005: Unapologetically Bold: Embracing Your Unique Style with Candace from Permanently Punchy

Jen: Hey there, I'm Jen Therrien, and I'm so glad you're here. I'm a former nine to fiver that dove into entrepreneurship eight years ago with zero business experience. I'm a wife, mama of two young girls, boutique owner, jewelry designer, and now the proud owner and coach leading GoldieLinks Permanent Jewelry.

I have a passion to empower fellow business babes. This podcast is made to equip you with everything you need to succeed from actionable marketing steps to digging deep on your mindset. I know firsthand the heart, hard work, and let's be real at times of struggle that makes up this amazing journey. You want to know what has enabled me to shine the brightest coaching plus community here at GoldieLinks.

We share openly educate and lift each other up. Expect to get linked with fellow PJ owners that will do just that sprinkled with plenty of fun along the way. Competition is an old school thought and connection is the way get ready to feel inspired. Welcome to the GoldieLynx podcast.

Jen: All right. I'm here with Candace from permanently punchy. She's here in Colorado as well. And so Candace, if you want to just take off and Introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about yourself.

Candace: Okay.

My name is Candace and I am a permanent jeweler out in Elizabeth, Colorado. We are, my family business is running a ranch. And so we've been able to do this on the side of doing that. It's been really flexible to be able to do that. Yeah. I started, let's see, I started a year and a half ago.

And it's been such a blessing to my family since I started. I can take my own hours and do all the things that I want to do.

Jen: And just. Yeah. Yeah. What did you do prior to that? Where you were helping out with just, I'm not saying just the ranch because it's a big job. Like you were just,

Candace: yeah, actually we, my family, my husband sold his business of 35 years.

Wow. And we built this ranch and. We were while we were building this, we were both unemployed, and so this kind of was like a way of me helping out our family and paying our bills, finishing paying off my student loans, and working, but still being a stay at home mom and running our ranch, which gave me the flexibility to do so I'm so fortunate

Jen: that I just, so cool. Did you go to college? I did.

Candace: So I did. I went to college. I was an aviation major. I did aviation and I did a minor in philosophy. Wow. Look at

Jen: you aviation. That's so cool. Did you want to fly? It did. I

Candace: actually got my pilot's license in Billings, Montana. Wow. And I and then I transferred down to Metro and finished with aviation management degree.

So I have a bachelor's degree in aviation management and

Jen: do nothing with it. I was just like, I'm thinking you could be like. Flying planes doing permanent jewelry at the same time. That'd be a really good niche, right?

Candace: I could travel to different airports. Oh my gosh, how fun. But no I just, it didn't suit the lifestyle I wanted to be a mom and a wife and so I just

Jen: yeah, that's so cool.

So what made you, I guess you already answered the question, but what made you think permanent jewelry is like when

Candace: you I lost my dad two years ago and I was looking for a way to remember him and I. Never had a tattoo before and it totally freaked me out to get a tattoo. And I'm 30, what am I, 35 years old?

I think 35.

Jen: I know you lose track after a while I stopped

Candace: counting. It's fine. 27 right? Stopped counting at 27 . But I was looking for a way to remember him and I stumbled across permanent jewelry, so Cool. And and I looked it up and there was only one place in Denver at the time that had done it.

. And then. There were tons of places, Miami and Las Vegas. And then I just saw an ad for online permanent jewelry training. And I just talked to my husband and I was like, I said, it's a chunk of an investment to start, but I think I would be really good at it. And my husband he's my biggest sport.

So he was like, let's do it. Go ahead. Good. And so we took the jump and I branded myself. I. I made sure that I I ran with the whole ranch style, and that's why it's called permanently punchy. Punchy in a ranch term means a lot or over the top. Okay. Or kind, obnoxious and like ranchy. I love that.

And so permanently punchy, it goes. Yes. And then I did some branding with Fiverr. I just hired Fiverr and somebody did a logo for me and helped me design that. So I was able to just get that on the internet and have my own, identity with it, which was nice.

Jen: That's so cool.

So from the beginning, obviously you knew, like you were me being in the ranch life, that that was like your, niche, right? That was like, even making your logo and everything in the name. And yeah,

Candace: I wanted to stick with just that style. And so when I do my displays, I have cow hides and I have cactuses and I wear a cowgirl hat and I I play it all up a lot.

So do

Jen: you feel like that has played into Your success. Cause I'm just thinking, okay, say you are more branded as like maybe more me, right? Like not, I don't have anything really that style. Yeah. And do you think I don't know, it would be as successful, do you think,

Candace: being absolutely not, I know.

Yeah. I feel like I permanent jewelry is becoming more and more popular. So I think you have to set yourself apart by. Not only to have the experience of the weld, but the experience of the style. Like when you walk into a boutique, that's one of my favorite places is Altered State. I walk in that place and I'm like, Oh, this is just magical.

It's like everything

Jen: you would have. This is

Candace: just beautiful. And granted, my house does not look like Altered State. But you still are able to enjoy it. And it's just like when people step into my booth, it's a whole experience. They're getting that whole experience. They're getting the cowhide underneath their hands when they're doing it.

And I cannot tell you how many people just sit there and play with it. They're like, this is so great. And the kids are like, what is this? I'm like, it's a calf. I don't know, but it, it's just fun. And then they sit on. I have a bench that's like a western boots like a western weaved bench that's super comfortable I do cactuses and just try to be as I always tell people be as obnoxious as you can in your style.

