How Jaclyn Turned a Hobby into a Handmade Jewelry Business

Jaclyn Beckerman, CEO of Jaclyn Nicole Design, transformed personal adversity into a thriving jewelry business. Amid personal challenges and the pandemic, she discovered a passion for crafting, evolving from seed bead bracelets to metalsmithing. Her unique, minimalist jewelry promotes mindfulness and positivity, offering stylish reminders to stay present.

Join us as Jaclyn shares her inspiring journey and insights.

The Inspiring Journey of Jaclyn Nicole Design

SBS – Can you share the story of how your business journey began? What inspired you to start it?

Jaclyn – After a harrowing end to my marriage, an intercontinental move back to my home state with my infant and toddler children while not knowing what I wanted to do with my life now, and an extremely tense year of quarantine during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, I found my emotional and mental health had never been more dangerously depleted.

In an effort to triage the damage my psyche had suffered, I decided to start crafting. I first taught myself to crochet, something I’d wished to learn for ages, and quickly transitioned into cycling through different modalities of jewelry making.

Initially, I made seed bead bracelets for myself, my girls, and my friends with inspiring words to encourage them in areas I knew they could use a supportive reminder around. One friend suggested I sell them, lighting that first spark of interest in building a jewelry-making business. At the time, I still didn’t consider myself to be artistic or particularly creative, but I fell in love with creating something with my hands and just followed that exploration of different and unique ways to do so through jewelry.

Within four months, I had found and signed up for some beginning metalsmith classes to learn the basics, and from day one, I knew this was my calling. Having previously worked as a life coach on and off for many years, along with the consistent work I was doing to further my own healing journey, I started taking the life-affirming insights I was discovering and imagining how I could represent them in a piece of jewelry, which is where the idea of inspirational jewelry that prompt mindfulness practices to improve your well being was birthed.

Naming the Brand

SBS – Choosing the right name for a business is crucial. How did you come up with the name for your brand, and what significance does it hold?

Jaclyn – I actually went through two other names before landing on this one. The first two were after my girls, “Mads&Via” and “M&V Jewelry,” but something just didn’t feel quite right. I had seen that most jewelry artists used their names as their brand name and I had felt uncomfortable doing so, total imposter syndrome. That, in and of itself, is what made me realize how important it was to use my name — that it was an act of self-belief, self-confidence, and self-love. So, I changed my name officially to Jaclyn Nicole, my first and middle name.

Funding Your Jewelry Business

SBS – Starting a business often requires capital. How did you fund your business initially, and did you explore any unique financing options?

Jaclyn – Initially, I used the money I had been receiving for pandemic unemployment insurance to fund the classes I took for about six months, equipment, materials, marketing and craft fair fees, and necessary booth items. I started selling here and there only two months after I started those classes, and from that point, I funneled most of what I made in sales back into my business.

Standing Out in a Crowded Market

SBS – How do you differentiate your products/services in your market?

Jaclyn – While jewelry itself is a very saturated market, my jewelry has quite a unique selling point in that it’s not just stylish and beautiful, but it helps bridge the gap between wanting to improve your life and actually remembering to take action and reframe your perspective using mindfulness concepts that help you to apply and actualize that desired change. My jewelry leans towards being minimalist in nature yet simultaneously unique and bold in its designs. It’s also extremely versatile, perfect for both casual outings or to add an elegant touch to a dressier outfit while helping you stay present, grounded, and optimistic at the same time.

A Day in the Life of a Jewelry Entrepreneur

SBS – As an entrepreneur, what does a typical day look like for you?

Jaclyn – As a solopreneur at the moment, every day looks quite different. Typically, once I’ve gotten my girls on the bus and off to school, I make a cup of Chai tea and check my emails, orders, and social media, responding to anything that requires it.

Some days are spent entirely in my studio making jewelry for shows or filling orders. Some days are spent photographing jewelry pieces to get new or better product photography. Some days are spent working on my website, marketing, or SEO initiatives. There is creating content for social media, cleaning the studio, researching and practicing new techniques, packaging orders, buying supplies, sketching new ideas, researching and reaching out to potential wholesale customers or visiting retail shops to discuss wholesale partnerships, researching potential manufacturers, merchandising for craft shows and I’m sure so much more that I’m forgetting. The life of a small business owner is certainly anything but boring, but I wouldn’t have that any other way.