
Welcome to the Success With Jewelry podcast, hosted by Laryssa Wirstiuk and Liz Kantner, two experts passionate about helping independent jewelry artists thrive. This is episode #102! We reintroduce ourselves and dive into what we do outside the...
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Liz
Welcome to the Success with Jewelry podcast, where we invite you inside our conversations about business success and marketing for jewelry designers and entrepreneurs.
Larissa
We're Larissa and Liz, jewelry marketing experts with a combined 16 years of experience in jewelry marketing and proven track records and helping jewelry brands meet their goals. When you listen to or watch this podcast, you get an intimate and exclusive peek behind the curtain of all the things you wish you could know about earning success in this industry.
Liz
Welcome to episode 102. In this episode, we'll reintroduce ourselves and share what we do outside of this podcast. You'll learn what we're both best at and how you can work with us. In the bonus content, we'll share the top things we're encouraging our clients to do right now. To get access to exclusive content as well as direct access to me and Larissa, sign up by visiting success with Jewelry.com. hey, Larissa, let's get into it.
Larissa
It's about time, right? It's about time we tell people who we are.
Liz
Have we ever done this before? I think maybe.
Larissa
I don't know. I don't know if we've gone in depth. Oh, we've talked about, like, our business journeys, I believe.
Liz
Yeah, we did talk about that, but we were kind of thinking, like, we've done a hundred episodes and we were just kind of wondering, like, do people actually know what we do or, like, why we're here?
Larissa
I know they probably think success with jewelry is, like, our main gig and that's the money maker.
Liz
It is not. But that would be fun if it was. Yeah, I would love it that then we could go on tour and, like, do live shows like the other podcasts do. Yeah, but that's not us. Let's. Let's just dive in. Larissa, let's start with you. Why don't you introduce yourself?
Larissa
Sure. So I'm Larissa Wurstieuk, and I have a jewelry marketing agency called Joy Joya. And we've been around since 2016. And as you can imagine, we only work with jewelry brands. And our approach is really holistic, Looking at strategy, looking at story, and then translating all that through website content, email marketing, and social media strategy. And we work with all kinds of jewelry brands, solopreneurs, bigger companies, fine fashion, demi, fine. But the main commonality with all of them is they sell jewelry and they have some sort of online sales channel. So we're helping them grow their e commerce.
Liz
And yeah, you have, like, a big variety of clients. And also you have a team of people.
Larissa
I do Yes, I have a big variety of clients and I think that makes it fun. I mean, we have clients that sell more impulse buy kind of jewelry, like fifty dollars to a hundred dollar price point, up to like multi thousand dollar fine luxury jewelry. And I do have a team of people helping me. So I'm kind of like the strategy behind everything, the like creative lead. But then I have an email specialist, I have client account managers, I have graphic designers that work with me. And so all of that together means that every single one of my clients, even if they don't have a marketing employee or maybe they have one and they need a bigger team. We're coming as like a fully built team with experience in the industry. And that's kind of cool because it's like a turn, turnkey solution. Them.
Liz
I worked at an agency as one of my first jobs in digital marketing and it was really cool because a brand would come to us and we would essentially be like their digital marketing department and have everything. Like there's no like other outsourcing that you need to do.
Larissa
Yeah, it's. It's really good for a business that's especially at more of like an awkward phase of growth. Like think of like a teenager who's like not a child but not an adult yet, and they're kind of like in this awkward phase. Like we are really good at helping businesses in that space. Maybe they're not ready to hire like a full team or they have like a marketing assistant, but nobody's really like leading the strategy there. And so like you're saying we're just coming in and being the marketing department, but it costs less money than like hiring a bunch of individuals, paying them benefits, like dealing with the hr. And also you don't have to like train all those people because we already come with that experience and I think that's really the main benefit.
Liz
And you also wrote a book.
Larissa
I did back in 2020, that was my Covid project.
Liz
Oh, wow. So did you. Were you writing the book during COVID or was it coming out during COVID Yeah, no.
Larissa
So I had the idea like before the pandemic happened and I think I was starting to like do the outline and everything. And then the pandemic happened and I was like, wow, I have a lot of time on my. So I wrote it, I want to say from. It came out in October 2020 and I think it took me like nine months to write. So it was like truly like a 2020 project.
Liz
Yeah, it was a baby. Your book?
Larissa
Yes, the COVID baby.
