Hi, welcome to my podcast, jewelry is your side hustle, and I'm sugar gay is burned.
Today we have a very special guest. I'm just meeting for the first time, just like you,
and we're going to have a joyful time. And this is Camilla Campbell, and she is a jewelry
maker. She does a lot of things. I think we should really let her kind of like tell her
story. I won't like step on her parade. But welcome to my podcast. I'm so glad you're
here. Happy Friday, TGA.
Happy Friday. Thank you. Thank you so much for doing this and for having me. I'm excited
to be here. Tell us about your so you know, everybody has a journey and the journey is
so important to help other people know where they are in their journey. And if they're
doing the right thing, you know, like all those little bits and pieces, our story is
so important to how we are here right now. I want to hear that story. I want to hear
like, what brought you here? Like brought me here. How are things going? All that kind
of stuff. I hear you. Okay, what brought me here? Well, okay, so I've been designing
jewelry for over 20 years. I got into learning about jewelry when I was in my teens. We lived
in Connecticut, lower Connecticut, close to New York City.
I'm sorry. I'm multi-tasking. I really got into the jewelry scene. Actually, my aunt
is actually who introduced me to jewelry. When I was a teenager, we would go into New
York City in the Garmin district. They have so much galore of bees and just your creativity
could just run wild. And that's exactly what happened. It started off as just like, you
know, beating jewelry around the table. You know, that was kind of my introduction to
it. Fast forward many years later, over a decade later, I was working in corporate America.
I had just relocated to Atlanta. That was during our, the last sort of recession that
we had. 2010 like that. I was a little bit before that. I was around like, I was around
like 2000, around 2008. I started the business around 2008, which is I think we were kind
of like peeking right into it where, you know, the economy was just getting really, really
bad. And my husband had lost his job. And I was the sole, you know, provider. So I'm
like, we need a way to make some money. And it's so, you know, it's so interesting how
creativity is born out of necessity sometimes. Like, you know what, I have skills. I do
something I can do, but I truly enjoyed it. And I saw it as a creative outlet to my corporate
career. And I had a background in marketing, I had a background in business. So I was just
like, you know, let me just go for it. Right. So I started my Etsy shop. I think everybody
does there on that time. I think I like, I think we were like the Etsy OG back then,
because that was the only place you really heard of like, you know, handmade stuff going
up for sale. And it kind of just exactly where it started. I just kind of just jumped into
it. I didn't have a business plan. I didn't know what my plan was. I just, just like,
let me just start making some stuff and seeing what sells. And as year after year, it's just
like, you know, you learn more, you do things, you pivot, you do, you know, there's just
no blueprint. And I'm sure we're all seeing that now of just what success looks like.
It's a personal story, right. And so that's kind of how I got started.
What were you making back then? Like, what was your like, like, what?
I did a lot of wire wrapping, a lot of wire wrapping with beating and stuff, which I truly
enjoyed. It was definitely like a stress relief when I was really, really good at it. And then
around 2010, I started dabbling in metal smithing. And since then, I've never looked back, like,
I'm just all about the metals, you know, working with precious metals, you know, I haven't
dabbled into stones just yet. But it was, I think I have evolved business wise, because
I've always been interesting and taken it another step further with my creativity. And
also, you know, just building a customer base as you go along. Customers have been really
pivotal in a lot of my success, because a lot of times they challenge me with through
custom orders, right? That's a lot of that's how I actually pivot as an artist and, you
know, got into metal smithing because it came from a custom order. And I can you do this
for me? Well, I may be able to. Well, why don't you try, you know, type thing. So after
at I'm still on Etsy, but I don't really sell too much on there anymore. I've been really
focused just on my soul standalone e-commerce shop. I've been doing a lot of pop ups and
markets. What is that called? Let's just Oh, hello, the pink locket. So yeah, the pink
locket.com everywhere. Pink locket, the pink locket. Yes. Where did that name come from?
