Hi, welcome to Jewelry is your side hustle with Sugar Gay Isber.
This is our podcast that's for jewelry makers to talk to their clients and kind of their head and
kind of like just get to share with other jewelry makers different things that they're working on
how they got started in their journey and the path of where they want to go and it's just a
friendly fun space. So today we have Kayla Acevedo. Did I say that correctly? I have another friend
who's an Acevedo so I thought, oh, I got this one. So welcome and I'm so glad that you're here today.
It's going to be great to have you and please start off by telling us your name, your company's name.
I think you're in my area so you probably hear the thunder roaring. I'm like, I do right now.
And I'll let you just take off. Let's get started. Well, first of all, thank you so much for this
opportunity. I read your message and I was just like, this would be so fun to do. Like it would be
such a fun adventure more than anything. My name is Kayla Acevedo and I am a proud owner of a one
year old business as of last Saturday. It's called Casa of Youth Jewelry and we do permanent jewelry.
So we cut our customers pick a chain and then we measure, we cut it, we add anything, any charms
or anything special that they want to add to it and then we weld it together so it becomes an
infinite piece without a class. So that is the idea of it. So how do you weld it on them? So we,
there's a little jump ring that we use and then with a little tungsten pen, we kind of spark it
and then it melts and stays on. Oh, that's so exciting. It is fun. How did you start this?
And by the way, you're in Round Rock, Texas, correct? Well, I am in Leander. In Leander,
which is just right down the road from here. Yes. Yeah, so we're neighbors. So anytime you want to
come over, you know, you can always come over. Same. So congratulations on one year. How is the
journey going? You know, it's been an adventure. It's been an adventure because I am actually a
fifth grade teacher. So this is definitely a side hustle. And what do you, what do you teach in your
fifth grade class? What is your language? So I do reading and writing. Yeah. You do a bilingualy?
Yes. So I do reading and writing at a dual language school and we do both English and Spanish. So
I teach reading in Spanish one day and writing in English and then the next day we flip up.
That's hard. It's hard on the kids too, I'm sure, but they're used to it, I guess. Really important.
You know, I'm a day 700 and, I mean, 470 something on Duolingo Learning Spanish. So
it's in my heart. So don't test me. But I do love learning and I've been trying my whole life to
really conquer Spanish. But you know, it's hard. Like I feel for those students too, because I know
it's hard, you know, it's hard for them, but as fifth graders, it's really important.
Yeah. It's very awesome how by the time they get to fifth grade, I think that they kind of like
discover that being bilingual is a superpower and how awesome it is that they have two languages,
but also two cultures. Like they're part of this two worlds that they have found a way to merge
and they find a way to belong, you know. So it is powerful. It's so fun. I absolutely have loved
being a teacher for the past 11 years now. Wow. I hope that you really get that message to them
about how unique they are and how important they are just for the whole going forward process. My
grandkids, which are like little, like, but they've been in a Spanish immersion since birth,
basically. So, you know, it's like they were put right into it and our family really believes in
knowing languages as a huge part of just being good, like just because it's good to know another
language. Like seriously, it opens the world to you. It is. It absolutely does. I think that I see
it through, I mean, I was born and raised in Puerto Rico and I moved to the United States when I was
14 and I did not know a lick of English. And like I probably could say hello and goodbye and maybe
pencil and that was it. So me just being in their shoes and learning the language of such an older,
you know, older teenager years that were definitely rebellious and not fun took a lot from me. It,
I feel like it sheltered me and it didn't allow me to be my bubbly personality and the dancer and
actor that I was back in Puerto Rico. So I hope that in the past 11 years, I've been able to,
you know, allow my students to know that this is a stage of their life and then they'll know both
languages and they'll just be able to connect with so many people. And I see it through my own son,
like he's going to be 13 at the end of this month and we travel with done a little traveling here
and there and when we go to Hispanic countries, like just being able to see him interact with
people and communicate with people and translate for people, like it's just awesome to see that,
for sure. You have a very big heart and I definitely know that empathy is one of the most
important skills of being a teacher and certainly from you being right there. It wasn't that long
ago that you were in the same boat. I did the reverse. I went to Spain to learn Spanish,
not knowing anything, basically. So that was, and then by the end of my semester, I was like,
this is my new address, this is where I want to live. I'm just never coming by the city. I was like,
so loving living in Spain. But I do remember and I think about my grandkids, how hard it is to,
you know, reach for a word and you're like, I have no idea. That's why I'm still learning words. I
learned, I think I learned 10 new words today. So, it attracts it for me. But I certainly am,
you know, it's a challenge to remember them all, like it's hard. We should be trying, we should try
to do it in Spanish today. You're going to use it so you can remember. Okay, Nessa, tell me more
about how you got into jewelry, because that's a big jump, you know, you had some downtime,
somehow or another, I don't know how, but somewhere off maybe. You know, I don't know about downtime
because I decided to start a business and go back to school and continue to teach. So I don't know
that I had the downtime, but I made it happen. So it's okay. Yes, if we're motivated, we can just
get up earlier. It's okay. You know, we just have hours today. It's okay. However, this started a
couple of years ago, I went to one of the little bucket things in my son's and I's, you know, buckets
where we wanted to go to New York City. So I woke up one day and I was like, I'm going to surprise
him with tickets to New York City. And I had read online that Catbird, the store that kind of made
permanent jewelry famous, is there in New York City. And I was like, I want to go get a bracelet.