Liz
Covid baby. I had one of those too. But, like, a real one.
Larissa
That's much more impressive.
Liz
No, the book is impressive, and people love your book. If you've not read Larissa's book, go to. Where do people buy your book? On your website?
Larissa
On my website or on Amazon? Also, you can search Jewelry Marketing Joy on Amazon and it's there.
Liz
You also have your own podcast, a solo podcast.
Larissa
I do have my own podcast. So, yeah. If you listen to this one and you just like podcasts and you want more content, check out the Joy Joya podcast. I've been told that it's very different from this one, but still, like, complimentary.
Liz
That's good. I did a webinar this week that was on direct outreach, and I was like, you know what? The perfect complement to this webinar would be is our episode, our interview with Melissa from All the Brilliance, because she kind of digs deeper into gifting and a nurturing strategy. And it really, like, went. They both went well together.
Larissa
Yeah. And hearing directly from a person that's, like, done it for real. I think that's such a great compliment.
Liz
Definitely. So as a marketer in the jewelry industry, what do you feel like you're best at?
Larissa
Email marketing is definitely our bread and butter. I. I don't say we're an email marketing agency because email marketing is part of, like, a bigger strategy and scope of trying to make everything work together. But that's like, the main deliverable that we really sink our teeth into and kind of, like, take off the plates of our clients. It's the one that we see the best return on. Because you can, like, directly attribute sales. You have direct access to the people that have already expressed interest in you. These are people, like, wanting to hear from you. And also, I think, especially for solopreneurs and small business owners, with email marketing, it's kind of like a vast thing, and many people just don't know what they don't know about it. It's much more than just, like, sending an email. There's, like, a lot to it, and there are a lot of best practices and a lot of ways you can be doing it wrong. And so we like to make sure everyone's doing it right and getting the best results from it.
Liz
I'm on a few email lists of designers you work with, and they're really good emails. Some of them are some of my favorite emails. Really?
Larissa
Can you give me an example? Yeah.
Liz
So there was one you sent for a designer where it was really promoting, like, a collection or like, some one of a kind pieces, but it was also, like, a story of one of their trips. And I thought that was a really good one. Just like, weaving the personal into it. Yeah, I think that that's.
Larissa
It's okay if you can't think of.
Liz
Any, but they're so consistent, too. Like, there's a consistency to it that I think is really good.
Larissa
Yeah. And, I mean, that's a big value for us and how we approach it. I don't know, like, how other agencies do it or what, but I think for jewelry, it's all about the store. You can't just be like, here's a new product, here's a sale, here's a new thing. Look at this. Like, it has to have some kind of substance to it. And so we try to infuse that into pretty much every email that we send.
Liz
And I think sometimes, like, I don't know if this is a concern of many designers, but sometimes they're like, well, I might lose my voice, or I, like, might. It might not feel like me anymore. But, you know, even though I know a few of the clients you work with, and, like, I'm getting these emails, they don't feel like. I don't think, first off, oh, this is Larissa. I think, oh, this is the brand. And then I'm like, oh, Larissa did that. Or, like, her team did that, you know?
Larissa
Yeah, totally. Well, we. We've had those conversations with clients, and there's definitely feedback. Like. Well, I might have said this, like, a little bit different, but for the most part, we. I think we nail it, at least after, like, some back and forth and trial and error. And being able to take that off the designer's play or the business owner's plate is kind of more important than making sure it's, like, perfectly them, you know, like, as long as it's, like, in the realm, I think that that's pretty good.
Liz
Yeah. And I think that it's such a good point there, too, is that, like, even if you hire a marketing agency, you still need to be involved, even if you're. You can get less involved the longer you work with a certain company or a certain consultant. But it's so important that you, like, give feedback to make sure everything's, you know, feeling like your voice and feeling like your brand.
Larissa
Yes. There are some emails that we send for clients that are a little more personal by nature, and we'll send the client a questionnaire to get the actual words from them, and then they don't even have to write it fancy. They can just write bullet points, but then we can take that and be like, and translate it for the email. And that gives like much better results, especially when it's something that has to feel more personal.
Liz
That's how I work with some clients where it's like, you know, if we're launching a new collection or there's some story we're telling about a piece or whatever. It's like, we just like on our like weekly zoom call, talk about it and I take notes and then we just go from there.
Larissa
Perfect. Yeah. And it's important to know the better as the client, the stronger point of view and the more story you already have, the better results you'll get from us because then we don't have to make stuff up.