You know, every time I get this question, people are surprised at the answer. There is no there
is no there's no deep meaning to this name. Okay, I think during the time the word pink,
the color pink during that time of like 2008 was just like a really popular. I think that's
when like we had like an explosion of just like everything was just pink. It was barbie
time again. It was just like, you know, it's like, you know, the pink locket. I think,
okay, kind of right. I think it was probably just like, you know, brainstorming and those
are the words that clicked in it. You know, it's memorable because people remember it
as long as you can remember it. It's a visual thing. Yeah. Right. Right. So, you know, and
people have asked me, are you going to change the name? I'm like, no, because I need something
people can remember. So, so there's no deep meaning behind the name whatsoever. But so,
I have, yeah, so I started concentrated on my standalone website. Over the past few years,
I have been dabbling more in doing a lot more in person shows. So like pop ups and selective
markets because I'm finding we have to meet our customers where they're at, like getting
out there in a community FaceTime is really important. I think the pandemic has shuttered
us all inside where it's just like, you know, we need to step away and actually be more
in community because that's kind of what that's kind of what's going to pull us all out of
this rut there. And now I believe it's just like community because I don't know any other
way. Right. Right. How do you find your pop up markets? Are there a lot of you still in
Atlanta now? I'm still in Atlanta. I'm still in Atlanta, which is like the we just from
April until like October is just like fast festival after festivals. And there are a
lot of big ones. A lot of the ones that I had that I've been doing, I'm a part of certain
Facebook groups where they kind of all have a lot of makers and promoters of these shows
kind of like, you know, communicate. So a lot of times, a lot of the shows that I do
find or the pop ups or markets that I do find are within community within those Facebook
groups. Yeah. And they're very well vetted Facebook groups as well. So those are great
ways to find, you know, get feedback also on different markets that are worth it or
maybe not depending on, you know, what it is that there's a lot of work. There are a
lot of work. There are a lot of work. And I tell you, there are people like kudos to
people that do it every weekend. I'm not one of them. My max is like one weekend a month
because it's a lot of preparation, you know, that goes price everything price everything
the setup breakdown, you know, so yeah, so yeah, so you know, I have I have I have built
a community of vendors and other vendors, you know, that do other markets and as well
as other promoters and you know, it's very much a very entrepreneurial. What do you call
it? Entrepreneurial growth state, I find Georgia, they make it really easy for you to kind
of set up your business, you know, it's not highly expensive as other states and stuffs.
I will say that about being here is that entrepreneurship, they do shine a lot on a lot of entrepreneurs
here.
Yay, we love that support. It's really, you know, it's the key because, you know, it's
a lot of work being an entrepreneur. My god, like every day is some big challenge sometimes
like just dealing with the world. The world is tricky. Like, yeah, so yeah, so now what
are you making like what is your like what is your like favorite thing that you're now
doing? We meet each other on the Artisan Guild, the Artisan Group. Yes, the Artisan Group
throughout.
That's how that was been working for you.
Okay, so I've been a part of the Artisan Group. Gosh, it's been a long time. I've
been since 2013.
Okay, and there's a lot of movies and movie stars in Atlanta.
There are. Yeah, yeah, there's a lot. I feel like the Artisan Group has been, it's been
a game changer because instead of you going out and actually having to pitch, you know,
to stylists, it's readily available and you can pick and choose the ones that you want
to do. The next one that I'm doing is actually a display with other Artisans from the Artisan
Group for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Yeah, yeah, so which is October, I believe
it's October 7th. The gifting is October 17th through the 19th, but I think the actual award
show is the 19th if I'm not mistaken.
Exciting.
Yeah, so that's been the big, the big one for this year.
Do you have some rock and roll pieces? Like, kind of like.
So the pieces that I decided to go with, I'm from the Caribbean, I'm from Jamaica. So over
the summer, I created my first Caribbean collection called Escape to the Caribbean. And it was
based on elements and pieces of the Caribbean that I felt that should be highlighted. So
one of the pieces that I highlighted was the steel pan drum, which looks like a hammered.
So I have pieces that resemble like the steel pan or part of the steel pan drum. That's
not going to be on display. And then I also created, I use the sugar cane, the roughage,
the silhouette of a sugar cane to create a sugar cane bracelet cuff, which will also
be beyond display. And then a plant we call, it's a fruit called a breadfruit leaf. So I
made a necklace resembling that. So not necessarily anything.
I grew up in Grand Cayman.
You did?
Yeah.
Oh, wow.
I can't trick me. I know about gay rum.
Okay. Okay. So you know exactly what I'm talking about.
Not gay rum. My name is gay. You know everything.
Oh, wow.
Right?
Oh, yeah.
Oh, wow. Okay. So you know everything I'm talking about.
I do. I do. I do.
And then when you say Caribbean, because I'm a color girl and I'm not a metal Smith girl,
I was thinking, oh, all those ocean colors.
Colors, yeah.
Yeah.
All of that. Blue, blue. Yes. Yes.
Yes.
Jamaica. I just, I loved it. I loved it. I loved it. I was just actually reading an article
about Jamaica just now. So yeah.
Yeah.
So yeah, it's beautiful there.
It is. It is. The Cayman is beautiful too. That was one of my favorite islands to visit
growing up just because the beaches were just like, oh my God, they were like immaculate.
Like I think I held my, I went to the turtle farm and that was the first time.
Like I held the turtle.
Yes. Yes.
I think it was probably.
Did you try eating it because I don't know if they do it now.
No, they used to. No, they did. They shared they turtle burgers. Yes. My uncle tried to
give me. I was like, no, that's as far as I'm going, but it was.
