Jewellers Academy Podcast

High quality photos are a must-have when it comes to building a strong brand presence. But for some, the idea of getting in front of the camera can make you want to run and hide. We're joined by Vicki Knights, a leading family and branding photographer based in Surrey, to learn about why you need great photos of yourself and your products—and how to get them!   EPISODE RECAP How Vicki became a bra...

Tanya Butler is the founder of Butler and Grace. They make medical and ID bracelets - bracelets that could actually save your life! They also make personalized jewellery. Tanya was a winner of the Jewel Fund last year. We are so glad she's joining us today.   EPISODE RECAP   Can you share what a medical bracelet is? (1:57) How do we find out about all the symbols on medical bracelets? (4:00) Tell...

Success isn't built in a day! In this episode we're joined by serial crafter Lisa Johnson to remind us that building a successful jewellery business is possible—and it happens one step at a time. Lisa is the founder of the nature-inspired jewellery design business Country Designs by Lisa and specializes in metal clay work (aka, "adult play-doh"). She is a lifetime member of Jewellers Academy and s...

So many of us are timid about pricing, concerned about upsetting potential customers, and simply aren't charging enough to make a profit. If this sounds like you, it doesn't have to be this way. In this episode we unpack what may be causing you to undercharge along with simple exercises that can help you build confidence and charge what you're worth!   *Membership for Jewellers Academy is open for...

You don't have to "do it all" to launch a successful business—and Dee Young of NaturebyDay is living proof. A veteran member of Jewellers Academy, Dee has successfully grown her nature-inspired jewellery business from the ground up while finding a work-life balance that fits her lifestyle. In this episode, we chat about how she's made over 650 sales through Etsy alone, the importance of having a c...

Does success in your jewellery business feel like a pipedream? Running a profitable business takes hard work, but it's simpler than you might think! In this episode, Anna C Campbell, community manager at Jewellers Academy and a successful jeweller, teacher and psychology lecturer, walks us through the five essential ingredients to a thriving jewellery business.   *Membership for Jewellers Academy...

Barbara Yarde is a contemporary fine jeweller. She is a teacher with us a Jewellers Academy and is one of the mentors for the Diploma program. She makes incredible jewellery and today we're talking with her about how to build a jewellery collection. It can be a minefield, but join us as Barbara shares her experience!       EPISODE RECAP   Tell us about how you got started with jewellery making (1:...

I'm joined today by the wonderful Michelle Lierre - founder of Lierreworks. Michelle does a lot of filigree and is also a mom to three little people. We're talking today about her journey and the work that she does - join us as we jump in!   EPISODE RECAP   What changes have you had to make in your jewellery business since COVID? (2:50) When did you start jewellery making and what has your journey...

If you've ever struggled with content on Instagram or any of your social media channels, you are not alone. Social media can be fun but it also can feel overwhelming. This episode is about giving us a plan for our social media content to help us market our products well.     EPISODE RECAP   It's okay to take some days off social media (2:42) Think of content in 'buckets' or 'zones' (4:06) Have a b...

This is something most of us can relate to - the idea of going LIVE on your socials can bring a feeling of terror. And it doesn't need to. Let's talk about how to make it a nice experience for you and for your customers because going LIVE is really important!     EPISODE RECAP   Going live on your socials is really important (1:36) 1. Have a strong beginning, a middle and an end (3:19) 2. Know wha...

Sally How is a jeweller and the founder of How Fine Designs. She is also a Pinterest expert and you may remember her from episode 11 of the podcast. Sally is joining us again this week on the podcast to share some updates on using Pinterest and is generous in sharing her knowledge of how to use it to grow our businesses.   EPISODE RECAP   Would you say Pinterest is your favorite platform? (2:35) W...

Instagram is one of my favourite social media platforms for jewellers to get noticed and make sales. There is so much you can do on Instagram so in this episode I am focussing on Instagram stories and 10 story ideas. Grab a pen and paper and get thinking about how these ideas will work for you.   EPISODE RECAP 1. Product spotlight (3:20) 2. Share what's on your bench (5:24) 3. "This or That" (6:26...