Liz
You know, that's so true. It's like doing the work of knowing your brand and knowing your audience is like the what you should do before you hire anyone so that you have a place like a way to drive them.
Larissa
Yeah, we're just there to help amplify and clearly tell the story. We can't necessarily like make things up for you because we're not the creators.
Liz
Definitely. Well, very cool. So you do a lot. We do a lot.
Larissa
And we also this year, because the economy's been so crazy. I mean, this has been something I've been trying to figure out for a while, even before the economy went nuts. But we also have different tiers of working with clients that we never had before. So we used to only do like higher ticket, more like hands on marketing service. And now we have more like done with you options, more DIY options at lower price points where they still get like the Joy Joya experience and the approach. But it's like a little less hands on from us. But they still feel like very supported. And that's great for jewelry business owners that are like very motivated and they want to, they want to have their hands on it and they want to do it, but maybe they're not sure if they're like doing it right or like they just need some help. So we help clients like that also.
Liz
Very cool.
Larissa
Yeah.
Liz
I think a lot of designers like want to do the work but aren't sure where to start or like need help with the consistency and the structure and to be what you're actually going to say.
Larissa
Exactly. Yeah. And so we've kind of been working in that capacity too. And it's, it's very satisfying for us to see when someone has kind of like found their stride, like maybe they've been doing it, but, like, floundering a little bit, and then it clicks for them, and they're still doing. If they're like, oh, I get it now. I've kind of found my direction. I found my cadence, and, like, we're kind of just there to make sure it keeps. Keeps happening.
Liz
It's interesting because, like, a goal. One of my goals, and like, one of your goals with some of those programs that you run is, like, my goal is to get you to a point where you don't need me. In a sense.
Larissa
Yeah.
Liz
And I love that because I want businesses to grow, and I want people to find their own footing. But from a business perspective, it doesn't make the most sense.
Larissa
I mean, yes, that's very true. We want them to do their own thing. But at the same time, as your business grows, you're gonna need more help. I mean, I feel that way as a business owner. Like, the problems. Don't. Let's not say problems.
Liz
The.
Larissa
I don't know, the challenges, the questions, they get more complex.
Liz
Mm. Yep. The more your business grows, the more you need to grow your support team, which I think people don't think about, because a lot of times it's like, oh, well, I want to grow my business. And, like, you're a solopreneur now. And it's like, well, if you grow your business, you need to grow your production, you need to grow your operations, you need to, like, grow all these other areas of it, and it's hard and it's important.
Larissa
Yeah, absolutely. So, I mean, unless. What's that saying that you said about, like, staying small or something?
Liz
Oh, the hardest. Who said that? Somebody said on an interview once, and we both. I think about it a lot, too. Is, like, the hardest thing you'll ever do is say stay small.
Larissa
Yeah. And that might be the right choice for some people. Maybe they want, like, a certain type of business, and other people want to, like, keep growing and kind of see where it can take them. But to do that, you have to be prepared for the ways that you're going to have to scale, and that's. That could be a growing pain.
Liz
Definitely. My. One of my goals is to stay small, to stay a solopreneur, which it is tricky sometimes because you have to say no to work if you can't do it.
Larissa
Yeah, I. I don't know. I feel like my business is like. I feel like my business tells me what to do. I don't tell what my business kind of does.
Liz
It's kind of like That I think for any business owner, it's kind of like that you kind of have things come at you and you kind of like go where feels good.
Larissa
Yes. I'm like, okay, I guess we're going this way. Like, it's, it's beyond me now.
Liz
That's scary. That is why I'm, I, like, or I want to stay small is because I've been at points in my business where it feels beyond me and I don't like it. I feel scared.
Larissa
Yeah, it's uncomfortable for sure. And not to say that I like don't have control over it or anything like that, but I feel like in a way it's guiding me.
Liz
Yeah, it's like your car's going like faster than you want it to hold onto the wheel.
Larissa
Like I'm a steward of it or something. Like, whatever. I don't know. It's hard to explain, but. But yeah, that's what we do. And so if you need email marketing stuff, talk to us. I think the biggest thing, the one last thing I'll say is like, when it comes to marketing, I find most jewelry business owners don't know what they don't know. And I don't want this to sound cocky. Maybe it's not cocky, but like, even if they work with our team like for a little bit or get an audit, they're like, oh my God, I didn't even realize there was like all of these other things that were involved in marketing and like what I should be doing. And it's like a whole world that gets opened up. So I think like, being open to it is really important.
