1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:27,320 Hi. Hello. Welcome to Jewelry Azure Side Hustle. 2 00:00:27,320 --> 00:00:33,320 Hello, it's Sugar Gay Yosemore. Today we have a very special guest and I'm really glad to have her on here. 3 00:00:33,320 --> 00:00:41,620 It wouldn't have kind of been a great podcast series if I didn't have her on here because we're friends from the nest. 4 00:00:41,620 --> 00:00:47,620 So we kind of go, we have a little bit of time that we've spent together and learning about each other stuff. 5 00:00:47,620 --> 00:00:54,420 And I'm just so glad that she's on here. And now I'm going to let her introduce herself and talk about her company. 6 00:00:54,420 --> 00:01:01,020 And then we'll kind of wedge ourselves in as we go. So take it away. Let's hear it. 7 00:01:01,020 --> 00:01:03,020 Welcome to my podcast. 8 00:01:03,020 --> 00:01:12,020 Thank you, Sugar. My name is Elaine Hudson and I am the founder and CEO of Social Justice Jewelry, 9 00:01:12,020 --> 00:01:23,520 which is a stainless steel message jewelry company that puts out messages of strength and peace and support of social justice issues. 10 00:01:23,520 --> 00:01:26,520 And you've also, though, you've taken it further than that. 11 00:01:26,520 --> 00:01:35,920 I was, I was interesting to see your piece that you were making during the eclipse, for example, because you really don't maybe started off there, 12 00:01:35,920 --> 00:01:44,420 but you've really like expounded greatly on your skills and teaching yourself and learning and all of that, right? 13 00:01:44,420 --> 00:01:55,520 Yeah. Well, actually, I started learning about stone on from a fellow jeweler guy named Ryan Gardner. 14 00:01:55,520 --> 00:02:00,720 And so he does a lot of stone in stone and stone on stone setting. 15 00:02:00,720 --> 00:02:05,920 And so I learned about that 2022 or something like that. 16 00:02:05,920 --> 00:02:16,820 And so I started, I was just very inspired by it. And then it happened around the same time as the release of the James Webb Space Telescope images. 17 00:02:16,820 --> 00:02:20,520 And when I started looking at the images, I just started seeing them in gemstones. 18 00:02:20,520 --> 00:02:24,620 So it's just like I might as well make some. 19 00:02:24,620 --> 00:02:26,920 So that was why it was perfect for the eclipse. 20 00:02:26,920 --> 00:02:32,020 You said that you were making what was it Citrin and obsidian or something like that. 21 00:02:32,020 --> 00:02:36,720 So I've got a citrin that I haven't cut yet, but I think I'm going to cut it too. 22 00:02:36,720 --> 00:02:52,020 But I have a yellow oak bowl and then it has a black obsidian with a yellow gold bezel around it sat inside of it and then sat on inside the top of it. 23 00:02:52,020 --> 00:02:58,420 Stone in stone is a bezel set rose cut diamond for like the Corona crown. 24 00:02:58,420 --> 00:02:59,620 Oh my God. 25 00:02:59,620 --> 00:03:03,620 No, you got to I mean, you were out there to see the eclipse, correct? 26 00:03:03,620 --> 00:03:06,520 Like, yes, did you see it right when it happened? 27 00:03:06,520 --> 00:03:15,620 Like, yeah, I was at it just as the the clouds just broke for a second and just enough to see the Corona. 28 00:03:15,620 --> 00:03:20,720 So right before this, I mean, we were like in suspense. 29 00:03:20,720 --> 00:03:23,220 Are we going to get to see it? Are we going to not going to get to see it? 30 00:03:23,220 --> 00:03:32,720 And I was thinking about you because I thought, well, you know, to be inspired by things around us is normal as jewelry makers. 31 00:03:32,720 --> 00:03:39,720 But that was such a special day that you were really celebrating it with a design on its own. 32 00:03:39,720 --> 00:03:50,420 Yeah, so I'm still working on it because I I ended up getting the order of operations a little wrong because I kept trying to set the diamond a little bit too early. 33 00:03:50,420 --> 00:03:56,520 No, a little bit too late after I had already kind of cut the opal and there wasn't enough room for it. 34 00:03:56,520 --> 00:04:03,020 And then finally, I was like, I have to do this early, early, early and then shape this tote around the opening. 35 00:04:03,020 --> 00:04:06,020 And so now I yeah, close. 36 00:04:06,020 --> 00:04:12,720 I just have to put the the final bail and bezel on it. 37 00:04:12,720 --> 00:04:14,720 So but it's looking good. 38 00:04:14,720 --> 00:04:17,220 I can show you a photograph later. 39 00:04:17,220 --> 00:04:25,920 So I would love to see it, you know, so think about where you've taken that you started off really with words, you know, like, I think, you know, 40 00:04:25,920 --> 00:04:36,520 my first piece was my allergy bracelet that says I'm allergic to and then various social injustices, sexism. 41 00:04:36,520 --> 00:04:37,920 I'm allergic to racism. 42 00:04:37,920 --> 00:04:39,420 I'm allergic to homophobia. 43 00:04:39,420 --> 00:04:41,120 I'm allergic to bullying. 44 00:04:41,120 --> 00:04:42,820 I'm allergic to antisemitism. 45 00:04:42,820 --> 00:04:45,820 I started with those five and now I have five more. 46 00:04:45,820 --> 00:04:50,220 And then I added an I'm an ally bracelet. 47 00:04:50,220 --> 00:04:59,220 So I'm an ally for disability justice, environmental justice, gender justice, reproductive justice and social justice. 48 00:04:59,220 --> 00:05:03,320 And then I also the antidote to the allergy. 49 00:05:03,320 --> 00:05:10,420 My antidote bracelet says treat with kindness, love, respect, humanity and dignity. 50 00:05:10,420 --> 00:05:21,120 I mean, I think all of us, we all wear jewelry for so many different reasons, you know, it's in our DNA, like it's just to adorn ourselves and be noticed to be part of a tribe. 51 00:05:21,120 --> 00:05:26,020 And, you know, like all of that came from like, way, way, way back. 52 00:05:26,020 --> 00:05:29,720 And I love that part about with that we make jewelry. 53 00:05:29,720 --> 00:05:31,720 It's just a connection to our past. 54 00:05:31,720 --> 00:05:40,020 And these words really did, you know, they really came out of like the movement of just like, be heard. 