1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:27,120 Hi, welcome to jewelry and sure side hustle and today I have a very special guest. 2 00:00:27,120 --> 00:00:32,800 I've known her a long time. That's what really like she's special in all of Austin, not just me. 3 00:00:32,800 --> 00:00:39,040 But today we have a very special guest and we're going to have a really good time. This is 4 00:00:39,040 --> 00:00:46,880 Courtney Gray of Courtney Gray Arts. She also does consulting. So consulting for jewelry designers 5 00:00:46,880 --> 00:00:52,880 and jewelry owners and all kinds of jewelry things. So she is the bell of the ball if you're in 6 00:00:52,880 --> 00:00:58,480 Austin and you're a jewelry person or want to have something made something. So let's get started 7 00:00:58,480 --> 00:01:05,280 with Courtney and I'm so glad that you're here. It's been a minute. Let me see your dog. 8 00:01:06,720 --> 00:01:13,440 My new little family member Frankie Smalls we're calling him. He's so cute. He's only 10 weeks 9 00:01:13,440 --> 00:01:20,080 old. He's a shih tzu and a Maltese blend and he's like so nestled as you can see him. You can't 10 00:01:20,080 --> 00:01:27,200 even see him. He's so dark. He's so dark. He's got a little face. But yeah. And you know my little 11 00:01:27,200 --> 00:01:33,520 grandson that I just went to go visit he is Frankie. He's a Frankie. He's the fifth. Frankie the 12 00:01:33,520 --> 00:01:37,520 fifth. We call him a syncop. I know I keep wanting to say like Frankie Jr. for some reason or something 13 00:01:37,520 --> 00:01:42,800 but yeah. No, we got a new addition. So now how did you decide to get this dog? Is this the 14 00:01:42,800 --> 00:01:48,160 Christmas present? You know it kind of is and we were driving the other day with my husband and 15 00:01:48,160 --> 00:01:53,680 I think he was a little on the fence about a second dog. Just the same as he was about a second child 16 00:01:53,680 --> 00:02:00,960 and I was like we better do it now. Like we're getting older. We got to do this. Do this. He said 17 00:02:00,960 --> 00:02:07,680 you know because we just got my oldest dog just got diagnosed with heart failure. So many tears 18 00:02:07,680 --> 00:02:13,600 later because he's my best buddy. You know Peter was like I think maybe we should get a second one 19 00:02:13,600 --> 00:02:20,320 and that way he has a companion and get used to the second run and you know and so I go okay. 20 00:02:22,320 --> 00:02:25,360 And like literally within a week there's a dog in my arms. 21 00:02:28,000 --> 00:02:33,840 If you always want to get soon because they're very cute. I love that. I'm allergic to everything. 22 00:02:33,840 --> 00:02:40,960 Everything y'all. Like seriously it's ridiculous. But these dogs I can have and I never had a dog 23 00:02:40,960 --> 00:02:47,760 till my first one I so so yeah I'm excited but he's very cuddly and cute and we also are going on 24 00:02:47,760 --> 00:02:54,480 very little sleep right now but that's how it goes. Okay are you up with the baby? Yeah he's only 10 25 00:02:54,480 --> 00:02:58,800 weeks so you know we're doing the kid. I mean we just got him. We just got him the other day sugar. 26 00:02:58,800 --> 00:03:03,040 So I was like we're getting through the first month and and then we'll we'll sleep. 27 00:03:04,400 --> 00:03:09,760 We just have a little newborn and they bond with you so fast. I would love to have a dog. It's just 28 00:03:09,760 --> 00:03:14,560 not the right time for us right now. We've always had dogs. We're we're dogless so if you need a 29 00:03:14,560 --> 00:03:20,240 dog sit down. Yeah I'll call you but now I'm gonna need all kinds of support. Oh my goodness you're 30 00:03:20,240 --> 00:03:25,200 on my list girl. You know it's because you know that's that I guess that's the one thing that you 31 00:03:25,200 --> 00:03:30,720 know keeps my husband and I from getting one. It's like oh but wait we travel and we're that becomes 32 00:03:30,720 --> 00:03:36,560 the issue. Yeah you want to be there for him. I'm happy for you but you do need backup. Yeah so 33 00:03:36,560 --> 00:03:42,160 backup is available because we have dog dog people that are hungry for you know they did they take a 34 00:03:42,160 --> 00:03:48,400 lot but they also give a lot so I'm all right. They do they do. Well first let's talk about 35 00:03:49,040 --> 00:03:55,600 your business. When I first met you you were the thing in Austin on the east side you had uh it 36 00:03:55,600 --> 00:04:01,040 was a like a home. I was in a work-lived situation. You weren't living in your part but it was like a 37 00:04:01,040 --> 00:04:06,800 home kind of a it was beautiful. It was really great because it felt very cozy when you walked in 38 00:04:06,800 --> 00:04:11,600 there and yet there's like all this creativity just like hitting you and all these people that were 39 00:04:11,600 --> 00:04:18,640 such expertise in the field of metalsmithing and and then flash forward here you are now. I mean 40 00:04:18,640 --> 00:04:24,480 we've gone through a lot together it's been a dozen years and you're still chumming along and doing 41 00:04:24,480 --> 00:04:30,400 great things and kind of changed up stuff and now you're doing consulting which is a great business. 42 00:04:30,400 --> 00:04:36,000 I wish you great success. I hope that you can really like really grow on that because people do 43 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:42,480 need help and they also need like the mentorship part of it and also holding people for accountability 44 00:04:43,360 --> 00:04:49,520 on what the plans are that you've set up so I know that that's a really big thing. So besides that 45 00:04:49,520 --> 00:04:56,800 and besides getting your dog what else is Courtney Gray up to right now? Well that that is it. I am 46 00:04:56,800 --> 00:05:03,920 I am in the depths of this next chapter and it's really lovely honestly to have clarity on what that 47 00:05:03,920 --> 00:05:10,800 looks like again. Clarity doesn't always come when we want it to and I feel like sometimes it can take 48 00:05:11,520 --> 00:05:17,280 like painful you know like sledging through the snow just to get to the next thing and especially 49 00:05:17,280 --> 00:05:24,000 when you're an entrepreneur it's not always quick. It's not an easy gig you know. I started when I 50 00:05:24,000 --> 00:05:29,920 was about 24 years old running my own business and figuring out a lot of things the hard way 51 00:05:30,480 --> 00:05:36,640 and also finding surprising successes within that you know just from showing up and continuing to 52 00:05:36,640 --> 00:05:43,920 show up being consistent. So I guess I'm here I'm working on that still at 45. I'm you know building 53 00:05:43,920 --> 00:05:50,880 that consistent practice of getting up and keeping myself in a place of motivation and moving forward 54 00:05:50,880 --> 00:05:58,560 and really really at the end of the day trying to find the best way to help other people in the 55 00:05:58,560 --> 00:06:04,960 same situations that I've been in because nothing lights me up more. I've looked at a lot of things 56 00:06:04,960 --> 00:06:11,040 I've done a lot of crafts. I've done glasswork, ceramic before I started in the jewelry industry. 57 00:06:11,040 --> 00:06:17,840 I was a welder. I was a fabricator doing large-scale sculpture work and at the end of the day it was 58 00:06:17,840 --> 00:06:24,720 until I started making an impact on people or helping them in some way either to learn hands on 59 00:06:24,720 --> 00:06:30,800 or to talk them through a situation or a challenge that they're facing in their business. I just 60 00:06:30,800 --> 00:06:35,520 didn't really have that that passion. I love making don't get me wrong. I love making custom 61 00:06:35,520 --> 00:06:41,920 design work working one-on-one. I've been doing that for about 20 years now and it still lights me 62 00:06:41,920 --> 00:06:47,040 up being able to make an engagement ring for somebody or a custom you know heirloom that they 63 00:06:47,040 --> 00:06:52,480 brought in that's been in the drawer for 20 years and is getting dusted off and it's like wow look 64 00:06:52,480 --> 00:06:56,640 what we have here let's remake something you know into something that you'll wear now and that you 65 00:06:56,640 --> 00:07:03,680 can hand down to your people you know. That lights me up too but I really feel like my purpose now 66 00:07:03,680 --> 00:07:11,520 is moving forward is at least in this chapter is to try to connect with as many makers as I can 67 00:07:11,520 --> 00:07:17,280 and that doesn't even just mean jewelers. It doesn't mean professional makers it means whatever 68 00:07:17,280 --> 00:07:24,080 you're doing whatever your creative endeavor is how can we get you to that next level whatever 69 00:07:24,080 --> 00:07:31,920 that looks like. So the things that I've learned over running a school for 14 years 25 years in 70 00:07:31,920 --> 00:07:38,080 the jewelry industry and consulting for different companies big small one-on-one I've learned a 71 00:07:38,080 --> 00:07:43,600 lot more than I realize it's like oh my gosh at the end it's all this stuff in here you know 72 00:07:43,600 --> 00:07:49,200 and so how can I get that out of my body and make and hopefully help somebody else. So that's the 73 00:07:49,200 --> 00:07:53,920 goal is finding avenues and platforms to do that within. So thanks for having me here because 74 00:07:53,920 --> 00:07:59,280 