I remember being so excited to actually hold like an actual turtle. Like I'd never seen
a turtle farm. It was, I wasn't made.
I had so much fun there. I have so many good memories. Like I get to smile forever. And
the black coral, that was another thing in the sharks teeth. So I still make sharks
tooth today. Sharks tooth today. There's tons of them in my studio because those pieces
were, you know, that was, that's from that time period of my life. Right. Right. I still
have the first one that I, that I bought that was covered in gold and it means the world
to me. Like lots of good memories.
Yeah.
I was hot and sexy and cute back then too. And back then there was, so I'm talking about,
I'm older than you, but there was not that many people there. Now it's like, no, no.
I mean, you could, I could like swim seven mile beach and then hitchhike back, you know,
it was, it was one of the safe, I mean, it was the safe, it was one of the safest islands.
I remember going there, I was probably about 11 and it was just safe. Like it's, I had
a great, I have a lot of memories from vacationing there.
Yeah.
I mean, it's good memories in life for grand.
So the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is going to have some of your jewelry. Now has that
a permanent collection or do they return that or how's that?
They return it back to me. So what it is is they'll, the artists in group, I'm there with
the artists in the group, so it's a collective. So there'll be other artists who are also
showing, displaying their, their pieces of work as well. And we will get, you know, because
celebrities come in and out of these gifting suites to kind of like, you know, look at
what's in there.
So we will get our photo taken with our product with, you know, one, two or three.
You'll be there?
I won't, no, I won't be there, but my jewelry will be there. So the celebrities will be
able to take pictures, you know, trying on your jewelry and stuff. So you can get those
photos to use.
And if they like it, you have to give it to them, right? That's how it works.
They do have, they do have gifting. So we do have what's stuff on display and then they
will have like gifting bags with different products that are displayed in it. So I believe
they will get some sort of gifting. I don't think they know what though.
That's okay.
Yeah.
It's part of the fun. It's the magic of the rubbing off the gold, you know, it's like,
you know, it's social proof too.
Yeah, yeah. Yeah, definitely. Definitely. So I mean, it's, you know, so, you know, events
like that are pretty good. And then just television shows, you know, just, it just saves a lot
of time, you know, I think, and I think it's a really good resource and we're all a community.
Once again, we're all a community. So we can kind of like, you know, grow off each other,
you know, different strategies, you know, does this look good? Does this, you know,
very, a lot of good feedback from the groups?
It's really the important part of joining these groups. I'm a member of several groups,
like, I don't know how many, but not a ton, but is that sense of community? Because it's
so important when you're an entrepreneur and you're working at home or whatever and you're
like, Oh, I'm having this great success. I just want to share it with somebody because
yeah, it's like, they don't understand. It's like, I got this.
They have little baby steps. Yeah. Those little things where when you have your little shared
success, like, you know, your group of makers and entrepreneurs are going to know exactly
and be just as excited for you as opposed to, you know, others who are just not really
familiar and it's not their fault. But you know, they just don't understand.
Yeah. It's a big process. Not everyone is meant to be an entrepreneur. My husband,
for example, he would cry if I said, you got to go do something. He'd be like,
Oh, my hair. He's an engineer. Not interested. Oh, yeah. It takes a whole different. Like
you were born an artist. I was born an artist. Like that's how it started. Like was through
you as a young person and just being curious and wanting to learn and making things. And
then that kind of translates forward to, you know, oh, I'm in a pinch. I need to sell something.
Oh, wait, I have that great skill. I can do that. And then now you've followed it through.
Are you still having your corporate job on top of this? I do. So I still do work my corporate
job. You know, benefits is a thing. You need healthcare.
Yeah. Security hours. Those are important.
You need a healthcare. You know, and I've been able to balance it. At first I was, I
remember when I first started, it was all about like, Oh my God, that whole quit your
day job movement. That kind of just, I think it stressed me out more than anything. Because
it gave you the feeling that, okay, I have to choose one, you know, and it's kind of
difficult to do that. Everybody's number is really different. Everybody's financial outlook
personally is completely different. And I felt like I was putting added pressure on myself
where it didn't need to be added. So I'm just like, you know what, let me just go through
the motions and see how it goes, you know, what I love to do this full time, of course.
But you know, you also have to think take other things into consideration when you have a
job. You know, you need healthcare. You need, you know, a way to stay for your retirement
effectively. You need, you know, so there are things and not to mention, having, keeping
my regular corporate job has allowed me to actually invest money into my business. Of
course. Where, you know, I'm not having to worry,
okay, I won't be able to do this because sales weren't this this month. Well, I can, you know,
I have, I have a source of income. So I know that every day I make the right back into my
business. I mean, that's true. Yeah. I mean, it's, it's just, it's not a flaw in the system.