Liz
Yeah, I would definitely. And I do send people to Larissa for email marketing and I also send people to you for audits because I think that you put together a really thorough audits for people.
Larissa
Yeah, we got some banging audits for sure. So, Liz, tell us about you.
Liz
Yes, I do a lot of things. I've been in the industry a long time. I entered in 2012. I found a job on Craigslist working for a high end independent jewelry designer in Boulder, Colorado. And it was kind of like a master's class in the jewelry industry. I got to go to the top trade shows in, you know, Couture Centurion and learn the wholesale side of the business. But I also like really got to learn about marketing and learn marketing a luxury product, a very luxury product. So it was like just such an incredible experience. But from there I, you know, I was working for a designer who was really passionate about helping other Designers. He was like not a gatekeeper with information. It was like anybody who asked a question can get an answer sort of thing. And I was really inspired by that. And I had an opportunity to start curating the New Designer Gallery at J New York in 2016. And that was just a very cool experience for me because I was able to work with emerging brands and I was also able to use like all of the knowledge I had learned in my years in the industry. But what I saw from that is designers really want to support each other too. So that really inspired this idea for the Stable Collective, which I started five years ago, which is like a group consulting program because I was also finding that a lot of the independent and emerging brands I wanted to work with couldn't afford or weren't ready to pay for a full time consultant, which can be expensive. So I started this program that has grown quite a bit in the past five years and it's something that I put a lot of focus into because it, I think that it's really important to offer information to emerging designers and it's really, I think one of my strong points is like helping to educate and helping to guide people. And I really love working with independent and emerging brands. So I do that. And then I'm also curating a new emerging brand designer section, curate it at New York Now. So that's something I'm working on too. And then I also have a couple of private clients where I manage their content strategy. So I'm doing their social media like creating the content, managing the content and then also email marketing too. So I kind of have a few different things going on in my business and I like the variety. I've never really chosen. Elaine. Um, that's not necessarily worked for me. So I have a few things going on and yeah, so people can work with me by like I am looking for more one on one consulting clients. I also offer consulting calls and a few designers like check in with me monthly. So we do like a monthly consulting call which I think a lot of designers find really helpful. But the easiest way you can work with me to kind of understand what I'm about is to join the Stable Collective and if you're interested just shoot me a DM and I can give you a discount code. But that's probably one of my favorite things that I do in my job is just working with these designers in the Stable Collective and it's just such a cool community that's been built there.
Larissa
I can't believe that you, that you've had that for five years already. Like, where has time gone?
Liz
I don't know. I. I don't know. I don't know where time has gone. It does fly by and, like, to have been in the jewelry industry for 12 years, I mean, it just. I feel old. You know, I've been doing this a long time. Not as long as many people in the industry. Because I think the challenging thing about the jewelry industry is there's a lot of family businesses, and there's a lot of second generation, third generation. So if you're truly, like, coming in it fresh, there's a lot of nuance to this industry. There's a lot that you don't know. What you don't know, like, exactly what you were saying. And it's hard to get that information. We're here to help. I think that why Larissa and I, like, connect it when we first connected and why, you know, we keep going with this podcast is because we really, like, even though we're doing these businesses and, like, we do have to make money and all of that, like, our goal is to support designers. Like, that's, like, the core of what we're trying to do. And I think that that's something that really brings us together.
Larissa
I definitely agree with that. And I think we're just naturally, like, passionate about the topic. We like to talk about it, too.
Liz
Because it's. I think that a lot of designers make it so much harder on themselves, and it doesn't have to be. I mean, it's definitely. Marketing's not easy at all, but a lot of people make it much, much more challenging on themselves. And it's like, if we give you some information, then it won't be as hard.
Larissa
Yeah, I find, like, overthinking, perfectionism, those are things that hold a lot of people back. And I'm not to say the marketing's, like, easy, because it's not. But it's also not rocket science. It's more. I mean, we say this all the time. Just be consistent. Just be authentic. Don't, like, think overthink beyond that.