this is a great chance to connect with your audience and I know you have a similar approach to how 75 00:07:59,280 --> 00:08:06,080 you do business sugar so and life you know. Well I think that I learned a lot from what you just 76 00:08:06,080 --> 00:08:12,720 said about you that I didn't know always a creator I knew but always a teacher at heart like that's 77 00:08:12,720 --> 00:08:18,480 me too. So there is that really that need to connect and kind of like lift people up and 78 00:08:18,480 --> 00:08:25,360 help people and pass along our knowledge because it nothing feels better than you know and you've 79 00:08:25,360 --> 00:08:31,520 also made a connection with somebody for a really long time. So I bet when you go out in a general 80 00:08:31,520 --> 00:08:37,440 public because during that time you've met so many people in Austin that you are kind of a force to 81 00:08:37,440 --> 00:08:44,000 be reckoned with and a name that people know because I mean I I've talked about your business for so 82 00:08:44,000 --> 00:08:48,960 long and different to different people and sent people your way and you know I just I think it 83 00:08:48,960 --> 00:08:54,080 was just like last week I I mentioned you to somebody that wanted something custom. Oh thanks 84 00:08:54,080 --> 00:08:59,280 I'm like yeah. So you know it is about that like you know connecting to people and connecting it 85 00:08:59,280 --> 00:09:05,280 to thoughts and and passing it forward right. Like how do you stay motivated because I think being at 86 00:09:05,280 --> 00:09:11,440 home sometimes without you know now we're used to it because we have been doing this. But we also 87 00:09:11,440 --> 00:09:16,080 know seasons are coming so that kind of keeps us rolling along like you know we've got like the next 88 00:09:16,080 --> 00:09:20,880 that Christmas is almost over and now we're going to be moving the next days and etc. But what is 89 00:09:20,880 --> 00:09:26,960 your number one thing that really like lights your fire to keep going every day. I mean that's a 90 00:09:26,960 --> 00:09:32,560 really big question you know and I think it's honestly one of the things that I'm I'm working 91 00:09:32,560 --> 00:09:36,960 on right now is under I've been working on this for a while but also learning how to explain it 92 00:09:36,960 --> 00:09:43,440 and maybe teach it is understanding your creative seasons you know and your personal seasons because 93 00:09:43,440 --> 00:09:50,720 I think that that motivation factor changes throughout the year throughout your life and 94 00:09:50,720 --> 00:09:54,720 we it's kind of like our hormones like we're lucky women you know that we get to deal with like 95 00:09:54,720 --> 00:10:03,440 daily shifts in our hormones. Same with motivation and passion and creativity. I've become I've come 96 00:10:03,440 --> 00:10:10,480 to understand that you can't be creative 365 days a year that we need space and we need perspective 97 00:10:10,480 --> 00:10:17,280 and room to breathe and room to shift gears and room to do different projects to keep yourself 98 00:10:17,280 --> 00:10:23,840 engaged as a really big one without losing the focus and follow through factor that comes with 99 00:10:23,840 --> 00:10:29,200 you know any project that you're trying to finish. I find I think consistency would be my answer you 100 00:10:29,200 --> 00:10:36,160 know to that is consistency showing up consistently no matter what and if you drop off for a week or 101 00:10:36,160 --> 00:10:41,760 two whatever a month or something happens in your family we've had multiple events in our our family 102 00:10:41,760 --> 00:10:48,640 illnesses and fires and all kinds of craziness you just come back to it you know it's you don't beat 103 00:10:48,640 --> 00:10:54,960 yourself up too much easier said than done and you just continue to show up and stay consistent with 104 00:10:55,680 --> 00:11:02,640 the ultimate purpose whatever it is that you feel is your service or the thing that you can offer 105 00:11:02,640 --> 00:11:08,720 you know it can't to me I in my mind it can't just be I'm making something to make a money you 106 00:11:08,720 --> 00:11:15,040 know it has to be I'm making something that is meaningful to somebody else and and that's for 107 00:11:15,040 --> 00:11:19,520 selfish reasons as much as it is you know I'm not you know Mother Teresa over here making you know 108 00:11:19,520 --> 00:11:26,480 trying to make an impact on everyone fix everybody's world but it's more about that return exchange 109 00:11:26,480 --> 00:11:32,240 that exchange of energy and and love essentially that you know why are we keeping this to ourselves 110 00:11:32,240 --> 00:11:38,640 like let's help each other through and collaborate instead of compete or so those those are really 111 00:11:38,640 --> 00:11:45,120 core values in in my world but also I think consistency is so big you guys I mean you have 112 00:11:45,120 --> 00:11:51,520 to show up for your work and it can't be just today it has to be a little bit each day does that 113 00:11:51,520 --> 00:11:58,560 make sense and that helps especially like you said working from home not easy I literally I'm 114 00:11:58,560 --> 00:12:04,400 sitting in a room right now I share with my bedroom with my husband like his our bedrooms on the other 115 00:12:04,400 --> 00:12:11,440 side of this wall so you can only imagine like nap time versus work time like oh the bed's right 116 00:12:11,440 --> 00:12:16,320 there I could just go take a nap you know or no go in the studio and get your butt in there and 117 00:12:16,320 --> 00:12:23,600 and create something you know so it also is disciplined do you dream about pieces because I 118 00:12:23,600 --> 00:12:29,840 do I I wait well you're surrounded with beads over there so you are waking up like to color and 119 00:12:29,840 --> 00:12:35,680 I can only imagine that you close your eyes and see you know those those things yeah sometimes I do 120 00:12:35,680 --> 00:12:42,080 and now that I've been I've launched my own podcast sugar called the jeweler's view I am dreaming 121 00:12:42,080 --> 00:12:46,960 that I've already recorded an episode that I'm thinking about you know so I think we're constantly 122 00:12:46,960 --> 00:12:53,840 processing in the back of our brains and and that's a lovely thing to realize too with seasons and 123 00:12:53,840 --> 00:12:59,600 when you're understanding how to stay motivated and a big one that comes with that motivation may 124 00:12:59,600 --> 00:13:05,200 not be a problem for many but overwhelm you know is the other end of that where you're just you're 125 00:13:05,200 --> 00:13:10,800 pushing yourself way too hard and overthinking things until you know it all kind of just gets 126 00:13:10,800 --> 00:13:18,160 mushed together and doesn't happen um so it just I have to remember to remind myself of okay yes 127 00:13:18,160 --> 00:13:22,960 it's good you're motivated you're moving forward don't forget to take a break like okay yeah go take 128 00:13:22,960 --> 00:13:30,800 a nap you know walk away for a minute but I don't know if that answers the podcast I'm gonna hear 129 00:13:30,800 --> 00:13:36,240 about your podcast yeah well I'm so happy to be on the other end of the microphone you know so to 130 00:13:36,240 --> 00:13:42,640 speak because I'm used to interviewing and I love it and I really do and I did it I did a podcast for 131 00:13:42,640 --> 00:13:49,840 Rio Grande jewelry supply for five years called the jeweler's view oh no whoops it's called for the 132 00:13:49,840 --> 00:13:57,840 love of jeweler's and I'm still getting those two mixed up and it was lovely I was produced and 133 00:13:57,840 --> 00:14:04,400 hosted that just virtually and I also got to travel and interview people at Santa Fe symposium and 134 00:14:04,400 --> 00:14:09,200 different at snag and different events in the industry and love that because it just talk about 135 00:14:09,200 --> 00:14:14,560 community that's when you really get to go and feel the you know feel that environment being the 136 00:14:14,560 --> 00:14:20,240 environment with other makers and creatives it's and we have brand is such a big name like it's 137 00:14:20,240 --> 00:14:27,760 you know it's a giant in the industry so I'll talk to you well you just you had the ear of the world 138 00:14:27,760 --> 00:14:33,520 I guess I mean at least this world you know for part of it those who listen to podcasts anyway but 139 00:14:33,520 --> 00:14:39,360 yeah no it was really fun it was very educational and it was a lot of you know getting to interview 140 00:14:39,360 --> 00:14:43,600 some of the best makers in the country and in the world really because we could send a microphone 141 00:14:43,600 --> 00:14:51,440 across overseas and interview someone in anywhere you know so I did that for a while and then I 142 00:14:51,440 --> 00:14:58,480 shifted gears about a year ago and decided okay it's really time for me to focus on this you know 143 00:14:58,480 --> 00:15:06,240 this purpose of coaching others and working in that direction more and spending my valuable time 144 00:15:06,240 --> 00:15:13,200 on on those endeavors so that I can reach reach new people that need it so yeah so the jeweler's 145 00:15:13,200 --> 00:15:20,400 view is born from that concept and it's very coachy I am like literally just sharing all of these 146 00:15:20,400 --> 00:15:25,280 obstacles that we face as makers it's it's probably not what you think when you first see