When you're thinking about the growth of your business and where you want it to go it is crucial to start with the end in mind. This concept is borrowed from one of my favourite books - The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey. In this weeks podcast I talk about what you need to consider when you are wanting to grow, the difference between spending and investing in your business an...

This week on the podcast I'm joined by the jeweller and product photographer Karen Young. This episode is all about top tips for designing packaging for your jewellery and these 5 tips will be really helpful for you to think about, whether you want to upgrade what you have or are starting from scratch.               EPISODE RECAP   Is it safe to say you're obsessed with packaging? (1:42) 1. Make i...

Jeweller Lee Appleby was a quarter-finalist on the All That Glitters show on BBC2. This week on the podcast I am sharing an interview with Lee, a jeweller who hand makes all of his jewellery. He works in silver, gold, platinum and palladium. His business motto is "make your ideas come to life", which is a lovely way to look at jewellery.   EPISODE RECAP   Can you tell us a little about yourself? H...

Today I am joined by Julie Nicaisse, a winner of JewelFund 2020. JewelFund is a grant program that I set up in 2018 and each year I award grants of £1000 to jewellers along with one to one mentoring/business coaching. It's a way for me to support jewellers and help them get to the next level. I love this part of my job as I get to work with some incredible jewellers and I'm excited to share that J...

On the podcast this week I'm sharing the five things I wish I had known before starting my jewellery business. The real secret is that you don't need to know anything before you start, you can just start. You will figure it out! But there are things that you learn along the journey and had I known them beforehand I would have made fewer mistakes and been more confident. I hope you can learn from t...

Fiona Humberstone joins us today, she is also know as the brand stylist. She is the authority on branding - she has books, online courses and a lot of resources for us. Join us for this conversation!     EPISODE RECAP   Tell us about your story - how did you become the brand stylist? (1:50) When you're in business, it can feel like a waste of time to think about your brand can't it? (6:30) Tell us...

On the podcast this week I am sharing about taking time off in your jewellery business. As jewellers, we are often self-employed and that means we need to be more mindful of our own time and boundaries, including taking time off to relax and recharge. Let's talk through how to be intentional about the time we take off and make good use of it.   EPISODE RECAP   Having had experience with burnout, I...

You may know Sonny Bailey-Aird as a contestant on the All That Glitters jewellery show on the BBC. Sonny is a goldsmith who creates one of a kind pieces of fine jewellery in a rustic style. He runs his own business and we're excited to have him join us today!   EPISODE RECAP   Can you tell us about your jewellery and how you came to be a jeweller? (1:29) You decided to give jewellery a try - are t...

I am joined today by Catherine Erdly from the Resilient Retail Club. We're going to be discussing how to effectively manage stock in your jewellery business. Catherine has been in the retail sector for two decades working with household names as well as independent start ups. She is also a contributor for forbes.com and has spoken at a number of trade shows. A big welcome, we look forward to this...

You may know Kim Styles from Kim Styles Jewellery from the All That Glitters show in the BBC 2. We are going to get insight into Kim, her experience on the show and her jewellery. She has a strong style of floral, sculptural jewellery and this will be a fun conversation!     EPISODE RECAP   Can you share about your journey into jewellery making? (2:04) Did you get work straight out of school or wh...

I am joined today by Nicola Lillie from Nicola Lillie Designs. She is a contestant on All That Glitters and her jewellery business has a very distinct signature style. We are going to discuss her business, her jewellery making journey and her experience on the show.     EPISODE RECAP   Welcome to the show, Nicola. You're joining from your studio, it's great! (1:54) Tell us about you, your backgrou...

I'm excited to be joined by Sarah Stanford to talk about outsourcing in your jewellery business - specifically using a remote bench assistant. Sarah has an incredible business and also supports jewellers by being an external bench jeweller. As our businesses grow we can't do everything and this is a great opportunity for a growing business!   EPISODE RECAP   Can you tell us about your journey to b...

This week I'm going to be talking you through a simple and effective marketing plan for your jewellery business. This is an important topic - creating a marketing plan is a great idea and something we need to do, but I know it can feel overwhelming. Today we're going to talk through a streamlined, focused plan that works and will get you results!   EPISODE RECAP   It's important to have a plan and...