Like, I really want to go do this. So we finally were able to find the store and I went inside and
their line was like a lot of people, there was a lot of people waiting and just the vibe in there
was so neat. Like there were people there, but that bachelorette parties, birthday parties,
and just wanted to go through this experience of having the same bracelet or picking a bracelet and
then bonding, right? So then I came back home to Texas and my sister owns a mobile Metspaw. And at
one of the activities she was at one day, there was a permanent jewelry to girls that were there.
And she calls me, she's like, you've been talking about permanent jewelry since you came back here
to New York City. Like, I think you should do this. Like, this would be so good for you. And I
thought about it for a little while. And I never ever envisioned myself as a business person, like
ever in my life having my own business. And then I just woke up one day and was like,
I'm going to try this. I'm going to do this. And I kind of fell in love with the idea of this role
of chain being cut into different pieces that go to all these people and the way that we truly are
united in this world that, you know, feels so huge, but it's truly so, you know, so little when
you really think about it, like you get to know all these people as now as, as I go to markets and
do parties and, you know, book events at little boutiques. I've gotten to know people and their
story and how we're all connected in so many ways. So I just truly fell in love with that idea of
how we cut this chain and it goes different places, but somehow we're, we continue to be connected.
So that's where it started from. I absolutely love that idea. And we are all connected. We are all,
all connected. And DNA is part of what we're connected to. And jewelry is a huge part of our
DNA because it was one of the very first things. I think it was like, they probably figured out
some clothes, some shoes, and then the accessories were next.
It's like, here we go. I mean, there's just nothing about it. I've even found like really,
really old bone beads in our ranch from when the ancient people were there and had, you know,
no metal. They were using stones, sharpening stones to, you know, slowly drill out a bone to
create a hole in there so they could string it on some sinew or a vine or however it was. I mean,
that's ancient for sure. And I even have some samples around here somewhere of the really old,
the oldest known beads, which were ostrich beads. And if you've ever tried to break an ostrich egg,
you have to get like, I had to get a tile cutter to cut it because it's so thick and it's so hard.
Wow. Can you imagine that those people back then, they didn't have metal and yet they were able to
snip out little tiny little beads and put a hole in them. We were motivated when we didn't have TV.
Yeah. Oh my gosh, absolutely. That is amazing. So wait, it's not a question about your chain.
So it's actually soldered on and it's not supposed to come off. So it's welded on, yes.
So it's not supposed to come off. So they don't have a class. And I have one of them that has a
class because my sister and my mom got it for me even a long time before. But so this one has a
little class on it. But all my other chains are seamless. So there's no ending or...
They have to be like gold because you don't want to tarnish on you, right?
So they're gold filled. Gold filled chains. Gold filled. So that way they are still good quality
and it's tarnish and water resistant and they won't go ugly on you. I also have a silver,
sterling silver options for those people that prefer the silver chains. So those are also an
option. Well, I'm so proud of you. Like seriously, you just got up and got it done. Like, wow, you
figured out how to do all this. And I found you because I was invited to an event that I couldn't
attend. Really, I think because I was just on LinkedIn as a jewelry person in this area.
