Thrive By Design: Business, Marketing And Lifestyle Strategies For Your Jewelry Brand To Flourish And Thrive

Have you felt like you’re ready to scale your business for a while – but every time you think of getting started you just freeze up?? This is all too common… It can feel daunting! Where are you supposed to start? Consider this… You don’t actually need a million customers, you just need to keep your loyal customers happy. “Customer lifetime value” is fancy business lingo for how much revenue each customer brings to your business over their lifetime. This isn’t usually the first thing people associate with scaling, but it’s actually a huge deal! It’s WAY easier to sell to someone who already loves your brand than it is to acquire new customers. The goal is to maximize the impact you have on your existing customers… To keep them always coming back for more. This is what thinking like a business owner is all about.

Did you know that when someone lands on your website you only have 30 seconds to make an impression? Kinda scary, right?!? After all of the love and hard work you pour into creating a beautiful page, a lot of the people who visit will be in and out in moments. So how can you get them to stick around?? And better yet… how can you get them to actually CONVERT into sales? It all comes down to the impression and the feeling they get when they visit your site. If your website isn’t doing your product justice in terms of design, story and beyond… you’re actively LOSING sales and potential customers. There are a few key components every homepage needs to really stand out and grab the attention of a potential customer… As a designer or business owner, sometimes you’re a little too close to the problem to see whether what you have is really working or not. That’s why we brought in Darian Chavez of DNC coaching (who also happens to be one of our amazing SOS coaches), to talk about how to transform your homepage to brin

As designers, we’re aware of how much our industry is changing… A lot of jewelry sales is moving online. Wholesale isn’t the same as it used to be. It's tough these days to find buyers who will buy the product outright – not on memo. Things are moving faster than ever. And the processes for success are shifting. But a common obstacle we’re facing is the fact that the backend of our industry isn’t really keeping up… That is to say, the supplier section of the jewelry industry can feel like it's stuck in the past. Here at F&TA, we get super excited when we find companies and brands who are on the cutting edge of these new models… That’s why I’m so stoked that on this week’s podcast, I got to chat with Ashkan Asgari of Dream Diamond.

Unboxing experiences are a big deal these days… If you want to sell your product for premium prices, you have to think about packing! When customers open their purchase, they want it to be fun – to feel good. New designers sometimes think of packing as an added expense… just another thing they have to spend money on. But actually, packing is an investment in growing your business. It's an opportunity to elevate your brand – and stand out against the competition. And there’s a lot that goes into great packaging… You need to be considering… Your customer and what aesthetic they’re attracted to… The sustainability of the materials you’re using… What colors are trending this year… Customers are more and more aware these days of fashion trends. And a brand with really unique packaging STANDS OUT. It's a way to be remembered and noticed. It raises brand awareness along with elevating your product… This week I got to chat with Barbara Whitney from Packaging Specialties about what designers need to know to

This week is Robin’s birthday! I’m so excited to be chatting with her about the rapidly changing world of wholesale… Robin is our go-to girl in this department… She’s our wholesale and sales expert. And in the 7 years since we started Flourish & Thrive Academy, this part of our industry has been changing nonstop… But lucky for us, Robin is up on all of these changes… So whether you’re about to dive into wholesale for the first time or you’re navigating the ins and outs of consignment or sell and return – we’ve got you! These days, it can feel like the financial pressure is 100% on designers. Especially in wholesale. It may have you wondering… Is wholesale even worth it anymore? Can you really survive and make a good living with this model? The fact is, it's totally possible! But only if you’re staying on top of what’s working TODAY. In this week’s podcast episode, we’re covering everything you need to know to stay relevant in wholesale. In order to succeed in wholesale, you have to build great relati

The amazing thing about designers is we’re each so unique… It's so cool how you don’t have to be a certain way to succeed in this industry. As I’ve really gotten to know my own gifts and talents, I’ve realized something… I’m pretty much TERRIBLE at 90% of the things you need to do in business. But the other 10% I’m totally brilliant at! And that’s okay… because I can get support in the areas where I need it. And when I stay in my zone of brilliance, I’m going to do more than anyone else could in those areas. The same goes for you. You’re going to have even more success when you figure out your particular brand of brilliance… and stop trying to be good at everything. I’m talking finding that special sparkle only YOU have. Once you figure out what that is – you can leverage it. And when you leverage it, suddenly business is going to totally change for you. Things will get easier. Decisions will come more naturally. You’ll feel more turned on in and by your work. But what if you don’t know what it is?!?!?!

