Christmas is fast approaching and jewellery makes an incredible gift. This is a huge opportunity for jewellers, many get 75%-90% of their sales in the final quarter of the year so if you've struggled with sales this year, do not lose heart! In this episode, I share lots of tips for ensuring your business is ready to make gift sales.

EPISODE RECAP

1. How to label and signpost your jewellery as a gift (4:26)

2. Show your packaging (10:02)

3. Consider the customer (12:02)

4. Be clear on postage dates (15:28)

5. Be ready for the 6-week period in November and December that's a key time for marketing (17:32)

6. Create jewellery that's easy to give to somebody (20:39)

7. Create a gift guide (23:17)

8. Have a clear return policy (24:18)

9. Take seasonal photos (25:00)

10. Offer gift vouchers (25:52)

RESOURCES

Jewellers Academy

Jewellers Academy Facebook Group

Today I'm joined by the wonderful Fiona Haines of Wise Fig Jewellery – she has an incredible jewellery business and an even more incredible story. Fiona is here to talk to us about her business, her journey and gemstones – one of our favourite topics!

EPISODE RECAP

• Could you share with us a little about your journey? (1:31)
• Tell us a bit about the training you did in gemmology (3:10)
• Gem A is the program you went to and GIA is another one people talk about. Did you look into both programs? (4:50)
• Tell us a bit about your favorite gemstones (5:44)
• So you learned all about these gemstones and then you moved on to doing some cutting. How did you train in that? (7:13)
• When you start gem cutting, what do you start with? (9:28)
• What kind of equipment do you need for cutting? Has it been a big investment? (12:41)
• How has all your training impacted your business? (14:40)
• For anyone listening who wants to dip their toe in the water, what would be your advice on where to start? (16:26)
• Tell us about your business in general, your goals for the future and what you want for your business (18:32)
• What do you think has helped you get to the stage where people recognize your jewellery as Wise Fig? (20:22)
• You are one of the amazing Masterminders this year. What's that been like for you? (21:28)
• What has been your greatest achievement so far in your business? (23:21)
• For any jewellers listening who are in the early stages of their business, what would be your biggest piece of advice? (24:39)

RESOURCES

Wise Fig Jewellery

Wise Fig Instagram

GIA

Gem-A

Jewellers Academy

Today I'm joined by the wonderful Mireille Najm. She has worked with me for a little while now - she was the manager at The London Jeweller School and now she's the head of the diplomas at The Jewellers Academy. The topic is one we can probably all relate to - going from anxiety to calm. Join us as we tackle this topic.

EPISODE RECAP

• Why don't you start off by introducing yourself and why we're talking about this topic today (1:53)
• That's a good place to start - what is anxiety and how do we know if we have it? In your experience, was it obvious? (2:56)
• So your first point of call was research - was that helpful? What did you do next? (5:46)
• Did your recovery involve anyone else or was it more learning for you? (8:14)
• Did it get easier as time went on? How did that journey go? (12:13)
• How did you let go of the self pity that you speak about? (13:47)
• The way you speak to yourself in your mind makes such a difference. You've spoken about gratitude and using that, how did that come into your recovery? (17:29)
• How do you let things go? (20:50)
• Did you ever have any shame around what you were going through? This is an issue people face sometimes if they feel they shouldn't be going through it (22:12)
• Anxiety can sometimes come out as procrastination or feeling unmotivated or blocking yourself from achieving success. What are your thoughts around that and have you witnessed that at all? (24:49)
• I love this idea of 'earthing'. Can you explain it to anyone who doesn't know what it is? (27:02)
• Often when we're in pain we're looking for the answer, the one thing that makes it better. But from what you're saying it's never just the one thing, it's a gradual journey (32:19)
• Take the pressure off. That sounds like a good note for us to end on. Do you have a final thought you'd like to leave us with? (33:41)

RESOURCES

Jewellers Academy

Jewellers Academy Facebook Group

Anelia Kuprina is one of our incredible Diploma mentors and she has also taught with us at the London Jewellers School and The Jewellers Academy. We are excited for you to join us for this conversation about the stages of jewellery design!