55 00:05:40,020 --> 00:05:42,720 Be seen, like listen to what I'm saying. 56 00:05:42,720 --> 00:05:44,520 Look what I'm wearing. 57 00:05:44,520 --> 00:05:46,520 I want to be part of that group. 58 00:05:46,520 --> 00:05:55,120 And I mean, I, I, I know that that's, you know, where it all kind of started from those were all kind of crazy times. 59 00:05:55,120 --> 00:06:05,920 But now to see that it's really gone into beautification of stone on stone setting, which is something that you gravitated for early on, because it's like super hard. 60 00:06:05,920 --> 00:06:07,520 Like I bought you for that. 61 00:06:07,520 --> 00:06:12,520 It was something that I hadn't seen before, so I always love to see something kind of new and fresh. 62 00:06:12,520 --> 00:06:16,920 And so it was just like the kind of freshest kind of setting that I had seen before. 63 00:06:16,920 --> 00:06:19,720 So like it was beautiful, something totally different. 64 00:06:19,720 --> 00:06:21,020 I agree. 65 00:06:21,020 --> 00:06:30,520 Yeah, even though I often am just using kind of the bezels and sometimes prongs on the outside, but it's just like a new way to put them all together. 66 00:06:30,520 --> 00:06:32,320 So I really enjoyed it a lot. 67 00:06:32,320 --> 00:06:33,520 And I like color a lot. 68 00:06:33,520 --> 00:06:37,920 So using the colored stones is always, is always good. 69 00:06:37,920 --> 00:06:42,320 Now you just had so I was invited to it only. 70 00:06:42,320 --> 00:06:49,920 I'm not part of the group that you're a part of, but I want to be a part of that group, the Austin Jewelry Society. 71 00:06:49,920 --> 00:06:50,820 I don't know what it's called. 72 00:06:50,820 --> 00:06:52,320 It's Jewelry Association. 73 00:06:52,320 --> 00:06:53,020 The Williams. 74 00:06:53,020 --> 00:06:53,220 Yeah. 75 00:06:53,220 --> 00:06:53,720 Yeah. 76 00:06:53,720 --> 00:06:56,020 So we had another guest on it. 77 00:06:56,020 --> 00:07:03,520 You know, Katie and Katie Kismet, Jewelry and her Austin Bolos. 78 00:07:03,520 --> 00:07:06,820 And she is the communications director for that group. 79 00:07:06,820 --> 00:07:07,720 I didn't know that. 80 00:07:07,720 --> 00:07:10,320 So she said that she would send me an invite. 81 00:07:10,320 --> 00:07:13,820 So I definitely want to come to y'all's next big mixer. 82 00:07:13,820 --> 00:07:15,720 So I just couldn't RSVP. 83 00:07:15,720 --> 00:07:18,620 So I was trying to figure out how to do that because I'm not a member. 84 00:07:18,620 --> 00:07:22,320 But anyway, I'm going to be there because y'all that's part of my group. 85 00:07:22,320 --> 00:07:28,220 I've been hearing about this group since a long time ago, like a few years ago. 86 00:07:28,220 --> 00:07:33,420 I think when we first got together for a nest, there was somebody that was in it. 87 00:07:33,420 --> 00:07:35,220 Was it you that was in it? 88 00:07:35,220 --> 00:07:37,820 Haley. 89 00:07:37,820 --> 00:07:38,320 Haley LeMonte. 90 00:07:38,320 --> 00:07:39,120 Haley. 91 00:07:39,120 --> 00:07:41,520 I haven't seen her in a while. 92 00:07:41,520 --> 00:07:45,120 I need to reach out to her and yeah. 93 00:07:45,120 --> 00:07:46,220 J.A. Austin. 94 00:07:46,220 --> 00:07:47,220 So yeah. 95 00:07:47,220 --> 00:07:47,920 Yeah. 96 00:07:47,920 --> 00:07:49,520 So tell me about your case. 97 00:07:49,520 --> 00:07:51,420 So I know you've had a lot of wins. 98 00:07:51,420 --> 00:07:57,520 Like you've really like from when we first met, which was through Nest, the Tory Burch Association. 99 00:07:57,520 --> 00:08:03,320 And then from there you went on and you did was it Goldman Sachs? 100 00:08:03,320 --> 00:08:03,720 Right. 101 00:08:03,720 --> 00:08:04,320 Uh-huh. 102 00:08:04,320 --> 00:08:13,320 It's a it's called one million black women in business and it's one of the small business kind of courses that Goldman Sachs does. 103 00:08:13,320 --> 00:08:16,720 They also do something called 10,000 small businesses. 104 00:08:16,720 --> 00:08:45,320 And so they bring you in, give you an orientation and then you have lots of homework in between over months and they just give you a nice thorough education and kind of finances, how to figure out more about your customers and kind of now I'm losing some of my jargon. 105 00:08:45,320 --> 00:09:04,020 And how the cost of acquiring each customer and just giving you to think more about look at your books, look at your books, look at your books and that unless I'm still trying to digest that your books are not you. 106 00:09:04,020 --> 00:09:09,020 If something isn't right, it doesn't mean that you're not right. 107 00:09:09,020 --> 00:09:12,420 It just means that you have to change something about your business. 108 00:09:12,420 --> 00:09:14,020 So. 109 00:09:14,020 --> 00:09:19,820 We've learned a lot, haven't we from I know coming through these kind of online courses. 110 00:09:19,820 --> 00:09:36,420 I think we were kind of like early in that scope of like learning about all this because now I kind of see it like, you know, I just did a big boot camp for a week for entrepreneurs and you know, it's the same really the same five things, you know, like this kind of rent and repeat. 111 00:09:36,420 --> 00:09:38,320 But haven't we grown a lot? 112 00:09:38,320 --> 00:09:39,320 Have you grown a lot? 113 00:09:39,320 --> 00:09:43,620 Because I feel like I've learned so much in the past couple of years. 114 00:09:43,620 --> 00:09:44,320 Yeah, I do. 115 00:09:44,320 --> 00:09:49,420 And I like for that that Goldman Sachs stuff, I thought it was going to just all be the same. 116 00:09:49,420 --> 00:09:55,220 But we really got a little bit deeper into because usually they're just like, who is your customer? 117 00:09:55,220 --> 00:09:56,420 Give them a name. 118 00:09:56,420 --> 00:09:57,920 Give them a persona. 119 00:09:57,920 --> 00:10:03,520 And I've always been like, I don't want to do this because it seems like stereotyping. 