When you’re running a jewelry business, sometimes you might forget why you started what you do… Running a business takes work. Persistence. Consistency. Strategy. But at the end of the day – most of us are actually artists! We get into this work to CREATE. And while it's important to get those systems down that help you thrive… there’s also nothing wrong with a craving for VARIETY! I’m so excited to be interviewing Alex Camacho of Acid Queen Jewelry because she’s got this balance down… Alex has truly mastered the launch & release strategy. So much so that she’s releasing a one of a kind collection MONTHLY… And selling them out! This is so cool because it means she gets to constantly be creating. Each month she’s making one of a kind pieces. And she’s created a strong following around it! Sure, she has her ready-to-wear line that’s always for sale. She’s got something consistent and easy when she’s in a pinch. But she’s also managed to systematize variety and creativity. So if you worry that success

Wow! I seriously can’t believe this week was episode #200 of the Thrive by Design Podcast! I started this show because I wanted to serve the jewelry community in a bigger way. This work means the world to me… Back in the 90’s when I was starting out, there wasn’t anything like this! We didn’t have free content. Heck, I don’t even think I had an email address yet! That’s why I’m so passionate about this work… I love serving this community. Helping YOU reach big numbers. Helping you grow your business. And how cool that we now have this platform to share information through! Although I’ve watched the industry change at a crazy pace, I’ve also realized… Many of the issues we were having back then (pre-internet), are the same ones we have now! They come down to the fact that we’re visionaries. We’re creatives. We’re literally artists. So even when the market changes, a lot of those struggles stay the same. So this week on the podcast we’re going back through all of the favorite episodes from the last few years. I

Pssst! There isn’t a “holy grail” to gaining big exposure. It’s gonna take some TRIAL and ERROR. After a lot of years as an entrepreneur, I’ve learned a few things about content… What works, what doesn’t, and the best ways to get noticed. Ironically, one of my biggest lessons was that there’s no “holy grail” to getting your content seen. It’s more like a little of this, a little of that… and a LOT of trial and error. There are seriously ENDLESS things you can try… Mastering hashtags… Creating quality video production… Learning social media algorithms… Storytelling through emails…. Paid and organic marketing strategies… The list goes ON! I’m here to empower you to start thinking about exposure for your brand… The end game is to for that exposure to convert people and get them engaging with your content! It’s time to take more unique approaches to digital marketing. On this week’s podcast, I’m talking to one of the most unique Creatives I’ve connected with through Instagram. Meet Laura Powers: a premiere LA ps

Finally! The weather is warm and days are getting longer. A perfect time to look forward to GROWTH in your business. Springtime is all about new possibilities, right? Time to get your spring hustle on! As designers and business owners, it's super easy to get stuck in the day-to-day… Making more product… Responding to customer messages… Managing the books… Posting on social media… Just one big laundry list of stuff! The thing is, not one of these tasks is really gonna lead you to EARNING $$ at the next level. Or scaling your business. It's time to ask yourself – are you using these assignments as an excuse to keep playing it small? If you want to take a leap this year and see big results, you have to make a change.You have to stop doing everything yourself. You have to outsource and delegate. You might outsource social media or marketing but it could also mean… It's time to start working with a manufacturer! I know what you’re thinking, “But that’s scary! What if they rip me off for my designs?”