Liz
Right. I mean, the simplest way to break it down. And in my webinar the other day, somebody was like, I'm, like, just starting, like, how much time should I put to marketing? And I was kind of like, if you do the work of understanding your brand, the story that you're telling and who you're speaking to, and then get consistent with how you're putting that information out there, you're set. And it won't actually, like, you know, if that like, has to be the like the least amount of time thing that you spend on. That sentence didn't make sense. If that has to be something you don't spend a lot of time on, that's okay. As long as you're clear about what you're trying to say and you're consistent in saying it.
Larissa
Absolutely. And I mean, I'm sure we've said this before, but like, the message is going to change, the marketing is going to change. But the more you procrastinate on being consistent, you're just like prolonging the time when you'll finally figure it all out. Because the consistency is what helps you, like, figure it out as you're working through it.
Liz
I will say that. I mean, yes, that's like our biggest piece of advice is that like consistency is everything, like clear messaging, but consistency is what's going to pay off. I think that where it gets challenging is like, you have to be consistent for a long time for it to like, for you to start seeing results and the results come in slowly.
Larissa
Yeah. So it's hard to stay motivated and to keep coming up with ideas.
Liz
I know, but you gotta do it. So, you know, talking to Larissa, checking out her programs, thinking about the Stay Gold collective, those are things that can help.
Larissa
Yeah, I tell everyone to join Stay Gold.
Liz
You know, I'm gonna get you an affiliate link.
Larissa
I mean, it's just a no brainer. Like, to me it's a no brainer.
Liz
I think it's a no brainer. When you join, you get access to the past five years of content too. And I had a gal just join maybe like a month or so ago, and I can see that she's been watching all of the content because she'll like it and comment on it or like send me a DM about it, which I love because I'm like, you know, I know people are watching all the time, but to actually like get see what they're watching and all, that's very cool. But she just like came in and just like, I'm gonna consume all of this.
Larissa
That's awesome. Get your money's worth.
Liz
That's what I want people to do. And like, even if you and I know this, like, silly, I shouldn't, I want to support designers so badly. Like, even if you come in for a couple of months and check it out and like consume as much content and then like pause it and come back later, I'm totally fine with it. I love it. I love people coming and going when they need it.
Larissa
Can you talk more about the actual, like, experience of being in stable? Like, what does it look like from week to week or month to month?
Liz
Sure, yeah. And that's a big question I get. And that's like, actually, like, something I should put some thought into from a marketing perspective of, like, how can I show people the inside, like, what it looks like? Because I think the biggest selling point once you're in it is the community. But that's not. That's something that's so challenging to articulate, even with testimonials. Like, you don't feel it and feel how supportive it is until you're truly in it and you have questions and everyone's supporting you and answering them. So that's a harder sell. But really what it is, it's like a forum. So you go in and you can search different topics, but there's also, like, all these content buckets that you can click on and there's like a whole list of videos in all of them under the certain topics. And we cover everything from marketing, sales. Those are like, the main things we talk about, just because that's where my experience is. But we have interviews with retailers, interviews with designers, interviews with people who handle legal things like contracts. And we've had chats about manufacturing, we've had chats about operations and trademarks. So kind of like everything in the realm of what you need to have a jewelry business. And it's very dynamic in the way I put out content. So every week I'm putting out at least one or two videos and I record them live. So you're welcome to join live or you can watch the replay of it later. All of the chats are recorded and the replays are shared. So every week there's fresh content. But you could live in, like, watching, you know, maybe you're interested in wholesale. Like, there's tons of videos about wholesale. So, like, that's where you could spend your time. But it's very dynamic. So, like, right now we're talking about holiday planning. Today we're going to do a chat about, like, your website and, like, what you can do to kind of get it ready for holiday. So I'm trying to keep, you know, in mind as I'm developing content. Like, what is everybody thinking about in the moment? So it's not a course where it's like, this is the course and it doesn't change, or you have to follow these things, or this is how you have a successful jewelry business. There's a lot of people in this community that do do Demi Fine are transitioning to fine, have a very high fine, high end business, are just starting out, have been in business for a long time and everybody's getting stuff out of it because the content is like very much like there are many ways to find success and the content I'm putting out can help somebody who's emerging or somebody who's more seasoned. Wow.
Larissa
That'S a lot. That's amazing. And then you do one on ones too, right?
Liz
I do one on ones. I know it's wild. So I feel like I serve the community better when I understand what everybody is focused on and like I unders I know the brands so nobody's coming in to this like group of people and becoming faceless. You know what I mean? Like I want to know you and I want to know your business. So I don't want to be like just talking to like a faceless crowd. I want to understand who's out there. So I also offer a free welcome call when you join and then also quarterly check ins so you can check in with me every single quarter. And I'm also always available via direct message and we'll review emails and like answer questions like at any time.
