Like many artists Brandi was unaware of the potential within her until the day when she came face to face with her love for jewelry. And like many entrepreneurs, she was unaware of the business girl within her until the day she realized that she wants something more than just a job. But unlike many closet artists and entrepreneurs, Brandi decided to take the plunge, combine the artist and business gal to become a jewelry designer.
She sells her lively, refreshing and handmade jewelry at Catie's Blue and runs a blog: Brandi Girl - inspired by color.
Brandi has has been very kind to spare some time for us and our readers to share her story and journey to becoming an entrepreneur. Read further for an inspiring and encouraging interview:
Brandi, please introduce yourself to E-junkies.
Hi, E-junkies, I'm Brandi. I'm a full-time jewelry designer based in Dallas, Texas. I'm also a proud auntie, an artist, a color addict, and a blogger. On my best days, I'm a great listener and a to-do list tackler, too.
Whats your passion?
The easiest answer is color. I'm attracted to it, I love playing with it, and I respond to art mediums that allow me to create with it. Beyond that, I love gemstones, geometric shapes, patterns, textures, blogging, graphic design, painting, coaching other artists. I'm really getting into photography - the more time I spend behind the camera, the more I love it. I even enjoy the editing process, and I've been playing with Photoshop actions and textures a lot lately.
What business you do? When did you start it? How did you come up with it?
My primary business is my jewelry shop, Catie's Blue. The idea for it came after I tripped going into a bead store on a family vacation. That sounds ridiculous, but it's true. Jewelry was something I had always played with, but never considered actually selling till that moment. At the time, I was a rep for another jewelry company, and it occurred to me that if I could sell other people's work, surely I could sell my own. I was an art major in college, and had kind of given up the idea that I could make a living selling what I made when I graduated. Seeing that path was still open made me super excited. That was back in 2007, so I'm coming up on my four year anniversary this summer.
I'm working on a secondary business, but it's still in the baby stage.
You worked as a corporate before and now a business owner! Share your experience about this huge transition.
I had actually left the corporate world before the idea of starting a business ever entered my mind. It wasn't a bad job, but I was so miserable doing it. After one particularly bad review at work, which wasn't so much a critique of my abilities but an exercise for the supervisor to put me down simply because she could, I had had enough. I went home that night and decided this wasn't a career, this was a job, and I put in my two weeks notice the next day. The minute I decided that, a huge weight lifted off of my shoulders and I knew leaving was the right decision.
Right after I quit, I spent some time up in NYC with my sister, who was pregnant with her first child, and that was an amazing experience that I would have missed out on if I hadn't quit (I love being an auntie!). I traveled around, visiting friends and family. I made painted, I dabbled with photography, took a couple of part-time/freelance jobs, and I tried new things as I began to think of my future. Then on one vacation to Hawaii, a new career, a new life, presented itself and I grabbed onto the idea with greedy little fingers.
People thought I was a little crazy when I came back home and started my business. And you know what, maybe I was, because it really did come out of left field. It did sound like a whim, but I was so serious about it. Now, as a business owner, there's a gigantic amount of freedom I feel daily. Being able to control my career has been so liberating; even with the bad days, I wonder why I didn't do this sooner!
You are a blogger as well! What do you like the most about blogging?
I love the interactions with people! I love connecting, and blogging has taken the place of the art community I loved in college. I especially love sharing information, so blogging has been a great way to combine all of this together.
Has blogging helped you in any way? If yes, then how?
It has. The current version of my blog started in January 2010. I was coming out of a mental breakdown, one that had lasted months and was solely due to me not taking care of myself and doubting the path I chose. I saw blogging as a way to ease back into the social flow of the handmade world I was selling in, and it was a way to tell stories that I couldn't fit into my shop. It was also a way to show more of who I am as a person and an artist.
Beyond that, it's the best marketing tool I've got as a seller. It still drives more traffic to my shop than all of the ads and all of the other links combined, so as a business owner, it's a smart move to have a blog.
Tell us about your E-book. How was the experience writing it?
I'm actually writing my third e-book right now. The first one was so incredibly easy to write, taking maybe two or three days to finish. It's simply a quick start guide to selling on Etsy, and it allowed me to share some hard-won experience. The second e-book was a companion to an e-class I taught on color. The book part was easy; it was a collection of the posts I taught in class. Writing the material for the class was tougher, and that took me weeks to get that done.
As for the one I'm working on right now, it falls in between the first two. It's a guide about pricing for artists, and it's been both easy and hard to write it. I've been working on it for a few weeks here and there, and it's almost ready to share.
What is '52 colors' all about? What mission do you have in mind regarding 'A year of color'?
52 Colors is a series on my blog. In 2010, I did a blogging challenge which was 52 writing prompts, one for each week. I really enjoyed doing it, and having something to focus on once a week felt manageable. So, when it ended, I wanted to take up another year-long challenge. I came up with 52 Colors as a way to do that - one color per week for a year.
It's actually a multipurpose challenge. One, I get to explore the colors I see in my every day life each week. Two, I get to really learn my camera and play with photography. And three, I get to share it on my blog. I decided to focus on photographing colors because that's something I know and love (colors, that is). My best color inspiration comes from every day life, and I love capturing little moments and details. So, I thought, why not share that? This felt like a great way to do everything all at once.
What are the other things that interests you. Share your hobbies with us.
Running one business, and entertaining the idea of another, doesn't really leave much free time. I do still travel when I can, and I enjoy reading in my downtime. If the book focuses on the supernatural or vampires, even better.
Many other business owners and bloggers would draw inspiration from you. What message do you have for them?
Go for it. Whatever your dream is, go for it. Be real, be personable, and be authentic.
Thanks Brandi for a wonderful interview. We wish you all the success in the future.
Brandi's Website: Catie's Blue
Brandi's Blog: Brandi Girl
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It also reminded me of Art Deco jewelry and how I'd recently discovered that he loves.
Thanks for this fabulous post! I have seen such beautiful jewelry but never knew the name of the maker. I'll keep my eyes open now. I can see how stunning these would look on a solid colored outfit.
You have a great eye! Thanks for sharing your experience.
Thanks for sharing your collection. Its always a treat to read about someones personal collection, and why they love what they love. These jewelry are stunning, they must look fabulous with a little black dress.
We're glad you finally found Brandi. She truly is an amazing designer with a good eye for detail. :)