And then I saw, oh my gosh, you're going to be there. So that's why I reached out to you. I'm
like, well, look at you. You did good. You got listed and there's something on LinkedIn and somebody
connected to you from LinkedIn. That's pretty good. And now you're going to go... I can't remember
what the event is, but it's on a Saturday afternoon. Coming up, is it coming up? It's coming up. It is.
What is it called? It's the Girl Flug Party Gala. Yeah, it wasn't on a Saturday morning.
No, it is on a Saturday morning. I think it's 11 to 2. Yeah, something like that. It's pretty
fast. There's a lot of stuff planned. It looked like a really great event. Yes, those girls are so
fun. I got to know them a little bit over. We've done a few events together and I randomly found
them one day and I talked to a couple of them and they're just their spirits and their happiness.
And they just have this aura of positivity. So you definitely need to come to one of the events
on Sunday. Yeah, now when was the next one? I can't remember. What was the date? You just said?
April 27th. April 27th. So I'm two weeks, two weeks. This weekend. Okay, well, I'm really...
I know that y'all are going to do really great. So tell me about... So that's your next place we
are going to be. Tell me about some big challenges that you've had and what's the hard part about
being an entrepreneur slash teacher slash mother slash... It just keeps going, right? We're a lot
of things. We wear a lot of hats. So many hats. For sure. Well, actually, I was going to say the
next... My next event is this upcoming weekend. I'm going to be at the Burnett... I may say this one.
Burnett. And Burnett, Texas? Burnett, Texas at their Blue Bonnet Festival. I'll be there
Saturday and Sunday. So that'll be a fun little... Yes....well to go to, for sure. Yes, for sure.
And the Blue Bonnets are great right now. So... Yes, they're so beautiful. I went earlier today and
I think that they're starting to... Well, a little bit... Don't go away yet. Yeah, well, maybe this rain
will kind of... We're having a good little shower right now. So maybe that'll either... It'll either
smash them down or it'll give them a little bit more life. Did you see the eclipse yesterday,
by the way? Did your students get to go outside? Magical. How cool was that? I know. The clouds
just parted at the right time. Oh my gosh. It was amazing. We were all outside with the little
glasses on and I mean it was just cool. And then it got so dark. It was crazy. It did. It did, but
it just... It kind of like allowed us to reflect a little bit because the kids, you know, they say
some funny things and we were just sitting there for a minute and like whenever it started to...
After it was complete totality and then it started to, you know, move to the other side,
we were talking about how just so little light, like a little bit of the sun came and then it came
right again outside. And like some of the kids were like, well, that's what happens when you're a
good person. Sometimes like when you're a good person, you're able to shine. And I was like,
like how cool is it that just a little bit can reach so many places? In fact, the fifth graders
came up with that yesterday. I was like, man, that is such a magical outcome for that. People
that missed it because they're like, I'm gonna get it. It's like you really missed it. Like you
really missed it. It had a lot of significance. And were you able to see like the red on the bottom
and the green on the... It was so cool. It was so cool. It was so cool. Are you gonna add any...
Let's just talk about your jewelry. Do you do charms at all? We do. It's a very special life.
There are chains. We have lots of little different charms. I have little airplanes. I have flowers.
I have little bow ties. Rainbows, birth stones are a big one. Initials. Let's see what else we got
on there. I mean, I think that there's a lot of options. Yeah. A lot of... There's horse shoes.
So they're making like charm bracelets or just adding like one to kind of like for the memento
of whatever that one is. Depends on what they want. I think that there's a... That really neat
thing about it is that you can make it whatever you want it to be. Right. I recently did a necklace
this weekend and she did birthstone initial, birthstone initial, birthstone initial for her
three kids. Yes. So it was so neat. Totally a one of a kind for her and she never has to take it off.
So she's always got her memento on her. Very cool. Even the necklaces don't come off.
I do offer a class because even like for me, for example, for me, I like switching my necklaces
around too much. Right. So I put a class on all of my necklaces. So she put a class on her yesterday.
But I also have them necklaces that are hermene. So it's neat either way.
Yeah. Well, that's okay. Like everybody wears jewelry. Like it's just cool that they do that.