Larissa
That's awesome.
Liz
Yeah.
Larissa
And then your community members are like friends too and they do meetups and collabs and stuff.
Liz
Yeah, it's very, very cool. Right now we're working on a New York City Jewelry Week exhibition. So I like to try to do things outside, like fun additions, like fun other things. And we've done pop ups in stores as a group and I'm always trying. We've done like, we've done some fundraising together. We're. This project we're doing for New York City Jewelry Week is a charm necklace and everybody is, well, everybody who's decided to participate is sending a charm. So that should be pretty cool. But I'm always kind of thinking, trying to think outside of the box. Like if I could live in this, like I don't actually need to make money and I just want to like bring people together and do cool things that like help promote independent fine jewelry and these specific brands and their talent, like that's what I would do.
Larissa
I love that. Go join the Stay gold. It's a no brainer. And you know what else is a no brainer? Being an insider.
Liz
Being an insider. I know we don't talk about this enough and I think that you know, to be very transparent, which Larissa and I are always very transparent. It's our extended Episodes are really good. The insider program is something we don't put enough, like, voice to, like, we don't talk about it enough. We don't promote it very well, I think. But the insider episodes are very good.
Larissa
Yeah. Especially when we have guests. We kind of keep the conversation rolling. There's so much good, insightful content that comes up, comes out in those extended episodes. Yeah.
Liz
And if you leave us a review or you send us a DM and let us, like, promote you on our Instagram page, we'll send you a three month trial so you can check it out. Yeah.
Larissa
We want people to try it out because we know, like, it's the kind of thing you're like. But once you check it out, you'll probably like it a lot, so.
Liz
Right. It's only $10 a month.
Larissa
Yeah. And we get Woo Woo too.
Liz
We do. Which actually, we should move on to our insider episode.
Larissa
Yeah. But anyway, we hope it's been good for you to learn more about who we are.
Liz
Yeah. Thanks for listening, Larissa. Thanks for letting me pitch. Stay gold. I'm always practicing. Your elevator pitch is so good. Which actually, we should talk about elevator pitches. We should do that in.
Larissa
Yeah. Melissa's elevator pitch was so good. I mentioned that. Yeah.
Liz
Yeah. All right. Have you wondered what we do outside of this podcast? Let us know. Visit success with Jewelry.com. and if you love the podcast, we'd love to hear from you. Send us a message or leave us a review. Thanks for being a part of our community.
Release Date: September 30, 2024
Hosts: Laryssa Wirstiuk and Liz Kantner
Podcast Description: Success with Jewelry offers in-depth conversations about business success and marketing tailored for jewelry designers and entrepreneurs. With a combined 16 years of experience, hosts Laryssa and Liz provide exclusive insights and strategies to help jewelry brands achieve their goals.
In Episode 102, titled "Laryssa and Liz Re-Introduce Themselves," hosts Laryssa Wirstiuk and Liz Kantner delve into their professional backgrounds, outlining their respective businesses and highlighting how they support jewelry designers and entrepreneurs outside the podcast. This episode serves as a comprehensive introduction to their expertise, services, and the additional resources they offer to their audience.
Laryssa Wirstiuk:
Laryssa introduces herself as the founder of Joy Joya, a dedicated jewelry marketing agency established in 2016. She emphasizes the agency's holistic approach, which encompasses strategy, storytelling, website content, email marketing, and social media strategy. Laryssa highlights their versatility in working with a diverse range of clients, from solopreneurs to larger companies, across various jewelry segments including fine, demi, and fashion jewelry.
"Our approach is really holistic, looking at strategy, looking at story, and then translating all that through website content, email marketing, and social media strategy."
— Laryssa Wirstiuk [02:33]
She details the comprehensive support her team provides, acting as a turnkey marketing department for clients who may not have the resources to hire a full in-house team. Laryssa also mentions her foray into authorship with a book published in October 2020, a project born out of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Liz Kantner:
Liz shares her journey in the jewelry industry, which began in 2012 when she secured a position with a high-end independent jewelry designer in Boulder, Colorado. This role provided her with extensive experience in both the wholesale side of the business and luxury product marketing. Liz further elaborates on her initiatives, including the Stable Collective, a group consulting program she launched five years ago to support emerging and independent designers who may not afford full-time consulting services.