the cover 147 00:15:25,280 --> 00:15:30,320 like click in and listen to one they're short they're sweet 17 minutes I think I just put one out 148 00:15:31,120 --> 00:15:35,040 I love that because you can go on a walk or you could take a drive to work and just listen and 149 00:15:35,040 --> 00:15:42,640 get a little insight on something that you might be facing too fear failure you know bad reviews 150 00:15:42,640 --> 00:15:50,320 dealing with imposter syndrome I'm bringing in some really cool co-hosts next year that I won't 151 00:15:50,320 --> 00:15:55,440 even announce yet because it's still in the works but I'm super excited and bringing their insight in 152 00:15:55,440 --> 00:16:01,200 you know and so how can we take our decades of experience here and and maybe cut out some of 153 00:16:01,200 --> 00:16:06,960 the guesswork that that happens and the you know the doubt and the worry that comes from being an 154 00:16:06,960 --> 00:16:12,880 entrepreneur and a maker who's hoping to create a creative business for themselves so um so that's 155 00:16:12,880 --> 00:16:19,120 the goal of the podcast is is a connection tool you know to help help get a get to that audience 156 00:16:19,120 --> 00:16:29,200 in a new way so from the comfort of my studio yeah well yeah but that 17 minutes is a great link so 157 00:16:29,200 --> 00:16:35,040 I'll have to keep my mind yeah that I just is how did you slide on seven even now I think I just made 158 00:16:35,040 --> 00:16:39,920 that up well I think my last one was 17 minutes and that's what I was referring to but I thought 159 00:16:39,920 --> 00:16:46,640 you know at first I was like can I go in and talk for 30 45 minutes by myself to myself because I'm 160 00:16:46,640 --> 00:16:52,400 used to interviewing you know where I'm actually practicing being quiet like I'd literally do this 161 00:16:52,400 --> 00:16:58,640 put a finger over my mouth you know so that I wasn't talking over my guest and now it's just me 162 00:16:58,640 --> 00:17:05,280 sharing so it's really cathartic and very uh opening it's like opening me up in a new way 163 00:17:05,840 --> 00:17:11,120 but I was like I don't think I can do 30 45 like I sat down and 45 minutes later I was like you 164 00:17:11,120 --> 00:17:17,920 better hit stop you know so it was not a problem but what I realized is you know I the goal is to 165 00:17:17,920 --> 00:17:23,600 do it every week and that's a big commitment from me you know this isn't monetized in any way 166 00:17:23,600 --> 00:17:28,960 I'm doing it because I want to connect and want to help and so and there's you know behind the 167 00:17:28,960 --> 00:17:34,560 scenes there's editing there's publishing there's there's cost behind it and there's time and so 168 00:17:34,560 --> 00:17:41,280 I want it to stay consistent and I also don't want to overwhelm my listeners with a bunch of 169 00:17:41,280 --> 00:17:48,400 information since it is um somewhat mindset perspective focused on on creative and you know 170 00:17:48,400 --> 00:17:54,480 creatives and makers uh for them I would like to kind of deliver that in little bite size pieces 171 00:17:55,120 --> 00:18:00,400 so that's the goal because even right now we've done seven yeah look at that 1738 yeah 172 00:18:02,160 --> 00:18:08,640 boom I know but there is two of us and we're so entertaining that and interesting that we need 173 00:18:09,200 --> 00:18:15,360 two hours you know uh well we do have years of experience behind us and in very like 174 00:18:15,360 --> 00:18:19,840 different directions which is so interesting I think you know you're doing I don't know well 175 00:18:19,840 --> 00:18:26,160 how do you explain what you do yeah kind of handmade jewelry it's not everything but not 176 00:18:26,160 --> 00:18:31,280 yeah but you don't do any silver smithing or gold smithing right yeah yeah yeah none of that well 177 00:18:32,720 --> 00:18:39,760 it it works yeah yeah and so therefore I've had to since I don't have that as my skill set and I don't 178 00:18:39,760 --> 00:18:46,560 I don't am I interested in it because it's got so many more legs on it that I don't need at this point 179 00:18:46,560 --> 00:18:52,240 I've come up with other ways to create things that you know that are in my wheelhouse that are 180 00:18:52,800 --> 00:18:58,080 you know have that same kind of skill level and our customers I think that could be a whole 181 00:18:58,080 --> 00:19:03,920 another podcast like dealing how to deal with the general public like you know it's all about 182 00:19:04,640 --> 00:19:08,240 everything but you know sometimes they don't understand I have a customer right now who 183 00:19:08,240 --> 00:19:13,840 swears that the three necklaces that I need to make for her have to be solid gold 184 00:19:14,960 --> 00:19:24,000 the chains and I'm like is this like funnier right yeah like right who wants solid gold 185 00:19:24,560 --> 00:19:29,280 just chains to start off with like that's where I have to start right right ah you ever heard 186 00:19:29,280 --> 00:19:36,000 do you have any solid gold chains I actually do I do no I I maybe I should try we have brand 187 00:19:36,000 --> 00:19:43,280 you can yeah or um there's a lot of there's a lot of resources out there well it is and gold is 188 00:19:43,280 --> 00:19:49,840 is definitely it's expensive it's more expensive than platinum now it's more expensive than platinum 189 00:19:49,840 --> 00:19:55,280 and where it's you know when I started it that was polar opposite world so the the cost of materials 190 00:19:55,280 --> 00:20:01,440 is definitely something to consider if you're gonna go full-time you know or or take on a project 191 00:20:01,440 --> 00:20:07,840 like what you're talking about and my advice with that is quote it first don't tell your customer 192 00:20:07,840 --> 00:20:12,880 anything until you sit down and put pencil to paper and do your research on what materials 193 00:20:12,880 --> 00:20:19,200 cost right now and what gemstone you may think oh I can get a two millimeter sapphire you know 194 00:20:19,200 --> 00:20:24,240 well I'm just using that as an example but you know but maybe not you know or sourcing this that 195 00:20:24,240 --> 00:20:30,640 and the other um sometimes I've I dive in and swim too fast and it's like oh make sure that you 196 00:20:30,640 --> 00:20:35,920 cover yourself with a quote and quote correctly that's one of the the things that I'm going to be 197 00:20:35,920 --> 00:20:41,120 putting into some trainings that I'm working on next year is how the heck do you price stuff you 198 00:20:41,120 --> 00:20:48,720 know yeah yeah and then can people pay this and the truth is yes some of them can yeah so you know 199 00:20:48,720 --> 00:20:56,080 but you have to stay on point with your pricing it's a big it's a big topic for us right yes and 200 00:20:56,080 --> 00:21:01,760 I usually start off the conversation by saying yep what's your budget I can make anything on a budget 201 00:21:01,760 --> 00:21:08,560 like you know if it's ten dollars you're just gonna get right I've got one you know I call it my 202 00:21:08,560 --> 00:21:15,520 pocket bead you know it's like okay one link from the chain for a doll you know so just to give you 203 00:21:15,520 --> 00:21:24,960 an idea yeah yeah what did that guy just saw a post that makes me laugh it was um I've seen it a few 204 00:21:24,960 --> 00:21:30,320 times but it's the guy and it's a beautiful big painting of like a horse and then the rest that 205 00:21:30,320 --> 00:21:34,720 half of the body is all defined and the other half is like sloppy and cartoon-esque and he's like 206 00:21:34,720 --> 00:21:43,680 here's what I can do for half price you know I thought that was really on point you know yeah 207 00:21:43,680 --> 00:21:48,800 yeah it's the same thing about you know how long does it take you to do this well it takes me 50 208 00:21:48,800 --> 00:21:53,360 years because that's exactly that kind of and you do you have to account for all all of that 209 00:21:53,360 --> 00:21:59,520 expertise that you've built in the time and the education and the sacrifices that you make as a 210 00:21:59,520 --> 00:22:06,400 maker to to build a craft and to build your skill set it's not I used to run a school I saw it every 211 00:22:06,400 --> 00:22:12,000 day you know people are coming in some people are taking off six months of their life just to come in 212 00:22:12,000 --> 00:22:18,640 and focus on one thing some people two years you know it just varies on what's going on in your world 213 00:22:18,640 --> 00:22:25,200 and what you can afford to to do but it's a big sacrifice it's a big commitment and it can be 214 00:22:25,200 --> 00:22:30,800 scary as hell you know I think a lot of people don't go full time maybe because it's so scary and 215 00:22:30,800 --> 00:22:35,840 overwhelming and so that that's where I hope to come in and help a little bit more in the future 216 00:22:35,840 --> 00:22:41,040 is is like okay this is scary but we're guess what we're gonna do it anyway you know and how do we 217 00:22:41,040 --> 00:22:47,040 get there yeah because you're constantly learning too every day like it doesn't process doesn't end 218 00:22:47,040 --> 00:22:54,640 no no yeah I never pretend to know it all absolutely not and that's the products that are available to 219 00:22:54,640 --> 00:23:02,880 us are becoming more and more there's a lot of differences coming forward just and sustainability 220 00:23:02,880 --> 00:23:10,960 