jeweler also. She was giving classes to a small group of people. We were three people per class, with distance between each other. So, yes, we had the classes in person. I basically didn't sell during the first year of COVID because in that year I was still working in packaging. The second year of COVID, I was almost ready. My studio was almost ready. I just started to show my work on my Instagram account, but I had just 20 followers or something. It was just the beginning. I really can't tell you if COVID affected me as a brand because I was just beginning. Sharon: What kind of brand were you after? Give us some buzzwords about your brand. Are you high end? Are you for everyone? Tell us a little bit about your jewelry. Gabriela: Yes, of course. As I mentioned, I really like bold colors and shapes. I love to work with asymmetry and statement pieces. I love when my clients tell me that someone stopped and asked her, “I love your earrings! Where did you buy them?” I love them to be conversation starters. The main focus or the reason that I wake up every morning to make these pieces is to make people smile just looking at my pieces. I love to play with color. Bold colors, bold shapes, big earrings. Sharon: You consider your jewelry a conversation starter. Is the way that people hear about your earrings, let's say, by word of mouth? Tell us a little bit about that. Gabriela: At the beginning when I started, my first customers were people from my city in Querétaro because I started to pay for some announcements, just in my city or in Mexico City. I started first with friends and family, as a normal startup or business that just starts. Then the word spread a little bit. Then it was like, “My friend Blanca told me about you and I love her earrings. Can you show me your earrings?” At that particular time, I didn't have a web page. I just had my Instagram account. So, with WhatsApp, I would send them some pictures of the pieces that I had at that particular moment, some videos of me wearing them. Also, if they wanted, because it was COVID still, I'd invite them to my studio to see the earrings in person. Right now, because my journey started on Instagram, boutiques got in touch with me to ask for my pieces. Then the clients grew because I had pieces in Mexico City or in Guadalajara. Then I started to learn about a little bit of marketing, making advertisements on Instagram or Facebook to show my pieces to markets out there in the United States and Europe and Japan. It was amazing for me to see how Instagram helped me grow my business, to show my pieces in Japan or New Zealand or Europe. For me, it was amazing because I didn't think my pieces would go there and people from there were going to like my pieces. Sharon: I could see how that would be exciting. Well, we wish you the best and that your business keeps going. Thank you very much. Gabriela: Thank you so much, Sharon. Thank you so much for this opportunity and for your invitation. I really appreciate it. We will have photos posted on the website. Please head to TheJewelryJourney.com to check them out. Thank you again for listening. Please leave us a rating and review so we can help others start their own jewelry journey.

What you'll learn in this episode: How Gabriela produces jewelry in Mexico, manages her business from Montreal, and sells her jewelry worldwide. Gabriela's favorite stone to work with, and how she chooses and sources gems for her colorful jewelry. How moving from Mexico to Canada (and experiencing seasons for the first time) influenced Gabriela's work. What it means for jewelry to be slow made. Why COVID prompted Gabriela to transition from packaging design to jewelry design, and how she overcame her hesitation to call herself a jewelry maker. About Gabriela Sierra Gaby, designer and creator of Gabriela Sierra jewelry, is anything but a minimalist. Unafraid of color, she plays with bold shapes, textures and asymmetry. Her meticulously crafted pieces are meant to be conversation starters. With a background in Industrial Design followed by a variety of courses at Alchimia Contemporary Jewellery School, Gabriela Sierra merges design and fashion to create unique sculptural jewelry. The brand seeks to reflect the spirit of the slowmade process (quality over quantity). Founded in 2021, Gabriela Sierra is committed to good design by focusing on quality materials and the revaluation of craftsmanship. Her work has been shown at different worldwide exhibitions: "Todo es Diseño" Queretaro, Mexico 2021 "The Fab" Milano Jewelry Week 2022 "Cluster Contemporary Jewelry", London 2022 "The Earring Show", Vancouver, Canada 2023 "Earrings Galore 2023 - 2024", United States   Additional Resources: Website Instagram Facebook Photos available on TheJewelryJourney.com Transcript: Expertly combining bold colors and shapes in her jewelry, it's clear that Gabriela Sierra has an eye for design. Beginning her career in furniture and packaging design, Gabriela made her lifelong dream of becoming a jewelry maker come true in 2021, when she opened Gabriela Sierra Jewelry. She joined the Jewelry Journey Podcast to talk about how her upbringing in Mexico and her current home in Montreal influence her work; why her business follows “slow made” principles; and how she became more confident about calling herself a jewelry designer. Read the episode transcript here. Sharon: Hello, everyone. Welcome to the Jewelry Journey Podcast. This is the first part of a two-part episode. Please make sure you subscribe so you can hear part two as soon as it's released later this week. Today, I'm talking with Gabriela Sierra of Gabriela Sierra Jewelry. Her Mexican heritage shines through because of the bold colors in her jewelry. You will immediately see that when you look at her jewelry. I'm talking to her today, and she's in Canada, where she travels. She specializes in earrings. She uses recycled silver, and the stones she uses come from small, independent mines or mines that are located in Mexico. She believes in slow made. Her jewelry is meticulously crafted, and she does not have any inventory on hand. Almost everything is made to order at somebody's request. Today, Gabriela will tell us about her business and how it works. Gabriela, welcome to the program. Gabriela: I'm so excited to be here, Sharon. Thank you so much for inviting me. Sharon: Can you tell us how you decided on jewelry as a profession? Gabriela: Yes, sure. Well, I have always been drawn to jewelry since I was a kid. I was influenced by my mom and my grandmother. I remember her presence was always announced by the clicking of her bangles and her bold earrings. I studied industrial design, and during university I took a jewelry class. That experience started everything, just initiated my passion. Basically, it started from that. I knew at that particular moment that I needed to find further training, so after I finished university, I took a four-month course at Alchimia Contemporary Jewelry School. I had an amazing time there, and also the teachers were absolutely wonderful. However, it took me some time to find the courage to start my own brand, which I did eventually, after eight years. Now I'm here. Sharon: So, you studied industrial design before? Gabriela: Yeah. Sharon: Your passion for jewelry must have been underlying, and the industrial design really brought it out. So, after eight years, you decided to start your own brand. During most of that time, were you making different kinds of jewelry? Gabriela: No, actually, when I came back to Mexico after taking the course at Alchimia, I was so afraid of failure. That's why I didn't start my own brand at that particular time. In my mind, it was better to find a normal job. So, during those eight years, I worked as a designer for furniture. I also specialized as a packaging engineer or packaging specialist. Basically, I wasn't working in jewelry those eight years. Sharon: But you were working in design, right? Gabriela: Yeah. Sharon: Did your background help you in all of this? Does industrial design help? Gabriela: Yes, of course. I think yeah, absolutely. Since the first job that I had, designing furniture, I actually like all the stripped elements. I take a lot of influence and ideas from what I see outside. You can actually see a few of my designs being an idea of a light bulb, for example. I think it helped a lot. Also talking about packaging, especially the job that I had, it helped me a lot to understand a little bit of marketing and, of course, packaging. It gave me a big picture to understand a little bit more, not just the design part, but everything else, all the different areas involving the launch of a product. Sharon: I'm sure you do a whole range of jewelry, but right now you seem to focus more on earrings. Is that true? And, if so, why? Gabriela: Right now, yes, my main focus is on earrings. A month ago I started creating rings, a series of rings. But yes, I love earrings and my main focus is earrings. Why? The earrings are easier—not to create, but rings need to be sized. For me and in my experience, it's easier to make earrings for everyone. Rings need to be sized, so it's not for everyone. Sharon: Do you think you'll stick with earrings? Do you think you'll branch out from earrings to other things or stick with earrings? Gabriela: No, I think I will start creating other things later on. Right now, I will create the series of rings. After that, I will probably start with some necklaces. But for sure, I will start doing things differently. I'm from Mexico, but right now, I've been living in Montreal since last August. I came from another country and I'm learning about the culture here. Also, because I'm an atelier, I'm opening a new studio here in Montreal. I'm getting to know new artists and learning about them and their techniques. I think that travel helps a lot to create new things, just absorbing everything. So, I'm sure I'm going to create different things in the future, not just the earrings. Sharon: Do you have ideas that you think about when you travel or see when you're in Montreal? Does it give you ideas for different kinds of jewelry? Gabriela: Yes, actually, my rings. I have made just three of them. I want to make 10. The concept behind the rings is winter. This is the first winter that I spent here in Montreal. What's beautiful is that it was the first time I saw snow. For me, it was beautiful. It was a big change. And it wasn't just beautiful, it was also very hard. I wanted to encapsulate this snow in these rings. They are quartz. They're carbon quartz, but the inside is similar to snow. What I wanted to create there was the idea of encapsulating snow, encapsulating that particular moment that I saw the snow on the street. They are big, they are bold. Yeah, they're big. Sharon: Do you like the snow? Can you find it in Mexico, like in the mountains or somewhere? Gabriela: Yes, you can find snow in Mexico, probably in the mountains or in the north of Mexico, like very close to the United States. But it's not like here. The winter in Montreal is very tough. I think once we were -16 Celsius, so it's very hard. Sharon: Why do you manufacture in Mexico? I assume it's less expensive to manufacture there. Gabriela: Well, my studio remains in Querétaro. My partner, Samantha, is in charge of making the pieces that can be replicated there. I'm the one in charge of overseas, making sure everything runs smoothly in Querétaro. Here, I work and make the one-of-a-kind pieces. Basically, most of the pieces are shipped from Querétaro. The silver is from Mexico. Most of the stones are from Mexico also. The pieces that I make here, most of the stones are from here or the United States. These particular pieces are shipped from here because I made them here. Sharon: How do you decide which stones in which colors? You seem to flip, using the same color but a different combination, and some are totally different. Gabriela: I think at the beginning when I didn't have a clear concept, I let the stones guide me through the combinations of the pieces. But after that, now that I have a clearer concept, I design first and then I pick the gemstones. Mexico is a country with a lot of gemstones, so I have a wide variety to choose from. I didn't have any problem finding beautiful gemstones there. But yeah, at the beginning, the stones basically guided me. I designed pieces based on the stone and the shape of the stone, then I created the pieces. Now, I've had more time designing and creating jewelry, so I first create the design and then decide which stone will be better with the design and the concept. Sharon: When you say the stones guided you, do the stones ever talk to you and tell you what they should be or what they should be combined with? Gabriela: Yes, absolutely. It's funny, but yes. It is something that I used to say. “The earnings are like this this because they told me they needed to be combined with this stone in this particular shape in this particular order.” Yeah, the stones talk to me a lot. It was more at the beginning, but now they just say, “Okay, I like your design, so yes, we can go together.” Sharon: Do they ever say, “No, that's not right,” or “I don't like this”? Gabriela: Yes, they do. For example, I first design a piece. Then I send the drawing to my supplier or different suppliers. I receive a sample, and then I see it with the silver, and I try them and finish that prototype. I need to see if they are good together, and sometimes it's just not right. It feels not right. Maybe those stones don't want to be next to the silver or this particular stone. I don't know. But yeah, totally. Sharon: So you use different suppliers for stones? Gabriela: Yes. In Mexico, as I previously said, we have a lot of options, and I have great connections with local suppliers here. The first one, the main one was Don Guille he was the first lapidary that I worked with. Sharon: I'm sorry; is that a company name or a person's name? Gabriela: I'm sorry. I called him by his nickname. His name is Guillermo. Sharon: Okay. That's where you got your first stones from? Gabriela: Yeah. He passed away, and now his son and grandsons continue his craft. I also have other suppliers in San Miguel. I also have one from India, Naseem. I also get some gemstones from India. Those three are my main suppliers. Now I'm here in Montreal and I am finding new ones because I prefer to work with the stones that are close to me in Canada. I also have a lot of gemstones in the United States. Sharon: Do you have a favorite stone? Gabriela: Yes, I have one. I don't know if you know this gemstone. The name of this gemstone is cotton candy agate. This particular gemstone is from Mexico. I love the color of this gemstone because it reminds me of a cherry blossom. It's a very soft pastel pink. That is my favorite gemstone, but I love all types of jaspers. I love gemstones with a lot of personality and different patterns and different colors. Actually, the first one that I mentioned, the cotton candy agate, most of my first designs and pieces were with this gemstone. I created a collection with this one. Sharon: You use a lot of silver. Have you ever used a different metal? Gabriela: No. All my pieces are made with silver until last week, because I finished a ring and I incorporated copper. But that's the only piece that I incorporated copper. I'm just experimenting to see how it looks, how I work with this new material, because I hadn't worked with copper before. Mainly all the pieces that you see on my webpage are with silver, 10.50 silver. Sharon: Going back to the cotton candy stone, the pale pink stone, tell us about working with something like that. Is it easier to work with? Gabriela: That particular gemstone is easy to work with. The only difficult thing is that it's not easy to find. It's from Mexico, but it's not easy to find that particular gemstone. That's why I have a few gemstones and that particular agate, but I'm saving them for the future because I haven't found more of this gemstone. Sharon: Do you get other stones or other pink stones? Is Mexico the only place that you can find them? Can you find them in the United States or in Canada also?   Gabriela: Yes, you can find it in the United States, but they are from Mexico. There are suppliers that bought this particular item from Mexico. But yes, you can find it in the United States on Etsy or Facebook, Instagram, different suppliers. But this particular gemstone is from Mexico and that's it. You're not going to find it anywhere else. Sharon: Wow. So, they sell it to people in the States here. You're in Canada right now. Do you have any idea where you'll settle with your jewelry? Will you continue to work in Canada or move again? Gabriela: Right now, I'm in Canada because my husband is studying a master's here. Our idea or the main objective is to stay here in Canada. We love this city, Montreal. We have been here every year since four years ago. We love the culture, we love the weather, we love all the activities that are here. The main thing that we love here is that we can see the difference between seasons. In Mexico, it's not that easy to see the difference between seasons. Mexico has very good weather. I'm not saying that. It's just that you can't differentiate between seasons, because mainly the entire year is the same temperature. It doesn't change a lot. But yeah, we want to stay here. We'll see. I hope we can stay here. Sharon: As the seasons change the way you mentioned it, do they influence the stones? Do you make different kinds of jewelry in winter than in summer? Gabriela: Yes, for sure. Right now, I haven't created new collections here because I just recently found a studio to work. I found it last October. I started to create collections a year ago when I was in Mexico, and I created three because of the change of seasons. Depending on the seasons, I try to look for particular colors of the gemstones. Maybe because it's summer, I'm looking for more vibrant colors. In autumn it's more earth colors. Also, when it's winter in Mexico, I try to make smaller earrings instead of bigger because during winter you are wearing scarves. In my mind it's easier to wear smaller ones than big ones during winter. Sharon: How do you introduce yourself? Do you introduce yourself as a jewelry designer? How do you describe yourself? Gabriela: I always introduce myself as a jewelry maker, even though I also think I'm a jewelry designer. I think they go hand in hand. I think recently, in the last year and a half, I felt comfortable introducing myself as a jewelry designer. Sharon: Jewelry designer, okay. What do you consider a collection? Is it the colors? Is it a number of pieces? What is a collection made of? Gabriela: The collection that I created last year was my first one. So, for me, collection was a seasonal collection. I try to focus on the seasonal relevance at that particular time. I was inspired by the things during that particular season. For example, the one I created during summer was the candy collection. I created a collection of earrings resembling candies because they had vibrant colors, big statement earrings. Sharon: When do you make those? It must be hard in winter to be thinking about summer jewelry, or in summer to be thinking about winter jewelry. That's when you're making the collection, right? Not in the season, but before the season. Gabriela: Yeah, a little bit before. Just a little bit. I will admit that I'm not super organized. Sometimes I start making the rings or the collections just a couple of weeks before, so I'm seeing them in the middle of the season. Sharon: So, it's right before. What are you designing now? What colors are you thinking about now as spring is going into summer? I don't know how it is in Montreal, but here it's really spring. If it started snowing, would you think of different colors? If you're already working on the spring collection and suddenly it starts snowing, for instance. Gabriela: I'm a little bit behind, actually. I haven't finished the series of rings that I mentioned before, and for those rings the concept is winter. Right now I'm working with those. But at the same time in Mexico, Samantha is working on a collection for the web page with pieces that can be replicated. She's working with bold colors because spring is coming. We're working on new designs. Actually, this week, she is making some prototypes that I just made. I need to see them and approve them in order to continue with the real production for these pieces. But they're going to be with bold colors. We are both working with glass and some jaspers, and also with carbon quartz. Sharon: This is for production, but what were you describing by saying that you don't have a lot of inventory? That it's one of a kind? Gabriela: Well, we don't have a lot of inventory. The pieces that you see on our website are the pieces that we have in stock, and that's it. But those pieces that are not part of the one of a kind section, we can replicate them. The ones you are seeing on our web page are the ones we have available at the moment. If a client buys this piece right now, I need to make a new one in order to sell this new piece. Sharon: Do you ever reject a prototype and say, “I decided I don't want green. I want red in it”? You reject the prototype, you're saying yes. Gabriela: Yeah. If I don't like it, yes, of course. I just reject it and try again. I iterate a lot until I find the right combination, the right size, the right color, everything. Sharon: What do you mean by slow made? I've heard the term, but how do you define it? Gabriela: For me, slow made is quality over quantity. It's attention to detail. Pieces are made to order, as I mentioned before. We don't carry excessive inventory. We take our time to create each piece and to see that every piece is made at the right quality. Everything needs to be on point.   We will have photos posted on the website. Please head to TheJewelryJourney.com to check them out. Thank you again for listening. Please leave us a rating and review so we can help others start their own jewelry journey.  