Yeah, and just go over the top and My outfit, I always have something leopard print, but would I wear that, taking my kids to the movies? Probably not. But it's still fun. And I, my mom always was like, Oh, it's dress up, like you get to play dress up. I'm like, yeah, because most days I'm in my car hearts and shoveling horse poop all day.

And so this is fun for me.

Jen: It's like your

Candace: stage. You know what I mean? I get to be girly. And I get to do it in a different style,

Jen: which is fun. That's so cool. I love that way of looking at it. Yeah. So just going full in with what you decide is and then, and it makes you memorable, versus if everyone were to just be cookie cutter the same like you remember like the cowhide like everyone's gonna remember that yeah, so

Candace: Absolutely. I think that's like the best thing that you can do is find a style Find something that you love because you have to love it at the end of the day You don't not everybody else has to love it Like I say i'd say 80 of the people that come to me aren't necessarily Super Western, super, into the ranching life, but they love to experience something.

Yes. And so if you can create that for them. Yeah. That's awesome. I think. I always tell people that are getting into permanent jewelry is find something and just run with it and do it over the top. Stick with it though. Don't veer just because you see another vendor doing something different.

Stick with your style and

Jen: create it. Yeah. I love that. So were you into jewelry before starting this? Were you a jewelry lover?

Candace: I've always loved jewelry, but I've never been like, I've always loved dainty. I've always loved very dainty. I have like a Tiffany's little tiny diamond and I have, very simple jewelry.

And I loved, I've always loved dainty. I've never done big gaudy jewelry. And so this was like, This appealed to me because I was like, yeah, beautiful because it's just simple. Yes. Then just a little statement piece that you can layer with anything. And, people who do like big chunky things can

Jen: still add it to their

Candace: stacks of stuff.

That's what that, but I've never been like. I don't know. I've never been, I've never made my own jewelry. I've never collect, I wouldn't say I was a jewelry collector or

Jen: anything. So do you feel like it was easy for you to catch on when you did the training you did? Like how easy was it for you?

There

Candace: was definitely a learning curve. Like definitely a learning curve and learning sizes were my hardest thing. So learning jump ring sizes looking at something online. I learned the hard way many times just saying, Oh, that's beautiful, ordering it. And then it shows up and it's made for a giant or it's as dainty as you can get and you can't fish a jump ring through it.

Yeah. So learning those sizes was probably the hardest learning curve for me because I'm, when I'm, when I buy online, I'm like an impulse buyer. I'm like, Oh, that's pretty. I'm going to get it. Yes. And then. And then it shows up and I'm like, Oh, lesson learned, bang on the table. Like how, but I would say that's the biggest learning curve.

And then just the repetition, like just doing it and doing it and figuring out what works best, knowing when my tungsten pin needs to be sharpened knowing how to troubleshoot my machine in the middle of an event and then. Like just learning, like any small business has to learn and have those growing pains and, have things go wrong for you to actually.

Jen: You definitely learn more from failures than you do successes. That's for sure.

Candace: Absolutely. Absolutely. And one of my biggest failures was at an event with you.

Jen: You look at it that way, but it's so funny. I know I'd feel the same way, but yeah, we were at an event and I first of all, we met. We met at a gem show.

Right? That's how we met. Yes. And we were standing in line to get in and we were, and whether or not you were, it was like maybe September. And I know I started the next month and I don't know if you were the same or you had already started, but we were literally around the same time. Yeah. Yeah. And so I had been to the gem show many times, of course, but then, you We stood line and I think it was more like, I don't even know how the conversation started.

Candace: I think I commented on how beautiful your lashes were. Oh, I was like, you're like, they're not mine. And then I was like, do you know what you're doing?

Cause I have no idea what I'm doing. I

Jen: think you're like, do we need a ticket? I'm like, no, it's fine. So yeah. We chatted for a little bit, exchanged. She's I'm starting permanent jewelry. I am too. So then it just started there. Yeah. I think we started following each other on Instagram and then yeah, it's I'm like trying to think whatever happened.

We just kept in contact, I think, obviously. And then, yeah, I did an event recently where I wanted another welder with me. I feel like it would have been a busier event. So I asked Candice and she brought her unbranded welder. And but you've been using it for over a year, so it was like, it was

Candace: amazing. It worked

Jen: amazing until it didn't, until it didn't.

And so it just stopped working like mid, not even probably the beginning of the event, actually. But it was still helpful because she like cut and sized things and then she would just send over the person I would weld.

Candace: I was mortified. I'm, and that made me think, okay, I always have to have a backup welder.

I need to have a plan B because if I hadn't, if I had been at an event by myself, I would have just had to pack up and leave. That was my, and

Jen: it's funny because that experience with you, I also learned from it too. Same because I was like, Oh God, cause I've had those moments where.

I thought say I plugged in somewhere and I like just the outlet wasn't working, but I had this initial Oh my God, my machine won't turn on, and then you go through all these things in your head. What would I do? What are the, yeah. And so like you said, I don't know if you do have one on hand.

Did you fix? So

Candace: I I have my old welder that I fixed. Oh, you did fix it. And it just sits in my car. Okay. When I go to events. I don't bring it in. I don't haul it in, but it does sit in my car that if I needed to run out to my car for five minutes

Jen: and grab my other welder, I can't. And whether you have the unbranded one, say, cause I know you end up buying the one from Sunstone.