It's just what makes my jewelry better is that I have a great job. Right. So, you know,
luckily I can do it from home so I can just slide back and forth. Right. Exactly. Flexibility.
Yes. Yes. I agree. Yeah. Do you have any other friends that are around you that you get to
like bounce things off? Bouncing off. So I do, I do. Oh, immediately around me, since I've started
doing a lot more markets in the Atlanta area, I find that I do have a lot more friends who are
entrepreneurs and artists makers. I have built, been able to build that community luckily. You
know, and then a lot of my friends that I, you know, that are far away that support me online.
So I have been truly, I will say I have been really truly blessed with a great tribe. I talk
about my tribe all the time, just through like different communities, just through different,
I don't feel alone in the space because, you know, you have people that kind of understand. And not
only that, like I've created accountability groups to kind of just like, you know, there's certain
business goals I'm trying to drive and I need, you know, people who understand my business to kind
of hold me accountable for it. We have weekly meetings. Okay. What did you work on? What did
you not do? How can you push this forward? And then also, and then it doesn't even have to be, you
know, artists based businesses. It could just be they own whatever business they do, because there's
a common thread amongst entrepreneurs, whether you're creative or not, when it comes to issues.
And, you know, the basic things that we issues that we run into, you know, and they're able to give
me their perspective too, from their own industry that you probably, I probably wasn't even thinking
of. So I find like I have been, I've been, I've been truly blessed with a tribe of people around
me who kind of understand like if I have an issue, I feel comfortable. I can, all right, you know,
can you help me through this? I'm not understanding something. Or, you know, this is my strategy.
What do you see? Where do you see holes in it? So I don't really feel alone as much as I did
years ago. I think when I first started, you kind of felt alone because there really weren't,
entrepreneurship really wasn't big. You know, I think now there's a lot more resources, a lot
more people moving into the space, which is a good thing. And we're also, I did see on your,
your Instagram where you put your goal right out at the top. I'm like, I love that. Like,
let's master mining, right? That's the thing about like you and I together, we make one good brain
that's really like thinking about all this. And I am, there's a master mining group that I'm going
to be a part of for, it's just for four weeks. But, you know, I really crave that. I think it's just
so important. And so I, I get you. I understand. And I got that. And I got that idea from another
Jewish artist who was on her own challenge. And she was like, you know, let me hop on this challenge
with you. I'm just like, because you were inspired, like, it's the vulnerability is putting it out there
and letting people know because there are people out there who really want to support you and
share you along, but they have to know what is what your goal in mind, you know, right? And we're
also content creators. Like that's the one thing about Instagram is it, I've been on Instagram a
long time. Have you? Yeah, since early, early days. Yeah, me too. And now it's just like, well, now
it's just a different way of expressing myself. But I definitely have, you know, really been able to
embrace creating content. Some people really struggle with that because it's a technical challenge.
It's not like, like some people just like, I can't do it. I was like, pressure off. It's not that hard.
Just just hit post. Yeah, just come up with something. And I like, but yeah, so I, I get it.
Like, it's really evolved since, I don't even know, like back then, like, I don't know, I had a store
back then. So it was pretty easy to buy me. But then those kind of all has gone away because of COVID
and all that. It's like, is it, is it working that we have Instagram? Are we, are people finding us
because of Instagram? I don't know. I don't know. I'd love to, it's like, not a money. That's all
it matters. Like, the king run those ads. You run those ads. And they fight you and things,
good things will happen. I have noticed that my Etsy ads, other pay per click,
be paying off more than the meta ads did. So I'm kind of like, you have to constantly be
evaluating and shifting and going, well, I can do meta add any day. Let's get this set up where
fair, fair. Are you unfair? I'm unfair too. Yeah. Yeah. I do ads on there. I don't know.
I don't know how to say from there, but I don't know. It's hard. Isn't it? It's, you know what,
it's hard. And, you know, I'd like you have been on, I've been on social media for since early
adopter. And what I have always found, and you stray away from it, you come back to it,
is growing an email list. Yes. No matter what, it doesn't even have to be huge. Like, I mean,
I mean, it doesn't have to be, it does not have to be huge. I think we put so much pressure on
ourselves that we need to be in front of so many people, but you need to be in front of the right
people. If I'm in front of 200 people who are my right people, that's it, your audience. That's
your audience. And they're just, they love your work. They're not going to question the cost.
They're not going to question the value they know to find you. They're comfortable. They love you.
Exactly. They come back time after time after time. Exactly. And I have found that
there is just gold in your email list. There, that is your, you know, no matter,
I've done it too. Straight away, gone to, you know, focused on meta ads, focused on this,
and I come right back to my email list every single time. I sent out an email, my newsletter today,
had a little bit of a bump because I had, I have GoDaddy and it has a new blah, blah,
this, blah, blah, blah, and I was like all night last night, like texting, I'm going,
what is going on? And then this morning I got up super early before my husband wanted me to. I'm
like, I got to check and see if it went through. Yeah. But you know, that's, that you just never
know, like every day is like something, but that's so important because, you know, and you can see
the analytics I could see immediately when I did go, I could see who opened it. Who opened it.