Send us a Text Message.Michael sits down with the two minds behind Jeweler's Advantage, the AI Powered tool designed to help elevate  jewelry stores to new heights. Their tool, AI CoPilot helps stores reach new markets, build a stronger brand, and, most excitingly, concept new custom jewelry designs in seconds rather than days.With the emerging tools that are AI driven, this conversation is an interesting check-in on where the current standings are, as well as a teaser of the innovation that is soon to come.Learn about Jeweler's Advantage: https://jewelersadvantage.com/Learn more about our sponsor Podium: https://www.podium.com/loupe/ Send feedback or learn more about the podcast: punchmark.com/loupe Learn about Punchmark's website platform: punchmark.com

In today's episode, we dive in all things (Michigan plus) custom jewelry design with Emily Prchlik. In addition to getting her top recommendations for best restaurants in Metro Detroit and Michigan travel destinations, we hear about her journey to becoming a all-star business owner. Watch this episode on YouTube here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oibvaI-fidk Join My Michigan Online Communities TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@ryanredoute⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/ryanredoute/

Kevin Jack, the creator behind Jack Custom Jewelry on social media, is known for his mesmerizing time-lapse social media showcases. From snowflake ring designs to dragons that will wrap themselves around your finger, Kevin's designs in CAD are inspiring.Mike spoke with Kevin to learn about how he got his start in custom jewelry design, his advice for others trying to learn CAD, and common pitfalls jewelry designers might encounter when designing jewelry to be worn.Follow Jack Custom Jewelry online:Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKazCiRiA0JK1gGEeUtHC6wInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/jackcustomjewelry/Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jackcustomjewelry?_t=8l2VbB5f1Rf&_r=1 Send feedback or learn more about the podcast: punchmark.com/loupe Learn about Punchmark's website platform: punchmark.com

Stephanie Trinh owns a social media marketing agency and the jewelry brand Crowned by Stephanie. The episode delves into how artificial intelligence (AI) has facilitated rapid learning and efficiency in managing tasks across various industries, particularly highlighting its benefits in social media marketing and entrepreneurship.Stephanie shares her journey from starting as a freelancer after working in advertising agencies to eventually hiring contractors to support her growing business, which thrives on referrals. Her ventures into entrepreneurship are highlighted by the creation of her jewelry brand, spurred by a desire to prove her capabilities after being turned down for a job due to a lack of experience. Despite initial challenges, including navigating the complexities of sourcing and pricing, her perseverance paid off with a successful launch and a significant sale at San Diego Startup Week. The COVID-19 pandemic triggered a surge in her social media business, momentarily sidelining her jewelry venture until a resurgence driven by a Lunar New Year collection went viral, thanks to social media exposure.Throughout the conversation, AI's benefits in enhancing productivity and creativity are underscored, with tools like Jasper.ai and ChatGPT playing a crucial role in content creation and summarization tasks. The discussion extends to AI's implications in the broader context of marketing and content generation, including potential applications in blogging, podcasting, and video content creation.Stephanie's narrative of transitioning from employment to entrepreneurship reflects broader themes of resilience, innovation, and the evolving landscape of digital marketing and e-commerce. Her story encapsulates the challenges and triumphs of pursuing one's passions in the face of adversity, leveraging technology to carve out a niche in competitive industries.https://crownedbystephanie.com/https://x.com/stephanieannfitSupport the show

Customer involvement in designing jewelry is a growing trend in the jewelry business. Independent jewelry stores offer a range of options, from changing metals and gemstones to adding unique touches. However, there's a crucial balance between personalization and potentially compromising the integrity of the original design when people who don't know what they're doing want to get their hands dirty and help create a personal version of something they like.  While we'll focus mainly on engagement rings, these principles apply to all custom jewelry projects. It's important to recognize that jewelry design is a nuanced craft that demands expertise. Just because you excel in one area doesn't automatically translate to designing jewelry. It's tempting to assume that with countless designs available, any choice will suffice. However, not all designs are created equal. Some may not stand the test of time or wear well. Fine jewelry is an investment, and it's essential to ensure it endures both in style and quality. Jewelry designers dedicate their careers to mastering their craft. They're experts in working with precious materials to create pieces that are both visually stunning and durable. While you can collaborate with designers and brands to customize existing designs, there's a line that, when crossed, risks compromising the final product. This phenomenon isn't unique to jewelry; professionals in various fields encounter similar challenges. As a client, it's exciting to contribute to the design process, but it's crucial to know when to defer to the experts. Remember, being the boss means trusting your team to do what they do best. If you're considering customizing a piece, be mindful of expert advice. When they gently advise against a certain change, it's probably a good idea to listen to them.  Their experience will guide you towards a design that stands the test of time, and will be cherished for a lifetime. While your ideas hold value, sometimes it's best to let seasoned professionals make the final call.  If you'd like help finding a jeweler closer to home, email me at andy@buylikeaguy.com and I'll do my best to put you in touch with some of the best jewelers on earth. Music credits: Preacher Man by Miles Neilson and The Rusted Hearts, used with permission. A killer band with original songs that get stuck in your head.  They're awesome. Listen To Preacher Man on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/7ImcaJKIk0ZVtPzuUVV4vc?si=80581c74a9be4987 Note: This episode was originally published in September, 2023.

Ilaura Longley is a born and raised Alaskan entrepreneur who owns several businesses that are all deeply rooted in her upbringing. Born and raised on a gold mine in Fairbanks, Ilaura and her sister Jordan started their own gold-panning business, the aptly named Gold Daughters, a decade ago. Since 2014, hundreds of thousands of tourists and locals alike have visited Gold Daughters, where they're taught the fine art of gold panning, using soil brought in from the gold-rich family land. Gold Daughters opens every Memorial Day and closes its doors in mid-September when the ground starts to freeze and winter takes over the interior.  In the winter months, Ilaura returns to her work bench in Jacksonville, Florida, loaded with gold nuggets and shards of woolly mammoth ivory she collected from her family's mining claims. After taking an apprenticeship with a jeweler and studying the fine art of jewelry making, she came out with her own line under her name, Ilaura Longley. Her unique designs have captured the attention of jewelry lovers and celebrities alike. Her beautifully handcrafted pieces typically sell out within minutes when she opens her bi/weekly drops. Ilaura has cornered the market on mammoth ivory and gold luxury pieces. Prior to opening Gold Daughters and pursuing Jewelry Design, Ilaura was a collegiate athlete competing in Division one softball at the University of South Florida. It's also where she met her husband Drew Longley, who was a catcher at USF and then the Detroit Tigers. Ilaura and Drew balance entrepreneurial duties while parenting their ten month old son, Jules. His first words were, “I found a gold nugget mommy, would it be okay to stick it up my nose?” He's well on his way to becoming the youngest D-11 driver in the world. @ilauralongley @theboneyardalaska @golddaughters Watch on YouTube: https://bit.ly/3opNURn  PATREON: patreon.com/brassandunity  - - - - - - - - - - - - SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS H.V.M.N - 20% off with code BRASS20 - https://hvmn.com/pages/home Mindful Meds - 15% off with code BRASS - https://mindfulmeds.io Brass & Unity - 20% off with code UNITY - http://brassandunity.com  Three Horses Hat Co - 15% off with code BRASS - ⁠https://threehorseshatco.com/⁠ Combat Flip Flops - 25% off with code UNITY - https://combatflipflops.com - - - - - - - - - - - - - SHOP B&U Jewelry & Eyewear: https://brassandunity.com  - - - - - - - - - - - - - Follow #brassandunity - - - - - - - - - - - - - CHARITY Honour House - https://www.honourhouse.ca Vet Solutions - https://vetsolutions.org  Heroic Hearts - https://www.heroicheartsproject.org Warrior Angels Foundation - https://warriorangelsfoundation.org All Secure Foundation - http://allsecurefoundation.org Defenders of Freedom -https://www.defendersoffreedom.us The Boot Campaign - https://bootcampaign.org

Step into the sparkling world of Tiffany & Co. with Sara Schoenlank, a Jewelry Designer on the High Jewelry team. High Jewelry is characterized as being the crème de la crème in the luxury world, using the most perfect precious stones possible and pushing the art of jewelry to new heights at every turn.Our conversation with Sara is a journey through her personal evolution from art school, interning in Italy under a master goldsmith, to now designing in the high jewelry space. She shares details of her intricate design process, sharing the delicate balance between imagination and craftsmanship that is poured into every necklace and brooch — creations that eventually grace the world's most glamorous red carpets and runways. Peek inside the sparkling world of Tiffany & Co's 2023 Blue Book collection where Sara reveals the inspiration behind the enchanting "Sea Anemone" kinetic pieces and the "Pisces brooch" that are redefining modern elegance. Most importantly, she imparts invaluable wisdom for budding designers on how to nurture creativity in the digital era. More from Sara: https://www.saraschoenlank.com/https://www.instagram.com/saraschoenlankjewelry/ Send feedback or learn more about the podcast: punchmark.com/loupe Learn about Punchmark's website platform: punchmark.com