So but. Which I love too, but I was thinking like even Sunstone offers like that cheaper. It's called like zap or something. Yes, so like even if you were to have one on hand, that's not the exact model you have but something that could weld yeah, just like a great something. Yes.

Candace: Yes.

Yeah, cuz it is an investment is big investment to have to right But then the other thing is if you were to ever book an event that is way bigger than what you have normally done, you can always hire another jeweler and use your backup welder and have two welders, or you could hire somebody to work for you.

And weld with you. That's such great. Yeah. So having two I think is a huge bonus. .

Jen: Yes, for sure. That's awesome. So how do you like being that We have, like I've reached out to Candace and we've collabed, right? Yeah. How do you feel about like competition? Let's talk about that. Since we're like really in this, we're not in the same place, but we're very close to each other.

Yeah. Proximity.

Candace: We're know we're, I mean we're within like 20 minutes driving distance. Yeah. We overlap with parties and yeah. I go to Littleton, which is, an hour away from me as well. And I don't feel like we're in competition at all. I feel like we have very different clientele.

We also offer totally different chains and styles and different things. Granted, I've bought some things from you that I now offer in my boutique, but I feel like I've stuck with my style. I stuck with Western. I'm stuck with turquoise and sterling silver connectors. Yeah. And I feel like I said before, if you create your identity and who you are and what you offer, just run with it because then nobody can really compete with you unless they're copying exactly what you're doing.

Jen: And that's why it's so like helpful to if you were to speak from like this place of like beans get down, sorry, I can edit things out. I'm just going to write that down. But if I were to meet you and then write you off, like right away Oh my gosh, she's doing permanent joy. Like how some people might, because they might feel threatened by that.

Being, and. Being that we didn't have the connection we did, and we were, Oh God, let me just start all over. Okay. What was I saying? Yes. But speaking, okay. If I was from a place where I am like very wary of any competition whatsoever. And I met you and I wrote you off right away.

Like I met you and you're doing permanent jewelry. And I was like, Oh, okay. And we didn't continue talking and connecting, I feel like honestly it almost does a disservice because I have to say people have come to me and asked me like DM me and said, do you have this kind of charm?

I've had someone asked me about a cowboy charm and stuff, and I have given them your information. And I know you've done the same with me, like when you can't book a party, you're booked or someone, because in the end, it's if that person needs that specific day, it doesn't help us to be like, no, sorry, I'm not available.

And not give. Someone else's information, I feel like that's okay.

Candace: I

Jen: know. And there's enough for both of all of us. And I feel like. Also too, it's just doing a disservice yet to the customer. And I feel like in the end, that's what we have to keep in mind. It's not, and that's only going to serve us.

That's how I feel. Just what you put out is what you get back kind of thing. And then also just collabing with the event, and having you there and being able to like team up and do an event together and know that someone's there who knows what they're doing is so nice, but how do you feel like? How would you feel if someone popped up in your area that was your style? Like, how do you feel about that?

Candace: I don't know. I've been doing this a year and a half. Yeah. I feel like it takes you a good, six months to even a year to really establish yourself in this.

You figure out what chains work. You figure out what styles work for your area. And So I don't know that I would necessarily feel like threatened. Yeah. I don't know. I think, I don't know if that confidence comes with time. I have, I've had numerous people contact me that I've done parties for that are like, I want to do this.

And I'm like, okay. And I, I've always been really helpful with girls or women that are trying to start their own business. Here's what I've done. I had one time I did, I booked a party two times with these girls and come to find out They were starting their own business and I was taken back because I would have loved to help them and really get going.

But then, I'm seeing them on our like resale sites and stuff like that. And I was like, Oh, I would have loved to help you a little bit more. So I reached out to him and I was like, Hey. I see you're starting a business. I was like, please ask me any questions. I would love to help you because I didn't have somebody granted the business that I got my training from was great with answering questions and they were there for when I needed it when they were smaller.

And now that they're bigger, it's a little harder to get ahold of somebody. But that's growing. Yeah. People are growing, but yeah. I think the permanent jewelry community, especially online, they are always helpful, right? Like people are always willing to help you get going, show me your displays and show me what's worked for you.

Show me what accountants do, what's your taxes, what insurance company do you guys use? I feel like everybody's really helpful with each other. And at least my experience

Jen: has been good. That's awesome. So what do you feel like grew your business the most, or what is your best advice for growing a permanent jewelry business?

I would say word

Candace: of mouth was the biggest, if you have a happy customer, that person is going to tell five more people. And if you have a party with somebody and they invite their aunt Jo who lives, an hour away and aunt Jo wants to have another party. Yeah. It's all, to me, it was all networking with word of mouth with happy customers because, I just, I don't know. I, the other thing I've done is I've gone into boutiques with my welder, everything with me and said, Hey, I'm a permanent jeweler. I would love to give you the owner and a couple of your employees, a bracelet. That's awesome. And I've done that numerous times and it's. It's been amazing and the ladies that I've done it for have been my best advertising because they wear it when they're checking out.

Yes. My card is right there. They can say, Oh, this is, and she comes to our boutique, once a month and then set it up that way. But I feel like it's an investment when you. Do your family's jewelry because they're a walking advertisement for you. They are, my kids have it on at gymnastics, at all the things, and so their friends are like, what is that?

I want one. Yes, exactly. One of my favorite events was a little girl's, twin girl's, sixth birthday party, and we did the girls little, we did enamel chains on them. Oh yeah. And we had clasp options for them as well. Yeah. But we just did, all the little girls got their own Barbie pink enamel chains. So cute.