EPISODE RECAP

• A big, big welcome to the wonderful Anelia Kuprina (0:50)
• For anyone who hasn't met you before and doesn't know about your work, can you tell us a little about your jewellery and how you got started in this industry? (1:10)
• Today we're going to be talking about design and a mini lesson for anyone thinking about the design process (2:33)
• So let's start at the beginning. What is the first stage of design for you? (3:43)
• And if you're working with a client, there may be some information they give you straight away. But there may be areas you need to drill down with the brief (4:47)
• Once we've got the brief from the client, what's the next stage? (6:49)
• So once we've got the brief and outline, we look for inspiration to fill in the gaps (8:35)
• What is the third element of design after the brief and inspiration? (9:53)
• Ok wonderful, what is the next stage? (14:00)
• How do you do the concept behind the design? Do you write it down? (16:00)
• So once we've got a concept, what's the next phase in the design process? (17:07)
• You were saying that you don't have to do every single once of these stages, but they should be in your toolkit in case you need to bring them out. Do you find that if you get stuck you go back to the stages and do more? (19:14)
• So what is number six? (20:08)
• Sometimes it's making the whole model and sometimes just the section that's new to you, right? (25:41)
• Ok so we've done the research and some samples and test pieces, what is the next phase? (26:50)
• This brings us on to our last stage - which is what? (28:04)
• Do you go through all these stages every time you design a piece? Are there some that are more crucial for you? (29:56)
• What would you say were your biggest design mistakes? (31:50)
• Anelia teaches design classes, as you can probably tell. It would be lovely to hear if you do the same thing or if you have a different process. (33:52)

RESOURCES

Jewellers Academy

Anelia Jewellery

Anelia Jewellery Instagram

This week I am joined by Alexis, the founder of Bonnie Magpie which is an incredible jewellery brand. I really wanted to get her on to have a chat and discuss her business - she's really doing all the things we're trying to support jewellers to do. Join us as we dive in! EPISODE RECAP

Welcome to Alexis (1:37) Can you give us a little background of how you got started? (2:10) When you work with jewellery for a long time you start to see such minute details (4:38) One thing I've really loved about what you've done this year is launched a new website. Tell us a bit about the process of creating and launching the website (5:36) How long did your website take overall? (10:39) I love how you bring in some of your Scottish-ness and personality to your business (14:31) You have a lovely picture on your About Me page and the nice thing is you don't need a lot, just one or two. Did you have that professionally taken? (16:09) One tip I've had from a photographer is to invite a friend along to talk to while you do the shoot (16:52) I was very pleased to receive your first email because I'm always going on about email marketing. How did you do that? (18:09) Something that's really nice about emailing is asking questions and getting responses from people (23:41) You mentioned that you took part in the Jewellery Business Bootcamp this year. What was that like for you? (24:28) I think it's very confusing when we try and create a brand when we don't know who the customer is (26:30) You have a degree in design, has that informed your jewellery business? (28:11) I knew for years in my business that my design wasn't right. I remember going to a designer and them explaining to me how they were going to do it and it opened a whole new world (30:58) So what has been your greatest achievement so far in your business? (33:03) I'm glad you brought up your website because I thought how you launched it was really great. Tell us what you did to put yourself out there and how you got over the anxiety? (34:03) Well done on all your hard work. What advice would you give to jewellers who are just starting out? (39:30) Where can we find you online? (41:07)

RESOURCES The Jewellers Academy Mailing List Bonnie Magpie Website Bonnie Magpie Instagram Bonnie Magpie Facebook

I often get asked about email marketing - we know it's great for our business, but what do we send out? Email marketing is the most effective way to sell your work online and to build a community. There's nothing like email, so if you haven't started or are quite new there is so much potential there! Join me as we talk through this topic. EPISODE RECAP