Can you still show up, sparkling in the face of adversity? Picture this: living in a homeless shelter, and still, your mother tells you to put on your sparkling earrings because YOU decide who gets to show up today. Do you let the darkness of your circumstances impact your destiny? Or do you rise above? It is my honor to deliver this encore episode with Valencia Key Jewelry founder, Lia Valencia Key, as we celebrate Black History Month and the female black-owned businesses who shine their light of possibility to people everywhere. Lia shares her incredible journey from homelessness to becoming a successful jewelry designer and QVC mogul. Lia discusses the influence of her mother's words and her philosophy of choosing joy and radiating light, which is reflected in her jewelry designs. She talks about the importance of gratitude, perseverance, and self-leadership, as well as the role of mentors and a supportive community in her success. Lia also touches on her beliefs about wealth, the power of fear, and her commitment to emotional well-being and compassion in her work and life. About Lia Valencia Key, CEO of Valencia Key Jewelry Raised in an impoverished Philadelphia neighborhood, Lia Valencia Key lived in a homeless shelter with her mother, sister, and brother in a room she describes as the size of a broom closet. “My mom told me my predicament did not determine my destiny. She believed I had a light inside that I should never let dim. She encouraged me to never leave the house without wearing my sparkling earrings because they would serve as reminders of the light within me.” Lia went on to rise above her challenges and attained a master's degree, became a licensed cosmetologist and stylist. “I learned that all dreams are possible, and my mother's words inspired me to choose joy and radiate my light.” Those keys to happiness are the messages she spreads through Valencia Key Jewelry today. The mission of Valencia Key Jewelry is for all wearers to not only choose joy and light but to also shine and reflect that light outwardly, as to positively affect all of those around them. A resonating message of Valencia Key Jewelry is “If I can, you can.” The ethos of the brand is a stylized key, meant to represent the philosophy that Joy and gratitude are the keys to happiness. It is the center of the design and life philosophy. Lia reaches back to where she comes from going to women's homeless shelters and educating on the Key to Light -how to rise out of rough environments. VALENCIA KEY Jewelry's Light has just been recognized as winning QVC'S BIG FIND competition which launched on QVC Feb 24, 2020. And it was recently on the list of Oprah's Favorite Things. WEBSITE: https://valenciakey.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/liavalenciakey Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/valenciakeydesign/ GRAB LIA'S JEWLERY ON QVC: https://www.qvc.com/jewelry/valencia-key/_/N-mfluZ1jj98lz/c.html What You'll Learn in this Episode: Lia Valencia Key's inspiring journey from homelessness to becoming a successful jewelry designer and QVC mogul The symbolism of joy and light in Lia's jewelry line Overcoming challenges and the keys to success Lia's journey to QVC and the importance of support and determination Lia's evolving beliefs about money and wealth The importance of self-leadership and daily self-development Channeling fear into a positive force The meticulous care and attention Liah puts into her jewelry Promoting emotional well-being for men Lia's message of spreading love, joy, and peace Links + Mentions: "Valencia Jewelry": [00:00:00] "QVC": [00:04:22] "Gratitude Bracelet": [00:14:10] "High Performance Experience": [00:25:36] Moments of Note: Kimberly Spencer's Introduction (00:00:00)Introduction to the episode, highlighting Lia Valencia Key's success and the focus on black-owned female businesses for Black History Month. Lia Valencia Key's Journey (00:03:06)Lia's inspiring story from homelessness to becoming a successful jewelry designer and QVC mogul, emphasizes her mother's influence and her mission with Valencia Key Jewelry. The Symbolism of Valencia Jewelry (00:04:22)The message and ethos behind Valencia Jewelry, including the empowering message of "if I can, you can," and the transformative journey from homelessness to QVC success. Lia's Inspiration for Jewelry Design (00:05:55)Lia's transition from cosmetology to jewelry design is driven by the symbolism of jewelry as a representation of inner light and confidence. The Keys to Happiness (00:09:08)Discussion of the powerful symbolism and impact of jewelry as a tangible symbol of joy, gratitude, and support, encouraging wearers to choose joy and radiate light. The Symbolism of the Key (00:11:05)The personal significance of the key symbol in Valencia Jewelry represents the choice to lead one's life and unlock one's inner light, as inspired by Lia's mother. Keys to Unlocking Greatness (00:14:10)The keys of gratitude, perseverance, and leading with purity as essential elements in unlocking one's potential and overcoming life's challenges. Vision and QVC Journey (00:20:07)Lia's vision and determination to join QVC, the power of visualizing and speaking one's dreams into existence, and the challenges and support leading up to her QVC debut. Lia's QVC Experience (00:25:05)Lia's emotional journey and the support she received leading up to her appearance on QVC, highlight the impact of connections and uplifting women in achieving success. Love and Support (00:25:38)Lia expresses gratitude for the love and support she received, allowing her to stand tall. Evolution of Beliefs (00:26:12)Lia discusses her evolving beliefs about money and society's demands, emphasizing her focus on giving and spreading joy. Finding Light (00:29:54)Lia shares the pivotal moment when she found her inner light, enabling her to lead her own life and radiate positivity. Leadership and Self-Reflection (00:31:28)Lia defines leadership as leading her own life and emphasizes self-reflection and finding joy and peace. Converting Fear into Power (00:33:33)Lia discusses the power of converting fear into a humble spirit and using fear as a catalyst for pursuing big dreams. Detail and Care in Work (00:37:46)Lia emphasizes the importance of pouring detail and care into her work, viewing it as a way to inspire and elevate lives. Emotional Touch in Jewelry (00:43:04)Lia highlights the emotional touch and heart connection she brings to men's jewelry, aiming to encourage men to be in touch with their emotions. Saying Yes to Opportunities (00:46:39)Lia encourages embracing opportunities with a "yes" mindset, emphasizing the power of exposure and learning from failures. Kingdom of Love and Support (00:48:25)Lia envisions her kingdom as a place of love, support, and inspiration, where everyone uplifts and inspires each other. Consciousness of Language (00:49:30)Lia discusses her conscious effort to avoid swearing and the influence of her grandmother and mother, highlighting her mindfulness in communication. Trading Places (00:50:25)Lia reflects on the woman she would want to trade places with for a day, expressing a deep sense of connection and respect for her grandmother and mother. Inspirational journey and lessons (00:50:31)Lia discusses learning from her journey, seeking help, and her message to live a joyful life. Crowning oneself (00:51:47)Lia shares her perspective on how she crowns herself and her mission to spread love and joy. Promoting her jewelry and social media (00:52:24)Lia provides information on where to find and support her jewelry and encourages following her on social media for inspiration and entertainment. Closing remarks and call to action (00:54:10)Kimberly encourages subscribing, sharing the podcast, and connecting on social media for more inspiration and impact. For more from Crown Yourself Podcast: Thank you so much for tuning in! Please leave a review on iTunes here so we can keep the magic coming your way. For more biz inspo + mindset tools, follow us on Instagram: @crownyourself.now Follow my mompreneur journey running 2 businesses with 2 boys: @kimberly.spencer Join the Facebook Group: Crown Yourself For more mindset, motivation, actionable strategies, and high-performance conscious leadership coaching check out: crownyourself.com

The award-winning architect Paola Amodeo returned to the show to talk about her latest and very exciting side business - jewelry design. Find out how she got into this line of work from an incident that happened 40 years ago, how her jewelry is so unique, how "adjacencies" and shapes appear to her when designing jewelry and her other services of repair and repurposing pieces and heirloom gems for customers. Also learn why she thinks architecture design so closely mirrors jewelry-making with one major difference which made it a perfect fit for her keen eye for design. Finally, hear first-hand why jewelry-making helps her de-stress and calm herself.

In this episode of the Pearls of Wisdom podcast, we are thrilled to introduce our special guest from North Carolina—Dan Levinson of Ellis Fine Jewelers.  Dan first shares the story of his family's legacy and the origin of the name “Ellis Jewelers.” They recently celebrated their 70th anniversary and marked the occasion with a store renovation to create a fresh and inviting space for their customers. One of the highlights of this episode is the discussion of a heartwarming initiative Dan and his team started. Learn about their inspiring jewelry design contest that has been running for over a decade. The contest is not just about jewelry but also about nurturing creativity and boosting the confidence of local students. You'll hear about the positive impact this initiative has had on the young participants and the community as a whole. Dan shares his unique perspective as a third-generation jeweler and his approach to letting his children choose their paths. The importance of following one's passion and finding happiness is a recurring theme in his life and his store's ethos. Not only that, we also talk about the challenges of competing with larger jewelry stores in the bustling city of Charlotte. Dan reveals the secret to their success: building strong customer relationships and providing a personalized experience many appreciate. With that, Dan shares the exciting developments in their downtown area that make it a vibrant and thriving community. Tune in now. Don't miss this chance to learn how this independent jeweler is making a meaningful connection to their community and the valuable lessons Dan Levinson shares about relationships and the pursuit of happiness in this industry.  Brought to you by: Southern Jewelry News: https://southernjewelrynews.com/ Jewelry Store Marketers: https://jewelrystoremarketers.com/ Learn more about the Pearls of Wisdom Jewelry Podcast https://southernjewelrynews.com/podcast Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform: • Apple Podcast = https://podcastsconnect.apple.com/my.-.. • Amazon Music/Audible = https://www.audible.com/pd/Pearls-of.-.. • iHeartRadio = https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-pe... • Spotify = https://open.spotify.com/show/6IU1OHw... • Google Podcast = https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0...

Our guest this week is Matthew Ego, CEO & Founder of the forward-thinking Guild and Facet, a renowned white label jewelry manufacturing company. He delves into the world of jewelry customization where Guild and Facet is making a mark, not necessarily through brand name, but through their commitment to exceptional customer service, incredible design, and commitment to leaning into burgeoning technologies.Matthew also recounts some of the most unforgettable custom jewelry projects that  Guild and Facet has undertaken, including a breathtaking 14.5 carat lab-grown heart-shaped diamond that was worked with recently. We round up the discussion by exploring the growing trend of customization in the manufacturing industry, providing a glimpse of how this trend impacts our everyday lives. Send feedback or learn more about the podcast: punchmark.com/loupeLearn about Punchmark's website platform: punchmark.com

In today's episode I'm chatting to Renata Cambauva, the creative force behind Hey Babe LA, her Modular Fine Jewelry Brand for the body and soul. From a graphic designer to a jewelry entrepreneur, Renata shares her empowering journey. The episode dives into her experiences of overcoming design theft, transitioning from a safe career to entrepreneurship, and the mindset shifts necessary for success. Discover the keys to building a jewelry business and community authentically, navigating challenges, and celebrating wins while embracing discomfort in your entrepreneurial journey.   Topics Discussed: Empowerment through jewelry, business and community Transitioning from a safe career into business Why it's better to regret something you HAVE done rather than something you haven't Problems and why you need to reframe them into challenges Victim mentality as business owners Looking for opportunities in business and how it accelerates growth Renata's designs being stolen and replicated on Ali-express, and how she navigated this Why businesses can copy your designs, underprice you, and still not get your customers Leaving your scarcity mindset behind Identifying what your customers value Building your community from a place of abundance How can you serve yourself and your community Why your words matter Building your business while embracing your authenticity Getting clear on your “why” for building your business Celebrating your wins & acknowledging what opportunities are working Why growth feels uncomfortable  Embracing discomfort in entrepreneurship Ready for growth? Then this invitation is for you...   If you're looking for my support on how to scale your jewelry business, join the Jewelry Business Academy. This is the most expansive and supportive container for jewelry business owners who want to scale to 6+ figures without burning out. You'll get my eyes on your business every single week, as well as lots of 1:1 support and will join a community of jewelry business owners all scaling their businesses together.   I've helped jewelry business owners from around the world, from those who are just starting out, to those making multiple six-figures, build solid foundations in their business, find clarity, implement systems and proven growth strategies, and hit big goals, and I want to help you do the same. Learn more here: jewelrybusinessacademy.ca   P.S. I love connecting with you on your entrepreneurial journey! Join me on Instagram: robynclarkcoaching   ______________   LINKS MENTIONED: Instagram: Heybabe.la Website: https://heybabe.la/   ______________

Customer involvement in designing jewelry is a growing trend in the jewelry business. Independent jewelry stores offer a range of options, from changing metals and gemstones to adding unique touches. However, there's a crucial balance between personalization and potentially compromising the integrity of the original design when people who don't know what they're doing want to get their hands dirty and help create a personal version of something they like.  While we'll focus mainly on engagement rings, these principles apply to all custom jewelry projects. It's important to recognize that jewelry design is a nuanced craft that demands expertise. Just because you excel in one area doesn't automatically translate to designing jewelry. It's tempting to assume that with countless designs available, any choice will suffice. However, not all designs are created equal. Some may not stand the test of time or wear well. Fine jewelry is an investment, and it's essential to ensure it endures both in style and quality. Jewelry designers dedicate their careers to mastering their craft. They're experts in working with precious materials to create pieces that are both visually stunning and durable. While you can collaborate with designers and brands to customize existing designs, there's a line that, when crossed, risks compromising the final product. This phenomenon isn't unique to jewelry; professionals in various fields encounter similar challenges. As a client, it's exciting to contribute to the design process, but it's crucial to know when to defer to the experts. Remember, being the boss means trusting your team to do what they do best. If you're considering customizing a piece, be mindful of expert advice. When they gently advise against a certain change, it's probably a good idea to listen to them.  Their experience will guide you towards a design that stands the test of time, and will be cherished for a lifetime. While your ideas hold value, sometimes it's best to let seasoned professionals make the final call.  If you'd like help finding a jeweler closer to home, email me at andy@buylikeaguy.com and I'll do my best to put you in touch with some of the best jewelers on earth. Music credits: Preacher Man by Miles Neilson and The Rusted Hearts, used with permission. A killer band with original songs that get stuck in your head.  They're awesome. Listen To Preacher Man on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/7ImcaJKIk0ZVtPzuUVV4vc?si=80581c74a9be4987 