Who did it. Yeah. It's been a surprise. Right. So I mean, you know, I just think, I think
it's quality over quantity, right? Yes. Yeah. I actually hadn't done one in a while. I don't
know why. I can't explain the time. I'm so busy. How did I let that slip? But I think I was waiting
for some big announcements, that kind of things that kind of, yeah, rug, and then it's like,
okay, well, I'll just wait for more weeks and then that'll happen. Yeah. And I, you know, and I,
and I, and I get that too. I've been a little bit more intentional about, you know, I don't,
it's like every email doesn't have to be about a jewelry drop. It could be something simple.
Let's run back old designs. Let's have some fun. One thing that has been, that has the highest open
rate, okay, motivational Mondays. People just think of the minds of the people on a Monday,
right? You're coming off the weekend. You don't want to talk to the Monday. You need motivation to
get through just Monday, not to mention the rest of the week, right? So I started doing motivational
Mondays of just like a saying, a phrase, something, something to kind of help somebody, right?
People love those. Matter of fact, I haven't done one. I used to do them on my Instagram and I
haven't done it in a while. And people are like, are you coming back with motivational Mondays?
I'm like, you guys really watch this stuff. I used to have meditation Mondays and we would all get
together and meditate. That was kind of fun. You're sitting in a store and it's like, hello.
And everybody's happy. And, you know, I miss those days as we're meditation Mondays. Yeah,
my one day. It has a ring to it. Yes. Yeah. So we like all this. It's so, I think it is really
important to be positive and joy is the key. Like I can sing that as a song. Joy is the key. Joy is
the key because we have to like really like make that that is why we're here. Like that's why we're
here. We love what we do. We love making things. We want to share that joy with somebody else. We
want people that that wear our jewelry to go, oh, this felt so good because 10 people said hi to me
today, which is a great friend of because they're wearing something interesting. And so we've got
that kind of thing happening too. Is that, you know, you know, being bold and wearing jewelry is an
important part of most definitely. I think it's empowering. Yeah. Yeah. I have a saying. I had a
saying about hoops hoopwear. It's like, how do you feel when you wear hoops? I always because
that's a hot seller with a lot of my customers. It's just hoops. Right. How do you feel when
you wear them when you don't wear them? Right. I feel like I can conquer the world. I feel like I
can, you know, bury me in my hoops. Right. It's just like there's never been a time a person put
on a pair of hoops and they did not feel empowering. Exactly. Exactly. But just jewelry
overall just does that. And I don't think, you know, people realize that like as a jewelry designer,
you're empowering people. You're allowing them to be themselves. You're allowing them to kind of
curate their own look and being, you might not be in control of everything, but you're in control
of what you decide to put on that day. And jewelry is a huge, a huge proponent in that.
And it's like in our DNA. It goes back to ancient, ancient, ancient people times,
like to early beginnings when they were like looking at a bone going, hey, this bone's a link.
Cool. Like maybe I should like wear this bone somehow. Right. Symbolism. Yeah. I mean, there's a
a little a bear tar pits in LA. If you ever go there, go to that museum. It's amazing because
there was these big sinkhole, right? And that, and if, you know, filled up with water, but really
down below it was in the tarp. So the animals would all come and they would like get chased into the
hole and they would fall into it. All these things happened. And people did too. And there was a girl
that they've, you know, reclaimed from that and she had a necklace on. And this would have been,
I think it was like 30,000 years ago. And that necklace today, I could wear it, I could make it,
and I could sell it. It's like, yeah, that's exactly the look that we all have today. It's not
kind of like charms where it was like, you know, a bow and a shell, little trinkets that she had
picked up. She put on some CNU and there it was. And that was 30,000 years ago. So yeah. So this is
not new to us. This is exactly what we should be doing because we are creators and creators are
different. You know, not everybody's a creator. We have to have the people that make money. And
those are our creators. And then there's us. That's right. We're part of the tribe together. We're
the creators. Yes. Yeah. What else do you create besides jewelry? Is there anything else that you
create? You know, it hasn't, it hasn't really bled over into anything other than jewelry. I
still, no, no, I'm not. That's not 100%. I have started making, and it was years ago, and I've,
it was born out of frustration. polymer clay bowl. So I have one that people love. It says,
today I will slay. It is black and white marble and it has like copper, rose copper gold,
paint around it. And everybody just loves it. And I created that. I remember it was one holiday
season and we all know how holiday seasons can get can get very just like, you know,
crazy and just make you second guess everything about your business and your creation.