• Today I'm going to be talking you through 12 email content ideas to send to your customers (3:37)
• The first email we want to send (and if you send no other emails at all) is the welcome email (4:16)
• Email number two is the gift email. We need to give as much as we can to our customers (6:57)
• The next email is your origin story. This can be done in all different ways (9:27)
• The next is similar but a bit different - the lesson learned email. This is where you share something that has gone wrong (11:26)
• And next is the useful resources email (13:45)
• Next is the spotlight email. This is a very useful email for any e-commerce website (16:58)
• The best sellers email is the next email - this is a sales based email (19:30)
• The next is another sales email - the flash offer or flash sales email. This is normally around some sort of launch or sale (20:42)
• The next email ties on nicely to the flash offer email - the last chance email (22:07)
• We're getting through them - only three left! The next is perhaps the most important email after the welcome email - the abandoned cart checkout email (23:08)
• Next is the behind the scenes email. This is a great email to send out for a handmade designer (25:05)
• The final email that I'll leave you with today is the commission story email. I love these emails and jewellers do not send them enough! (26:43)
• It's not about being an interesting person or having loads of things to say, it's really about looking for an angle and committing to something. All of these can be super short (29:41)

RESOURCES The Jewellers Academy Mailing List

Today I'm joined by Sally Costen aka The Clerkenwell Jeweller. Sally started her career as a graphic designer and retrained as a jeweller at the London Jewellery School. She is an incredible jeweller who regularly enters and wins jewellery design awards. In this episode, I talk to her about her career, why she enters competitions, how you can replicate this success for your business and the value behind it. EPISODE RECAP

• Big, big welcome to Sally Costen! (3:13)
• To get us started, tell us a little about your business now and how you got involved in jewellery making (3:57)
• What was the first jewellery class you did? And at that point, did you know it was going to turn into something more? (5:01)
• One of the things I really love about your story is that you just go for stuff (7:17)
• So you did the class and then what happened? You went on to apply for and win some amazing awards. Take us on the journey (8:21)
• Even the process of applying for these awards and competitions helps you to work on your design and your business (14:59)
• Like you said, perhaps the biggest thing it does is boost your confidence (15:58)
• It's also the contacts that you make in the industry (17:05)
• I want to talk a little about design now, because I know it's something you're really passionate about. How important is design to you in your work? (17:30)
• Sometimes the pressure to design in a way that is unique is counterproductive, isn't it? (19:07)
• Where do you start with your design? (19:34)
• How do you take sketches to reality? What's your process? (20:07)
• Do you have a different process if you're making a collection versus an individual piece? (23:05)
• Do you write down what you're doing at each stage? Do you have a process for that? (25:19)
• What would you say to jewellers out there who are struggling with design? (28:11)
• One other topic I wanted to ask you about is being part of the mastermind. Can you tell people listening what it is and why you got involved? (30:32)
• Thank you for sharing a bit of your experience. How can people connect with you? (33:58)

RESOURCES The Clerkenwell Jeweller Sally Costen Instagram The Jewellers Academy

Joining me on this weeks podcast is jeweller Hayley Kruger. Hayley has been in the jewellery industry for many years and as a jeweller she has a diverse business working with customers and commissions, teaching and television work. In this episode we talk about her career as a jeweller and focus on the issue of fear and imposter syndrome and Hayley's take on how to manage it.