Does talking about making money in your biz make you squirm a little bit? It's super hard when you pour yourself into your biz but aren’t making any money. It feels like no matter how amazing your work is, you’re “not good enough.” I’ve been there, I know… I have this crazy idea: I want to dust off the old stigma around being a “starving artist” and reframe it to be the “thriving artist” – or jewelry designer! Whatever your creative passion is, YOU CAN make money doing what you love! I’m extroverted so I love to chat and connect with my customers. But really anyone can attract more money to their biz. Don’t believe me?? A few weeks ago in San Francisco, we invited our SOS members to a 2-day workshop – which was SO. MUCH. FUN! During the workshop, I challenged the designers to personally text, email, DM or call at least one customer and make a sale. Not everyone was game at first… Some designers felt awkward or shy. Others didn’t know who to reach out to or didn’t want to bug people. BUT, in the end, they

There’s lots of confusion. What really matters to grow your business? Is it finances, sales, admin, social media, marketing, photography, pixeling your website, cleaning the dirt under your fingernails from that red rouge buffing compound…? The list is endless. The answer is simple…it’s the 75% rule. In fact, when I first presented the 75% rule – jaws were dropped. When I was asked about the 75% rule at the Gold Conference, same thing… I got a lot of weird looks. Here’s why… Most “creative-maker-designer” types love creating and making. So they start a business and continue to create – make – design (oh yeah and do a lot of busy work) and wonder why their business isn’t growing? If you want your business to grow, you have to spend your time on revenue generating activities. That’s where the 75% rule comes in. Finding the levers in your business to sell jewelry online or land those massive wholesale accounts requires a commitment and focus on the “RIGHT” activities. Your ability to double your jewelry busines

What are you waiting for? I asked my good friend Aggie Burnett, co-founder of Nomaterra fragrances, what she was waiting for to get to the next step in her business. Since her early 20’s, she’s nourished relationships with beauty brands through good ol’ fashioned networking: asking questions, following up, and taking notes. In her 300 sq ft NYC apartment, she spent time mixing and matching oils until she created what felt most aligned. Fast forward to having her products sold in every, single Sephora nationwide! Talk about GOALS!! Even after 5-6 years of experience in the beauty biz, Aggie knew she needed to drive things to the next level. That’s where those guerrilla marketing tactics came in handy. And they’ll come in handy for you too!  

I might sound like a broken record but… Do you know what your BIGGEST sales tool is? So many people are still getting it wrong! Your website is your number one sales tool. It doesn't matter if you're selling e-commerce, if you're just selling to wholesale stores or if you want to do in person events. If you have a janky website it’ll be much harder getting press coverage or getting buyers to actually believe in your brand! And if you’re someone who LOVES wholesale as much as our co-founder Robin Kramer, you’ll want her help on how to simplify your website so people actually buy. There’s so many easy resources to build your best website: Shopify (my favorite), WordPress, Squarespace and the list continues. But you’d be surprised how many mistakes jewelry designers make when trying to sell wholesale on their sites… Let’s make sure you’re not making the same ones. Listen to episode #194 How To Set Up Your Website For More Wholesale Orders with Robin Kramer Enjoy!

Do you have 1000 True Fans? Trust me, it’s A-OK if you don’t. But are you ready to have 1000 people eager, willing and ready to support your business this year? I learned this philosophy from Kevin Kelly and wholeheartedly believe that it’s the best sales strategy to attract those repeat buyers. If you can get X number of people buying from you every single year… Then you can get a rough estimate of how much revenue you'll make a year! Simple enough, right? Let me explain…                                             Sometimes we feel a bit technologically challenged. Or we don't understand the innovation that is happening in marketing now.  So we stick to our old ways and that’s exactly what hurts business in the long run. At one point, I couldn’t keep up with the times. I was being more reactive and less proactive about my sales strategies and how I handled customers on a grand scale. I was losing weight, hair falling out, you name it, I experienced it. I was sad and frustrated all of the time! And