I remember the first jewelry show that I got into. It was a big one in New York City,
but I didn't even know how to make earrings by then. I was just making like one thing and it
was good. So I was like, oh, they just want this one thing. How are your earrings? Are you making
earrings too? I'm not. I wish that I used this challenge. Even this right here, like I love them.
I love big earrings. But I do not do earrings. Maybe in the future, I'll go into that. But we
do bracelets. We do enclets. We do necklaces and little rings. So a lot of people, I think that
the most special that I've done so far is three ladies that were having a baby and their fingers
were getting swollen. So they're wearing rings that didn't fit. And they were like, it's so sad
that I can't even wear my rings. And I was like, we can change that. So we measure the finger and
then we cut the chain and well did it. And then they were able to roll it on. So even though it's
not permanent, it's not like a semi-permanent thing, they were able to roll it on and off as needed.
So I think those three ladies have made the whole, I think rings are the hardest to make for me.
And they make it worse. But it was just really cool that they were able to have a ring on.
Oh, that is so cute. That is so cute. Now tell me about, are you running your own website? Or
how else can people find you? Tell me about that. Oh my gosh. And you asked me about challenges. And
then we got into a eclipse. So let me tell you about how to find Casa. We do private events when
it comes to like birthday parties, bachelorettes, I did a or Mishka one, ones I think I may have said
that wrong. It's okay. And then what else? We've done a quinceañera, a baby shower, girls night in,
just like girls get together having some wine or mimosas. So we do little private events like that.
And then I am mostly at different boutiques. So there is a boutique in Georgetown,
blushing bell that I'm often at. There is a boutique in Marvel Falls. There is a hair salon
blow bar that I was recently at this weekend and I've come there a few times down in San Antonio
called Hello Darling. And so those are some of the boutiques. And I absolutely love going to
little boutiques because there's nothing that fills my heart more than being able to buy from small
businesses. So it just fills my bucket to be there. Yes, of course. We're lucky that we live so
close to all these places like this next weekend, I got to go to San Antonio because I have a booth
at the Pana Tree. And so you got to constantly like go check on things. And so I get it. It's
nice. It's just like an hour drive, like really, maybe a little bit more. It's nice to be close
to everything. Yeah, we're very lucky in Houston's right there, Dallas was right there, like a huge
amount of people are right here in our, you know, our little area, which is really it's very rich.
When I actually moved from Canada back to Texas again, on the seventh generation Texas, but there
was more people in Texas than there was in all of Canada. So you can imagine the amount of people
that we have here. It really has, it's great for entrepreneurs. Like the world is really our oyster,
right? Yes. And I think that Austin has this spirit of support and supporting the small
businesses and the local businesses and just, you know, being there for one another and that has
just made it easier. So the challenges that have been there, which have been many, are nothing
compared to the support of the people that live around us. Like it's so neat to experience that.
Now, how are you getting the word out? Because you're doing a lot of great stuff. Are you doing ads
on social media? Are you doing like, how are people finding out about you? Because people
would want to know that. My best friend has been Instagram. And I think that that's where you can
see the most pictures and pictures of the events and pictures of people. And what's the name of
that Instagram? It's at Casa K-A-Z-A, views jewelry. And that's, yeah, spell it out. Okay,
spell it out. Puse. So, spell it out. K-A. K-A-Z-A-F-U-S-E-D. And then jewelry. Yeah. And then, and there,
the, I post my upcoming events. I post them on there. And then people can go in there and
send me a message if they're interested in doing a private event. And then we also do markets. So,
the one that I'm going to be at this weekend, I've done lots of markets downtown Austin at the little
wineries and breweries. And just everywhere that has a little market, I try to be there once in a
while. So, that's the best way to get a hold of Casa. Well, that's great. And how did you say you
have a friend that's also helping you? What's her name? A friend. Oh, no, on Instagram, you're
talking about. My friend is Instagram. Oh, your friend is Instagram. Yeah, mine too, I get it.
I love how you say that because it does seem like that's, you know, that is essentially a huge
audience, right? Like, oh my gosh, and are you on Facebook too? I am on Facebook, but for some reason,
for the longest time, I thought that they had, they were connected where if I posted something
on Instagram, it would automatically go to Facebook and it wasn't. So, my Facebook looks
very sad compared to Instagram. It's hard to do it all. So, you have the little box checked at the
bottom, but it's still not going to go post. Yeah, so now it does. But I guess at that point, I didn't
realize that it wasn't checked. Right, it's okay. Like, it's so hard to do it all like seriously.