is another really the eco-friendly kind of you know you're able to reuse and recycle your metals 221 00:23:10,960 --> 00:23:16,800 you know those are maybe even the stones from other people's jewelry like this is now how we're 222 00:23:16,800 --> 00:23:23,280 calling it and it really it really is a better at the end of the day a better product if it's got 223 00:23:23,920 --> 00:23:28,560 that it's got something else that was loved in it before it's like that a soul of it is still there 224 00:23:28,560 --> 00:23:35,840 yeah I think I really do I do believe that and sometimes it's not possible to do that unfortunately 225 00:23:35,840 --> 00:23:43,280 because of contaminants or some other reasons but but when you can it's really cool and I that is kind 226 00:23:43,280 --> 00:23:49,920 of what I specialize in or have found myself in and specializing in was recycling materials and 227 00:23:49,920 --> 00:23:56,400 taking people's older jewelry and you know repurposing it so to speak I had this guy come one time 228 00:23:56,400 --> 00:24:02,640 talk about like taking some something with meaning and he I don't know why this is popping into my 229 00:24:02,640 --> 00:24:10,880 head but he came in with this giant chunk of copper and it was all mangled and and shredded and 230 00:24:10,880 --> 00:24:16,560 and I said okay you know what do we got here we I got all kinds of stories here but from the years 231 00:24:16,560 --> 00:24:20,800 you know just doing custom design and people would walk in with all kinds of funky stuff but 232 00:24:21,840 --> 00:24:29,840 he sat down he said this is an IE it's from an IED which had hit he was in Iraq it had hit his door 233 00:24:29,840 --> 00:24:37,360 side panel of the door like an inch away from where he was sitting and the IED hit like it 234 00:24:37,360 --> 00:24:42,800 exploded near and shot this piece of copper and if it was one inch off or it was very significant 235 00:24:42,800 --> 00:24:47,440 you know it would have killed him he said I want to take this I want to make it into a pendant 236 00:24:47,440 --> 00:24:52,880 for my girlfriend my fiance and I was like when it looks like a thing I have to send you a picture 237 00:24:52,880 --> 00:24:58,240 it was I mean talk about breaking sawblades like any of you metalsmiths that are listening 238 00:24:58,240 --> 00:25:02,480 you break sawblades all the time you know especially in the beginning of learning how to 239 00:25:02,480 --> 00:25:07,360 saw through material this thing I must have busted like 80 sawblades just trying to get 240 00:25:07,360 --> 00:25:13,120 through it and keep it intact because it was really thick and I just I just like cutting a 241 00:25:13,120 --> 00:25:19,040 heart out of it like a little heart and it was just tiny it was this big chunk and so I just took 242 00:25:19,040 --> 00:25:24,640 a little heart out of it and it was really neat because the surface was what we would call reticulated 243 00:25:24,640 --> 00:25:29,680 in the jewelry world in the metalsmithing world but which was melted no actually it was that that 244 00:25:29,680 --> 00:25:35,760 would be granulation but the the surface was kind of mangled looking like almost like a burn victim 245 00:25:35,760 --> 00:25:43,360 would would have like a texture to their skin same on the metal it kind of surface bubbles up to the 246 00:25:43,360 --> 00:25:48,240 surface and then dry kind of cools like that so it's I'm not explaining that well but it's it's 247 00:25:48,240 --> 00:25:55,360 pretty beautiful yeah has a texture to it like a real melted look and so we just left it raw he 248 00:25:55,360 --> 00:26:01,280 goes like you know I want to remember what this was and the fact that I survived this and so that 249 00:26:01,280 --> 00:26:06,480 was a really special piece but yeah I mean people bring in grandmother's jewelry you know all kinds 250 00:26:06,480 --> 00:26:11,440 of fun things and you get to look at it and play with it and and then reimagine because jewelry 251 00:26:11,440 --> 00:26:19,600 has memory you know it has memory I I have such vivid memories of being five years old and like 252 00:26:19,600 --> 00:26:26,240 looking at my ring or and my little necklace and it's a little pearl and just loving those pieces 253 00:26:26,240 --> 00:26:32,080 and I still have them today as you know going forward it's like okay I've been dragging these 254 00:26:32,080 --> 00:26:38,160 pieces around that a little girl just loved and that that little bit of jewelry in her hands just 255 00:26:38,160 --> 00:26:44,720 made her so happy so it's that whole thing that kind of like goes with it everything has a memory 256 00:26:44,720 --> 00:26:49,760 and you know as I went to go see my grandkids this weekend and I've given them tons of jewelry 257 00:26:49,760 --> 00:26:55,760 center like I brought jewelry of course I brought jewelry but you know I hope that they remember that 258 00:26:55,760 --> 00:27:01,600 I made a little coral I pressed some coral vine from our ranch that our grandkids used to play 259 00:27:01,600 --> 00:27:06,240 under and I'm that in a little piece and you know wrote a little note because of course they 260 00:27:06,240 --> 00:27:11,600 won't really know but and I hope that that is something that they'll remember when she grows 261 00:27:11,600 --> 00:27:16,800 up and sees that piece it's like oh that was my grandmother trying to you know pass down that memory 262 00:27:17,440 --> 00:27:22,000 so that's yeah I they always remember those times at the ranch because now they moved away 263 00:27:22,000 --> 00:27:27,920 and don't get it right yeah you know that's that's the the beauty of being a maker we can like come 264 00:27:27,920 --> 00:27:34,080 up with that little like a twist to the story but that jewelry like what you make it's still everybody 265 00:27:34,080 --> 00:27:40,480 remembers when they get pieces and how they felt about it where you know those that go in it and all 266 00:27:40,480 --> 00:27:47,440 it really is jewelry is an important part it's in our DNA like it goes it's the most ancient craft 267 00:27:47,440 --> 00:27:54,320 business in existence as far as I know I mean it literally goes back to the very beginning of you 268 00:27:54,320 --> 00:28:01,120 know man you know pounding on metal I mean that's what I love about it and I'm I'm a waxer so I do 269 00:28:01,120 --> 00:28:07,680 a lot of casting carving and then casting and that's a very ancient process you know it's really 270 00:28:07,680 --> 00:28:14,080 neat there's definitely newer tech to do it but with of course safer ways to do it now but but 271 00:28:14,080 --> 00:28:20,880 there is something primal about it that I think is in our DNA you know it was even before metal 272 00:28:20,880 --> 00:28:26,560 you know they were using eggshells they were using you know seashells they were using you know sand 273 00:28:26,560 --> 00:28:33,360 anything they could think of they were clay mud like I mean just yeah whatever yeah it's pretty 274 00:28:33,360 --> 00:28:38,000 neat it makes me wonder or sometimes I want to go back in time how what was going on in that 275 00:28:38,000 --> 00:28:45,120 person's mind you know how did they figure that out because like what who figured this out you know 276 00:28:45,120 --> 00:28:52,240 that you could pour metal into this because they knew yeah well eggshells uh ostrich eggshells were 277 00:28:52,240 --> 00:28:58,160 some of the earliest beads that they know that they found and I've tried to crack an ostrich egg 278 00:28:58,160 --> 00:29:05,360 before we had to get a tile cutter it's so hard and literally it's like a porcelain tile so they 279 00:29:05,360 --> 00:29:11,360 were actually using you know little tiny rocks and you know somehow or another you know getting those 280 00:29:11,360 --> 00:29:15,280 the shapes all pretty much the same and a hole through it that was a true right yeah without 281 00:29:15,280 --> 00:29:21,120 breaking it you know yeah yeah they still sell those beads in Africa and I'm sure they're using 282 00:29:21,120 --> 00:29:30,000 snippers now to create those so it's a hard product to work with so I love all that I love the history 283 00:29:30,560 --> 00:29:36,800 of jewelry I know I'm on every thread that there is on you know ancient man's you know the finds 284 00:29:36,800 --> 00:29:42,640 that they have because I think that's a whole different collection I'd love to dig into is 285 00:29:42,640 --> 00:29:51,200 recreating some of those finds that would be so cool yeah yeah the history it's so cool yeah the 286 00:29:51,200 --> 00:29:57,520 ink lines I'm doing a new collection on the ink lines the Nazca lines because the Nazca lines 287 00:29:58,240 --> 00:30:03,840 are such great little characters you know they're so interesting I don't know I'm so fun and it does 288 00:30:03,840 --> 00:30:09,280 keep you inspired when you're constantly thinking about oh what do I want to do? Yeah yeah put your 289 00:30:09,280 --> 00:30:15,600 little stamp on all that it is it is how do you keep yourself on point though like you know there's 290 00:30:15,600 --> 00:30:21,840 so many ideas and we all have so many projects like you know I have found object work that I like 291 00:30:21,840 --> 00:30:28,080 to do I'm a painter I'm a singer you know that's that's one of my main course singer I've got to come 292 00:30:28,080 --> 00:30:33,840 here yeah we should yeah and that's a whole other oh just tell everybody wearing awesomeness 293 00:30:33,840 --> 00:30:43,520 oh yeah yeah well right now we do a first Saturday and at Saxon Pub which is a really cool 294 00:30:43,520 --> 00:30:49,200 kind of old school little bar that's on South Lamar and it's been there forever I don't even know 295 00:30:49,200 --> 00:30:55,200 probably 50 years or something yeah and they it's just like a dream for musicians because we go in 296 00:30:55,200 --> 00:31:00,800 and you can hear everything so well and they take care pretty good care of everybody so so that's 297 00:31:00,800 --> 00:31:07,680 really lovely um yeah every first we go by suburban beat you're you're an enterprise an enterprise 298 00:31:07,680 --> 00:31:14,160 explain okay explain my enterprise because you have multiple facets within your business that are 299 00:31:14,160 --> 00:31:20,560 that make you an enterprise you've got creative enterprise I like that yeah I like that I'll take 300 00:31:20,560 --> 00:31:27,120 that it's probably better than serial entrepreneur which I've been called before yeah well and then 301 00:31:27,120 --> 00:31:31,440 next you need to write some books because that's an easy you're not the first person to tell me 302 00:31:31,440 --> 00:31:36,480 to write a book I don't know what I would write about I mean eventually it probably will be more 303 00:31:36,480 --> 00:31:41,600 about working with makers you know as I move forward but um I always said if I wrote a book 304 00:31:41,600 --> 00:31:47,280 actually it would be called Facing All My Fears in Under 40 Years um just because I I've had a lot of 305 00:31:48,000 --> 00:31:52,640 you know we've all had like big life events but I feel like man you know when you wake up and your 306 00:31:52,640 --> 00:31:57,520 house is on fire and your kids are in the house and it's like that's kind of a big fear that you 307 00:31:57,520 --> 00:32:02,880 know we really hope doesn't happen and but we face them and then we we get up and we keep moving 308 00:32:02,880 --> 00:32:08,880 you know we deal with it and hopefully everybody survives you know um so yeah I think I think that 309 00:32:08,880 --> 00:32:14,480 will probably be book number one would be Facing All My Fears in Under 40 Years. Well I haven't lived 310 00:32:14,480 --> 00:32:19,200 through a house fire but a lot of people have badly was your house oh it was totally demolished I 311 00:32:19,200 --> 00:32:24,480 mean we just um but no I won't say that because look what just happened in North Carolina what 312 00:32:24,480 --> 00:32:29,280 happens to people all the time with these fires that are spreading all over I can't imagine 313 00:32:29,920 --> 00:32:35,760 a whole like town getting hit you know we were the only house on the block um but uh 314 00:32:36,320 --> 00:32:41,120 it was an electrical fire in the attic and so and we didn't have smoke detectors in the attic 315 00:32:41,120 --> 00:32:47,440 because that's not code it's not required by code and that's the number one place that fires start 316 00:32:47,440 --> 00:32:53,280 so yeah that's a long story I'll share with you sometime but it was a it was an intense 317 00:32:53,280 --> 00:32:59,440 intense thing to look up the stairs and realize there's a giant fire you know coming down and 318 00:32:59,440 --> 00:33:03,520 you know getting the kids out and everything but no we they dumped I think a hundred thousand 319 00:33:03,520 --> 00:33:09,440 gallons of water on the top to get it out and by that time the whole downstairs flooded and the 320 00:33:09,440 --> 00:33:15,760 upstairs was just demolished so we threw everything in a dumpster sorry mother earth but we had a lot 321 00:33:15,760 --> 00:33:22,560 of crap and we we had to just throw it all away and start over and it's just not as hard as you 322 00:33:22,560 --> 00:33:28,960 it was hard it was summer it was it was awful but at the end of it we just kept laughing you know it 323 00:33:28,960 --> 00:33:33,840 was like we just kind of got through it and we just started over and thank god we had insurance 324 00:33:33,840 --> 00:33:40,560 like there's people then we were situations who don't have that so um my husband's a contractor and we 325 00:33:40,560 --> 00:33:44,720 you know my friend said it well he said if this was going to happen to any family we're 326 00:33:44,720 --> 00:33:50,240 we're y'all are the ones that it should happen to meaning you know how to handle it like you 327 00:33:50,240 --> 00:33:55,360 guys you know you're super resourceful Courtney and he's a builder so well you'll be all right you 328 00:33:55,360 --> 00:34:01,120 know and and we are we we were and um but yeah just a lot of a lot of events in a row it's been 329 00:34:01,120 --> 00:34:05,360 interesting it still takes it takes a whole I know I know some of you I know some of your stories I 330 00:34:05,360 --> 00:34:12,080 know it's got you got big huge dress tickets over the head of each one of those like that is big 331 00:34:12,080 --> 00:34:18,240 like that is yeah I asked my sister-in-law is like is this normal for these many things you know this 332 00:34:18,240 --> 00:34:24,400 many things to happen she goes no Courtney you you yeah no this is a lot there's a lot of shit 333 00:34:24,400 --> 00:34:29,280 coming at you you know and it's like okay what are you trying to show me world like universe what do 334 00:34:29,280 --> 00:34:35,040 you know and I think it's resilience training honestly it's like okay you know right I was 335 00:34:35,040 --> 00:34:40,400 telling a friend I can go sit in the freezing cold water now surrounded with snow and sit down for a 336 00:34:40,400 --> 00:34:45,680 minute and just breathe through it you know and get up and keep going even even when your legs are 337 00:34:45,680 --> 00:34:51,200 numb just you know you just kind of figure it out and you know I'm not gonna let this stuff hold you 338 00:34:51,200 --> 00:34:59,600 down you just we don't choose that way so um easier said than done but um but yeah anyway uh it has 339 00:34:59,600 --> 00:35:05,200 been a lot of stuff but you know without any of that stuff we don't end up where we are right now 340 00:35:05,200 --> 00:35:11,280 and so at the end of the day it's all about being grateful for good and the bad because every piece 341 00:35:11,280 --> 00:35:18,000 of it has led me into this amazing situation that I am with a great partner and two great kids and 342 00:35:18,000 --> 00:35:24,560 now a new little puppy dog and getting to sit here and talk with you about my crazy life and my 343 00:35:24,560 --> 00:35:30,880 ambitions and motivation and you know getting to speak to people through my platform and I have a 344 00:35:30,880 --> 00:35:37,920 there's a lot of good stuff a lot of good stuff you know silver lining and we're also in we're also 345 00:35:37,920 --> 00:35:44,880 in women in yeah the great national group but we have an Austin chapter that we're both in the 346 00:35:44,880 --> 00:35:53,200 women's jeweler's association yes women's association yes so wherever you are if you have a wj a group 347 00:35:53,200 --> 00:35:59,120 and you can just go to women jeweler's association and look up you know where they have chapters but 348 00:35:59,120 --> 00:36:05,200 it's a it's a pretty cool model they I think it started a long time ago by women who in the industry 349 00:36:05,200 --> 00:36:10,880 because it used to be women were the minority here and now it's polar opposite I will tell you I 350 00:36:10,880 --> 00:36:16,960 think the majority is women now absolutely um you know who are in the in the jewelry industry of all 351 00:36:16,960 --> 00:36:24,000 facets of the jewelry industry and so we're kind of ruling ruling this thing now ladies but um but 352 00:36:24,000 --> 00:36:31,360 yes wj a is a really very cool organization and you can get involved with the local chapter if you 353 00:36:31,360 --> 00:36:37,280 don't have a local chapter I know that they will help you get one started so it's a great community 354 00:36:37,280 --> 00:36:44,880 builder and and I miss having a school when I sold the school in 2019 kind of lost that community 355 00:36:44,880 --> 00:36:52,320 of course it was COVID too so talk about just changing your whole world bam you know it's like 356 00:36:52,320 --> 00:36:57,520 wow okay you know I was in the center of this you know it's kind of a bubble too because people 357 00:36:57,520 --> 00:37:01,760 would come in the door I wasn't really you know they would just walk in and there's all these creative 358 00:37:01,760 --> 00:37:09,840 energy coming all the time and um I miss that so wj has been really healing for for me and I'm sure 359 00:37:09,840 --> 00:37:14,960 it has been for a lot of people just to have that connection when you sit and make stuff all day 360 00:37:14,960 --> 00:37:22,000 it's really nice to get out and connect with other women and men it's not a women only association 361 00:37:22,000 --> 00:37:30,160 men are absolutely welcome um and just connect with network you know meet appraisers meet retailers 362 00:37:30,160 --> 00:37:36,080 meet you know crafts people meet fine jewelers it's it's kind of all over the gamut so it's it's 363 00:37:36,080 --> 00:37:42,480 nice yeah it's nice and well it's like a big industry and we are talking about how you know 364 00:37:42,480 --> 00:37:48,320 women were kind of like we kind of had a chance to take over at some point but I remember Marion 365 00:37:48,320 --> 00:37:55,040 Haskell who is one of my style icons in the jewelry fashion jewelry