Welcome to the Pearls of Wisdom Podcast. Today, we have a very special guest with us — the amazing John Atencio. When you think of amazing jewelry, John's name really stands out. He's been making stunning jewelry for over 50 years, including Gold fashion, Luxury Sterling Silver, Men's jewelry, Bridal Rings, Wedding bands, and his unique Signature collection. He's not just a designer; he's a visionary with an extraordinary story.  In this episode, we'll trace his roots, from early jewelry-making classes to his current status as a celebrated designer with seven stores, a wholesale channel, and a thriving e-commerce presence.  John tells the sweet story of his first ring — a symbol of love and the spark that ignited his creative voyage.  During our conversation, John emphasized the importance of adapting to changes in the jewelry industry. He shares important moments in his career, from entering the wholesale market to embracing digital marketing and e-commerce. His insights on staying true to your style while keeping up with trends are valuable for aspiring jewelry designers.  John also talks about how the jewelry industry has changed over time and stresses the importance of reaching out to customers through different methods and being aware of what different generations like.  For new jewelry designers, John's advice is simple: Learn the basics, practice a lot, and keep improving.  Come along on this exciting journey through John Atencio's amazing jewelry career, and discover the timeless wisdom that has sustained his success for over five decades.  Brought to you by: Southern Jewelry News: https://southernjewelrynews.com/ Jewelry Store Marketers: https://jewelrystoremarketers.com/ Learn more about the Pearls of Wisdom Jewelry Podcast https://southernjewelrynews.com/podcast Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform: • Apple Podcast = https://podcastsconnect.apple.com/my.-.. • Amazon Music/Audible = https://www.audible.com/pd/Pearls-of.-.. • iHeartRadio = https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-pe... • Spotify = https://open.spotify.com/show/6IU1OHw... • Google Podcast = https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0...  

Craig and Dean discuss the inspiring journey of Dean Davidson‘s jewelry brand, from its humble beginnings as a hobby to becoming a successful line carried by prestigious retailers like Holt Renfrew.They delve into the design process, materials used, and future plans, including the possibility of expanding into homeware. Dean shares insights into his demographic, awards, and the opening of his first physical store in Toronto.The interview reveals the brand's global distribution, carried by major names in the industry. They wrap up with Dean's vision for the future, focusing on further expansion and introducing homeware to their retail boutiques. Interviewed this episode:Dean Davidson, CEO / Creative Director at Dean DavidsonDean Davidson (website) Subscribe, Rate, and Review our Retail Insider Podcast!Follow Craig: LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/CraigPattersonTorontoInstagram: @craig_patterson_torontoTwitter: @RI_EIC Follow Retail Insider: LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/Retail-InsiderFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/RetailInsider/Twitter: @RetailInsider_Instagram: @Retail_Insider_Canada Listen & Subscribe:Apple PodcastsSpotifyOvercastStitcher Share your thoughts! Drop us a line at Craig@Retail-Insider.com. You can also rate us in Apple Podcasts or recommend us in Overcast to help more people discover the show! Background Music Credit: Hard Boiled Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

In this episode, we're going to explore the process of customizing an engagement ring, along with other pieces of custom jewelry, from start to finish. Some highlights worthy of note are... Defining Your Vision - Understand the importance of knowing what you want the ring or jewelry to look like. - Exploring various sources of inspiration, including online platforms and jewelry stores. - Emphasizing the role of communication in conveying your ideas to the jeweler. Finding the Right Jeweler - The significance of choosing an independent jeweler for custom work. - Importance of checking reviews and ensuring the jeweler specializes in custom designs. - The need to have a clear budget in mind before visiting the jeweler. The Customization Process - Scheduling an initial consultation with the jeweler to discuss your ideas. - Understanding the design phase, which might involve a CAD image or wax carving. - Being open to suggestions and expert advice from the jeweler. The Timeline for Custom Work - Factors affecting the timeline, such as design complexity and material availability. - Giving a safe estimate of four to eight weeks for the entire process. - Recommending starting early and planning for a few extra weeks as a buffer. Thanks for tuning in, and keep those questions coming!  If you'd like help finding a jeweler closer to home, email me at andy@buylikeaguy.com and I'll do my best to put you in touch with some of the best jewelers on earth. Music credits: Preacher Man by Miles Neilson and The Rusted Hearts, used with permission. A killer band with original songs that get stuck in your head.  They're awesome. Listen To Preacher Man on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/7ImcaJKIk0ZVtPzuUVV4vc?si=80581c74a9be4987 

Jeweler, entrepreneur and influencer Nick Noyes creates one-of-a-kind heirloom jewelry designs, favoring high-karat gold, a stunning spectrum of custom-cut colored gemstones and intricate hand engraving. After years of creating handcrafted wire-wrapped jewelry to sell on the music-festival circuit, Nick attended the New Approach School for Jewelers to further develop his craft, and his evolution continues. In this episode of For the Love of Jewelers, Nick joins host Courtney Gray for a candid discussion of his creative path, his journey from music-festival wild child to high-end custom jewelry artist, balancing work and parenthood, the role of sobriety in his personal and professional success and so much more!

About the ArtistEllen originally studied Jewelry Design and Metalsmithing at Texas Tech University, though she didn't always know that jewelry making would be her artistic calling. It wasn't until she worked under a jewelry designer in Portland that she fell in love with jewelry making and began a fascination and deep appreciation for the design process. With a background in painting and a career in jewelry design, Ellen Mote now enjoys practicing both crafts out of her studio in Waco, Texas. Her love for painting was reignited after stumbling across a purple weed growing out of a road in her neighborhood. Navigating a difficult season in her own life at the time, Ellen was moved by this picture of beauty rising out of an unlikely place. She picked the weed, brought it home, and used it to create the first of many paintings as she set old dreams in motion. Inspired by nature and designed with unexpected compositions, Ellen's paintings are crafted using cyanotypes, acrylic paint, and unprimed canvas. For every person who invites her art into their lives, Ellen hopes it reveals the everyday beauty all around them—because everyone is worthy of having beautiful things they love in their home.Ellen's art website Ellen's Jewelry website  Subscribe to the Art Biz Talk NewsletterApply to be a guest Ask a question for the show Become part of the community for professional visual artistsIf you're a late emerging or mid-career visual artist earning $5K or more a month and are ready to scale your studio practice, Art Biz Pro is the place for you. (Re) Emerging ArtistsStarting to build your full time studio practice and need a DIY guide with templates for your artist statement, Press Kit and pricing your art? Sounds like you need our Artist Starter Kit. CREDITSOriginal Music composed by Hillary Albrecht at Rhapsody on MarsArt Biz Talk is hosted by Andrea La Valleur-Purvis, Artist and Art Business Coach at Vivid Creative

Everyone is psychic! We are all born with gifts and abilities, but do not always recognize or accept them. Join host Joelle, The Viberarian, for a weekly conversation with people who have opened to their psychic gifts and abilities. Hear their fascinating stories and take a peek behind the veil. Special Guest: Manal Soudani Manal Soudani weaves her certified knowledge and international experience in Art, Interior Architectural Design, Graphic Design, Jewelry Design, Sculpturing, Photography, UI | UX Design, Design Thinking, Languages, Yoga, Reiki, Shamanic Studies, Mindful Mediation, Yoga Nidra, Energy Medicine, Feng Shui, Advanced Crystal Healing and Integral Sound Healing. Manal has a passion for serving the community and for extending a compassionate open heart for the love of mother earth, humanity & what is beyond this kingdom... Connect with Manal:https://manalsoudani.life/ The Psychic Inside Show airs on Tuesdays, at 8 p.m. ET, on The Viberary Radio Network. Stream live on your PC or mobile phone. Call (646) 787-8436 to listen,press #1 to join the conversation. My special guests will be taking your questions about their "psychic life".  The VIberary Radio Network Upcoming broadcast schedule. Join the #GoodVibeTribe and #GetLifted

Calling all Shopahoolics and Bright Shiny Object Lovers! This podcast is for YOU! What if you could transform your LOVE of pretty things and shopping into a thriving jewelry business?  When I first met my guest on the show today, Ulka Wilson of Ulka Rocks, she proudly announced that she was a shopaholic (even as she was collecting a lot of inventory behind the scenes).  Ulka is a graduate of our Train Your Customers to Buy From You Online Program which is open for enrollment. On today's episode of Thrive by Design, she shares how she has transformed her passion for shopping and designing for herself into a multi-6 figure business shopping and designing for others.  It's a unique business model and lots to learn from! Here's what we chat about during today's episode… Ulka's journey from corporate to retiring into her second career as a full time jewelry business owner How she's translated a love of shopping into a dream jewelry business model Her process for navigating multiple customers on a buying and designing trip Fun ways that she keeps up excitement for her brand with all the marketing tools available How she doubled her sales goal even when she was extremely sick on her last buying trip How she honed in a dream client and what that did for her business long term And more… Ulka is such a rockstar and was so fun to interview. Enjoy this episode! Finally, learn more about growing your online jewelry sales – and turn your bright shiny object, shopaholic syndrome into a thriving business.  Here are the resources mentioned in the show: Join the Train Your Customers to Buy Online Program Buy My Book: The Desired Brand Effect   Are you enjoying the podcast? We'd be so grateful if you gave us a rating and review! Your 5 star ratings help us reach more businesses like yours and allows us to continue to deliver valuable content every single week.    Click here to review the show on Apple podcast or your favorite platform Select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” Share your favorite insights and inspirations   If you haven't done so yet, make sure that you subscribe to the show wherever you listen to podcasts and on Apple Podcast for special bonus content you won't get elsewhere.   xo, Tracy Matthews   Follow on Instagram: Follow @Flourish_Thrive on Instagram Follow @TracyMatthewsNY  Instagram Follow Flourish & Thrive Facebook   Follow us on Tik Tok: Follow @Flourish_Thrive Tik Tok Follow @TracyMatthewsNY on Tik Tok  

Nicole is one half of a sister/sister duo that co-founded a high-end jewelry brand called Sorllina. Nicole and her sister Nicole grew up on the north shore of Long Island, NY, where they were raised with a deep appreciation for the arts and shared a love of design. After graduating with a Fine Arts degree from USC, Nicole studied Jewelry Design at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. Kim attended Tulane University for Art History and then relocated to Florence, Italy to continue her studies. Upon Kim's return to New York, the sisters decided to set the course for their future business. As an homage to their heritage, Kim and Nicole chose to name the collection Sorellina, the Italian word for ‘little sister.' Check out SORELLINA on Instagram or via their website. And if you're witchy like Heather and Nicole grab your own set of Heather's Manifestation Cards, Create Brave. Make sure to follow this podcast everywhere you find podcasts, leave a rating and a review, and slip into our Instagram DMs at @wasitchance. More about Heather via @vickeryandco on Instagram, @Braveheather on TikTok, and listen to The Brave Files More about Alan via @theatre_podcast on Instagram and listen to The Theatre Podcast with Alan Seales EPISODE TAKEAWAYS: Sometimes it's best not to know how difficult something will be. Knowing would hold you back - embrace opportunity when it's available. Nicole “loves fire” and that lead to her high-end jewelry business. Speaking directly to Heather's heart - Nicole and her sister never let fear guide their decisions. Sometimes your heart knows its calling from a very young age. Creativity manifests in so many different ways - stay open-minded. There must be joy! Seek it, chase it, embrace it! There were a lot of people, especially in the jewelry world, who looked down on us and didn't treat us with respect. But something just kept showing up and proving this was exactly where we were supposed to be. There's an amazing that comes from jewelry. Jewelry is the biggest proof that there's magic in the world. Gemstones are a beautiful metaphor for life and the human experience. They start out raw and need to be loved and nurtured to bring out their beauty.  Infuse abundant energy into all of your creative endeavors.  The more you go through in life, the more you see your own strength and live into possibility. “I believe in having a positive attitude that I can get through anything because I've done it before.” Don't just wait for life to show up. There's no power in that. Take intentional action but be flexible and shift when the time is right.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nada Ghazal (@NadaGhazalJewelry) is a jewellery designer and entrepreneur based in Beirut, Lebanon. In this episode of Out of the Clouds,  she shares the story of her relationship with design and creativity with host Anne Muhlethaler. Growing up, Nada shares that she was always fascinated by adorning herself, and while she spent a lot of time painting, she was also making her own jewellery and shoes with the help of local artisans. Even back then, she remembers that her desire was to create objects that would connect her to other people. Nada tells how she landed in graphic design since there weren't any jewellery or fashion courses in Beirut at the time, and which tilted her career towards advertising, giving her resources to start her own brand. Nada recalls how she quit her fancy agency job in Dubai on her 30th birthday, in order not to start her company ‘too late.'The talented creative explains how her vision was to develop an individualistic line, that would be timeless but with jewellery that can be worn day to night — not be left in a safe. And from the start, Nada wanted to have the atelier under the same roof as the rest of the team. Having lived through war and, more recently, survived the terrifying blast that destroyed part of the Lebanese capital, Nada movingly recounts how she strives to translate her experiences into her pieces, even turning a painful feeling into something beautiful. She also talks eloquently about her deep connection to her city, her muse, which she feels has a soul or a spirit all of its own and what inspires her and gives her the courage to get back on her feet, rebuild and start again. The two finish by discussing Nada's wellness and grounding rituals, which include a regular breathing practice in the morning, and her favorite guided meditations. A moving and inspiring interview. Happy listening! ***You can find Nada Ghazal on her website : https://www.nadaghazal.com/en/homeOn Instagram https://www.instagram.com/nadaghazaljewelry/On TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@nadaghazaljewelryOn Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/NadaGhazalJewelryOn Pinterest -  https://www.pinterest.ch/NadaGhazalJewelry/On Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/user/NadaGJewelryAnd finally on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/nadaghazaljewelry/The meditation teacher Sally Kempton - https://www.sallykempton.com/Imagine by John Lennon - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOgFZfRVawwThe book 'Many Lives, Many Masters by Brian L Weiss - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34452.Many_Lives_Many_Masters*** If you enjoyed this episode, click subscribe for more, and consider writing a review of the show on Apple Podcasts, we really appreciate your support and feedback. And thank you  so much for listening! For all notes and transcripts, please visit Out Of The Clouds on Simplecast - https://out-of-the-clouds.simplecast.com/  Sign up for Anne's email newsletter for more from Out of the Clouds at https://annevmuhlethaler.com. Follow Anne: Twitter: @annvi  IG: @_outoftheclouds  