Traffic + Conversion = my 2 favorite words right now. Seriously! Can you name a better feeling than having your voice reach millions of fans? I know that there are people in the jewelry biz struggling to get their content consumed by the people actually BUYING their products. Which is why it’s becoming sooo important to diversify our revenue streams. Especially for those of you who are selling to stores and at live events. You have to have inventory for the shows, you have to show up, set the booth up, stand outside in sideways rain or blazing hot weather or something in between and go, go, go. All your weekends are given to the shows. At a certain point, it's exciting because that's how you're building your business… But eventually it gets… Exhausting. That’s exactly why it’s so important to be able to diversify your strategy so that you're leveraging the tools that you have and you're training your customers to actually buy from you online. Building a biz is a full time job. I’m con

Yes, you can sell your jewelry online! Or have you been doubting yourself? We all feel great doing what we know…but why is it so hard to pivot out of our routines? The real big struggle is when you get too caught up working “in” your business that you can't decipher the right activities you should be doing to build your online business. Sometimes people make it soooo complicated… I’ve been guilty of this too. Take my friend, designer Chelsea Farmer, for example. She is someone who has done an incredible job at creating an amazing user experience for her customers. But she’s said to me once, “I'm afraid to send out an email because we're going to get so many orders I don't know what to do.” Not all problems are bad problems. It's really easy as business owners to fall back into what we know instead of welcoming the unknown. What IF your email list blows up with sales? Or what IF you don’t get more than a couple of sales a week? It’s time we rethink your approach to running a business a

Meet Anna Shilina — she’ll help you make more money! At the end of the day we're all responsible for our own businesses, right? And if you're not showing up for your business then you could be making excuses about why things aren't happening. That’s when we have to take a look at ourselves, my friends! Anna Shilina is an abundance coach that is ready to help you make more money. She helps people remove money blocks and gets them to the space where they're really thinking strategically about what they're doing. “We work on mindset, we work on the way you approach things, we work on really focusing on productivity and being in that space of your highest self so that you can get the most out of your efforts, the most out of your business, the most out of your growth.” And she’s determined that we can all reach our biggest goals in 90 days (or less)! The best time to start your goals was two months ago…  But the second best time to start your goals is today — as in right now! U.S governme

Big goals + Big responsibilities = Burnout? It doesn't have to! Are you tired? Like really tired? If you tell yourself “I’m busy but I’ve got this” then keep reading. I sat down with Nina Cooper, founder of Nina Designs, on our show after reflecting on the last time I felt completely and utterly burned out. I took a sabbatical last year for 6 weeks and went to Europe just for the mental break that I needed to rejigger and recharge. And if I’d taken better care of myself, I might not have needed to do that. Don’t get me wrong, it was a great 6 weeks… But how why I arrived at taking it was NOT healthy. Let me ask… are YOU remembering to reset and recharge? You can still continue growing your jewelry biz. But what if Nina and I showed you how you can do both? We’re all capable of managing our time, energy, and stress.  In our latest podcast, Nina and I share loads of tips to recenter yourself among all of your creative chaos. And we both agreed one of the greatest challenges of chasing a goal out of your co

Is your studio healthy or hazardous? Here’s how to create the jewelry you love while keeping your health in check. Yep, I get it! You LOVE making jewelry. But did you know this creative career could potentially be one of the most dangerous jobs on the planet? Your subjecting yourself to chemicals on a daily basis…how do you know if your studio is safe!?! I know I didn’t. I remember having a Shingles scare because of a rash that broke out while moving chemicals around my studio here in NYC several years ago. One of our SOS coaches, Sarah McAleer, overcame a bought with Sepsis that was brought on by poor ventilation in her studio. How much are we risking as jewelry makers? Today, we’re talking about best practices to have an eco-friendly jewelry studio and take control of your health and safety. I invited Christine Dhein on the show to talk about how to protect ourselves from the inherent hazards that come along with being a jeweler and working on the bench. You don’t have to give up the creative career you lov