world a lot of her products 366 00:37:55,040 --> 00:38:01,280 have made their way into my jewelry from old warehouses um that housed all the manufacturing 367 00:38:01,280 --> 00:38:07,920 of her products but she started out you know early after like World War one between World War one 368 00:38:07,920 --> 00:38:13,280 War two moving here but then when she really branched out and really got good and known 369 00:38:13,280 --> 00:38:18,240 her brothers took over the company and said no no women should be in charge of this business 370 00:38:18,240 --> 00:38:23,120 and they took her off and then everything kind of changed because it wasn't as good anymore 371 00:38:23,120 --> 00:38:28,480 because it was her vision that was really the thing but you can today still they they still 372 00:38:28,480 --> 00:38:34,160 have licensing you know there's still manufacturing jewelry today from her jewelry and that was you 373 00:38:34,160 --> 00:38:39,600 know almost a hundred years ago now we're getting yeah you could go to like knee men's or the high 374 00:38:39,600 --> 00:38:45,120 end stores and you would see Marion Haskell pieces because they're still high revere but 375 00:38:45,120 --> 00:38:51,600 um it is now from a long time ago they pushed out a woman well that's not uncommon is it that's just 376 00:38:51,600 --> 00:38:59,520 an no that's don't push me out can't push me out sorry don't even try I love it that her long 377 00:39:00,160 --> 00:39:05,920 that's wild I love it that her long I can't imagine being being born in a time and even now it's 378 00:39:05,920 --> 00:39:10,240 so we don't have to get into that but it's like oh my gosh like what is happening why are we going 379 00:39:10,240 --> 00:39:19,760 backwards you know for women it's like really are we still in that place where we were thought to 380 00:39:19,760 --> 00:39:25,600 you put everything you know this project pendulum swing like we are now we're headed back to the 381 00:39:25,600 --> 00:39:32,240 other end of it and right now in the Smithsonian magazine there is an article about the guy who 382 00:39:32,880 --> 00:39:37,360 formed whatever is it bomb I might say his name right but who wrote wrote the wizard of Oz 383 00:39:37,360 --> 00:39:42,320 but if you got that magazine and you read through it it's not about him at all it's really about his 384 00:39:42,880 --> 00:39:51,280 niece and what a what a suffragette she was and what a breaking every rule like I I want to go back 385 00:39:51,280 --> 00:39:57,040 I'm taking it to the ranch over the holidays and just reading through this very big article 386 00:39:57,600 --> 00:40:02,000 and I just want to like dive into each one of those resources of their listing because 387 00:40:02,000 --> 00:40:08,800 the power it just made me feel like we could do more we can do more like I know we're in this 388 00:40:09,360 --> 00:40:16,080 turning point but like I feel like I need that to hook into some kind of where we have something 389 00:40:16,080 --> 00:40:21,440 to hold accountable for that time period that we tried to do something right you know to kind of 390 00:40:21,440 --> 00:40:27,360 stop this but it's not it's not really easy but I definitely want to I really felt like that I'm 391 00:40:27,360 --> 00:40:33,920 like they were fighting against being able to vote we're fighting for our bodies and all the other 392 00:40:33,920 --> 00:40:40,000 things basic rights yeah and we really need I really feel that need to step up to the plate 393 00:40:40,000 --> 00:40:45,600 I got definitely doing like it it just got me really excited when I read that I'm like here's 394 00:40:45,600 --> 00:40:52,080 somebody I can boil it boiler plate this down yeah yeah what that's very cool how they did it back 395 00:40:52,080 --> 00:40:59,440 then to turn things around turn the tide it took a hundred years but they did it talk about consistency 396 00:40:59,440 --> 00:41:08,880 right showing up I was getting up yeah we can't give up we do have something that we do when it's 397 00:41:08,880 --> 00:41:14,560 important and you know it doesn't happen quickly nothing I feel like nothing really does nothing 398 00:41:14,560 --> 00:41:20,720 valuable happens quickly I was actually sitting every morning I try to get up now and I've got a new 399 00:41:20,720 --> 00:41:27,120 routine and that that goes something like this when I'm lucky and don't have a new puppy that has to 400 00:41:27,120 --> 00:41:31,760 go pee but you know so I'm like okay wait when do I meditate you know now there's a puppy has to go pee 401 00:41:31,760 --> 00:41:36,960 first but you know I try to wake up and I do like at least 10 minutes of meditation and just just 402 00:41:36,960 --> 00:41:43,440 zoom in and typically that's a gratitude practice you know thank you so much like everything you 403 00:41:43,440 --> 00:41:48,320 know the littlest things and it's just a little thing and I had to start really small with that 404 00:41:48,320 --> 00:41:52,960 and build you know trying to build up to a longer period of time and some people could do 20 30 405 00:41:52,960 --> 00:41:58,160 minutes but I figure if I just do five to 10 minutes it's something I can repeat and I can stay 406 00:41:58,160 --> 00:42:05,280 consistent with it so I started doing that every day and if I don't because stuff happens life happens 407 00:42:05,280 --> 00:42:11,280 I feel the difference now right and then I go and I work a little bit and I have my tea a quick 408 00:42:11,280 --> 00:42:17,120 coffee believe it or not and I have my tea like four or five cups of tea so I don't know if it 409 00:42:17,120 --> 00:42:25,280 cancels out the coffee quitting and now I get my kiddo get my kiddo off to school and then I exercise 410 00:42:25,280 --> 00:42:31,520 and I'm doing like 15 minutes of kind of hardcore exercise and that's it right 10 minutes 10 15 minutes 411 00:42:31,520 --> 00:42:37,520 a day and then I go for a 20 minute walk with my dog and then I go back to work and man what a difference 412 00:42:37,520 --> 00:42:42,560 I forget why I'm telling you consistency I think is what I'm driving at but man it's like it's like 413 00:42:42,560 --> 00:42:48,160 opened my whole world just that that those few things and I didn't do all that at once I like 414 00:42:48,160 --> 00:42:53,600 added one thing and then the next week I started with the walking and the next week I found the 415 00:42:53,600 --> 00:42:58,640 fitness program I liked that was reasonably priced and I doing it all online there's no gym 416 00:42:59,280 --> 00:43:06,080 and I don't have to go anywhere you know I was like let's make this as let it be easy how can I let 417 00:43:06,080 --> 00:43:14,160 you know yeah and my mental clarity my physical the way I feel physically the way I look everything 418 00:43:14,160 --> 00:43:19,120 is shifting and it's like wow 10 minutes a day like it feels like when it comes down to it's like 419 00:43:19,120 --> 00:43:24,880 wow all these things add up and takes me about an hour and a half you know but but staying and doing 420 00:43:24,880 --> 00:43:30,640 it every day I'm noticing I'm only like 12 13 weeks into this you guys I'm still very new but 421 00:43:30,640 --> 00:43:36,560 I I met with a young lady the other day younger than me I guess I say young lady but who used to 422 00:43:36,560 --> 00:43:43,520 work at the school and I've been sending out emails about my new business and how I'm rebranding 423 00:43:43,520 --> 00:43:50,400 myself etc and showing up as the coach that I am meant to be now and she goes your emails broke 424 00:43:50,400 --> 00:43:57,760 through my depression and I was like oh and I felt so bad because this young lady worked her butt off 425 00:43:57,760 --> 00:44:03,200 at our school and then when the school got sold a lot of the hours didn't get credited to her so she 426 00:44:03,200 --> 00:44:08,240 didn't get to come and use the classes that she had worked her butt off for so she and she goes 427 00:44:08,240 --> 00:44:15,760 and I've always admired you I'm wondering you know could I just talk to you and I was like absolutely 428 00:44:15,760 --> 00:44:20,480 let me just let's just treat these like sessions and we're gonna we're gonna get this figured out 429 00:44:20,480 --> 00:44:27,360 she's moved to another city she's got nobody she's got no money I just felt like oh my god 430 00:44:27,360 --> 00:44:33,680 and I got on the on the horn with her on the zoom and she's just crying the whole time and I you 431 00:44:33,680 --> 00:44:39,200 know as a coach you have to kind of like okay I'm here and I'm holding space with you but I'm not 432 00:44:39,200 --> 00:44:44,320 gonna feel your emotions because otherwise I'd be no good to you so I'm learning to you know we 433 00:44:44,320 --> 00:44:49,120 have to learn to separate and kind of especially when you're empathic it's difficult but practicing 434 00:44:49,120 --> 00:44:54,480 that and so that you can really help them tune into something that they don't see necessarily 435 00:44:54,480 --> 00:44:59,280 necessarily that it's going on behind the scenes and honestly when it came down to it it was those 436 00:44:59,280 --> 00:45:08,720 few things was are you exercising at all no I don't I don't think I have time I don't have time 437 00:45:08,720 --> 00:45:13,840 but I don't have a job right now and I don't and I go wait a second you don't have time 438 00:45:15,040 --> 00:45:21,200 you don't have 10 minutes five minutes three minutes like there's