But, those are the things that I feel like networking the most. Yes. And don't be scared to give somebody a bracelet. Yeah. Because, especially those people that are like, influencers on Instagram. Yeah. And are like, Hey, I'm going to tag you in my outfit. Yes. Or while I'm drinking my coffee, I'm going to have my bracelet showing, I'm going to tag you and. I think that's,

Jen: I know you can't look at it like it's giving away something free that you could have made money on. It's like a marketing. Yeah, it's a, it's

Candace: a marketing and what the cost of what supplies is

Jen: you can afford. That's what's great about permanent jewelry.

Obviously the profit margins are great. And that's why I feel strongly about, honestly, when people come up to me, Okay. And want me to weld something back on that broke, that wasn't even my chain. I never charge them. Yeah. I don't. Cause I'm like, honestly, they're going to remember that more than me being like, it's 10 or whatever you want to decide to do.

And it takes a second, as it's one jump ring you might have to use or whatever. Like it's just to me, the marketing, like the benefits of that outweighs me charging and getting 10 from them, so that's how I feel. But actually speaking of pricing, what is your price ranges? So

Candace: I, my sterling silver starts at 55 and then I go all the way up, I believe to 75 with the gold filled.

And then I do offer a 14 carat gold option. And those are they start at 125 for a bracelet and they go up from there. I've got prices for different things. I used to charge by the inch and it just got too complicated because I was sitting there at events and people were like how big is my wrist?

And I'm like, okay, here's a tape measure, go ahead and measure it. And and then it just got too complicated with that and being able to focus on the person that I was helping right then. And then people walking by, I got feedback that was like, they missed out on. Purchasing something because they were too busy trying to figure out how much it costs.

Yes, so I changed all that I would say six months ago. Okay, and just went with a flat rate that kind of it gave me like, so people who took up more chain, it didn't, it just balanced out. It really does balance

Jen: out. Cause as you can run into some women that have like literally the tiniest risk.

Yeah.

Candace: And then basically a child for kids, I always offer 10 off. So do I. Okay. So that just helps balance that part. I started doing the gold filled beads because you've been providing those for me and buying them from you. And then I also get the sterling silver Navajo pearls. And so those start at 75 and I have some options with turquoise intermixed with those, which are that much.

And then my connectors, they range from 15 all the way up to 45 a connector. And it just depends on the material because a lot of them, a lot of mine are handmade. And so I try to give an option for every price point so people can all participate. I do have some enamel chains that I've been offering at 45 for a bracelet that I just know aren't going to hold up long term for people that are still wanting to experience it.

Jen: And you're like, are you transparent about, do you share like the quality of the, like what the metals are, even the enamel ones, obviously? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, I do. So I do

Candace: tell people I, and they usually have my kiddos. So I'm like, look, this is what it looks like after six months. So if you're, it's not something that's going to be long term, but if you want it, you're going on

Jen: a vacation and you want something cute

Candace: and different.

But but yes, I am. I tell them what the finishes are. That's another thing is I've learned over time, like you can't advertise. You can't advertise these as non tarnishing, because sterling silver oxidizes over time. Granted, it's less likely on your skin, but some people have skin that does. Or, if you're exposing it to bleach, or Yes, the chemical thing, for sure.

And so I always, I'm very transparent with people. I've learned that the hard way because I, and I think that came with knowledge because I thought when I was buying it, they advertised it as non tarnishing or even gold filled. It fades over time and it can lose that chemical bond to the agent underneath.

And so you're, I always wear mine minor. over a year old and I show people, I put them right next to the brand new ones. And I said, look, these aren't as vibrant and bright. And that's why, but then solid gold people think, okay, solid gold won't tarnish. Yes. Gold tarnishes gold oxidizes over time, just like sterling silver does, but gold can be polished.

Yes. So just, it's a

Jen: lot of education for sure. And I think that, so that I think that I would, yeah, give that advice. To someone who just starting is really educate yourself on the metals because I get it, we get all the time when I say gold fill, because when you say gold fill also, it sounds like it's filled with gold, right?

People get confused and they're like, Oh so these are gold plated. I'm like, no, they're not plated. It's just but even if I said gold plated, they might think that's fine. They just don't know what the difference is, so I

Candace: always tell people jewelry that you get at a little kid's store, that's a jewelry store in most Walmarts is.

The type of jewelry that's plated. Yes. That's where it's a painted

Jen: on finish. That's why I usually say painted on

Candace: finished versus a chemical bond finish on the outside. And there's either a copper nickel or sterling silver underneath. And I always tell people who are hypoallergenic that you don't always know what the metal is underneath.

You got to be careful with that. So people who are hypoallergenic, I always suggest solid gold if they can tolerate solid gold or sterling silver, something that

Jen: they can. Have you had anyone have a reaction to

Candace: the metal? I had one. Okay. And she was one of my best friends. Really? . Oh, that worked out?

Yeah, so it was, thank goodness she had a reaction. Her goldfield turned black within a week and it was, her skin does some kind of oil. 'cause we tried multiple ones. So we finally went with a gold necklace for her. Okay. I got her a solid gold. We did a solid gold and she was down in Florida and her husband.

grabbed her or something and it

Jen: fell to the bottom of the pool and she

Candace: lost it. But the

Jen: worst is the

Candace: worst. But we, it was lots of trial and error with her. And I always tell people that if you're, if you have a reaction to it. You contact me and we can try something else or we can refund your money.