And I was like, you know what, I think I had extra leftover clay from something else. Let me
see what I can create. So whatever. So I had that, that holiday, I think I created about me about 10.
And they sold off like nothing. So I've kept that kind of in rotation over the past years.
So I think that's probably that's probably what's been born out of my jewelry creativity.
Other than that, I'm trying to think, I know I'm like creative in other ways, but
digital creativity. Yeah, well, yeah, setting up your booth.
Setting up my booth, marketing, all of that. Packaging. Yeah, packaging. Yes, definitely. Yeah.
Yeah. So I mean, it all website. As a matter of fact, I just actually redid some parts of my website.
And you never know what you can do until you actually jump into it and actually do it.
Right. You discover a whole lot. But thankfully what I would I do like now is that there's just
so many resources out there is like if you want something done, you can get it done. You know,
you don't know how to do something. Particularly with all the tools are out there, you can,
there's something that, you know, you can find a solution for. So I think that's my
joy in the moment. It's just just like if you were lost with anything, you can find a solution
for it, you know, have you have you dabbled with a chat GPT because I use it. I use it.
I guess I use it all the time. And I use it because I think because there's this whole thing about
AI create versus whatever, you know, and I'm we can do everything ourselves. Yes. I'm not a proponent
on copying anything that's original. But as artists, we have to start we start with something.
What do we start? We start with our own creativity, whether it's words, whether it's design,
whether it's something else and for a beat or something. So, you know, these tools are available
to us. And if you use them the right way, you're responsible with using them. It can be very
beneficial in your business. You know, so I think finding ways to actually incorporate that. Like I
think I did a video one time when I was doing YouTube shorts and I found a AI app that will
take that one YouTube video, spice it into different shorts, transcribe it. So now I have five pieces
of content when I originally created one. Right. Bravo. So I think of so many ways to use it. I
this week I ran kind of the signature on my email, which had a lot of links. I'm like,
I'm re-organized these so that it makes a little bit more sense and you know, look good. Done.
Two seconds. I'm like, Bravo. Like I just want to pet it and say thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
You also know that you can get mad. You can threaten. I have an IT degree and that's one of it. I
learned from, I learned it from Microsoft. They're like, you can like threaten to like hurt it if
it's not behaving. Oh my gosh. So I've kind of like sometimes like, you better get this right because
like whatever. I haven't named my assistant yet. I think the assistant needs a name.
I haven't named my assistant yet. Yes. Because it is surprising how it just like everything can just
go through that. And I empower everybody that is listening to create an account if it's a free one
or a paid one. Yeah. Just think of all the different ways you can use it because I use it during the
week. It's always open on my app across the top. I'm like, oh my god. It's even a great
scheduler. Like if I have for like, if I have my, if I'm doing my monthly campaign email,
you know, a content and I just need to know, okay, I can put into it what campaigns have worked over
the last whatever days, what I'm thinking, what I'm launching, what am I doing? I can pretty much,
it's a brain dump. I can dump everything that I am thinking and that what worked and
you need to be savvy with the prompts or as you will get garbage. But
and it'll come up with a whole entire calendar. Like all I did was organize it for you and took
out what's right or right. You, you gave it that creative content. So, you know, those are ways
you can use it to actually, now picture how long it would have taken me after I brain them to manually
pull out a calendar and do all of that. Yeah, it's a couple hours. Yeah, I show everything,
any time, it's definitely such a work and I'm a personal writer. Like that's my job. My day job is
as a tech writer and I, they don't have it at our job, but I definitely like, if they gave me like
five and they've done the five pages of text, it's like somebody wrote something and I'm like,
yeah, I rewrite this. Yeah, just write this to me so I can like see it right. And then I'll,
you still have to rewrite it. You can't like, you can't not have those skills.
You know, Grammarly is also a key part. I pay for that. Because these are, you know, these are
just things that kind of make us look better. It looks better on our brand. Going out and our
emails are correct and everything is right. It's efficiency too, right? Yeah, they're going to
take over and kill us. But like, I mean, the algorithm is AI, right? Yeah. Just, it is where
we are right now at this point. I was just, I was like, we're thinking, I was thinking like,
what jobs can AI not really take over? I said, I'm not ready to have a massage therapist. Right.
As a robot just yet. So there are certain industries where I think you are pretty safe,
because I'm not having a robot give me a massage. Absolutely not.
But there are, there are different things. Now, it's the weekend. What do you normally do on the
weekend? Do you take time off or do you work on the weekends? So normally on the weekends,
it's usually my time to kind of just like, that's when I do a lot of bulk of my orders.