120 00:10:03,520 --> 00:10:11,520 But in this one, they were just like, maybe you think about also like where might they get their news and information from? 121 00:10:11,520 --> 00:10:17,520 Where might they be looking that you could pop up for them? 122 00:10:17,520 --> 00:10:29,620 So I found that kind of very helpful who might bear who else might be in their life that they could either buy for or that could introduce them to your product. 123 00:10:29,620 --> 00:10:35,820 So just kind of thinking about kind of networks, which I found interesting and I do. 124 00:10:35,820 --> 00:10:42,020 I feel like I've learned a lot because sometimes I forget that other people don't take advantage of all of these things. 125 00:10:42,020 --> 00:10:50,820 And so sometimes I've been sitting in meetings with other entrepreneurs and just been like, oh, wait a minute. 126 00:10:50,820 --> 00:10:57,720 No, everything I've ever learned says not to do the thing that you're thinking about doing. 127 00:10:57,720 --> 00:11:01,020 So can you tell me about why you're doing that? 128 00:11:01,020 --> 00:11:02,520 And they're just like, oh, it just seemed right. 129 00:11:02,520 --> 00:11:09,720 And I'm just like, well, not saying it won't work, but. 130 00:11:09,720 --> 00:11:10,820 School of hard knocks. 131 00:11:10,820 --> 00:11:22,320 I think it's kind of like after you after we've become kind of educated from our educators and mentored and kind of gone through all this, 132 00:11:22,320 --> 00:11:28,420 it's kind of like part of the challenge of us is to take the message out a little bit farther. 133 00:11:28,420 --> 00:11:30,020 That's kind of why I'm doing this podcast. 134 00:11:30,020 --> 00:11:38,620 Like I think I've learned so much and not really having, you know, not really knowing that I didn't know all this stuff 135 00:11:38,620 --> 00:11:40,520 because I had three stores before all this. 136 00:11:40,520 --> 00:11:42,020 Like I've gone through the world. 137 00:11:42,020 --> 00:11:48,020 It's just like, like, you know, and now I feel definitely more empowered. 138 00:11:48,020 --> 00:11:51,420 Definitely a million little baby steps to get here. 139 00:11:51,420 --> 00:11:52,420 That's what I would say. 140 00:11:52,420 --> 00:11:53,420 Right. 141 00:11:53,420 --> 00:11:54,120 Exactly. 142 00:11:54,120 --> 00:11:55,220 Yes. 143 00:11:55,220 --> 00:11:57,120 And we've and we've met a lot of people. 144 00:11:57,120 --> 00:12:06,420 That's the other part of the journey is, you know, finding a community like you being like, I have a WhatsApp group and that we're in together. 145 00:12:06,420 --> 00:12:09,920 So we can like kind of quickly go back and forth together. 146 00:12:09,920 --> 00:12:18,420 So it is really important to have that kind of, you know, somebody to be help to be held responsible to somebody to like talk to them about, 147 00:12:18,420 --> 00:12:23,120 you know, like we're on the same playing field, but you've had a lot of big wins. 148 00:12:23,120 --> 00:12:28,020 So I know you're in a museum gift store, for example, here in Austin. 149 00:12:28,020 --> 00:12:29,920 That's a really big win. 150 00:12:29,920 --> 00:12:34,120 Tell us about that because I know a lot of people would would love that. 151 00:12:34,120 --> 00:12:35,220 And I know you've done a lot. 152 00:12:35,220 --> 00:12:39,520 So it's just like one thing I'm remembering and like, oh, yeah, tell us about that because that's. 153 00:12:39,520 --> 00:12:50,020 So I at the very beginning, I thought that I would just look for museums with what I call a point of view like a social justice point of view. 154 00:12:50,020 --> 00:12:59,820 So I have been in I need to read out to them to see what else they might need. 155 00:12:59,820 --> 00:13:11,120 I've been in the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum gift store in the Whitney Plantation, which instead of being like all gowns wasn't this house pretty. 156 00:13:11,120 --> 00:13:18,520 It's all about teaching about the life of the enslaved on plantations and it's outside of New Orleans. 157 00:13:18,520 --> 00:13:25,320 And so I've been thinking more about places like that when somebody was just like, oh, well, you might as well reach out to the plant. 158 00:13:25,320 --> 00:13:27,520 And I was just like, oh, they're an art museum. 159 00:13:27,520 --> 00:13:29,220 I don't think of that. 160 00:13:29,220 --> 00:13:38,820 But then, you know, it was after 2020 and people were thinking more about, well, what, what, who are our patrons? 161 00:13:38,820 --> 00:13:40,620 Are we reaching out to enough people? 162 00:13:40,620 --> 00:13:43,420 What do our exhibits look like? 163 00:13:43,420 --> 00:13:50,320 How many women and people of color are we collecting in our in our permanent collections? 164 00:13:50,320 --> 00:13:56,720 And so people started thinking more about those kinds of things and the plant as well. 165 00:13:56,720 --> 00:14:08,720 So I reached out to their to the buyer at the plant and and she was just like, oh, yeah, well, show me this, show me that, show me the other thing. 166 00:14:08,720 --> 00:14:23,120 And luckily, I, I always find that if I'm doing things that feel all legit, then I feel more legit and I can present myself better. 167 00:14:23,120 --> 00:14:35,520 And so the first thing I did was get a business bank account, even though I didn't have all that much money in it, made sure that I got a sales and tax exemption number. 168 00:14:35,520 --> 00:14:40,820 You know, just made sure that I was kind of putting all my ducks in a row that I could. 169 00:14:40,820 --> 00:14:51,620 And so she was just like, oh, you know, I have to make sure that it's, you know, I'm not giving a kind of buy things from. 170 00:14:51,620 --> 00:14:52,620 Random person. 171 00:14:52,620 --> 00:15:00,520 So I was able to kind of show her my website, show her my other customers. 172 00:15:00,520 --> 00:15:10,420 And then also, yeah, give her all of the information that she needed to make sure that the University of Texas could pay me legally and all those other kinds of things. 