Yes. It just, it's not worth it. It's not worth somebody having a bad taste in their mouth and not having a good experience.

Jen: And like you said, everyone's skins can be different, even certain chains. So I've had people say, mainly it's an ankle because of course they're like rubbing more against your ankle with your sock and leaving a mark on your skin.

So I've seen that. And obviously even when I make myself rings, it'll happen sometimes with certain chains for me. Yeah. And so I think, but it doesn't happen on other chains, which is odd, but also I don't think it happens on everybody. So I think it's just the pH, like they say, the pH of your, your chemistry and all the

Candace: things.

Yeah, my anklet does do the same thing. Yeah. But it, I feel like it's because it's rubbing on your skin. It's like the metal abrasion. Yeah. And your skin's polishing off what is that oxidizer. It's putting it onto your skin. Exactly. And a lot of people think, Oh my, my chain's ruined and it's not.

You can probably buff that out with just a jewelry cloth. And I always tell people, I usually have them on my table. If you take, take one of these cloths and just make sure you clean it up every once in a while. Yeah. Yeah. And it, but I feel like. It doesn't always leave it on my ankle.

Jen: No, I know. And I don't know if it's over time. It wouldn't or, with the metal abrasion, like at that eventually, I don't know. Maybe not.

Candace: But my sterling silver and I, it just, it's weird because it doesn't my ankle, it doesn't ever turn black. I've worn it in the hot springs. I've worn it in the pool.

I've worn it

Jen: with your sterling. Interesting. Yeah. Because the two things I hear hot springs and certain. Hot tubs. Not every hot tub. It has to be the certain chemical. It's the bleach in the, it's the

Candace: bleach chemical in the hot tub. So the chlorine, if it's too high of a pH, it will, it'll oxidize it and turn it like black.

And it's usually in like those hotels that have to regulate like a certain pH where it's your skin is like itching. As soon as you get out of the pool and you're like,

Jen: oh, just like just sit laying in chemicals.

Candace: But no I've had a few issues with it and it's not anything that like I'm always. Yeah, I always tell people try toothpaste and a toothbrush first and, clean off your sterling silver.

Yeah. If that doesn't work, then come back and see me and we'll, I know.

Jen: Yes, exactly. So what do you like jumping around, but what do you say your best month in permanent jewelry was like number wise?

Candace: My best month was in the peak of the summer and I had. Back to back events at rodeos and shows, I would say around 8, 000 because my

Jen: best month.

That's awesome. Yeah. What's the most you've done in a day?

Candace: 2, 800 probably 2, 800 in one day.

Jen: That's awesome. Yeah. Do you have a tip option when they

Candace: check out? So no, you don't, I don't. And I, I feel like if I were to bring on employees, I would definitely add a tip option, but it's just me.

And I, Yeah. I don't know. I don't know. I feel like the profit margins are high enough for me that I'm okay with it. Yeah. And if it were, I don't know. Yeah.

Jen: I don't know. No, it's okay. I'm just curious. I know it's like a question, always like what if, or should I, or, do that.

Yeah. And I think everyone is, it's funny because also people have this thing where it's like anywhere you go. They ask for it. Oh

Candace: yeah. I know. I saw a thing that was like, when they flip over the tablet that you're going to have to tip for something that you didn't have to tip for before.

Jen: Sooner or later I'll be checking out at Target and I'll be asking for a tip. What do I do?

Candace: Do I tip myself at the self checkout? I know,

Jen: right? That would be awesome. So what do you say, like your least? A month has been a year and a half.

Candace: You know what? Honestly, I don't know. I would probably say Around a thousand.

Okay. It's probably the least I've done in the last year and a half and that was because I was just You know, I just had a couple of parties there. I was busy with home life And yeah, we

Jen: homeschool our girls and

Candace: the first month of school is hectic getting back into a groove And yeah But I feel like it's very much self driven yeah as much as Are you going to promote yourself?

Are you doing the legwork to get yourself out there to book those parties? And I love that about this is I can be as busy as I want to be. Like I told my husband, I could do this full time. I could go to boutiques and businesses and do this. It's full time, but it works for our lifestyle that I can pick and choose.

Somebody calls me and says, Hey, are you available this date? Nope. I'm not. Because I can say that and I can then send you business or I can, and, or I can just say I'm taking appointments Thursday only, or my appointments are only available on Thursday. This week. So you do take

Jen: appointments out of your home or out of our barn, your

Candace: bar.

Okay. So we have a little room down there that we're in the process of upgrading and making a little bit more of a boutique style. That's cool. I gotta go see. But it's right now. I don't hang out with the animals. Right now it's just, it's like a room and we have a big huge indoor arena. So that's another thing is it goes with my style.

There's usually somebody riding in the arena or a horse in the arena. And people are, people that know horses are like, eh. But people who are. who are just visiting are like, that's so cool. There's a horse in there.

Jen: That is so cool. I would love to go. That would be really interesting, even if I wasn't into it.

It'd be cool to see. Yeah.

Candace: And that's, what's fun about it. And then when we do events at the barn, I can always set up there. I don't, I'm normally too busy running everything else together, but maybe one day I'll be able to do that more. I, there's a couple of producers that come in and rent our barn.

And so then I'm able to do. My own thing,

Jen: which is fun. So do you offer more than just permanent jewelry when you do events?

Candace: So when I do in house parties, no. Okay. But when I set up at fairs or rodeos, I found that not everybody wants to buy. Jewelry, right? Or there's the one thing that I noticed the most is there are kids.