Because I have a little bit more time this weekend. I have now that we're moving into the holiday
season, the weekends going to be probably filled with markets. I have a couple, I think I only
have one this month. That's on schedule. But so Sunday, I have a market, which I'm really excited
about. Whenever I get a chance to be in front of customers and kind of just like, you know,
you know, it's your brand and then just kind of just like, I might sometimes, I might not sell
too much. But if I could walk away with a couple emails and some good contacts or whatever, you
know, it makes you feel good to kind of start the week. So this weekend, I have some, the market
on Sunday. So as we move into the holiday seasons, now I'm gearing up to launch a new
personalized jewelry piece for the holidays, because that's the top seller for the holidays.
I find people love personalized jewelry pieces. They buy other things too, but I'm finding that
that's the most common. So I've kind of revamped, given the little refresher of some of the classic
ones that I've had in my shop that probably need a little bit more of newness, refreshing.
So I will be launching that this month. I'm starting long holiday launches really early this
time. Normally I wait till November, but I'm just like, no, I'm just going straight into October.
Yeah, for sure. I definitely get that because people are shopping now. I had somebody just
at the peak bought something from there, just, you know, just they're putting a little bit every
month. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Do you ship out of the country because I've kind of had a little bit
of problems with that lately. I don't know how you know, I did, I do ship out of the country.
I think the biggest thing is the custom and duty fees that they're hit with when it reaches their
country, which I don't have any control over whatsoever. But I think that is a deterrence
in a lot of international orders. It's just the duty fees that I have. I think that's a
that is a deterrence in a lot of international orders is just the duty, the duty, you know,
and taxes that are due when it arrives. But I do offer it. It's not, it's a very small percent of
my business. Yeah, it's kind of a, but it's nice to see that people all over the world are looking
at our stuff. Like that kind of feels good. Yeah. Oh yeah. Oh yeah. When you see, when you look at
the analytics of like who's, there's some places that's like, how did you even find me? I didn't
even know this island existed. What is going on? Now do you have kids? I saw somebody walk by.
Is that your, Oh, that was my son. Yeah. Yeah. I have three sons. So I have a 13 year old. That was
a 13 year old you saw. And then I have older boys, my stepson's there, 27. So the one you saw
walk by was my, was my 13 year old. Oh, that was great. Like it, you know, it is about family and
work balance and all this. I get that we're there. I'm, I'm, my kids are all grown and I have grandchildren
now. So, you know, that's, that's, you know, another thing, but it's nice to have the freedom where
we're home and we're, you know, we're not having little babies. I feel, I was there. I was that
mother that was multitasking and doing 10 things, reaching a diaper and eating something.
Because it never has stopped for me. Yeah. Yeah. But then my kids, because they grew up seeing their
mother with a really great work ethic, it all turned out to be very successful. Yes. And so,
you know, they're, they, I was listening to my son, my son's been doing a podcast for a long time.
And it's just finally ever, because he's leaving, but I was listening in the car to it. He's like,
don't forget to listen to the last one. I'm like, okay. And the very last thing is, the very last
thing he signed off was like, okay, a shout out to my mom. I'm the biggest fan. I almost had to
pull over. I'm happy about that. That's what it's all about. You, you know what, when you hear
things like they like your right, I did my best and it turned out great. And I even said like,
you inspired me to have a podcast. Like we, you know, we can like feed off of each other and work,
you know, I think he was the first one that said, oh, this chat GPT, you got to get on it.
I'm like, okay, I'm like, so we were learning from our, our sons in this point, like, so that
we're keeping current and keeping ahead of that curve. Because I bet your 13 year old has some
really good insights. Oh my God, all of them do. They've all worked in my business at some point,
or another, the little one he like grew, he was born right into it. So yeah,
he was stacking my boxes for years. Yeah. You get them just put the labels, the stickers on them
and stack them. And funny, it was like a couple years ago, he said, mom, can't you give me something
else? Do you know I can do more than just label and stack boxes. Okay. You want to get promoted.
But they've all, yeah, they've all, they've all worked in the business that at some point, either
jewelry production, mailing out, helping at shows. So they have gotten an open
front row seat to what it's like to be a creative entrepreneur. And my one of my other sons,
that's one of their twins, they're 27. But one of them he is, he works in film production. And he's
an aspiring actor and he does behind the scenes stuff. So he, he came into my office the other day
and he was here sitting down. He's like, so how's business going? What's going on? So, you know,
like, oh, you want to know how business is going to be. So, you know, I'm there telling him, you
know, what's working, what's not working. And he's there giving me, okay, well, what about this?
What about that? You know, and he's showing me other jewelry brands and what they're doing,
you know, do you think you want to incorporate that? So definitely respected because it's just
like you would never have that input that perspective if you've never worked my business at all.
Exactly. Oh, you know, just like that. I'm like, okay, you really were saying attention to folks.