173 00:15:10,420 --> 00:15:17,020 So and then I was a legit company and that I'd be able to produce the things that she bought. 174 00:15:17,020 --> 00:15:18,320 So it was all good. 175 00:15:18,320 --> 00:15:26,820 So social proof, you know, that's something that I've learned about, you know, that's something that people, they do look at, you know, go to reviews. 176 00:15:26,820 --> 00:15:31,420 They want to see, you know, all those things that, you know, the, do you have a website? 177 00:15:31,420 --> 00:15:32,720 Do you have an Instagram? 178 00:15:32,720 --> 00:15:36,420 Do you have this like those quick things that they can quickly check off the go? 179 00:15:36,420 --> 00:15:38,520 Oh, yeah, you're a real person. 180 00:15:38,520 --> 00:15:39,820 Like I totally get that. 181 00:15:39,820 --> 00:15:44,720 And I think that was really smart of you to think, oh, wait, they buy something. 182 00:15:44,720 --> 00:15:49,720 They're going to want to have all of that, all of those number kind of things in place. 183 00:15:49,720 --> 00:15:54,320 Like that's one, one thing I would have not thought of. 184 00:15:54,320 --> 00:15:55,920 So that was pretty smart of you. 185 00:15:55,920 --> 00:16:10,420 I mean, kind of made some mistakes all along the way because I knew that there was kind of wholesale and retail, but I was, it was before I had taken any kind of course on wholesale or on kind of pricing for wholesale. 186 00:16:10,420 --> 00:16:18,320 And so I was just doing what my suppliers were doing, which was usually like a 30 or 40% discount for having a wholesale. 187 00:16:18,320 --> 00:16:25,920 So I always tried to get a, make sure I was getting a, a wholesale account with my suppliers. 188 00:16:25,920 --> 00:16:34,320 And so then when I went to kind of sell to, to museums, I was just like, oh, 40% discount. 189 00:16:34,320 --> 00:16:40,520 And, and some people didn't mind, but others were just like, okay, no, that's never gonna fly. 190 00:16:40,520 --> 00:16:42,420 And then I learned more about pricing. 191 00:16:42,420 --> 00:16:47,820 So, and have kind of gone from there. 192 00:16:47,820 --> 00:16:48,320 Yeah. 193 00:16:48,320 --> 00:16:50,820 The pricing is a tricky part of it, right? 194 00:16:50,820 --> 00:16:56,620 Even like when I think about your braces, I'm like, okay, how do you even put a price tag on it? 195 00:16:56,620 --> 00:17:01,620 Cause it's like a half circle or a semi circle or it's just, it's like a cuff, right? 196 00:17:01,620 --> 00:17:02,320 Yeah. 197 00:17:02,320 --> 00:17:02,920 Yeah. 198 00:17:02,920 --> 00:17:09,320 How'd you figure out like that little piece of business even like sticking a tag on there? 199 00:17:09,320 --> 00:17:09,620 Yeah. 200 00:17:09,620 --> 00:17:16,920 So, so yeah, that's kind of been tough depending on what like what the display was like. 201 00:17:16,920 --> 00:17:26,920 So usually when I've been in pop up stores and that kind of thing, I don't, I haven't had prices directly on the pieces. 202 00:17:26,920 --> 00:17:27,920 Right. 203 00:17:27,920 --> 00:17:33,220 Just had like a list of prices for the different pieces that were there. 204 00:17:33,220 --> 00:17:46,120 And then for actually that was one thing that I hadn't quite thought about when I first did a wholesale order to the Holocaust Memorial Museum. 205 00:17:46,120 --> 00:17:50,620 They were just like, and you'll, you know, and you have a way of tagging everything. 206 00:17:50,620 --> 00:17:54,320 And I was like, oh, yes, yes, I do. 207 00:17:54,320 --> 00:17:59,620 So that they would kind of know and not have to guess what was in each of the bags. 208 00:17:59,620 --> 00:18:06,420 So yeah, I just got a looked around and found a nice little kind of inexpensive tagging system. 209 00:18:06,420 --> 00:18:09,620 And then it all went on the outside of the bags. 210 00:18:09,620 --> 00:18:13,120 So that would, that's works when I'm sending things to folks. 211 00:18:13,120 --> 00:18:21,420 But then I found that it wasn't so helpful when I was out bending because it was hard to, I would have to put everything back in the same bag. 212 00:18:21,420 --> 00:18:23,420 And it just took a long time after. 213 00:18:23,420 --> 00:18:23,920 Yeah. 214 00:18:23,920 --> 00:18:40,920 So I switched from from that for my vending and came up with a different way of size of kind of size ordering them and displaying them in my kind of back inventory. 215 00:18:40,920 --> 00:18:50,420 And then just displaying the samples out in the front with the and yeah, coming up with a good system. 216 00:18:50,420 --> 00:18:52,920 So I just have like samples. 217 00:18:52,920 --> 00:19:06,120 So I always ask, you know, tell people they'll take a look and I'll be like, but first thing that we should do is kind of find your size and then have some samples that I had to keep. 218 00:19:06,120 --> 00:19:09,420 At one point I was just like, okay, I keep selling the samples sometimes. 219 00:19:09,420 --> 00:19:22,320 So finally, I just took some seconds and made sure that I put the size on them and they were samples and then put them in a special place so that they won't, I won't sell them out or anything like that. 220 00:19:22,320 --> 00:19:38,620 So yeah, it's just kind of slowly but surely kind of figure out what you need to to be organized and to especially your out bending to make that bending experience more. 221 00:19:38,620 --> 00:19:43,320 Easier, easier to take out put away. 222 00:19:43,320 --> 00:19:44,520 It's especially putting away. 223 00:19:44,520 --> 00:19:47,720 So I was like, oh, I'm so tired. 224 00:19:47,720 --> 00:20:00,720 I know we just want to shove it in things like it always shows up to the event all nicely wrapped and tagged and then at the end is like, it's like, it's like the poor stepchildren. 225 00:20:00,720 --> 00:20:04,520 I'm saying like Cinderella goes out like a stepchild like. 226 00:20:04,520 --> 00:20:11,920 So I've been trying to, yeah, so I've worked on that and kind of gotten that down even though I don't do very many pop ups anymore. 