That parents give 20 to and they want to spend their money. Yes, so I have found That if you have little things hair clips or I but I kept it all Western style. Yeah, I'll do Western candles or Western sticker kids love stickers. Yeah Stickers and I kept it what like Western themed stickers of cactuses and cowboys and cowboy boots And I just have A little thing to keep their little hands busy.

And then I started doing Western style wrapping paper. So just little boutique things.

Jen: So where are you finding these things?

Candace: Everywhere. Everywhere. So wholesale sites. Wholesale sites are on Facebook. They're probably my biggest Really? Oh, that's cool. A lot of them, I find these, the candles I buy are from a girl in Texas.

Okay. She's a wholesaler. But she's a mom of two kids and she wholesales candles out of her house. And so I love that I can support another small business while I do that. So they're

Jen: Facebook group or whatever it is, pages specifically for wholesale. Yes. And Western style. Interesting. Yes.

Candace: That's cool. So yeah, I, and I do my best to not do the whole, like buy from China, Amazon and all that. And because I just want to support more local businesses if we can. And yes, that makes my prices probably a little bit higher than if I were to buy them from Amazon or some of those Chinese boutiques and stuff.

But I feel like people are willing to do it, especially if you can share with them, I have, my candles are hand poured by a mama in Texas who's running her own business, I can show that support and then I sell those car freshies. If you've seen those, and those I sell for a friend and she's local.

She's in her, I think she's in her fifties. She's got two older kids. She loves to craft. But she won't sit at a show and sell her stuff. I'll sell your stuff here. Let's do it. So if I can just offer those things, those little tiny things, I can sell the best. I probably would never dive into clothes.

It's just too overwhelming for me, especially like making sure I have the all the right sizes and then being left with all the extras. I'm like, yeah, if I have jewelry extras, I'm okay. But having the clothes extras, I'm like, I just don't think I could do it. It just becomes too much for me. So yeah, you gotta

Jen: find out what works.

Yes. So what made you start what made you had the idea? Was it from the start? You're like, okay, with. Events, I'd be smart to have other products or

Candace: no. No, I did not do that from the beginning And it was just that learning curve. Yeah, you know I could do I could sell more Yeah, I can do more than just this and you know having I had a lot of people ask Oh do you have anything that has a clasp?

I have surgery or do you have anything for my granddaughter? She lives in Texas, and I want to send it to her You know, and I'm like no, but guess what? I'm going to next time you're right. So that's when I started I dove into some some more like jewelry items, so like Navajo pearls just.

Options that are not permanent and keeping those on hand so that if I do have an event where I think they'll sell well, I put them out and they're out. Or if I have a request for an in home party that wants to see them, I'll pull them out, but I don't pull them out for in home parties. I feel like it's a rude.

Yeah. I feel like it's they're hiring you for permanent jewelry. Don't shove everything else down their face. Sure. It's like. Just leave that at home and so I have, when I separate myself, it's funny, I have different totes that I know I bring for small parties, these totes, and then all the other totes come with me for bigger things, and just, that was hard to keep organized, because at the end of the night you just want to throw everything in a bin and just go home, and your eyes hurt and you're like, I know.

So that's one thing that I've. had to learn over the last year and a half is how to organize and you will not regret organizing it at the end of the night because your next event will go so much smoother and you'll be able to find

Jen: things and having your little tungsten sharpened. Yes.

Candace: Oh, absolutely.

Yes. Yes. Yes. And making sure your chains are organized and sealed up airtight. It just makes a huge difference

Jen: at your next event. Yeah. So how much do you think you bring in from those products? I don't know if you could say a percentage or, compared to permanent

Candace: jewelry. I would say it's minimal.

Yeah. I would say it's very minimal. And that's partly why I just carry smaller price items. Nothing crazy big. I did some. Some cups this summer that had like cat steer heads on them and stuff. Those sold great. The profit margin's not as much as jewelry, but people still love that. And then the other thing is I'm able to stick my business card and they're taking that home with them or I give them a sticker and then they're sticking it on their water bottle or their computer.

There you go. And that's advertising. So I don't feel like it's, I don't feel like it's. It's the profits not great. Yeah, but I feel like it's worth it. Okay. Yeah, like it's worth having that extra stuff I get your booth I love that There's always rings and earrings and things that if they aren't committed to the jewelry they can write home with them still right or they Can buy as a gift for somebody else.

That's the biggest that's a heart as

Jen: a gift. Yes Having

Candace: a gift for somebody I do offer gift cards, but then it's hard because then you've got to make sure that person can book an appointment or come to an event that you're doing, and it's it's just hard to coordinate. Yes, but yes, but having something tangible that they can take home, that's

Jen: awesome.

Is it's huge. So what do you feel like, do you, do you I'm not going to ask a bestseller chain because we all have the ones that stick out, but do you have is there a certain connectors that sell really well for it or can, or how do you feel about connectors in terms? Is it like.

Something that you feel is really important

Candace: to have. Yeah, I do. I think at the beginning, I didn't offer a lot of them and partially because there weren't a lot when I started, there weren't a lot of options for high quality, like they were all plated or, and so now, like I did offer them and I would tell people like these, your charms are going to tarnish, so just plan on trading them out.

And I hated that. So I backed off on doing the charms, but then when I started finding high quality charms, I was like, This is great. And then people could customize their own Yeah. Things. My best sellers for charms would be authentic turquoise. Yes. And crosses. Okay. Yeah.