"One of my favorite things that I do in my job is just working with these designers in the Stable Collective and it's just such a cool community that's been built there."
— Liz Kantner [19:35]
Liz also discusses her current projects, such as curating a new emerging brand designer section at New York Now and managing content strategy for private clients, which includes social media and email marketing.
"I do a lot of things... helping to educate and helping to guide people."
— Liz Kantner [17:05]
Joy Joya by Laryssa:
Laryssa elaborates on the services provided by Joy Joya, emphasizing their specialization in email marketing as their "bread and butter." She explains that while email marketing is part of a broader strategy, it remains the primary deliverable due to its direct impact on sales and customer engagement.
"Email marketing is definitely our bread and butter... it's the one that we see the best return on."
— Laryssa Wirstiuk [06:42]
Joy Joya offers various client tiers to accommodate different business sizes and budgets, including higher-ticket, hands-on marketing services and more affordable, DIY options for motivated business owners seeking guidance without full-scale support.
"We have different tiers of working with clients that we never had before... that's great for jewelry business owners that are very motivated and want to have their hands on it."
— Laryssa Wirstiuk [11:29]
Stable Collective by Liz:
Liz details the Stable Collective, a consulting program designed to make expert marketing guidance accessible to emerging designers. She highlights the community aspect, which includes regular content updates, live recordings, and a supportive forum where members can interact, share ideas, and collaborate on projects such as the New York City Jewelry Week exhibition.
"The biggest selling point once you're in it is the community... it's very, very cool."
— Liz Kantner [24:35]
Additionally, Liz offers one-on-one consulting, private client management, and various interactive elements like monthly consulting calls and private meetups to foster a tight-knit support system among members.
"I want to know you and I want to know your business... offer a free welcome call when you join and then also quarterly check-ins."
— Liz Kantner [27:05]
Both hosts share valuable insights into effective marketing strategies tailored for the jewelry industry. Laryssa underscores the importance of email marketing, noting its capacity to directly attribute sales and engage customers who have already shown interest.
"Many people just don't know what they don't know about it. It's much more than just, like, sending an email."
— Laryssa Wirstiuk [07:57]
Liz complements this by emphasizing consistency and clear messaging as foundational elements for successful marketing campaigns. She advises that understanding one's brand and audience is crucial before engaging with marketing professionals.
"If you do the work of understanding your brand, the story that you're telling and who you're speaking to, and then get consistent with how you're putting that information out there, you're set."
— Liz Kantner [21:32]
Laryssa and Liz both agree that overthinking and perfectionism can hinder marketing efforts. They advocate for authenticity and regularity over striving for flawless execution.
"Just be consistent. Just be authentic. Don't, like, think overthink beyond that."
— Laryssa Wirstiuk [21:32]
A significant focus of both Joy Joya and Stable Collective is fostering a supportive community for jewelry designers. Liz describes various initiatives, including live content creation, interactive forums, and collaborative projects that encourage engagement and mutual support among members.
"I love it. I love people coming and going when they need it."
— Liz Kantner [24:09]
Laryssa adds that their extended episodes and insider programs offer deeper, more insightful content, enhancing the value provided to their community members.
"The insider program is something we don't put enough, like, voice to, like, we don't talk about it enough."
— Liz Kantner [28:43]
As the episode concludes, both hosts reiterate their commitment to supporting jewelry designers through expert marketing strategies and a robust community framework. They encourage listeners to engage with their programs, leave reviews, and participate in their extended content offerings.
"When it comes to marketing, I find most jewelry business owners don't know what they don't know... being open to it is really important."
— Laryssa Wirstiuk [15:49]
"If you love the podcast, we'd love to hear from you. Send us a message or leave us a review. Thanks for being a part of our community."
— Liz Kantner [30:11]
Listeners are invited to sign up for exclusive content and gain direct access to Liz and Laryssa by visiting successwithJewelry.com.
Episode 102 of Success with Jewelry serves as an essential introduction to the hosts, Laryssa and Liz, providing listeners with a clear understanding of their expertise, the services they offer, and their dedication to empowering jewelry designers. Through comprehensive marketing strategies, community support, and ongoing education, Laryssa and Liz position themselves as invaluable partners for anyone looking to achieve success in the jewelry industry.