What you'll learn in this episode: Why designing a bracelet is the same as designing a bridge Why jewelry has its own design language, separate from the language of fine art or craft How Warren learned about the engineering of jewelry making by doing repairs Why the architecture of a piece of jewelry is as important as its visual design Warren's tips for creating beaded jewelry that will withstand the stress of movement About Warren Feld For Warren Feld, beading and jewelry making endeavors have been wonderful adventures. These adventures over the past 32 years have taken Warren from the basics of bead stringing and bead weaving, to wire working and silver smithing, and onward to more complex jewelry designs which build on the strengths of a full range of technical skills and experiences. He, along with his partner Jayden Alfre Jones, opened a small bead shop in downtown Nashville, Tennessee, about 30 years ago, called Land of Odds. Over time, Land of Odds evolved into a successful internet business. In the late 1990s, Jayden and Warren opened another brick-and-mortar bead store – Be Dazzled Beads – in a trendy neighborhood of Nashville. Together both businesses supply beaders and jewelry artists with all the supplies and parts they need to make beautiful pieces of wearable art. In 2000, Warren founded The Center For Beadwork & Jewelry Arts (CBJA). CBJA is an educational program, associated with Be Dazzled Beads, for beaders and jewelry makers. The program approaches education from a design perspective. There is a strong focus on skills development, showing students how to make better choices when selecting beads, parts and stringing materials, and teaching them how to bring these together into a beautiful, yet functional, piece of jewelry. Warren is the author of two books, “So You Want to Be a Jewelry Designer: Merging Your Voice with Form” and “Pearl Knotting…Warren's Way,” as well as many articles for Art Jewelry Forum. Additional Links: Warren Feld Jewelry www.warrenfeldjewelry.com Warren Feld – Medium.com https://warren-29626.medium.com/ So You Want To Be A Jewelry Designer School on Teachable.com https://so-you-want-to-be-a-jewelry-designer.teachable.com/ Learn To Bead Blog https://blog.landofodds.com The Ugly Necklace Contest – Archives http://www.warrenfeldjewelry.com/wfjuglynecklace.htm Land of Odds www.landofodds.com Warren Feld – Facebook www.facebook.com/warren.feld Warren Feld – LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/warren-feld-jewelrydesigner/ Warren Feld – Instagram www.instagram.com/warrenfeld/ Warren Feld – Twitter https://twitter.com/LandofOdds Photos Available on TheJewelryJourney.com Transcript: Warren Feld didn't become a jewelry designer out of passion, but out of necessity. He and his partner Jayden opened their jewelry studio and supply store, Land of Odds/Be Dazzled Beads, due to financial worries. But coming to the world of jewelry as an outsider is what has given Warren his precise and unique perspective on how jewelry should be made. He joined the Jewelry Journey Podcast to talk about the language of jewelry design; why jewelry making should be considered a profession outside of art or craft; and why jewelry design is similar to architecture or engineering. Read the episode transcript here.  Sharon: Hello, everyone. Welcome to the Jewelry Journey Podcast. This is the second part of a two-part episode. If you haven't heard part one, please go to TheJewelryJourney.com. Today, my guest is jewelry designer Warren Feld. Warren wears several hats. He has an online company called Land of Odds. He has a brick-and-mortar store, Bedazzled Beads, and he's a jewelry designer. He's located in Tennessee. He's been a jewelry designer for decades and has a written a book called “So You Want to Be a Jewelry Designer.” Welcome back.    Can you design a bad piece of jewelry? Can you come up with a bad piece of jewelry?   Warren: Yes and no. When we get into the cognitive issues, I deal with them in my book in detail. It's a little too scientific for here, but in general, jewelry is organized as a circle. A circle is appreciated as something organized, unified, holistic. A circle in and of itself is beautiful. So, it's really hard to design something that's bad. While you can get better and better and better, it's hard to get worse and worse and worse. It's much harder.   Sharon: Let's say I bring in a bunch of beads—I haven't beaded for a million years—and some silk cord, and I say, “O.K., Warren, what should I do with this stuff?” Can you look at it and see something in it?   Warren: Usually. In that situation, they're the designer; they have to live with it. I can guide them. I can help them make choices. I can help them narrow things down to two or three, but I try to always encourage them to make the final choice. But in my mind, I usually can do something really neat with it.   Sharon: It's interesting that you say you learned so much just from taking things apart, seeing how they're done. I had someone come on here and they were like, “Why did the guy glue this? I don't understand.”    Warren: Yeah, you learn so much. That was a lucky break, that I decided to deal with repairs. I didn't care enough about jewelry to say, “Oh, I've got to do repairs,” I thought I should do repairs. It was a lucky circumstance that it was one of my interests.    Sharon: Was the book burning a hole in your mind for a long time? Did you feel like, “I have to write this down”?   Warren: It's really funny you say that. It's like I wrote the book, and it's all the stuff out of my head. It's so great. It's there in a book, so I don't have to find it somewhere in my files. I don't have to think as hard about different concepts. I can just go to my book and there it is. I don't have to remember.   Sharon: Was it on your mind for a long time, the authorship, putting it all together?    Warren: About 20 years. I struggled, though. I wanted to write a funny book about funny things that happened with the different jewelry designers I've met in the store and how they try to solve things. I still might write that funny book, but this was the right book to get all the ideas out and really crystallize things. I was more interested in asking, “What does it take for jewelry designers to see themselves as a profession?” If they don't see themselves as a profession, if they see themselves only as technicians, then we lose a lot. First off, as technicians, if they're just following a set of steps and cranking out jewelry, machines can do that. We don't need a designer. We don't need the creativity. We don't need that insight. We don't need all those different artists' hands to show what they can do, so we can appreciate a variety of ideas and concepts and interactions. What need is there if they're technicians?    So, let's make them professionals, but there's a lot of pressure not to go in that direction. There's a lot of pressure in art to keep subsuming jewelry under art and not let it have its own expression. There are a few jewelry design schools in the United States and more abroad, but they mostly teach metalcraft and technique. They really need to teach ideas. We have all these great jewelry designers all over the world who can describe their expression, but we really want to understand it. We want to build upon it. We want to understand how the ideas in their heads resonate, how that gets translated into jewelry, how people respond to their jewelry. We want to be able to articulate that much more deeply than just describing, “These are the materials. These are the dimensions and the measurements. This is the general philosophy of what they're trying to do. This is the title of the show.” There's a lot more. I was trying to build that. That was more motivating than writing my funny book. I might write that funny book.    Sharon: That sounds like a funny book, like a different podcast. It sounds like what you're talking about would be difficult to put into words.   Warren: It is. I've had a lot of experience teaching students for a long time over 25, 30 years, so I'm used to translating hard concepts into language that beginners and intermediates can understand and grab onto. When I talk about parts, I give an example of a famous designer who does wrap bracelets, two pieces of leather and beads that go around your wrist, I'd say, two times. She charges $500 per bracelet, and I had the chance to repair many of them. She uses Indian leather, which dries out and cracks, and Chinese fire-polish beads, which is a clear bead with a color coating. The coatings rub off, so the side that faces the skin rubs off. This all happens well within a year, maybe six months. She uses a weak weaving thread that will break. She doesn't reenforce the beginning and the end, so the weaving threads split at the beginning and the end. You have to reenforce the end so that doesn't happen. It's an architectural thing. For $500, she can use great leather, fire-polish beads, a nylon bead cord. She can do a silk wrap on each end to secure the ends, so they don't split down the middle. She can still charge $500 and make a killing. It's easy to come up with examples like that.    I can show you a piece I did. I did the piece as a series of columns, and the columns are connected with a hinge. You can't really see it in the piece, but they're hinged. What I wanted was, no matter what the body type, that the necklace would always be the right shape because it's columns and hinges. It wouldn't look weird. It wouldn't create a bridge. It would always take the shape of the body. I pictured that a person might want to wear it close to the neck or lower on the breast, so it has a chain that's adjustable.    I pictured the person wearing it to always want to capture someone's eye, no matter what direction they're looking at it, from the side, from the back. So, along some of the sides, I strategically wove in red Austrian crystal beads. They'll catch your eye, but you don't see it in the piece. The piece is basically blue. I used some brass beads that reflect light when white hits the piece. I used some glass beads that absorb light. Again, when I'm talking about design and architecture, I'm thinking about people viewing it. I've done all these things as examples of what people can think about. In the book, I've put a lot of this into English as best as I can.   Sharon: Most of the books I've looked at have been jewelry history or how-tos. I was thinking about this when I read your book, because you said that a piece of jewelry needs to be orchestrated from many angles, which is what you were just talking about. I remember a jeweler—this was years ago—who was talking about the fact that jewelry requires a lot of engineering. I never thought about that before in terms of bracelets not turning or things like that.   Warren: There is really no difference between making a bracelet and designing a bridge. It's a different scale. You tie one end to the other. It's got to look good and fit in a community. You've got to worry about your materials and how they handle stresses and strains. It has to be secure. It's got to be durable. So, there's really not much difference between the two. There's all this architecture and engineering involved.    A lot of people don't learn that. Most people learn a technique and they just do it, but technique has a part of it that helps you maintain a shape, and another part of the technique helps you maintain what I called movement and flow. Sometimes you have to be tighter or harder, sometimes not as hard, in order to achieve both maintaining the shape and maintaining the ability of that shape to adjust to all these forces and move and flow and feel comfortable. How many how-to books talk about that? They don't.   Sharon: No, that is true.   Warren: In every technique the students learn that. I show them and force them to touch it. I personally touch on the results of different techniques and tell them what's going on, what it feels like, what you can do. If it's loose in one direction and tight in the other, you can't make a curve. They never even thought about that, and now they do. They're forced to think about that. When you teach a technique, I think it's important. For a teacher to teach a technique that way, they have to be conditioned to teach that way. There's no guide in jewelry design. There's no academic base, a foundation for someone to ask those questions or be triggered to think that way. That's one of the things I was trying to do in my book when I wrote the last chapters, where I teach all this stuff. You have to know.    I've had to train a lot of teachers through my education program. It's really hard to do because at first you think, “I can make as much money not doing this work. I have to give them those instructions and just sit there.” I can't do that in my program. I want the teachers to break the task up into little pieces and explain what this little piece of the task is trying to accomplish, so the students can know how to vary the technique as they're going through the project and change the outcome if they want something that keeps its shape, moves shapes and feels comfortable. So, I have to train a lot of them. I have my strategies for training them. It's really hard to do that, but I think very necessary. If jewelry becomes a profession, it's necessary. We need to train jewelry designers as designers, not as craftspeople or artists.    Sharon: That's a good point because there are so many “jewelry designers” today. They were doing something else before and decided to design jewelry, and they don't have any training. They just said, “Oh, I'll put these two pieces together.”    If you walk through a trade show or some sort of jewelry show, what are you looking for? How are you evaluating pieces?   Warren: I have enough experience in all these different techniques to spot what's good and what's bad. I will lead a tour of people on a shopping trip at a company and say, “This is good,” and I can show them why, and “This is not.” They end up spending thousands of dollars on really good stuff that they would have never gotten anywhere else. I can spot it because I make it. I made it. I've hidden the mistakes. I've had the most horrible problems happen with things falling apart, so I can spot it.    It's the choice of materials. It's the choice of construction. When you construct something, you have to go in with a support system, which is like a joint. You'll see someone's necklace turned around because things turn in the opposite direction from where they move. What turns to the left turns to the right. That's not natural. That's bad design. If you built a support system with joints, that never happens. If you take an S-clasp, a figure S, it has to have two solder rings, one on each side. If you're using cable wire and crimp beads, you don't crimp all the way up the clasp; you leave a little bit of a loop, so they have a ring loop on one side, a ring loop on the other. That's four support systems for joints. An S-clasp always needs four joints, and the necklace will never turn around.    Sharon: It's really important. I'm thinking it will eliminate a lot of what I have in my collection. Do you use the book as a guide in your classes?   Warren: The book is being pre-tested in classes. We ran a series of jewelry design classes. There were 27 topics. We've done it several times. On each topic you hear students' questions. There are questions I have, how they answer, some resolution. A lot of the material in the book emerged from those discussions.   Sharon: What was your purpose in writing it? Was it to gain credibility or get your knowledge out there?   Warren: The book was really to push those ideas out there, to encourage and force more professionalization of the field and the discipline of jewelry design. The ideas are out there, but they're not organized. From my experience, most people are unaware of the ideas about design.  They're very focused on the individual and unaware of all the architectural, like with the S-clasp. If someone comes into the store and their necklace keeps turning around, I can fix it so it could never turn again. They have something with either some rings or loops. It could have a hinge with it, and you can add a lark's head knot, which is very loose and creates a lot of joint and distance support. You also have an overhead knot, which gives a little less support, but still a lot of joint support. A square knot is even less support, a glued knot, zero support.    If you have a piece where you're gluing a lot of the knots, it's going to break. It can't take the stress. If you're doing pearl knotting, whatever you're doing, you want to minimize the use of glue. You have to glue at least one knot in pearl knotting, but that's it. That's as much support as I want to take away. Knots not only protect the pearls, but they absorb all the stresses and strains on the necklace from movement, instead of the stresses and strains ending up on the pearls, where it can crack. If they're unglued and there's an overhead knot to absorb all the stress and strain, your piece will break, but you won't ruin your pearls. When people wear pearl knotting, they don't worry about the architectural issue of stress and strain. You never see that in a book about hand knotting, but that's one of the major reasons you have the knots, to preserve your materials and the piece as a whole. So, let's get the information out there.   Sharon: That's a very interesting point, a good point to think about. Warren, thank you so much for being here.   Warren: I appreciate it, thank you.   Thank you again for listening. Please leave us a rating and review so we can help others start their own jewelry journey.