Crosses sell definitely great for me. That's awesome. And I sell out of them. , like I can't keep them in stock enough. And I love that I can. add that piece to their jewelry. Yeah. It's just fun. That's awesome. I do get some requests for initials, but I felt like those are like the hardest for me to wrap my brain around on carrying.

I feel like it's a big investment. Yeah. Cause you're buying like, what letters do you buy the whole alphabet? Cause someone might need Z like, I don't know. It's hard for me. To carry those. I'm more of what's gonna sell the best. Yeah. So I do, I started getting initials of my kids.

Yeah. So that way if they didn't sell , I could add 'em to mine, but then I would offer people, I'll order them for you. Yeah. Whatever you want. So before parties, I always say if somebody, I send the styles that I offer. Yeah. And say if somebody wants it, I needed to know 10 days prior to the party if they want an initial, and then they could custom order an initial.

Oh, that's cool. But otherwise I just felt like it was, it's a pain to carry overhead, especially for a small business. I think if you are doing really well and successful, absolutely. That is something you should carry and you should offer Zodiac signs and you should, offer all of those things that people like.

I started carrying angel numbers. Last summer and they were pretty big last summer. Yeah, they dwindled off a little bit, but those are things that, you don't have a high number of them. There's only I want to say 8 series of them. 1, 1, 2, 2. Yeah there's not very many.

But then the other connectors that have done well are hearts. Yes. Hearts have done well, like mother, daughters.

I'm trying to think what other ones,

Jen: Oh,

Candace: I'd say I've started selling more like modern styled ones where it's like an abstract, either a shape or a circle. And those are, I always keep those. They're really cheap. Yeah. And so they're not a much to keep in stock. But they're fun and they're different.

And I always show people them like, or a little disc that you can dress up something or break it apart. And then

Jen: it's just fun. That's cool. Yeah, that's awesome. Where do you see your business going this year? What are you excited

Candace: about? I'm more excited about just really pushing my style.

So that sterling silver, that turquoise, the Navajo pearls I'm booking a lot of rodeos and I'm not carrying as cheap of items anymore. I'm trying to carry more handmade, quality stuff. Yeah. So that way it's, it is an investment for my customer, but they are getting a beautiful, one of a kind piece.

Yeah. And that to me is where my focus is going to be this next year. I'll still carry chains that, I've carried forever. Sure. But I want to start really growing that part of my business and doing unique Handmade

Jen: pieces. Yeah. So your customer base, are they, they love Navajo pearls for sure, right?

Yes. So they do they like that more oxidized silver look? Yes. Is that more like the

Candace: yes and no. Navajo pearls are very unique. Yes. Very unique. So they're sterling silver casted. They're hollow bead. . And then they're oxidized. Yeah. And they're just, they have their own. Their own style, their own look.

You can't really add like an oxidized chain and say that it's a similar style. It's just

Jen: not, you can't get it. I

Candace: don't know how to explain it. But the connectors that have a little bit of oxidized, like oxidized finish to them. Yes, absolutely. Those things complement those Navajo pearls and those are all, hand, handmade and hand soldered together.

They're fun to offer.

Jen: Yeah, that's awesome. Yeah, and then you were so I can we share this that you were talking about creating like in learning more about the jewelry making process? Yeah,

Candace: I'd love to share that. I feel like You constantly need to keep educating yourself. Yeah. If you are going to be successful, especially in permanent jewelry, you just need to keep offering something new or different and.

So I, I would, something I've always loved to learn, wanted to learn was like silversmithing and making my own sterling silver connectors or even gold connectors. I would love to offer, cause there's not very many places out there that offer. 14 karat gold connectors, right? And so I would love to learn how to make them.

So I'm, I am taking a class and hopefully that's something that I will be able to do. But I also feel like just. Having a respect for how those things are made and knowing how they're made because a lot of times I go online and I'm like, Oh my gosh, these are so expensive. But if I understood the process of it, I might have a little bit more respect for

Jen: that part of it

Candace: and just being able to offer that.

Jen: So that's so cool. And just another way to offer something that's because I love a permanent jewelry is the fact that of course people can create what they want. It's just feels like really one of a kind almost, in a way they can, but the connectors they choose or however they do it, but also creating your own connectors, like just really that no one else possibly has, or, offering them like, that's really like a special thing, yeah. And

Candace: I would love to. Sell to other permanent jewelers one day. That's way down the road, but that'd be a goal to have is be able to offer it to other people who don't necessarily have the time to make

Jen: their own, but, and a lot of people just don't. And that's, what's so cool about this is that you, and what I love about entrepreneurship in general, you really can go these different ways.

Whether this saw this opportunity to like. Oh my gosh. Silversmithing, making these connectors. That wouldn't have happened maybe if you obviously first got into permanent jewelry and then, that came out of that. And who knows where that can lead. And so it's cool.

Like we all. Grab or gravitate towards certain aspects of the business we really love, and letting that be your strength and grow with that, it's pretty cool. Yeah, it's pretty cool to see, like, where that's going to go.

Candace: Yeah. And it's fun. It's fun because we've grown our friendship over a year and a half.

Yeah, we both have grown so much, but it's in totally different avenues. Yeah. And I think that's so true because we're in the same business. Yes. Or it just growing in different ways. And I think that's

Jen: really cool. Yeah, it is really cool. All right. Thank you for chatting today. I feel like I even just talking this way, I learned so much more about you.

We should do another podcast interview soon.