The challenges, right? The challenges are there. So, I feel challenges that I've come across. I know
that you asked that earlier. What a, I mean, my whole career has been education and children and
never adults. So, that has been interesting to manage. You know, I think that as a business owner,
you have to expose yourself. You have to be out there. You have to talk to others. And that has
always come really easy when it came to kids, when it came to kids, but not always so easy when it
came to adults. And I mentioned a little bit of this earlier, just coming to the States as a teenager
kind of put me in this little shell where I wasn't necessarily myself. And even now, having an accident
at times, it stops me. It stops me from, you know, saying what I want to say or thinking the right
word or translating in my head at times. Like, what is it that I'm trying to accomplish here?
So, it has been, that has been a challenge at times, just not, I'm proud to hear my dog going
crazy down there. I'm so sorry. But, you know, I do get that. I don't really hear a big accent on
you. Like, it's very, very slight. Like, you really conquered English perfectly. Thank you.
Thank you. I feel like my Rs are, they still roll every once in a while. I was like, who don't like
a rolled R? Like, seriously, it has been a challenge to be able to accomplish that. And when it comes
to the world of the business world, learning what an LOCA is and learning what an insurance is and
when to go do that and where to find inventory and where to find good change. And unfortunately,
there's people out there that don't have the best intentions so that people that don't sell the good
things. And so just always wanting, you know, always getting better at finding the right places and
the right people to get, you know, supplies from. That was a challenge. And I feel like it's still
a challenge because I want to grow and I want to be better and I want my pieces to be the best it
can be. So it continues. I think that's, you know, it's that part of us that never stops growing.
And I'm glad that I have that within me that I want to grow and I want to learn and I want to be
better. So just whatever challenge comes across, let's do it. Let's tackle it. Yeah. So you've been
there for one year and you've come really far in one year. Where do you want to, where do you,
where would you like to like point yourself in a direction? So to say like, four or five years from
now, like, where are you? Like, what would that goal be? What would that vision be? My goodness.
I know it's hard to think, isn't it? But we're saying it's a safe space. You can dream big.
You gotta dream that to make it happen. So let's dream big for you. I think that I have been able
to connect a little bit of my education background with the permanent jewelry. And I had the opportunity
to train two girls a couple of weeks ago, maybe three, three weeks ago. And they came over to the
house and we did a training and they left here just feeling really good about, you know, knowing
how to do what I do. So I am thinking that I will probably continue to do that in the future and kind
of like expand Casa and not and be able to be at different places at the same time, but not just me.
So I think that's the goal for now. Just try to get some people feeling confident and feeling good
about it and just getting out there, the message of the connectivity between people in the world.
Well, and you know, I teach at Austin Community College. I teach jewelry design and at the continuing
education kind of level, which is the lifetime learners, anybody can teach. Like, you could go
and you could teach other people there to become permanent jewelers. And then while you're there,
you can talk to them about maybe, you know, multiplying you. So I mean, it's a win-win for
the community because they're learning skills. But then if they even had someone that could, you know,
if you spy somebody that had talent and potential, and then you could like, you know, handpick them
from the group and go, hey, you can come to work for me. You know, like, it's just a, it's just
an interesting thing to think about because since I'm an educator too, and I've also written two books
and, you know, I have a TV show in this podcast, et cetera. But for me, it's all about connecting
with those people and sharing the things that I've learned because that's really, it's kind of like
the matriarch, because of my age, the matriarch of the jewelry making here in the Austin area,
because I've been doing it for so long. I think it's really part of my job kind of
to pass along things and to teach people and all that kind of stuff. So put that in your pocket and
go, oh, maybe I could teach them. You only have to do it like one night a semester. It's not like,
it doesn't have to be, and it can just be like two or three hours. It can just be like one hour.
Like it can be whatever you make it out to be. So, as an educator, you're already in that pool
that you would be qualified to be able to teach there, but anybody could really teach. And you
don't have to have a teaching certificate, but I know they would love to have somebody like that.