227 00:20:11,920 --> 00:20:33,120 I'm trying to, yeah, so one of the things that I've also done is just kind of look for a business incubator and found one here through somebody who shot my photographer who took pictures of my of my products and really helped her kind of think about a lot of things. 228 00:20:33,120 --> 00:20:34,720 And go forward. 229 00:20:34,720 --> 00:20:44,820 So I'm doing that again this time around and really get a target getting my wholesale business a lot stronger than it's been before. 230 00:20:44,820 --> 00:20:46,020 I love wholesale. 231 00:20:46,020 --> 00:20:46,720 Don't you? 232 00:20:46,720 --> 00:20:48,220 I just like here. 233 00:20:48,220 --> 00:20:49,120 I love it. 234 00:20:49,120 --> 00:20:52,420 Like if I could only do one thing, it would just be wholesale. 235 00:20:52,420 --> 00:20:59,520 But you know, I'm kind of like have to be a little bit scattered because you know, custom custom things are one thing. 236 00:20:59,520 --> 00:21:00,520 But I would love this. 237 00:21:00,520 --> 00:21:02,620 I'd love more wholesale. 238 00:21:02,620 --> 00:21:04,720 So I'm working on it. 239 00:21:04,720 --> 00:21:11,320 That's my goal for, you know, at least 10 accounts in the next 100 days or something. 240 00:21:11,320 --> 00:21:14,320 Because it's nice to kind of meet customers. 241 00:21:14,320 --> 00:21:26,020 And it's always a blast when you're at a show or you're at a market and you see somebody kind of hurrying over and then you're just like, oh, I recognize that person. 242 00:21:26,020 --> 00:21:27,720 They're just like, oh, you're here. 243 00:21:27,720 --> 00:21:30,420 I wanted to buy another bracelet. 244 00:21:30,420 --> 00:21:32,320 This is what mine looks like now. 245 00:21:32,320 --> 00:21:34,020 I bought this six months ago. 246 00:21:34,020 --> 00:21:35,420 I never take it off. 247 00:21:35,420 --> 00:21:36,420 And yeah. 248 00:21:36,420 --> 00:21:39,220 So all the stories that come out about it are. 249 00:21:39,220 --> 00:21:42,120 It's so good to meet our customers, isn't it? 250 00:21:42,120 --> 00:21:43,020 Yeah. 251 00:21:43,020 --> 00:21:46,320 And so I do like that a lot about popups. 252 00:21:46,320 --> 00:21:47,520 And it helps. 253 00:21:47,520 --> 00:21:54,820 It always helps me kind of think about new products and the like and kind of show new ones to people, get their opinions and ideas about it. 254 00:21:54,820 --> 00:21:56,920 See how they interact with it. 255 00:21:56,920 --> 00:22:01,720 But yeah, some of these Texas summers. 256 00:22:01,720 --> 00:22:02,420 Yeah. 257 00:22:02,420 --> 00:22:04,520 Being outside is no fun. 258 00:22:04,520 --> 00:22:06,620 Yeah, I'm in the middle of August. 259 00:22:06,620 --> 00:22:07,120 Yeah. 260 00:22:07,120 --> 00:22:07,820 Now we are. 261 00:22:07,820 --> 00:22:11,920 So we're a few weeks away from Mother's Day. 262 00:22:11,920 --> 00:22:16,520 Do you have anything special for your customers for Mother's Day? 263 00:22:16,520 --> 00:22:23,120 So I always kind of really put forward my treat with love and treat with kindness. 264 00:22:23,120 --> 00:22:24,720 Oh, yeah, yeah. 265 00:22:24,720 --> 00:22:27,420 I always want to show that to their mothers. 266 00:22:27,420 --> 00:22:39,920 And then also I'm trying to push forward the so as you've been talking about, I've been making these kind of stone gemstone pieces. 267 00:22:39,920 --> 00:22:45,320 Some of them in 18th year at bold, but then also some of them in stainless steel as well. 268 00:22:45,320 --> 00:22:50,920 So just kind of that universal idea of a mother's love. 269 00:22:50,920 --> 00:22:52,720 And I call the collection the universe. 270 00:22:52,720 --> 00:23:02,420 So I've been kind of pushing those out, including probably hard to see them, but I've got these earrings that are less that those are beautiful. 271 00:23:02,420 --> 00:23:04,420 What's in the center? 272 00:23:04,420 --> 00:23:07,320 It's a petrified wood. 273 00:23:07,320 --> 00:23:09,420 Oh, it's one of my favorites. 274 00:23:09,420 --> 00:23:18,420 And it's the color of a picture of the planet Venus from so that's why I made it with the symbol for woman. 275 00:23:18,420 --> 00:23:19,920 Oh, I'm the Venus. 276 00:23:19,920 --> 00:23:21,920 That's perfect. 277 00:23:21,920 --> 00:23:24,420 Yeah. And so then I was well. 278 00:23:24,420 --> 00:23:29,220 So and now working with stainless steel is hard, though, isn't it? 279 00:23:29,220 --> 00:23:30,520 Yeah, it is. 280 00:23:30,520 --> 00:23:36,820 It took all took a lot to get used to and it's really hard when it gets hard. 281 00:23:36,820 --> 00:23:45,520 And if you're trying to anneal it, it can get really dirty and then it can be really hard to clean up because you can't really, or at least I haven't found a pickle that really works on it. 282 00:23:45,520 --> 00:23:53,520 So but I think it's worth it just because it's I still think of it as a really noble kind of metal. 283 00:23:53,520 --> 00:23:59,320 A lot of people use it for, you know, timepieces, really expensive timepieces. 284 00:23:59,320 --> 00:24:04,420 And I I started using it because it doesn't tarnish. 285 00:24:04,420 --> 00:24:08,120 It doesn't turn your your risk. 286 00:24:08,120 --> 00:24:08,620 Yeah. 287 00:24:08,620 --> 00:24:13,020 Or at least most people's skin, funny colors. 288 00:24:13,020 --> 00:24:25,320 Yeah, and it's just super durable and it's pretty much going to look like it in the day that you bought it unless you really, really try to mangle it or it really accidentally gets mangled. 289 00:24:25,320 --> 00:24:29,220 And I love it that we're we're also both wearing kind of similar jewelry today. 290 00:24:29,220 --> 00:24:34,220 Look, I have a this is a really old Spanish de bloom that I bought. 291 00:24:34,220 --> 00:24:38,120 Oh my gosh, or for almost 40 years ago. 292 00:24:38,120 --> 00:24:40,020 So I just put it on a chain recently. 293 00:24:40,020 --> 00:24:44,020 It was kind of like it's been it's gone through a lot in 40 years. 294 00:24:44,020 --> 00:24:46,820 And then you're wearing so tell me about what you're wearing. 