time so saying I don't have 439 00:45:21,200 --> 00:45:26,000 time is like saying I don't want to might as well just be like I don't really want to do that so 440 00:45:26,640 --> 00:45:32,480 you know my invitation to her at the end of the day was let's start there because if your body 441 00:45:32,480 --> 00:45:37,920 doesn't feel good and I went through some health big scary health stuff last year part of my roller 442 00:45:37,920 --> 00:45:43,680 coaster ride sugar and I know you had some stuff too girl it's not easy like up and down and when 443 00:45:43,680 --> 00:45:48,560 you don't have your health you don't have you can't do anything you can't help anybody you can't make 444 00:45:48,560 --> 00:45:55,200 stuff like so it's like you know we got to start there that's the foundation the bottom of the 445 00:45:55,200 --> 00:46:02,160 pyramid is our physical carrying body has to be okay enough to do the things and serve in the 446 00:46:02,160 --> 00:46:07,520 ways that we want and then comes you know the other things on top nutrition of course and all 447 00:46:07,520 --> 00:46:11,360 those things I don't mean to sound like some sort of health nut over here but man it's making a 448 00:46:11,360 --> 00:46:16,720 difference to me and I'm not the healthiest person and so this is a new important thing that I'm 449 00:46:16,720 --> 00:46:21,280 identifying so she's doing it I was like can you do this every day for a week and she skipped a 450 00:46:21,280 --> 00:46:25,840 couple days because she's depressed when you're in depression you do not want to move like you 451 00:46:25,840 --> 00:46:33,120 just can't you know I've been there too and but she's noticing big differences she was like I 452 00:46:33,120 --> 00:46:38,240 I can't I go in the second question I said was do you meditate at all or take a slowdown like do 453 00:46:38,240 --> 00:46:44,080 you practice any kind of meditation no but I've always meant to but I'm worried about my lung 454 00:46:44,080 --> 00:46:51,280 capacity it was so interesting to me yeah and no judgment at all I love her so much but it's so 455 00:46:51,280 --> 00:46:56,640 interesting because you look back at yourself like wow we can make up there's an excuse for anything 456 00:46:57,600 --> 00:47:01,760 you know I'm not going to work on this today I'm not going to be consistent with this because 457 00:47:01,760 --> 00:47:07,920 xyz it's like wow how do we cut through that no like what voice is telling us it's the one that 458 00:47:07,920 --> 00:47:13,200 wants to hold us down and keep us back from from our highest potential and we have to have 459 00:47:13,200 --> 00:47:19,120 conversations with it daily without judgment and just be like okay I see you there but that's not 460 00:47:19,120 --> 00:47:24,000 working for me that's not a viable excuse I'm doing a whole episode on this right now too so it's 461 00:47:24,000 --> 00:47:29,760 on the top of my head but um but yeah um it make it a big difference she's like oh I can let my 462 00:47:29,760 --> 00:47:36,480 lungs feel better because I'm doing some breath work it's the opposite of what we thought comes to 463 00:47:36,480 --> 00:47:41,840 go and then from there you can start building your creative endeavor but if those things are out of 464 00:47:41,840 --> 00:47:48,480 whack like things are just it's gonna makes it it's not gonna be easy you know I have an app that 465 00:47:48,480 --> 00:47:53,920 tracks my exercises and yesterday I said I've done a thousand I've done a thousand exercises 466 00:47:53,920 --> 00:47:59,440 yeah I love a little gamified yeah there's a little bit of brand new and you know it's all virtual 467 00:47:59,440 --> 00:48:05,200 I'm not going to a thing just like you but there are all kinds of things out there that do well 468 00:48:05,200 --> 00:48:09,200 that will really help you and and then and then there's chat should be tea are you 469 00:48:09,200 --> 00:48:17,920 using any yeah because that's the new thing right tell us what you know I just it's it's here and 470 00:48:19,040 --> 00:48:25,040 you know I know there's a lot of mixed opinions out there and it is new and it is scary and and 471 00:48:25,040 --> 00:48:30,880 it's over the top robot world that we're headed again to and we've been headed there and it's 472 00:48:30,880 --> 00:48:36,240 been available just not to the public until recently and one of the things that I've been 473 00:48:36,240 --> 00:48:41,760 hearing I do a lot of trainings outside of my training other people I I do you know other 474 00:48:41,760 --> 00:48:48,560 workshops and I study a lot and I research but it's here and it's not going anywhere and so we 475 00:48:48,560 --> 00:48:55,280 we kind of need to get on understanding at least how it could be useful as a tool and I don't want 476 00:48:55,280 --> 00:48:59,440 it to replace my thinking because I don't think you could do that honestly I don't think that I 477 00:48:59,440 --> 00:49:04,320 would let that happen but I do see where it could be dangerous in the wrong hands like 478 00:49:04,320 --> 00:49:08,640 there are some really cool things that it's capable of and I'm I'm just on the tip of the 479 00:49:08,640 --> 00:49:14,560 iceberg so I'm I'm no expert here at all I do know in the industry that people are using it to 480 00:49:14,560 --> 00:49:22,160 design not only to create but to design you know it's not just a basic tool anymore it's very 481 00:49:22,800 --> 00:49:29,040 robe it's becoming very robust and I use it for a simple organization tool because I am not the 482 00:49:29,040 --> 00:49:35,920 most organized I have a creature of habit and routine but I I'm not very good at taking a big 483 00:49:35,920 --> 00:49:42,880 giant thought or vision and putting it for artists right so putting it into a document having it make 484 00:49:42,880 --> 00:49:48,320 sense to a virtual assistant or somebody that might be having you know help me put something 485 00:49:48,320 --> 00:49:55,600 together or a client even you know like let's brain dump into this doc and then chat GPT can take it 486 00:49:55,600 --> 00:50:01,520 organize it into sections and you can even have it outline it for google docs and create an outline 487 00:50:01,520 --> 00:50:08,080 that you can click through and so that's a very basic way that I use use it for that and I'm 488 00:50:08,080 --> 00:50:12,800 telling you I used to have employees I used to have a team I don't like calling people employees 489 00:50:12,800 --> 00:50:20,880 but legally they were my employees but but my team yeah my when I had a bigger business my team 490 00:50:20,880 --> 00:50:28,320 was there and I hate to tell you but chat GPT is replacing probably two two of those employees 491 00:50:29,760 --> 00:50:37,040 it's quick it's it's phenomenally quick in a second it's weird yeah I had it write a little 492 00:50:37,040 --> 00:50:43,600 point I gave it six words about visiting my grandson and I said you know six year old so write it 493 00:50:43,600 --> 00:50:49,360 to that age and make it very simple and make sure you include you know grandma loves you and these 494 00:50:49,360 --> 00:50:54,800 things you know some of the things that we did and then because they love mail I found out so then 495 00:50:54,800 --> 00:51:01,360 I can mail them a little bit so you're such a good group yeah I mean GPT was like in one second it was 496 00:51:01,360 --> 00:51:06,480 so cute that's cool there's a lot of cool creative ways that you can use it and I think it's the same 497 00:51:06,480 --> 00:51:11,840 as when we think about marketing and what a drag mark you know that oh I'm gonna mark it I just want 498 00:51:11,840 --> 00:51:19,120 to make cool stuff I don't want to have to mark it I'm sorry but you can't eat you know 50% of it is 499 00:51:19,120 --> 00:51:25,120 getting it out there and so yeah you know if you want to sell work and some people that that's not 500 00:51:25,120 --> 00:51:30,000 their interest and that's totally fine but um but yeah I think it's the same kind of thing it's 501 00:51:31,120 --> 00:51:36,800 but man it's a great tool some of the AI tools and now I'm learning more there's Claude and there's 502 00:51:36,800 --> 00:51:42,800 there's all these different types of they'll do design work they'll do image veneration 503 00:51:42,800 --> 00:51:49,840 yeah pretty crazy some of it I'm like still a little overwhelmed but as I dive into it I'm using it 504 00:51:49,840 --> 00:51:56,640 every day using chat GPT hey here's my podcast topic let me outline it chat GPT right on outline 505 00:51:56,640 --> 00:52:02,000 you know it's like wow you know just dumped my brain my thoughts in there and it's organized so 506 00:52:02,000 --> 00:52:10,320 organized so that uh it is such and if you're if you're listening to this and you're not on the chat 507 00:52:10,320 --> 00:52:17,360 GPT chain take an online course I actually got certified in chat GPT from Microsoft it is easy 508 00:52:17,360 --> 00:52:23,920 it's not easy but it's there it's free and it just really gives you a backbone to know that 509 00:52:23,920 --> 00:52:28,560 everything is possible and it's coming and we need to use it because my day job is as a technical 510 00:52:28,560 --> 00:52:34,720 area that that will be taken over but there's still needs for you know editing and being able to 511 00:52:35,440 --> 00:52:41,680 give it the information and make it you know make it do what you want to do and you can even get mad 512 00:52:41,680 --> 00:52:47,920 at chat GPT and kind of threaten it it's like hey hey that's not like or have it roast you you can do 513 00:52:47,920 --> 00:52:53,120 a roast you know one thing that's a little more about you have it roast you do a roast on you 514 00:52:53,120 --> 00:52:59,120 it does it I've never done that but I do tell it to that thank you so much you know I want to say 515 00:52:59,120 --> 00:53:04,640 I just love you so much it is a robot like you know we've all seen Terminator 2 I wear it I hear 516 00:53:04,640 --> 00:53:11,360 that but yeah you know be kind you know that yeah no it's kind of like having a assistant it's like 517 00:53:11,360 --> 00:53:18,000 having a buddy there to work with yes that sounds weird but it really is because it is AI it's 518 00:53:18,000 --> 00:53:23,600 intelligent and it's a deep brain and now it's on our phones yeah the new the brand new pixel 519 00:53:24,560 --> 00:53:31,120 I'll have to have to pixel your brain about all of that it's yeah I'm still very very 520 00:53:31,920 --> 00:53:39,360 kindergarten with with what it can do and and oh yeah okay well I definitely definitely should be 521 00:53:39,360 --> 00:53:46,160 doing oh you should that would be really helpful yeah and how can we apply it yeah yeah so going 522 00:53:46,160 --> 00:53:50,960 forward because we're getting near the end what's coming up for you that you're really excited for 523 00:53:50,960 --> 00:53:58,400 in 2025 because we are basically days away from this year being over and we can get a fresh start 524 00:53:59,120 --> 00:54:07,520 good question um I'm I'm very excited about what I'm building right now and you know the podcast 525 00:54:07,520 --> 00:54:13,760 is is just part of that what I what I'm putting together for the industry and and really when I 526 00:54:13,760 --> 00:54:17,840 when I sat down and started to kind of design this next chapter and what does it look like 527 00:54:18,480 --> 00:54:24,640 I was like is this even for just jewelry makers anymore I think it's more broad than that but 528 00:54:24,640 --> 00:54:29,680 I'm known in this industry and I've been in this and I know it better than any other craft that 529 00:54:29,680 --> 00:54:35,040 that you know I couldn't speak to ceramics in the same way that I do jewelry making because of my 530 00:54:35,040 --> 00:54:42,400 experience so I decided to stay in that niche but eventually I do see it getting a little more broad 531 00:54:42,400 --> 00:54:48,000 and I do coach different you know I coach singers and I coach painters but right now you know the 532 00:54:48,000 --> 00:54:53,680 focus is really this niche I love this industry I love the jewelry industry it's been so good to me 533 00:54:54,320 --> 00:55:02,640 and there's so many great people and so my my goal I guess for the 2025 is in my I'm excited about 534 00:55:02,640 --> 00:55:09,200 is I'm putting together a couple of small workshops very financially accessible for beginners and 535 00:55:09,200 --> 00:55:14,080 and people who may be on a tighter budget and then I have also a six week course that I'm going to be 536 00:55:14,080 --> 00:55:20,960 building it's virtual all from here and can connect with anybody anywhere in the world 537 00:55:21,520 --> 00:55:27,360 and we can all get together and create a community within that kind of a transformation six week 538 00:55:27,360 --> 00:55:34,000 course on getting into the industry what do you need to know where the resources how do we do this 539 00:55:34,000 --> 00:55:40,640 how do we find consistency there'll be the mindset and the perspective piece mixed with the realities 540 00:55:40,640 --> 00:55:48,080 and the you know what is retail versus wholesale like there's so much to know and I feel like when 541 00:55:48,080 --> 00:55:53,040 my students back at creative side would come in they were like a deer in headlights because it was 542 00:55:53,040 --> 00:56:01,280 so much information that you can find if you go down the the youtube or the you know social media 543 00:56:01,280 --> 00:56:07,200 rabbit hole there's so much out there so my goal is to bring that all together as much as I can and 544 00:56:07,200 --> 00:56:13,200 create a cohesive course for people that they can do over their own at their own schedule at their 545 00:56:13,200 --> 00:56:18,720 own pace in their own home not making I'm not teaching soldering there's plenty of people who 546 00:56:18,720 --> 00:56:24,880 are rocking that I did it for a long time and now what I'd like to focus on is the nitty gritty of 547 00:56:24,880 --> 00:56:29,520 the business side and the marketing and the how to get yourself out there and how to do it with 548 00:56:29,520 --> 00:56:34,960 confidence and how to find customers and how to work with customers all of those things so 549 00:56:34,960 --> 00:56:42,080 I'm excited it's in the works and yeah and just looking forward to finding new connections within 550 00:56:42,080 --> 00:56:49,440 that avenue too so hopefully helping some people through those skinny spots so that they don't have 551 00:56:49,440 --> 00:56:58,000 to go through the suffering that can come so again tell everybody where they can contact you it will 552 00:56:58,000 --> 00:57:04,240 be below in the description tell everybody and we're and then also your instagram and then 553 00:57:04,240 --> 00:57:11,360 we will wrap it up because we are hitting that yeah Courtney gray arts is where I'm found and 554 00:57:11,360 --> 00:57:17,360 but you can email me just send me an email hi at Courtney gray arts calm if you have any questions 555 00:57:17,360 --> 00:57:24,000 I can help guide you in any way and but yeah on insta facebook I'm at Courtney gray arts and the 556 00:57:24,000 --> 00:57:30,560 podcast is the jeweler's view which you can find anywhere that podcasts anywhere you like to listen 557 00:57:31,520 --> 00:57:36,800 and other than that yeah I think that's pretty easy to find me out there just google Courtney gray 558 00:57:36,800 --> 00:57:46,560 jewelry and the next meet the next women yeah I've been trying to show up every yes and yeah I just 559 00:57:46,560 --> 00:57:51,120 like to say onward and upward to everybody no matter where you're at it's where you're supposed to be 560 00:57:51,120 --> 00:57:56,480 and you know you've got this just keep moving forward showing up for yourself and your your craft 561 00:57:56,480 --> 00:58:01,440 and your business whatever that looks like and there's no judgment on any of that any level that 562 00:58:01,440 --> 00:58:08,640 you're at we're all in this together so yeah reach out to people like sugar who great connectors and 563 00:58:09,760 --> 00:58:15,440 wait I keep killing you sugar is a gate you it's sugar gay yeah yeah sure we're any here a little 564 00:58:15,440 --> 00:58:21,280 we have a history on your name like what's up with the sugar gay is face facebook wouldn't let me know 565 00:58:22,000 --> 00:58:30,000 when I first so you use sugar yeah so you just a little sugar on everything I love it yeah the 566 00:58:30,000 --> 00:58:36,000 sugar was my business name it was my everything my store everything was it wouldn't let you use 567 00:58:36,000 --> 00:58:42,240 gay so wait I'm just coming back to that no it was not that was in 2007 oh my gosh and it was 568 00:58:42,240 --> 00:58:47,840 that a community things have changed a lot they actually wrote me years after that like five or 569 00:58:47,840 --> 00:58:53,280 six years after then said okay now you can use it it's like okay you want to use it to sugar gay so 570 00:58:53,280 --> 00:58:59,040 that I'm kind of now everything is sugar gay just like you and that's one thing I would tell new people 571 00:58:59,040 --> 00:59:05,840 is take one thing and become that all the way through all your social yeah so you're not everybody 572 00:59:05,840 --> 00:59:12,640 that you've got multiple names it's just one thing yeah and the easiest thing honestly is your name 573 00:59:12,640 --> 00:59:18,160 because you know I mean unless there's a conflict out there or it's really really difficult to spell 574 00:59:18,160 --> 00:59:26,080 perhaps but you know something right or starts with gay I can't believe they didn't let you on 575 00:59:26,080 --> 00:59:32,720 Facebook it's ridiculous but yeah that's a definitely good branding advice is just keep it simple I mean 576 00:59:32,720 --> 00:59:38,880 we have big dreams and they can get very detailed and intricate and but keep the keep the titles 577 00:59:39,520 --> 00:59:46,400 minimal so that people can find you yeah yes spell spelling it easy well thank you and kiss 578 00:59:46,400 --> 00:59:54,480 on the puppy for us get my serious yeah little Frankie little Frankie Smalls Frankie Smalls Frankie 579 00:59:54,480 --> 01:00:00,560 and ice yeah well thank you so much for having me as such a blast thank you and I appreciate 580 01:00:00,560 --> 01:00:05,840 you're my friend always I'm here so we should we should get together like in person and you know 581 01:00:05,840 --> 01:00:11,600 I'll show you some that sounds great I'm always down with that let's do it yes all right thank you 582 01:00:11,600 --> 01:00:15,600 okay well thank you for listening to jewelry is your side hustle with sugar gay is for 583 01:00:15,600 --> 01:00:21,760 because it is about grit and it is about you know just keep going forward so today was a really great 584 01:00:21,760 --> 01:00:39,600 day and I hope you have a very good day for us your day thank you very much