And you'd be teaching, and we both be in the jewelry department because I think it's good to
have more people. More than better. Yeah, well, the other thing is that the, all the ACC employees
get three free classes per year. So they're incentivized to take classes. And I really,
you know, I used to have a lot of ACC employees take my classes right now. They seem to be kind
of like not very many people are signing up from the school. I think they're just like a little
scared of their whatever. I don't know what's going on there, but definitely it's something I really
try to promote to other people is think about ACC if you're thinking about a little bit of a side
hustle because you can teach anything. You can teach anything how to help your fifth grade or
read. Like that could be a one night class that you could really like enrich some parents that
are really struggling or like the world is your oyster. So teaching is such a great thing.
Because people would like to learn. That you have a book and show. Like, I mean,
I've been doing this a long time. I've been doing this a long time. So that's why, you know, so that's
all that's all good. But I really am doing this show so that I I looked for shows to be on and I
really couldn't find anything about, you know, jewelry makers, entrepreneurs. And, you know,
I really so this is kind of like something that I really think that has potential of a lot of people
joining this conversation. And we all share our knowledge because why not like there's all different
kinds of jewelry out there. Like I'd never heard of your kind of jewelry until now. I thought it was
going to be Fuse Glass because of the name. I was like, Oh, look at this. It's like something totally
different. And the guests that we had on Monday, she did Katie Kismet, she does use jewelry. So
I'm like, Oh, that's cool. Like, you know, a different take on Fuse Glass, but it has nothing
to do with that, which because even cooler. So, you know, always be surprised. That is awesome. Yes.
Yeah, I guess it wasn't on Monday that I had around there. Most of it last Friday, because we didn't
do anything during the Eclipse, that's for sure. But yeah, so that's really fun. Well, you know,
there's a lot of grants out there too. I don't know if you've had time to look into some of the
small business things that are available, especially being Latino, especially being a small
business person, small business person, not a small person, but a small business person.
And also, you know, being an entrepreneur, there's definitely a lot of different things in there.
So I hope that you'll subscribe to my newsletter, which is on my website, gayasper.com. And then
we can stay connected. Of course, you can come over anytime. I'm always here. I'm not very far
from you, like just zip down 79 or whatever it is. And I'm here. But there's definitely
a lot of good will here for you. And I definitely could, if I could help you in any way, you know,
point you towards resources that are, you know, US made resources, something like that.
And especially looking out for you now for any gold bill jewelry that I see, because I know
that's its own little some stuff. I send things off to be plated, but that's different than what
you're doing. Because mine's starting off as brass. Yes. Or copper. And then yours has actually
got the gold in there. So a little bit different. But you know, thank you very much. Yeah, well,
for sure, for sure. And then also, let's see anything else that you want to talk about. We
have a little bit more time. I just would love for you to like say anything to your customers about
any new products that you have coming down the line or some other things. What are you going to
do this summer? Because it does get hot here in those outdoor markets can be really hard. Can you
do them on summer and you can see that heat? I did a pecan street festival last year. Oh, I'm
proud of you. That was a lot of sweat. Yeah, because it was awesome. I think it was also
raining here. It was it was extreme. Was it like super hot? Was that what it was? It was something.
On Saturday, it was very hot. It was raining. It was actually like stormed on us on Saturday.
And then Sunday was just hot. Yeah. I just remember it was interesting because people would
would say would come to me like, I'm so sweaty. Like, I don't know how you're like, I got this.
We will figure this out. Here is some water. But I think that I prefer the boutiques in the summer,
for sure. Yeah, AC is magical. Yeah. So that is the plan for the summer. I am getting married in
November next year. So I'm hoping that I'll get to do some wedding planning. I love this summer.
Oh, that's a lot. That's a lot. Yes. Have you picked out your dress and all that?
I did. I actually got my dress from a boutique right here in Lander. It's called
Lays and Grace or Grayson Lays. Beautiful, beautiful place with lots of sweet girls.
And I met them at a pop-up downtown. So just like, you know, connecting people.
Yes. Yes. It works both ways, right? Like, if I'm the only thing that you like to deal with,
then you're going to go with them. So that's nice for you. Nice for you.