295 00:24:46,820 --> 00:24:56,320 So actually, this also came from my my class with I have no idea if my glasses are glasses. 296 00:24:56,320 --> 00:24:58,420 Yeah, so this is my logo. 297 00:24:58,420 --> 00:25:05,720 I call it the power of peace because the middle symbol is an African West African symbol for power. 298 00:25:05,720 --> 00:25:10,520 And then the outsides are the olive branches for peace, so I call it the power peace symbol. 299 00:25:10,520 --> 00:25:16,020 And so this is actually glass and stainless steel and the glass. 300 00:25:16,020 --> 00:25:18,320 The other thing I learned how to do was carve. 301 00:25:18,320 --> 00:25:20,220 No way. 302 00:25:20,220 --> 00:25:34,220 And so I carved the symbol into the glass and then fill it with 22 karat gold leaf and then put a pearl backing on it. 303 00:25:34,220 --> 00:25:36,320 Oh my God, I bow to you. 304 00:25:36,320 --> 00:25:44,020 So you're making into logos like ain't this is like ancient Rome like yeah, that is so cool. 305 00:25:44,020 --> 00:25:46,220 I've never met anybody that learned how to do that. 306 00:25:46,220 --> 00:25:49,820 Like that must be so crazy hard. 307 00:25:49,820 --> 00:25:53,320 Yeah, so I can carve into but I can't do the relief carving. 308 00:25:53,320 --> 00:25:59,320 I can't remember which one is in Taglia if it's the one that jumps out or if it's the one that you recessed. 309 00:25:59,320 --> 00:26:01,220 But I like I love both of them. 310 00:26:01,220 --> 00:26:06,620 But I just yeah, so I just do the carving into it and yeah, and then it's all protected by the glass. 311 00:26:06,620 --> 00:26:14,920 And then I always love the mother of pearl always gives it a beautiful and then like the silvery mother of pearl against the gold is. 312 00:26:14,920 --> 00:26:17,120 Yeah, I like it quite a bit. 313 00:26:17,120 --> 00:26:18,920 Now that is quite a piece. 314 00:26:18,920 --> 00:26:24,420 Can you replicate that because that looks like that would be a really great seller. 315 00:26:24,420 --> 00:26:30,620 Yeah, so I just started selling it recently even though I started making it a while ago. 316 00:26:30,620 --> 00:26:37,920 But yeah, I can replicate it by using a little technology. 317 00:26:37,920 --> 00:26:49,220 So I I engrave just superficially engrave the in order to get the design where I want it on the glass. 318 00:26:49,220 --> 00:26:52,320 I just superficially engrave it with a laser engraver. 319 00:26:52,320 --> 00:26:54,220 So that way it's always going to be the same. 320 00:26:54,220 --> 00:27:02,620 And from there I I carved with Strangelina diamond and crested dental tools. 321 00:27:02,620 --> 00:27:05,820 Gotta love me some teeth tools. 322 00:27:05,820 --> 00:27:11,120 I'm a dentist daughter, so that makes it. 323 00:27:11,120 --> 00:27:12,120 Love that. 324 00:27:12,120 --> 00:27:17,420 Yeah, well, that is like you're really you're you're always learning. 325 00:27:17,420 --> 00:27:19,720 So what's the next thing that you want to learn? 326 00:27:19,720 --> 00:27:26,320 Because I think it's great that we always are thinking about like we're always increasing our knowledge. 327 00:27:26,320 --> 00:27:28,020 Like I'm proud of you for that too. 328 00:27:28,020 --> 00:27:28,520 Me too. 329 00:27:28,520 --> 00:27:31,120 I'm always trying to learn something new. 330 00:27:31,120 --> 00:27:41,420 Yeah, so actually I took the class like it was like a virtual class and I took it actually at my new jewelry school that I now co-own. 331 00:27:41,420 --> 00:27:42,420 Tell us about it. 332 00:27:42,420 --> 00:27:43,120 Go ahead. 333 00:27:43,120 --> 00:27:48,920 I want to hear the jeweler saw and we just started teaching classes. 334 00:27:48,920 --> 00:28:06,120 In March, we had to put the school together because the studio in the jewelry school that I used before decided to close its doors in 10 days after it out to get in November. 335 00:28:06,120 --> 00:28:08,920 In the middle of terrible timing. 336 00:28:08,920 --> 00:28:10,520 Yeah, the holiday season. 337 00:28:10,520 --> 00:28:18,820 And so five of us who have known each other for a while, we're just like, oh, we really think it's important that this go forward some because. 338 00:28:18,820 --> 00:28:25,020 They just been part of it for a long period of time, some because they had worked there, some because they would like to use it. 339 00:28:25,020 --> 00:28:33,320 I'm really think of the six of us, the only person who studio, you know, had her studio had my studio there. 340 00:28:33,320 --> 00:28:37,620 Everybody else had kind of were able to have a studio in their house or something like that. 341 00:28:37,620 --> 00:28:41,920 But so we just all got together for various reasons. 342 00:28:41,920 --> 00:28:46,820 We've known each other for a long time are kind of some of us better friends than others. 343 00:28:46,820 --> 00:29:00,620 But yeah, yeah, I've just been in orbit with each other for somewhere between, I would say, one person I've known since 2000 and now we all know each other a lot better. 344 00:29:00,620 --> 00:29:02,220 I love the word orbit. 345 00:29:02,220 --> 00:29:03,620 That's a great way of saying it. 346 00:29:03,620 --> 00:29:04,520 Yeah. 347 00:29:04,520 --> 00:29:05,120 Yeah. 348 00:29:05,120 --> 00:29:06,920 And where is this school? 349 00:29:06,920 --> 00:29:08,220 Can other people come? 350 00:29:08,220 --> 00:29:16,520 That is in between it's 2801 South I-35 fronted road. 351 00:29:16,520 --> 00:29:26,020 It's in the back of a complex called Good Dead Studios, which is lots of different kinds of artists there. 352 00:29:26,020 --> 00:29:36,920 And it's on the northbound fronted road between Woodward to the south and Old Torf to the north. 353 00:29:36,920 --> 00:29:42,420 Okay, so South part of Austin, so over the over the lake and then down there. 