Yeah, we love it. We love that. And it all comes from the circle and that they can,
It's a little circle. And they're proud of their mothers. I know your sons are proud of you.
And that we, you know, that we've kept up this business, you know, through the hard times and
grown and, you know, really grown our whole brand, you know, the brand. So I don't know,
I've been doing this for more than 20 years, but they, so they all happened at those early.
Now they were like, seriously, they know, he used to be my girlfriends and say,
okay, we know you're really busy and we know you can't really stop working. So just bring your work
over and then we'll just talk and drink around you. That's what those are my girlfriends like,
because you can never really stop. Like it's very hard to, you know, put it down when you got,
we're pre-noun Christmas. We know this is a push. This is real. This time of year is the blur.
It's just like, you're just, you're just doing, doing, doing, doing. Then we'll rest. And we'll rest.
Oh my God, it's so good. Well, I have really enjoyed meeting you. I hope that, I always tell
everybody, I tell all my students, I tell all my podcasts that I am your friend for life, because
now we have bonded. We've spent more time together than all my other friends combined today.
It's really a nice time for me to get to meet you, Camilla. And we're going to always be friends.
And I really hope that you'll like invite me to your mastermind group. Or if there's anything,
I can like spread the joy of your joy here. I will. Like, it's all overlap and it's all friends.
And we really do need to just know that somebody is out there today that doesn't need to cry by
themselves. And that's what I mean for people. Hey, you having that kind of a day? Give me a jingle.
I appreciate it. You, what you're doing is just like, you know, it's grateful, definitely grateful.
And you're an island girl. So we like, everything happened to me on an island girl.
Those are my good memories. That's my heart and soul right there. So many great memories.
It was a time and a half. I can't go back, but also it's just all changed. So it's okay.
I did take my kids there and we did the stingrays. We did all that kind of stuff so they could kind
of see it, but it's all changed. I do have some friends there still. And yeah, it's just a small
world there. It's like, it's big. So everybody knows it's pretty bad. Yeah, everybody. My friend
from high school in Houston ended up moving there, gay and married. His sister-in-law was the
sister to my boyfriend. But I first had him. I'm like, oh my God, do you know him? Oh my God.
How is that like two steps? I'm one step away from that. And that was my past. So it's just fun,
you know. Just how it all is. And of course, Jamaica is much bigger. But yeah. And, and yeah.
So, and also did y'all do okay during the hurricane there? Yeah, you know, we were very
blessed and fortunate. We didn't have any damage, but I'm in the metro area. So there are other parts
of the metro area that were near creeks and stuff that kind of flooded. And then South Georgia, I
think got hit probably the worst. They got a real beating. So, but we were fortunate. I don't
think people expected it. Like we knew it was coming. But usually when, by the time it gets here,
we have tornadoes. Right. And the worst we have to worry about tornadoes. There's this one lady
who slept in her basement the night thinking of tornadoes and woke up to nothing but water. Yeah,
in her basement. So it was just like, you know, we hear a hurricane, we think tornado.
But this one was, this was different. This was different. I, you know, so hard. Yeah, I, that
it's just so hard because you got to really feel for that when you see all this
tragedy. So, and I have some stores that are in Asheville that carry my jewelry. So,
yeah, I don't care about my jewelry. I just want to make sure, make sure they're okay. Yeah,
it's definitely hard times. Yeah. So I have really enjoyed this kind of a lot. I have to,
I just said it wrong, but you know, I am getting that. I have been getting that for the longest.
That's all right. That's all right. It's all good. Like,
you love it. We want that. That's the name. It's on the tip of our tongue and we just want to say it.
So please keep me posted and please add me to your newsletter. Add me to your Facebook groups,
whatever you can to say, yeah, let's sugar in because I'm not going at your door. I want to
be appreciated. We're in the artist group together. That's a great collective. And I also know of a lot
of other really great organizations that could really be possibilities. So if you ever go,
let's do a sugar Scott. Okay. Definitely. I appreciate that so much. Thank you.
Well, is there any last words of wisdom you want to tell other side hustleers out there,
not necessarily your jewelers, but just people that are side hustle is the key word right now.
Yeah, it is. You know what? Just go out there and do it. There's no such thing as failure. You
learn and you pick up the pieces and you keep going and try to find the joy in it. It's a process.
You got to find the joy of the process. It's all about the joy. Joy. Joy and gay. Yes. My two favorite
words. There you go. Sugar, joy, gay. Okay, dear. Well, enough for today. I hope you have a wonderful
rest of your week and have a great market on Sunday. I appreciate thinking about you. I hope you
have great weather there and I hope everybody's out and empties their pockets into your treasure.
So good vibes. I appreciate it. Okay. Well, let's talk again soon and keep me posted. I will. Thank
you so much. Okay. Thank you. Bye-bye.