What you'll learn in this episode: Why designing a bracelet is the same as designing a bridge Why jewelry has its own design language, separate from the language of fine art or craft How Warren learned about the engineering of jewelry making by doing repairs Why the architecture of a piece of jewelry is as important as its visual design Warren's tips for creating beaded jewelry that will withstand the stress of movement About Warren Feld For Warren Feld, beading and jewelry making endeavors have been wonderful adventures. These adventures over the past 32 years have taken Warren from the basics of bead stringing and bead weaving, to wire working and silver smithing, and onward to more complex jewelry designs which build on the strengths of a full range of technical skills and experiences. He, along with his partner Jayden Alfre Jones, opened a small bead shop in downtown Nashville, Tennessee, about 30 years ago, called Land of Odds. Over time, Land of Odds evolved into a successful internet business. In the late 1990s, Jayden and Warren opened another brick-and-mortar bead store – Be Dazzled Beads – in a trendy neighborhood of Nashville. Together both businesses supply beaders and jewelry artists with all the supplies and parts they need to make beautiful pieces of wearable art. In 2000, Warren founded The Center For Beadwork & Jewelry Arts (CBJA). CBJA is an educational program, associated with Be Dazzled Beads, for beaders and jewelry makers. The program approaches education from a design perspective. There is a strong focus on skills development, showing students how to make better choices when selecting beads, parts and stringing materials, and teaching them how to bring these together into a beautiful, yet functional, piece of jewelry. Warren is the author of two books, “So You Want to Be a Jewelry Designer: Merging Your Voice with Form” and “Pearl Knotting…Warren's Way,” as well as many articles for Art Jewelry Forum. Additional Links: Warren Feld Jewelry www.warrenfeldjewelry.com Warren Feld – Medium.com https://warren-29626.medium.com/ So You Want To Be A Jewelry Designer School on Teachable.com https://so-you-want-to-be-a-jewelry-designer.teachable.com/ Learn To Bead Blog https://blog.landofodds.com The Ugly Necklace Contest – Archives http://www.warrenfeldjewelry.com/wfjuglynecklace.htm Land of Odds www.landofodds.com Warren Feld – Facebook www.facebook.com/warren.feld Warren Feld – LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/warren-feld-jewelrydesigner/ Warren Feld – Instagram www.instagram.com/warrenfeld/ Warren Feld – Twitter https://twitter.com/LandofOdds Photos Available on TheJewelryJourney.com Transcript: Warren Feld didn't become a jewelry designer out of passion, but out of necessity. He and his partner Jayden opened their jewelry studio and supply store, Land of Odds/Be Dazzled Beads, due to financial worries. But coming to the world of jewelry as an outsider is what has given Warren his precise and unique perspective on how jewelry should be made. He joined the Jewelry Journey Podcast to talk about the language of jewelry design; why jewelry making should be considered a profession outside of art or craft; and why jewelry design is similar to architecture or engineering. Read the episode transcript here.    Sharon: Hello, everyone. Welcome to the Jewelry Journey Podcast. This is a two-part Jewelry Journey Podcast. Please make sure you subscribe so you can hear part two as soon as it comes out later this week.    Today, my guest is jewelry designer Warren Feld. Warren wears several hats. He has an online company called Land of Odds. He has a brick-and-mortar store, Be Dazzled Beads, and he's a jewelry designer. He's located in Tennessee. He has been a jewelry designer for decades and has written a book called “So You Want to Be a Jewelry Designer,” which sounds very interesting. The book sets up a system to evaluate jewelry and discusses how designing jewelry is different from creating crafts or being an artist. Warren will tell us all about his jewelry journey today. Warren, welcome to the program.   Warren: Sharon, I'm so excited to be here with you.   Sharon: So glad to have you. Tell us about your jewelry journey. Were you artistic as a child? Did you study jewelry? How did you come to it?    Warren: I think I was artistic as a child, but my parents and teachers, my guidance counselors in high school, discouraged it. They put me on a track to be either a doctor or a lawyer, so I never had artistic training. In my thirties, I got into painting with acrylics. Not in a deep way, but in some artistic way. I never formally studied art. I became a health care administrator, and I was a professional hospital administrator at several hospitals. I was a policy planner in healthcare for the governor of Tennessee. I was director of a nonprofit healthcare agency. When I was around 35, I experienced a major burnout. I didn't like healthcare and I felt very disconnected. I was doing a great job, but I just didn't feel it.    At the same time, I met my future partner and wife, Jayden. It was a recession, and Jayden was having trouble finding a job. At one point I said, “What can you do?” and she said, “I can design jewelry,” and I said, “We can build a business around it.” I thought it would also be a good idea to sell the parts, and it worked. We first had a garage sale, where she made a lot of jewelry and sold a lot of parts, and we made $7,000. Maybe it was a fluke. So, six weeks later, we tried it again. We made the same jewelry, got the same parts, and made $4,000. So, we thought we were onto something. We eventually did the Nashville Flea Market and craft shows. We had a little store in downtown Nashville. We have a bigger store in downtown Nashville now. It worked. It was really around her jewelry designing and my business sense. I made some jewelry, but it was just to make money.   Sharon: Wow! So, you have two businesses. You have an online business, and you have the brick-and-mortar. Tell us about Land of Odds and Be Dazzled Beads. Tell us about the differences.   Warren: Originally it was Land of Odds. Jayden was the designer. We made jewelry, but it was more like I put a bead on a piece of leather and tied it in a knot. Eventually I started learning. While working at learning silversmithing, I did a lot more complex things, but she was the designer. She had country music artist clients and did a lot of custom work. The first few years, I really made jewelry just to make money. I didn't see it as an art form. It wasn't my passion. I wasn't interested, but one thing I noticed was that everything I made broke. It was really bad, and I was clueless. This was in 1987. There was no internet, no jewelry or bead magazines. Nashville did not have a jewelry-making culture, so everything was trial and error, things on fishing lines, things on dental floss. I didn't know how to attach a clasp, didn't know about clasps. Everything was so trial and error, experimental.    At some point, I started taking in repairs. That was a really strategic move and a major turning point, because I got to see how other people made things and made bad choices because of what broke. I got to talk to the wearers, and they told me how they wore it, what happened when it broke, where it broke, lots of inside stories. I started formulating some things, and I started putting them to the test and making jewelry. I was in my mid-to-late thirties, and I started getting interested and focused on the construction and the architecture, not quite the art form. Jayden's health also declined. She lost a lot of dexterity in her hands to be able to keep making jewelry. She retired, and I started making the jewelry and doing the custom work. The business started getting organized around my work. That was Lands of Odds. We were downtown in Nashville.   Sharon: At Be Dazzled Beads, you teach a lot of classes. You sell beads. You do everything.   Warren: It just evolved. It had to do with the fact that we were downtown. Nashville, at the time, was what Greenwich Village in New York was. It's a lot of little specialty shops, a lot of excitement. It was really high-end, very sophisticated. It was so successful that the big companies started moving in, Hard Rock Café, Planet Hollywood, Nascar Café, Wildhorse Saloon. When the city decided to redevelop the area for them, they took away 6,000 parking spaces in 18 months, and parking went from $2 to $20 a day. We lost all our customers really fast, and tourists changed. They were looking for low-end souvenirs, not high-end jewelry, so our business collapsed.    We put ourselves in Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and the liability is under my name. I closed Land of Odds, the physical store, and I put the assets under Jayden's name. We opened a little shop in a little house, and Jayden wanted to call it Be Dazzled. At the same time, I was developing Land of Odds as an online business. Be Dazzled was a real place in a store. About a year after declaring bankruptcy, I got out of bankruptcy and the catalogue took off. We were doing really well all of a sudden, and I combined both businesses again. So, I just had this horrible business name, Land of Odds/Be Dazzled Beads. We managed those as two separate businesses, but it was really one business.   Sharon: So, you were online way before Covid or anything.   Warren: I was online in 1995. I was one of the first catalogues online. We're still online. It's a little hard to compete today online, but we're still online.   Sharon: That's interesting because so many jewelers are not. You call yourself a jeweler. I don't mean you're not a jeweler; you are, but they don't work with beads. They work with silver; they work with gold. So, it's unusual.    Warren: No matter what the materials, you end up with something with a hole in it or a loop on it so you can string it on or dangle it. I taught myself wire working, fiber art, micro/macro maze, silversmithing. Even though the tools are different, the materials are different, when you're designing a piece of jewelry, you end up thinking through the same kinds of issues. The focus on parts was another lucky break because it made me realize early on that jewelry design was quite different than art or craft.    I started as a painter. When I first started making jewelry, I tried to paint it. I was very frustrated because I couldn't get the colors I wanted. You can't squish the beads together; you can't do little nuances and subtleties like you can do with paint. There are these annoying gaps of light, negatives spaces you can't control, and they destroy the whole idea of color. You have three-dimensional objects that reflect and refract light differently. It changes from room to room with lighting, the sun, the position of the person, how they're moving. I have some beads in the store, green, transparent beads that cast a yellow shadow. You can't duplicate that with paint, but you have to worry about if the jewelry starts to look weird on a person because you picked the wrong materials or the wrong colors. Jewelry applies to the person wearing it. You don't want that to happen as a designer.    So, I realized that whether it's beads or string materials, findings, whatever you're using, they assert their needs within the piece of jewelry. It's not just for the visual grammar, the color and pattern and texture, but they have needs for architecture. They affect some of the functions based on materials you pick, and the durability and how the piece moves. They affect the desirability and the value, how people perceive the piece. So, I began to see that I had to start with the parts and understand how they want to be expressed within a three-dimensional object that's going to adorn someone's body and move and meet someone's psychological and social needs. It's very focused on the parts.    What I was doing as a jewelry designer was very different than what I had done as a painter, as an artist. The lights went on, and it just was really intriguing. I struggled and dealt with it. It was very exciting and enjoyable to figure out, with that green bead that has the yellow shadow, what effect does it have on the piece, on the person wearing it, on people seeing it? I asked those questions, and that was really important. I was lucky to start with the parts and the business and not start with just designing jewelry and worrying about the visual grammar. Then I realized, both from being in business as well as teaching students, that most jewelry designers are very naïve to the impact of the parts. They're very focused on the visual, the color. They don't realize that so much more is going on in a piece of jewelry, so they don't think about managing it.   Sharon: So that's how you came to write this book, “So You Want to be a Jewelry Designer”?   Warren: Right.   Sharon: Wow! Being a painter and working in different materials, you're all over the place.    Warren: I had been thinking about or trying to write this book for at least 20 years. Having all these insights, I wanted to write them down. I would write them down in these articles, sometimes fun articles and sometimes very straightforward, more academic articles, and I struggled with how to pull this all together. I was getting ideas about what was important. One of my goals is to say that a jewelry designer is not an occupation. It's not a substantive art. It's really a profession. It has its own discipline, its own way of thinking and writing and doing and asking questions, solving problems. It's a profession, but how do I make it that way? I've worked that way pretty much on principle.    At one point, an education professor in town said that I might be interested in ideas about literacy and how you teach literacy to students. While I was researching that, I came across the idea of disciplinary literacy. This is an example of how a historian has to think very differently than a scientist. They use different evidence. The historian has to infer from different pieces of writing and histories and costuming to come up with an idea about cause and effect. A scientist has this rational, step-by-step approach for coming up with an idea of cause and effect. They think differently. They use different evidence. I thought, “Well, that sounds like me as a jewelry designer. I think differently than artists.” I've had to think differently than artists because as an artist, my designs weren't successful.    That was the organizing principle, disciplinary literary. So then, what does it mean? What does someone have to know if they have to comprehend it? When you say someone's fluent in design, what does that mean? How do you believe it's real? What's nice was that I had done all this writing, and everything started clicking into place. The organizing principle wasn't as much of a struggle as it was to try to put it together as an idea of you need to learn A, B and C.    You need to learn about design elements and how to decode them, but in a way like you're learning how to read them or write them or speak them. You have color. You can put colors together and create a sense of movement, another design element. Color is very independent, but movement depends on your positioning of color or line or whatever to get a sense of movement as a design element. So, here we have independent and dependent variables, vowels or consonants. Some of the design elements sounded like vowels and some sounded like consonants. How do you put it together? I realized you could put together a couple of design elements, like a T and an H in word, and you could know that E will work next. Another element or one of its attributes might work next, but a Z won't work. THZ doesn't work. That happens with design elements when you're trying to put them together. When you understand design elements as sort of an alphabet, then you begin to formulate meaning and expression and words, and the words can get more and more complex.    So, you realize you're talking about composition. You're arranging design elements, and you have to arrange them in a way that they can be constructed together, which is another element. Then you want to manipulate them because you want to control as best as you can someone's reaction to it. You want them to like it, to want to wear it, to want to buy it. This is all controlling meanings, as you're taking something universal, where everyone knows what they mean. A certain color scheme, everyone knows it's satisfying, but a simple color scheme in jewelry might be boring. It might be monotonous or it might not fit the context. It might not show power or sexuality or compliance, whatever you're trying to do with your jewelry. You have to change that scheme a little bit, perhaps color it differently.    So, I'm going through these ideas and working them together with literacy. You want someone to be able to identify problems, identify solutions. You want them to understand how to bring all these elements and arrangements together in a certain kind of form, sometimes with a theme. And towards what end? You have to have an end. I struggled with this. What's the end? What the jewelry is trying to get to, is it the same as an artist? And it's not. In art, it's about harmony with a little variety. In jewelry design, that could be monotonous, not exciting enough. In jewelry design, you want the piece to go beyond evoking an emotional response. You want it to resonate, excite, be just a little bit edgy so people want to touch it or wear it or buy it. They don't just want to say it's beautiful. You want to bring them the piece of jewelry so they actually will put it on, keep it on, cherish it, show it around, collect it. It has to do something more than an art. In the end, it has to do partly with how it resonates.    It seems to have more levels to it. It has to feel finished, and in order to feel finished, it has to be parsimonious. In art, there's a concept called economy. You use the fewest colors to achieve your balanced end, but it's very focused on the visual. In parsimony, you focus on every aspect of design, from the visual to the architectural and textual to the psychological. Parsimony means you can't add or subtract one piece without making it worse. You've reached some kind of optimal set of all the design elements, all the understandings of other people that you're bringing into the piece, all your understandings that you're imposing on the piece. If it's parsimonious, it feels finished, and that's a success. So, you go a little bit beyond what an artist does for your piece of jewelry.   Sharon: Are these different in craft? I'm sorry; that's what I'm trying to understand. Are they different in craft or fine arts?   Warren: In craft, your goal is to end up with something. Ideally, it should have some appeal, but it's got to be functional. You just end up with something. In art, it's got to be beautiful. It's doesn't have to be functional. In art, you judge jewelry like it's a painting or sculpture, like it's sitting on an easel. In jewelry design, you can only judge it as art as it's worn. It's not art until it touches the body, and that brings in all kinds of elements, the architectural, psychological, sociological, physiological. Jewelry functions in a context and you have to know what that means. So, it's different.    Sharon: It's only a piece of jewelry when it touches the body? Is that the same for metal and beads, for any kind of jewelry?   Warren: It is. You have art jewelry, let's say. It's art when it's on an easel on display. It's jewelry when it's worn. You can appreciate it as a piece of art, but to me, as a jewelry designer, I want to appreciate it as a piece of jewelry. So, it's got to be understood as it's worn. You have to see it in motion. You have to see it in relationship to the body, the costume, the context. It has to meet the artist's intent, what they wanted to do, and the wearer has to want to wear it. It must fulfill other needs, too. So, it's much more complex than dealing with a painting.