354 00:29:42,420 --> 00:29:48,220 So that won't be affected in that new 35 thing that they're going to be going over. 355 00:29:48,220 --> 00:29:50,020 Y'all are y'all are good on that. 356 00:29:50,020 --> 00:29:51,120 Yeah, apparently not. 357 00:29:51,120 --> 00:29:54,620 So that's great because they're going to close down the side. 358 00:29:54,620 --> 00:29:55,720 That's about that. 359 00:29:55,720 --> 00:30:05,920 Yeah, I thought it went all the way down to yeah, William Cannon, but apparently we're not going to be affected by it. 360 00:30:05,920 --> 00:30:09,420 So can other people come to learn from you there? 361 00:30:09,420 --> 00:30:12,220 I like if they get a hold of you, they get a hold of you. 362 00:30:12,220 --> 00:30:26,220 But I'm not teaching classes, but I'm trying to put together a class on how to use the micro tig welder because that's what I use in order to make my stainless steel pieces. 363 00:30:26,220 --> 00:30:35,820 I've seen where people say that there's a way of soldering stainless steel, but I don't have to do it. So I weld it with the micro tig welder. 364 00:30:35,820 --> 00:30:48,020 And so I'm going to give a little class on even if you're not using stainless steel, I just refuse to solder a jump ring closed ever again when you can just do it with the micro tig welder. 365 00:30:48,020 --> 00:30:49,020 That's optional. 366 00:30:49,020 --> 00:30:50,320 Zap it. 367 00:30:50,320 --> 00:30:59,420 Yeah, and then it's also very helpful even when you're just fabricating when you've got lots of little fiddly pieces and you need to put them on in a certain way. 368 00:30:59,420 --> 00:31:15,920 You can like tack it with the micro tig welder and then put it all on the soldering block and then solder every thing all at once instead of having to try and do it piece by piece, going from hard to medium to easy solder. 369 00:31:15,920 --> 00:31:20,820 So I like that as well. I just feel more secure. 370 00:31:20,820 --> 00:31:30,820 I'm able to do everything with like hard or medium solder, mostly hard solder and then. 371 00:31:30,820 --> 00:31:45,820 But actually, so I was I sat there and we do we teach classes, but you can also just come in and you can have a 24 seven membership, which is what I had before at the other studio. 372 00:31:45,820 --> 00:31:48,120 And so you can come and go as you please. 373 00:31:48,120 --> 00:32:00,120 If you're a night owl or extreme morning person or if you're an experienced jeweler will kind of check out your skills, make sure that you're comfortable and we're comfortable with you being in the studio. 374 00:32:00,120 --> 00:32:02,620 If you have to be there by yourself and then. 375 00:32:02,620 --> 00:32:04,020 Yeah, you can work. 376 00:32:04,020 --> 00:32:15,220 You can also come in daily for an hourly if you just need to use a torch because you don't want to have a torch in your home or you don't have a rolling mill or don't have one of our. 377 00:32:15,220 --> 00:32:32,220 The empty bits of equipment, a hydraulic press microtigualtor and the light and then we also give classes and we classes for where you just come in for assisted studio or or assistance with some things. 378 00:32:32,220 --> 00:32:50,220 And we also have casting services and then we're about to start doing kind of project beginner classes where you can just get your feet wet with it and then decided that something else you want to do and then we'll start offering basic classes so that you can get all of the skills that you need. 379 00:32:50,220 --> 00:32:54,220 Kind of going forward. 380 00:32:54,220 --> 00:33:12,220 And then we're going to be doing a seminar in three to three week classes and and then also we're hoping to offer and in fact we are offering some advanced courses to where we have one where people learn how to do represent with wax. 381 00:33:12,220 --> 00:33:18,220 And then we also have a kids camp coming up in June so. 382 00:33:18,220 --> 00:33:28,220 People get a hold of you so say the name again and then how do they get a hold of you to or or how do they get to you to do this like that step. 383 00:33:28,220 --> 00:33:42,220 The jeweler saw.org is our website and SAW saw right the jeweler saw the jeweler saw so this is there in the middle jeweler saw. 384 00:33:42,220 --> 00:33:59,220 Yeah and then we have sign up for classes calendar to see what's going on and all of the information about our daily hourly and monthly rentals does the jeweler saw have an Instagram page. 385 00:33:59,220 --> 00:34:05,220 Yes we sure do and it's the jeweler saw as well. 386 00:34:05,220 --> 00:34:17,220 Right and then in your Instagram is is social justice jewelry and then my and my website is social justice jewelry dot com. 387 00:34:17,220 --> 00:34:30,220 So where are you going to be next so people want to come find you besides the jeweler saw, which I think is a great place if anybody is in the Austin area and wants to learn about jewelry want Wow what a resource. 388 00:34:30,220 --> 00:34:35,220 Actually, the best places to catch me on my web page right now. 389 00:34:35,220 --> 00:34:37,220 I don't have. 390 00:34:37,220 --> 00:34:48,220 I'm looking at some Juneteenth events, but other than that I don't have any kind of marketplaces like I say out there I'm kind of working on my wholesale. 391 00:34:48,220 --> 00:34:55,220 So hopefully you'll see me in a museum or retail store near you soon. 392 00:34:55,220 --> 00:35:15,220 And then, but yeah, and I've just learned how to tension set I guess it's not all the rage anymore where you just have like a gemstone and then it's just set into a little by the tension and the hardness of the metal so just 393 00:35:15,220 --> 00:35:32,220 learn how to set and so I'm looking around for different ways that I might be able to use that with gemstones and stone on stones and see if I could even maybe be able to achieve it and stainless steel without cracking something to pieces. 394 00:35:32,220 --> 00:35:42,220 I love how you're always pushing you're pushing the boundaries of things like, you know, seriously, like, I know you're for the most part you were self taught. 395 00:35:42,220 --> 00:35:46,220 And now you just keep learning and learning and learning so. 396 00:35:46,220 --> 00:35:52,220 No, actually, I, I, I'm a, this is my side hustle. 