EPISODE RECAP

• A big welcome to the lovely Hayley Kruger (0:50)
• One thing that stands out to me is the kind of care you give to people - it can make a huge difference (3:31)
• Today we're talking about fear and not letting it stop us. As an established jeweller, do you still experience fear in your business? (4:21)
• Sometimes we think that we'll feel ready later, but actually doing it is what takes the fear away (6:42)
• The fear doesn't actually have to do with your skills (8:56)
• What are some fears that you've faced and how have you overcome them? (9:34)
• How do you manage when you work at home and have less of the boundaries or work mode? (11:42)
• Do any of your fears come true? (13:32)
• I imagine you're good at helping people feel at ease around the jewellery process (16:01)
• What would you do in your life and business going forward if you weren't afraid? (18:35)
• Where would you be in three or five year's time if you had no fear? (20:14)
• What actions do you take when you feel stuck? (22:59)
• Something I've learned is that working hard is not always the answer to reaching your goals (24:54)
• What would you say to jewellers who are experiencing imposter syndrome or fear in their business and it's holding them back? (27:32)
• Do you enjoy being a jeweller? (29:10)
• In almost any creative industry, we often feel guilty about asking for more money (30:33)
• Where can we find you online? (33:00)

RESOURCES

Haley Kruger's Website

Haley Kruger's Instagram

The Jewellers Academy

This week hear from me about my story. From starting at zero, to building my jewellery business, creating the London Jewellery School and Jewellers Academy to scaling to a £500k a year business. When I first started out I couldn't have even imagined that being possible! Find out more and some of the lessons I've learned along the way in this week's podcast. EPISODE RECAP

• I started my first real business back in 2008. I had never considered that you could actually be a jeweller (1:51)
• I wasn't making quite enough and I was thinking about ways to diversify my income. In one course about teacher training I found that I wanted to be a teacher (4:51)
• The teaching business became the London Jewellery School - one of the worlds largest jewellery training centres (6:23)
• Something I hadn't considered with all of these businesses was what the day-to-day would be like. The money was coming in but I was exhausted and that was not the dream that I had (8:09)
• Even when things feel like a disaster, it may be pushing you in the right direction (11:14)
• And then I had another disaster (11:50)
• There were also lots of incredible things - business awards, programs, etc. (14:30)
• The next phase was trying to grow The Jewellery School - this was more of a challenge than getting started (17:27)
• Learning how to take a rest has been a process for me (18:55)
• I wanted to be able to reach a wider audience and I knew that online was the way to do that (20:46)
• There are seasons in my business where I'm having to do a lot, but I'm very mindful of it and take the time off afterwards (23:52)
• Nowadays I run Jewellers Academy full time (24:32)
• A few of the main lessons I've learned along the way (25:22)

RESOURCES The Jewellers Academy

This week I'm joined by jeweller Sally How to talk about how to use Pinterest successfully for jewellers. Sally is the founder of her jewellery business How Fine Designs and she has reached nearly 300,000 monthly viewers on Pinterest. She shares her expertise and tips on using Pinterest to drive traffic to your website

EPISODE RECAP

Can you tell us what Pinterest is and how we can use it to grow a jewellery business? (3:55) Pinterest almost guides you through the experience, which is nice from our customer's perspective, isn't it? (6:04) What do you recommend we pin? (7:28) Should I pin my jewellery on a board with a different topic? Can you pin the same thing twice? (9:19) Pins need to relate to the destination/website or the customer can't find you (11:31) How do web links work? What do I need to do behind the scenes to make sure it all happens smoothly for customers? (12:21) Are hashtags used on Pinterest? (13:17) Using descriptions on Pinterest (15:02) Your account on Pinterest has done very well, why do you think it has been so successful? (15:35) How do you keep up with all the posting, do you use scheduling apps? (17:02) Do you notice some pins that do really well and others that don't? (19:08) How is Pinterest better than Instagram or Facebook? (20:17) Many of us are doing everything for our business. A lot of people get overwhelmed and stop things, so making a decision to pause one thing and focus on another thing is really wise. (22:32) Do we need permission to pin another person's image? What are the rules around that? (25:08) Sally is creating a Pinterest for Jewellers course for Jewellers Academy. Can you tell us a little about it? (27:17)

RESOURCES How Fine Designs Pinterest How Fine Designs Website How Fine Designs Instagram Tailwind App Jewelers Academy Courses