Southern Jewelry News and Jewelry Store Marketer talk to a master custom jeweler and jewelry mentor Joel McFadden of JMD Jewelry. Joel is a 3rd generation American jeweler.  Joel's family has been in the jewelry business since the 17th century in Scotland. His family came to America in the late 1600s and settled in Charleston. At 12 years old Joel's grandfather gave him a set of tools and got him started doing jewelry repairs. He then moved forward to set stones.  Joel has risen to become one of the top custom jewelers winning tons of awards for design and superior craftsmanship. Joel grew up in a community of jewelers who share their knowledge. He has been a jeweler for 50 years and wants to share his knowledge and expertise.  In this podcast, Joel talks about the complexities of producing custom jewelry with an emphasis on craftsmanship. Learn how he embraces new technology with the art of custom jewelry design and manufacturing.  Joel McFadden has a YouTube channel where he shares his work and techniques on custom jewelry design and manufacturing as a master jeweler and jewelry mentor.  “Not everyone who walks into your store is a customer, but a customer is always right!” Take it from the master jeweler and jewelry mentor himself – Joel McFadden.    Brought to you by: Southern Jewelry News: https://southernjewelrynews.com/ Jewelry Store Marketers: https://jewelrystoremarketers.com/ Learn more about the Pearls of Wisdom Jewelry Podcast https://southernjewelrynews.com/podcast Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform: Apple Podcast = https://podcastsconnect.apple.com/my.-.. Amazon Music/Audible = https://www.audible.com/pd/Pearls-of.-.. iHeartRadio = https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-pe... Spotify = https://open.spotify.com/show/6IU1OHw... Google Podcast = https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0...

If you've been thinking about starting your own business and need a little inspiration, listen as Kayla shares her entrepreneurial journey that started at age 11, making and selling jewelry at a roller rink. Her message is clear: no matter your age or season in life, follow your passion, live your purpose and choose your own life path. Period.

Beverly Price is the founder of Nastava Jewelry and an intuitive designer whose custom creations reflect the journey of self-empowerment, self-expression, and beauty. Beverly shares how she made the leap from climbing the executive ladder in the finance world to expressing her true passion in entrepreneurship, now letting the semi-precious stones, freshwater pearls, and Swarovski© crystals speak to her when crafting her bespoke pieces. Through her methodology and endless style options, the artisan jewelry she creates energizes and connects to her clients, reflecting their true self while empowering them to try different looks. Today Beverly shares her entrepreneurial journey, plus the importance of growing a support network of other women, and much more. Download the interactive podcast app Podopolo here to keep the conversation going in the Wings comments section and invite your friends to connect around podcasts recommended to you by what interests and inspires you.

OMG: Our “Very Best Gay of the Podcast,” Mr. Nolan Meader, is BACK this week!    Since it's summer and everyone is sending us “Out of Office” replies (RUDE!), Holly and Nolan decided to shoot the shit about what they have been up to lately, what fashion adventures they will be having next – and for the first time ever – a list of Holly and Nolan's Personal Fashion Crimes!!   Yes, it can happen to even the best of us.    As Nolan loves to say: “Style is a journey. We are constantly evolving our style and tastes, and that is OK. However, it is still fun to make fun the of dumb stuff we do sometimes.”   This week's episode starts with a recap of Nolan's fabulous fashion life. He is a busy working gal about town (NYC), styling people near and far (Milan), managing fashion events, eating desserts… you know, important stuff!   LISTEN HERE!!    Of course, along the way, they do get a bit side-tracked here (look, a squirrel!) with a story about a trip to one of Nolan's favorite designer showrooms: Markarian.    This designer combines timeless design with modern grace, and her clothes are TO.DIE.FOR. They are very dressy designs, and once Holly was in the door, it was game-over shopping!   Other fun events of recent weeks include celebrating up-and-coming designers at the NYC Fashion Group International (FGI) annual “Rising Stars” event. One of our Podcast Besties and past guests, Julie Lamb, was awarded the Rising Star Award for Jewelry Design.    (If you missed that episode, jump over to EP 93 | Julie Lamb NY.)    This daytime event, and dinner afterward with Fashion super stars like Global Fashion Ambassador Ken Downing and more, was a spectacular celebration with the true fashion insiders of NYC!    Finally, Holly and Nolan finally move on to their own Personal Fashion Crimes of late, poking a lot of fun at themselves. What are Fairy Gay Mothers for anyway?? Amiright??   In the words of the legendary Joan Rivers: “When you can laugh at yourself no one can ever make a fool of you.”   Nolan's Top Personal Fashion Crimes:   A bronze/rust colored silk trench coat with crystal trim embellishments. Drinking 8 glasses of cognac when you don't drink cognac and have an 8:00 a.m. styling appointment the next day. Shopping drunk resulted in a very expensive purchase. As a reminder for fans of the podcast, Nolan has a “Coat Problem.” (Not a Coke Problem!)   “The moral of the story is: do not irresponsibly spend money while you're still drunk from the night before unnecessarily on a distressed leather trench coat, because how many times am I really going to wear that?” – Nolan Meader, Coat Addict   Splitting the crotch out of some very expensive pants at a fashion show, and having to continue on to other events afterward, literally with his ass hanging out. Buying something that everyone has - and that you think you must have - but it looks like shit on you. His crime was a Marine Serre Half-Moon turtleneck. Holly also tried multiple times to call Nolan out on his favorite green sequin turtleneck which might or might not make him look like Aquaman, but he would not have it. At all.  Constantly buying new dress shoes when he only wears his one favorite pair. Don't buy shit you will never wear, or do not need… Like his “Eiffel Tower” rhinestone black blazer, maybe!?   Holly's Personal Fashion Crimes:   Wearing an amazing sequin trench coat combined with too many other statement pieces: she wore it with a patterned dress from Japan, printed Gucci boots AND a fringe leather piece all at the same time. TOO MUCH. A hot pink and black bandage dress (a style from the 80s) with a cut out detail reimagined by Proenza Schouler. Damn- hate to see this go. Nolan insists it will be sold on The RealReal asap.  Gucci Horsebit Clogs. Nolan says: “You look like a Mennonite working on a farm.” No. Her ostrich feather BCBG eggplant purple vest. We can't even find an example of that one. Nolan said it was too chicken-esque. Her honeymoon travel outfit: a bright pink Lilly Pulitzer suit with gold lame trim. It had so much gold thread that she couldn't even get through the metal detector at the airport. (TBH: Nolan was only in the 7th grade at the time, and Holly didn't have a stylist yet.)   Lessons learned today? Everyone has their own style. What we wear in fashion. A fashion crime occurs when your individual style has a trainwreck with fashion.    (We know that feels like a math equation. Try to keep up.)   So, what is next for our favorite personal stylists? A lot of fashion events, and a lot of travel to Europe: London and Paris to start.    Stay tuned for these adventures and more!! And don't forget: our 100th episode is coming up and we have a mind-blowing special guest. NOT KIDDING!   FASHION CRIMES PODCAST “The Best Fashion Friend You Never Knew You Needed!”   Hosted by your favorite personal stylist Holly Katz, with guest host Nolan Meader. www.fashioncrimespodcast.com

Samantha Skelton Jewelry Design

In this episode, we are joined by Naomi Gonzalez Kahn, talking all about her career as set designer, costume designer and production designer for film and theatre. Born and raised in Mexico City, Naomi is a Los-Angeles based production/costume designer for film and live performance. She earned her master's degree in Fine Arts from UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television.  Naomi also holds a degree in Jewelry Design from the National Institute of Fine Arts (INBA) and a degree in stage design from the National School of Theatrical Arts (ENAT), Mexico City, and she enjoys the movement and multi-faceted nature of visual narrative design the most. https://www.naomigk.com/ We want to hear from YOU and provide a forum where you can put in requests for future episodes. What are you interested in listening to? Please fill out the form for future guest suggestions here and if you have suggestions or requests for future themes and topics, let us know here! @theatreartlife Thanks to David Zieher who composed our music.  

Luxury jewelry designer Katerina Marmagioli shares her path from law and international trade consulting to luxury jewelry design. She talks about the modern jewelry production process, unique components she incorporates into her jewelry and asymmetrical shapes in nature that inspire her designs and make her stand out. You can find her pieces at katerinamarmagioli.com.