397 00:35:52,220 --> 00:35:58,220 My main job is that I'm a university history professor at Houston Tillitson University. 398 00:35:58,220 --> 00:36:09,220 And at my first university was called I taught at a university that's now called Missouri State University, Southwest Missouri. 399 00:36:09,220 --> 00:36:27,220 And one of the things that you get is one of the perks is that you can take classes and I knew that I'd take classes to express my artistic self because my mom was always an artist and a DIYer and I got it from her and so I looked at the 400 00:36:27,220 --> 00:36:40,220 course catalog and they had metal smithing jewelry making so you'll laugh at this. I just thought to myself, oh, I can take this Colombian emerald that my mother gave me when I was 21. 401 00:36:40,220 --> 00:36:46,220 I could just learn how to set it the first semester. 402 00:36:46,220 --> 00:36:47,220 Did you? 403 00:36:47,220 --> 00:36:58,220 I thought that set a little valuable. But you know, I'm the same way because at Austin Community College, that's where I teach jewelry design. 404 00:36:58,220 --> 00:37:06,220 I really try to gear those classes, a lot of them to the employees because they get three classes to take her year for free. 405 00:37:06,220 --> 00:37:19,220 And so I think that's been a really good source for students because a lot of people, you know, that's a perk of being in a college setting is that you get to like, you know, have a little bit of love there. 406 00:37:19,220 --> 00:37:32,220 So that's kind of the same and I love history. I'm gonna get me started. Oh my God, like I would love to talk history with you. Like I didn't really think I knew that somehow or I don't know. 407 00:37:32,220 --> 00:37:34,220 Sure, of course. 408 00:37:34,220 --> 00:37:45,220 I'm a graduate of history. I'm primarily I teach, I teach some American history, but I'm actually a historian of modern Africa and the modern Middle East. 409 00:37:45,220 --> 00:37:55,220 Which I would love to if you have any lectures, please include me. I've written a book about some of that. So I've got a book, but it's about the continent of Africa. 410 00:37:55,220 --> 00:37:59,220 So anyway, there's a lot of crossover. I couldn't get started. 411 00:37:59,220 --> 00:38:18,220 I was just we'll have to wrap it up for now. But seriously, we do have to wrap it up now because it's been an hour and I really appreciate this time and I think that other people that are listening, they will and if they're metal smithing, they will hear the words that you're using these different techniques that you're using. 412 00:38:18,220 --> 00:38:27,220 They can seek you out if they want to learn more. I know you have a really great product and you and I have done a lot of interesting things together. 413 00:38:27,220 --> 00:38:38,220 Armeis was one of them that we we got to go do and we have a good crossover. So going forward, I hope to see more of you and I hope we get to see you in real person again soon. 414 00:38:38,220 --> 00:38:49,220 So that would be another nice thing. So we should plan on that. But you know what, there's a wine bar down kind of where you are that is all about South African wine that I've always wanted to try. 415 00:38:49,220 --> 00:38:59,220 I'm like, oh, maybe we should have a little gathering there and go test out. It's just African wine. That's all that they sell. I thought that's kind of fun. So we'll have to come up with some reason. 416 00:38:59,220 --> 00:39:02,220 Yeah, me and you and Katie and all the best girls. 417 00:39:02,220 --> 00:39:09,220 Yeah, it would be really great. And you know, I just want to see some of your pieces close up because I know they're really beautiful person. 418 00:39:09,220 --> 00:39:17,220 I love it that you're really taking everything to a new level so people can learn from you. Thank you. 419 00:39:17,220 --> 00:39:32,220 Yeah, happy to learn about all of your suppliers and doing the environmental work of helping to kind of get older. 420 00:39:32,220 --> 00:39:38,220 Grab what you called it, older. Old new, new old stock. 421 00:39:38,220 --> 00:39:41,220 Yes, yeah, new old stock. 422 00:39:41,220 --> 00:39:47,220 I'm not sure that it doesn't go into the landfill, but it's, yeah, adorns people. 423 00:39:47,220 --> 00:39:54,220 Yeah. Now I'm just become the new hoarder because it's like, anyway, it's great. 424 00:39:54,220 --> 00:40:10,220 Well, thank you again for being on my podcast, Jewelry as your side hustle, because we all our hearts, our passions are really in jewelry and we have our other passions that kind of feed some of this some dollars towards where we're all we're going. 425 00:40:10,220 --> 00:40:27,220 Because this is our life is that, you know, we're creators. And so I really respect that about you and I'd love to see you in person and give you a big hug and I'd like to see some of your jewelry in person too and I'm proud of you for the jewelry saw school because I'd love to just come in there and 426 00:40:27,220 --> 00:40:33,220 I don't know, maybe I could teach a class on hand linking jewelry or something. I don't know for a proxy clay, which I love. 427 00:40:33,220 --> 00:40:36,220 Yeah, yeah, we'll have to talk about it. 428 00:40:36,220 --> 00:40:52,220 Okay, well, thank you again for your time. And it's been a pleasure. Elaine Hudson saying I'm so glad to have you and reach out to her on Instagram. And it's the social justice jewelry and the jeweler saw the jeweler saw. 429 00:40:52,220 --> 00:41:08,220 Okay, well, thanks again and I look for tell other people if they want to be in my podcast. It's so easy just get that link and put it on my calendar and I love talking to people about the jewelry business so I'm always learning something and I learned something from you today. 430 00:41:08,220 --> 00:41:10,220 So thank you. 431 00:41:10,220 --> 00:41:12,220 Thank you very much. Thank you for the invitation. 432 00:41:12,220 --> 00:41:23,220 Thank you. We'll talk again soon. Thanks.