Beautiful. And I got to do some pop-ups there at their bridal boutique. So I've been there
a few times and it's just an awesome place to be at and some girls to get to know. So I did get
my dress from there this past summer and, sorry, last summer. Yeah, that was us here. So I've had
my dress for almost a year now. Kind of makes sense. It still fits, right? Oh, we're going to make sure
that it fits. So I'm doing that. And other than that, I hope to be at lots of new boutiques. I'm
trying to continue to, you know, create relationships, build relationships and
some connections with small business owners around here so that I can offer their clients
remnant jewelry and then they can, you know, bring in some people for me too. So it's just a two-way
street always. Yes. And where are these great entrepreneur skills coming from? Did you grow
up in a family where people were entrepreneurs because you're doing a great job? That is funny.
I did not. My mom has been a teacher for 28 years. My parents actually live in Qatar,
so they're far, far away. We're trying to convince them to come back to the States this summer.
And then my dad did a little bit of everything growing up. He, his big thing is,
he's a handyman. He can fix anything that you can think of. So I don't know where they came from.
They kind of just showed up one day and wanted to stay. Well, that's quite the thing. And,
you know, you must have gotten something from your parents, but who knows? Like,
maybe this is just something you've just been like with students has been a burning desire inside
you and you're now found your product and you're soaring like seriously. Thank you. Thank you very
much. Yeah, I just did a TV show for entrepreneurs. It was a game show. It was a reality game show.
It'll show on Amazon Prime. It was called The Blocks. And that was a group of 100 plus entrepreneurial
companies, entrepreneurs that have companies or in different stages of business, it could be beginning
to multi-million businesses. And we all did a week of this game show and it was five of us. I really
learned a lot. And, you know, if we ever get together and have a cup of coffee and, you know,
we can like just, you know, talk about in depth some of those things. I can't tell you who won
the show or anything like that right now, but it'll come up. But yeah, I'm just saying like the world
is your oyster because there are so many like this is the time when we're really celebrating
small business owners, you know, Etsy and Shopify and all these companies. I wouldn't even think
the meta, you know, I think that all these things are really trying to push us and push people to
trying to think more of the sustainable made in the U.S. small business person. Like I kind of feel
like it's our time. So how do you think about that? Absolutely. I think that there is whatever it is
that changing the minds of these people, like it's for such a good cause and for such a good reason.
I think that that little saying of when you buy from a small business owner, like that person
does a little happy dance. Like it's so true. Like it's, I remember my first sale, which it's
interesting because I had a pop up and had no one, my very first pop up, like nobody came to my table
and it was at this little brewery and I've been back since and has been very successful now,
but it was such a, oh, it's a moment like I worked so hard to put this together. But regardless of
that, like the fact that it has worked out, you know, throughout this year and it has been able
to be kept up and it's been so good for me and my family. Like, and it's because of all these people
that think let's support our small businesses. Let's make sure that those people are doing the
little happy dances and allowing their families to go and flourish. I love that. I think that does
very apropos to what we're doing. And I know that when you're out there, people love your bubbly
personality and your little kind soul. So that really speaks for itself that people will want
to keep coming and adding to their stack of forever jewelry. I did have, I had a bracelet
a long time ago. It was very meaningful to me and it was gold filled. I kind of think of it and I
wore that bracelet for I don't even know how many years. These bracelets I've had, these are carnier,
but I've had these on now for more than 20 years, never taken them off. So I think it's that, well,
unless you get through a metal detector and then you got to like somehow either get them off.
What happens to people that do that at airports? How does that work? It doesn't, you can still go
through the airport and it doesn't pop up on the little machine. Oh, okay. That's pretty good.
That's one of my biggest questions actually. Like what happens when I go to the airport? Like you
have no problem. Like I've been traveling with some of these for a year, two years, no three years
since the one in New York City. Well, that's probably because of their gold inside them.
These bracelets send off the, this is the Trinity bracelets, but they do send off the metal detectors
and I've been told, oh yeah, you know, they've got real metal in there. It's like, okay, whatever.
I'm not going to argue with Cartier. Like I know they're not solid gold, but they got something in
there that keeps making those things go off and I got to like slide them off. And how many times
I've almost lost those bracelets because, you know, you're racing through the airport and it's
like, oh no, my bracelets run back. You know, somebody's holding on going, yeah, I almost forgot
these. So how sad. Yeah, I know. Well, you know, you just get busy and things kind of happen, you
know. Okay, so one more little thing about your wedding. I want to hear just a tiny bit more.