Hello, sweet humans!I am so excited to share this new podcast episode with you today, featuring guest Alicia Goodwin. Alicia is a full-time Chicago-based jeweler with a background in Cultural Anthropology. She has a degree in Jewelry Design from New York's Fashion Institute of Technology, and she applies her knowledge of ancient techniques with her love of complex-looking ceremonial jewelry. With almost two decades of experience under her belt, and a decade of being an independent jeweler in her own right with her eponymous brand, Lingua Nigra, Alicia continues to fabricate new ways to explore bygone approaches to creating wearable art. In this episode, we talk all about reclaiming our voices and carving out the space we deserve in work and in life. We also cover a lot of other topics!Get ready to hear us discuss the following: Having a creative careerComing into your own as a business ownerComing to terms with not being an “overnight success” as an artistLived experience as a means of educationTurning a vision into an incomeThe experience of being a Black artist in 2021Navigating the ups and downs of various opportunitiesThe importance of doing your own researchPull Quotes“There are people who do overnight stuff and get really famous and get really successful and then they're people like me, you watch other people, and you learn.”“Success isn't always about money. Success can be that I have this beautiful work that people were able to see and appreciate-- that's what makes you successful, you know, and you're able to translate your vision from something. It's wild that people buy things that are coming out of my head.”“Just because they're opportunities doesn't mean they're good opportunities. It's about my time. It's always been about my time. I've been, kind of, taking back my time.”“Be nice, share, set goals.”Mentions & More Info:Alicia's InstagramAlicia's WebsiteBlack Tongue Press (Alicia's stationery line)Alicia's Etsy Bisa ButlerChicago Art InstituteWinifred Mason-Chenet Kerry James MarshallAbout The HostMegan Colleen Johnson is a life coach, creative consultant, space holder, and speaker who helps passionate humans as they rise as the leader of their own life. With a focus on self-trust, wholeness, and sovereign reclamation Megan coaches humans who are ready to rewrite their story, move past their comfort zone, and step into the realm of possibility. Megan is a Certified Life Coach with Beautiful You Coaching Academy, holds her degree in graphic design, hosts her podcast titled, “The Reclamation Podcast”, and has over 8 years of creative marketing experience with a roster of clients including Steven Pressfield, Chris Guillebeau, Wilson Sporting Goods, and many more. You can find her online at megscolleen.com or on social media @megscolleen.

Erica Sara is the definition of tenacity. After going through a divorce in her 20's she left her lucrative position at Coach to pursue a degree in nutrition and started designing and creating jewelry at the kitchen table of her NYC apartment. Today she's the owner of Erica Sara Designs, featuring beautiful, timeless, customizable jewelry that's graced the pages of publications including Runner's World, Women's Running. Glamour, and Better Homes and Gardens, just to name a few. And if you haven't seen her work there, chances are, if you following women's running, you've seen it on many of the pros, including Alysia Montaño, Colleen Quigley, among others. In this episode she shares the twists and turns she took on her path to pursing a dream she'd been carrying since childhood; Erica discovered her passion for jewelry design at just 10 years old, using scraps of leather to craft fabulous leather pins, earrings, and hairpieces for her family and friends. (This was the 80's!). When she's not creating jewelry, Erica spends her time running, cooking, and hanging with her husband Robert and their two kids.Connect with Erica Website: www.ericasara.com Instagram: @ericasaraTwitter: @ericasaraFor full episode details visit: https://pam-moore.com/2021/07/27/12-erica-sara-how-to-pursue-your-passion/If you enjoyed this episode, please consider buying me a cup of coffeeWe talked about… Being picked last for every team as a kid, growing up as a dancer and later becoming a runnerHow rowing laid the groundwork for becoming a runnerHow running became part of Erica's mental health toolkitHer path from the NYC corporate fashion world to starting her own business How watching the NYC Marathon finish line changed her life How the NYC running community embraced her with open arms after her divorceHow she (probably illegally) converted her NYC apartment into an art studio How she went from working at her dining room table to designing personalized jewelry for elite runnersWhy she's such a saver- and how her good financial habits have allowed her the freedom to pursue a dreamAll four of her grandparents survive the Holocaust; how her family history has affected the trajectory of her life Advice to other people who are contemplating a mid-life career shiftWhy she keeps her social media presence as genuine as possibleHow she ended up marrying a man who wasn't her “type” - and advice for all the single ladies. Taking maternity leave as a small business ownerHow to set work-life boundaries as a self-employed, work at home momOn her creative process as a jewelry designer Have a question you'd like me to answer on the podcast?Ask me right here **Visit my website to get your FREE guide to crushing Impostor Syndrome**Want to know my secrets for getting published in top publications? They're all in my e-book, 7 Pitches That Sold. Use the code realfit50 to get half off.Let's Connect!WebsiteSupport the show

Victoria Wieck is the epitome of the “Rags to Riches” American Dream story.  Our guest immigrated from South Korea to Los Angeles with her parents in 1971 with only thirty dollars.  She has built a multi-million dollar business with over $500 million in retail sales.   After a series of corporate jobs, Victoria started her own company in 1989 on a shoestring budget to spend more time with her family.   She has founded several other successful businesses since then.Victoria worked with a wide variety of retailers world-wide ranging from major department stores to duty free stores, as well as internet and TV retailers.   For the past 23 years (19 years on HSN, and 4 years on Shop HQ), Victoria has been sharing her jewelry designs with millions of viewers during her own monthly shows. She has built her highly successful business following her passion for jewelry, without sacrificing her family life.   Throughout her career, she's had to invent ways to have her products consistently outperform her competition and thrive.  Victoria is the author of the upcoming book, Million Dollar Hobbies, also the author of the science fiction novel, Shattered Sky, scheduled to be released in 2021.  She completed a B.S. degree in Economics from UCLA, and an MBA with emphasis in Marketing and Finance from USC.Guest Website:   https://victoriawieck.com/  

https://www.komarajewelers.comOctober 1948, Stephen Komara opened the doors to his very own jewelry store on State Street in Struthers, Ohio. His goal was to offer the very best quality to his neighbors and friends. In 1977, Steve's eldest son, Robert, opened Komara Jewelers' second location in Cornersburg, offering the same top quality jewelry through experienced sales dedication and affordable prices to their customers.With the east end of town (Struthers) and the west end of town (Cornersburg) attending to their growing list of satisfied customers, Steve Komara's youngest son, Tom, identified the need to serve all the customers in between, and in 1985 opened Komara Jewelers third store in Boardman. Komara Jewelers became a true force in diamond and jewelry buying power. Three stores dedicated to quality products, jewelry repair, and friendly customer service made Komara Jewelers a household name in the Youngstown area.In order to accommodate their ever-growing customer base, Bob Komara moved his Cornersburg store to its present location, in the Coal Creek Plaza in 1993. And since their father's retirement and closing of the Struthers store, Tom Komara relocated his Boardman store to the Bull Market Square in Poland.Although store locations have changed over the years, and despite the recent closing of Tom's Boardman store, one thing that has never changed is the ideals upon which their father, the founder of Komara Jewelers, established in 1948… “To treat customers the way you want to be treated…” The diamond buying expertise, trained by their father, has helped maintain Komara Jewelers' reputation as Northeast Ohio's Best Diamond and Jewelry Value.Now, Komara Jewelers looks to extend its legacy in the Valley into a third generation. Bob's Daughter, Brianna Komara, joins as a GIA Graduate Gemologist and son Robert, a GIA Graduate in Jewelry Design, GIA Graduate in Diamonds, and GIA Graduate Jeweler. They both look forward to continuing the Komara tradition from one generation to the next.We understand how hard you work for your money. When it comes time for you to purchase jewelry, YOU just have to know what you LIKE and what you can afford. Our dedicated and educated staff will match you with the perfect piece no matter if it is for yourself or that special someone in your life. We stand behind absolutely everything that we sell. So whether you want to buy an original design 14 karat gold pendant, a stunning Tahitian Black Pearl ring in special order size, or you're in the market for a 5-carat fancy yellow diamond set in platinum, we will help you every step of the way.We sell happiness!

Melissa Joy Manning is an ethically- and eco-minded jewelry designer and CFDA member, and a friend of mine. She founded the CFDA Sustainability Committee and uses 100% recycled precious metals in her handmade designs, famous for her signature style and one-of-a-kind creations. We talk about: knowing each other for 20 years, being in business for nearly 25 years, over-achieving parents, art as a career, silversmithing in Mexico, passion, living authentically, getting fired, vocational counseling, Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center, knowing how to run a business, being a hero, positioning, being around for three years, pre-Etsy/direct-to-consumer, building a brand, emulating and partnering, learning your voice, bringing a brand to market, turning, churning and burning, misconceptions, being self-funded, reinvesting, being green-certified, ethics, what you can do with what you love, social component, leading by example, sustainability and success, danger of overnight success, InStyle/Oprah effect, room for everyone, originators, strategy, false promise, vicious cycles, collaboration, generosity, mentoring, feeling lucky, cycle of 3, 5, 7, 10, vision plans, watching the market, racing backwards, finding inspiration, business can be a solution, the best design solves problems, morals and ethics, Bezos could do better, choices, creating community, potty mouths, wage disparity, the other NRA, learning, changing the demand, everything is political, the luxury of choice, cancel culture, embracing failure, being grounded, defining your own success, never take no for an answer.Related links:Melissa Joy Manning JewelryRenaissance Entrepreneurship CenterEpisode recorded on 01/28/21Episode released on 02/17/21For more information on the podcast or its host, please visit sassylittlepodcast.com. There, you will find links to social media and an opportunity to become a member of the podcast community. We are on Twitter and Instagram @SassyLittlePod and Facebook @SassyLittlePodcast.Thanks for listening! If you like this sassy little podcast, please subscribe to it, rate it and review it, and tell your friends about it. Become a patron on Patreon. Cheers!

#LiveLoveThrive Show Host Catherine Gray interviews Minda Burr, Actress & Founder of Minda Burr Jewelry. Minda Burr has been a popular jewelry designer in Los Angeles for the last 20 years with avid collectors from #Hollywood to #London... Long before that she made a living as an actress doing her share of commercials, several films including #PrettyWoman, and several guest-starring appearances going all the way back to #Chips and #CharliesAngels. . Don't miss a single episode of these #amazingwomen's #truestories. Subscribe today to our #YouTube channel! www.youtube.com/LiveLoveThrivePodcast You can also subscribe to our #ApplePodcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/live-love-thrive/id1134670723 . Follow 360Karma Website: www.livelovetthrivepodcast.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/catherinegray1 Instagram: www.instagram.com/LiveLoveThrivePodcast

Today I have a really special guest and this just happens to be one of my favorite episodes that I've recorded by far, we just get so deep into what it really takes to grow a business and the truth behind the investments, the breakdowns and the breakthroughs. It's just a real honest, heartfelt conversation between friends and colleagues.    Katie Momo is the guest on this episode and Katie is actually the launch strategist and copy expert who I hired to work with on my last launch and she turned out to be not only amazing at what she does but also just a wonderful person as well and I've really come to value her and our relationship, as well as just who she is for her clients and her audience.    So Katie is a sales strategist who is responsible for her clients selling over 12 million dollars in online product (and counting!). She uses a trifecta of sales copy, launch strategy, and Facebook ads for serious persuasive punch. You know I love those boxing metaphors!   In this conversation, Katie and I cover everything from how she originally got into entrepreneurship and how it was a family affair from the start to how she left business school when she realized learning about business in school was nothing like business in the real world. We discuss about how she even questioned her career choice of being an entrepreneur after business school left her so confused. That's when Katie's whole crazy journey unfolded for her, as she kept saying yes to the things that she was curious about exploring, including studying jewelry design and starting to work in the jewelry business.   And when the market crashed in 2008, the jewelry business crashed hard along with it. But Katie shares a fascinating story about the impact a simple mindset practice had on the profitability of this one tiny jewelry shop, in this one tiny town, on this tiny little Island on the West Coast of British Columbia where she worked.   We dive deep into how Katie was finally able to find her niche and a business that truly aligns with who she is by continuing to say yes to the things that intrigued her. We also talk about how crazy running your own business is and how heavy your failures can feel and how to overcome them.    We also discuss how Katie grew from her biggest breakdown and biggest disappointment and how much money Katie invests and spends per month on her business. We talk very openly about money on this episode which is something I'm really proud of and excited to share and I think you guys will really love it, especially if you've ever felt guilty, embarrassed, ashamed or just foolish for spending money on your growth and or on your business.    It's by far one of my favorite episodes, so I'm curious to hear what you guys think. So be sure to tag us on Instagram I'm @punchdrunksoul and Katie is @hellokatiemomo and let us know! Aha Moments:   Why business school didn't teach her anything about real business What her job at a jewelry store taught her about the power of mindset and visualization Her burnout moment in business and what she learned after having to take 6 months off The idea that breakdowns precede breakthroughs can be dangerous unless you know how to handle the breakdowns What failures look and feel like in business and how to move through them How to find your niche and soul-aligned business (and how Katie found hers) How passion develops over time, it's not something that you just have The joy is in the doing, not in the destination Real money talks: how much Katie spends per month on her business investments and the truth behind many 6-figure + businesses that no one talks about   Links & Mentioned In This Episode: Katiemomo.com/sweet Instagram.com/hellokatiemomo Punchdrunksoul.com/pathtofreedom Chris Gillibeau - Happiness of Pursuit