Well, how did y'all get proposed to? How did you get proposed to? Oh my gosh. So I actually asked her
first. Oh, that's exciting. Crazy. I don't know. I think that by now you probably know that I just
wake up one day and I'm like, I want to do this. You know? That's exactly how it was. I woke up
one day and I was kind of writing on my journal and I have been married before and I said that I
was never going to get married again. And I am really good friends now with my ex-husband, my
son's dad. And we have a really good relationship with co-parenting and unit relationship and he
loves my my fiance and it just it's really good and healthy. And I truly just woke up one day and I
was like, I never thought that I could have this healthy relationship again, you know, in my life
or ever in my life. And I never thought about wanting to marry someone again. And then I said,
I want to do this, like I want to spend the rest of my life with this girl and which is was completely
new to me to begin with. And you know, that aspect of it. And I found a ring that I loved and I thought
she's going to love this. And I got her family and my family together after five years have been
together and I asked her to marry him. So that is special. I'm so glad that I asked that because
that is quite a thing. And so now y'all we're going to have a big wedding in November. And you
know, if you need me to teach you how to make earrings, I will like come out. I love that.
Well, how about jewelry making party at Sugar's house? Oh my gosh, yes, absolutely. Yeah, I mean
it's my own wedding earrings. Oh, yeah, there you go. There you go. Like when you have one that offer.
I do have I do have millions of pearls and you have pearls show up really well in
in photographs so more than sparkle. So go for those pearl earrings. I'm like, you know, you
have a choice. That would be my little one to bid, of course, but you're pretty here. You definitely
could use a pearl earring and it would show up right like I don't have any pearls on right.
But that's kind of fun. That's very exciting. Now where else can people they really have to
see you at a live event, right? To kind of get it put on. Yes, so I don't have a website because
of that reason it has to be like a thing or something. So there's nothing that they can
there's not a place that they can go and buy things online. There's a place where they can go
and send me a message which is Instagram and then I'll be there. We love Instagram for that.
That's it was, you know, it's something I have to get used to checking because sometimes I forget.
I, you know, I kind of forget and then somebody that I was talking to says, no, let's just do
everything right here on Instagram. I'm like, okay, just give me your email address and we
could like, I'm just like, no, that's not how we do it. It's like, okay, I was actually in a class
too this past week and I asked somebody for a pin. We needed it for rolling something and they're
like, that's a different generation. We don't carry pins. I'm like, gay. I don't know. Everything on the
phone now? I didn't know there was a time in your life that you could stop carrying pins. Now I can
stop carrying a pen. It's just what it is. We all just take pictures of everything or text it all out.
Exactly how it is. It's crazy how times have changed. Yeah, times have really changed.
Yeah. Well, and I just wanted to really open my doors to you and if there's anything I can
ever do for you, please let's get together. And I work from home. So, you know, I'm always here,
but you're always at school, but you'll be off this summer maybe. I know.
You want to see me go to events and this is the time of the year to be applying for those
events that are coming in the Christmas time. Are you applying for any of those?
So, I have not applied to anything for Christmas yet. I will be doing the Leander Festival on
June 1st downtown Leander in the little square area, which I did their festival in the fall and
it was amazing. It's such a great experience. So, I had that going and I have some of the other
projects in the makings, places that I want to be at. So, those will be coming up in the upcoming
events pretty simple. Well, that's great. Well, that's great. Well, I certainly want to give you
the last floor, last thing just to wrap up and tell your customers one more time where you're
going to be next and slowly spell out the name of your Instagram so we can capture it. We'll try
to do a title here right here for you so that that will also show up. But just so if anybody's
listening, they can go to your Instagram, which is it's at Casa K A Z A Fused F U S E D Jewelry J E W E L R Y.
Fabulous. Fabulous. And this has been a great little almost an hour to spend with you and get
to know you. I feel like we're friends now and it's been a wonderful time and I look forward to
coming to one of your events and maybe I'll get a forever thing to go with my forever thing.
Thank you so much for this opportunity. I truly enjoyed this time with you and really thank you.
It's fun to have you. It's fun to meet you and we're friends forever now. So please reach out to
me. You're my friend. So, let's just always know that. Thank you again and have a lovely evening.
You too. Have a great evening.