Candace: Come over after I take my class. Yes.

Jen: Oh my gosh. I can't wait. We'll have to like, yeah, we'll have to do a recap, like a. And then maybe in a year from now or something, to see where you're at. Yeah. Maybe you'll be offering your supplies and we'll see what you're offering.

What advice would you give to someone who's thinking about starting permanent jewelry?

Candace: Don't drag your feet. If you are going to do it big. That means invest in your website, invest in advertising, invest in a good quality welder, invest in having a good inventory of chains. Yeah, you can get into this business for less than two grand.

You can do it. Yeah, but should you? Absolutely, not. I would never tell somebody to do that. Yeah, I always tell people realistically plan around 5, 000 to start your business. And it's gonna cost more than that. But yeah, if you can grasp that 5, 000. Then Realistically, it's something you can do.

I mean anybody can do it. But for me You need to invest in signage, you need to invest in props, you need to invest in your logo, your style, your everything because otherwise you're, I just feel like you're just going to get passed up and because it is so popular. Yeah. So for, if you. My advice for somebody doing it is jump in full heartedly and do it big.

Don't, do you think that,

Jen: a lot of people want a side hustle, right? And do you think it's, you're able to do it as a side hustle? Say you already have a full time job. Are you able to do it a,

Candace: so I would love to say no, but the truth is yes, because that's what I did. Yeah, it's my side hustle.

This is my, this isn't my. Everyday job. This is my extra. This is my kids piano lessons. This is my kids homeschool curriculum. It's this is just extra for me. But I was fortunate enough to have a husband who really helped push it and be behind me on So I think you just need to have that right support group, whether it be your family or friends or whatever to help you.

And I think that having it as a side hustle is great. You just have to do the legwork.

Jen: I was going to say, you can't just build it and they'll come. That's the thing that, and I think really, you even made it evident. You're really great about. You have no qualms about going to talk to people like stepping into, I tell my girls too yes, you can write a DM, but they get DMS all day long, so

Candace: yeah. And just going to be rolled over your welder. Yes. Totally

Jen: different. Exactly. Like when I first went to go train Ashley in Missouri, We literally walked into boutiques and that way too, I was able to like, okay, let's get comfortable. That's what I'm going to say to them. So you can get schooled in it.

And we handed me, although we didn't have a welder with us, we handed it just a simple necklace to them and be like, I have a chain that we obviously have her permanent jewelry. And I was like, Hey and honestly, we went to go to the boutique a couple of days later and the girl, the one of the owners was wearing the necklace and she's I've got so many compliments on it.

So it's just going to make you. If anything, they're going to remember you. They might not book something that minute, but versus they're remember you over someone who just randomly DM them, but also it's doing permanent jewelry. So I think. Honestly, like you could, I agree with you could do it as a side hustle, but you'd have to again, put the legwork.

Are you okay getting out in the community and talking to people and

Candace: yeah, that's one thing you have to ask yourself. This is a very, this is a very personable business. Like you have to be able to interact with your customer. If you don't like interacting with people and you don't like going and putting yourself out there.

I would strongly suggest maybe taking a second look at what you're doing because you have to be, you have to be willing to be in front of people and talk and be confident because the more confident you are, I feel like the more successful you can be in this business. And just making are you good at making friends?

Can you talk to anybody or if you're put in a room full of strangers, can you talk to them? Yeah, that's something that I've always been able to do since I was, six years old. I can, even if it's somebody you, I have nothing in common with, I will find something that we have in common.

Jen: Let's talk about the weather.

Candace: Yeah. Yeah. Or, or just. Just being able to make easy conversation and

Jen: making people feel at ease too, I think too. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You definitely have that quality about

Candace: you. Okay.

Jen: That's why we connected. I looked at the time. I can't believe it's been 52 minutes.

I honestly I feel like it hasn't been that long. Okay. So where can we find you online? Where can

Candace: we? So I am I have not invested in a full website. That's one thing that I'm working on this year as well. But I am on Instagram at permanently punchy and on Facebook, I'm permanently punchy. And those are my two forms of communication.

I'm more on Instagram, more actively on Instagram because for some reason it just is easier for me. Yeah. I don't know why. Do you feel

Jen: like most people are on there too?

Candace: Yeah, but actually. I don't know. I feel like people still want information from Facebook business wise, but people like and share stories more so from Instagram.

So I feel like the business part of it has to be both. And, that's one thing I'm working on is trying to find somebody that can build a website for me. It's, for me, it wasn't logical at first because I was like, what am I going to put on there? You can't, cause your, my chains are always rotating and all that stuff.

But even just having a physical site where people can go visit for your information, I think is so important. And that's. I dropped the ball. So I'm working on it.

Jen: No, it's again, and it's, I think we're all just have our own like

Candace: strengths and weaknesses.

Jen: Sure. But like our own like flow and how we end up what we do first, you know We can't, you can do it all, but you can't do it all at once.

That's how I feel. So it's it's okay. Start somewhere. And that's why I think it can become so yeah. daunting when you're looking at the full picture of Oh, I should have a website and I need to be here. I need to be there. But it really just starts somewhere and focus on, for me too, I always, I had a website from the beginning.

I knew that was important with my other business to start there, but. Like I definitely put it all like my focus in Instagram and it shows, cause that's what grows, right? And but why do you feel it is important to have a website then? What made you, makes you want to have?

Candace: I can't tell you how many times I've been at an event and someone says I'm not media. I

Jen: agree. Okay. This could be a whole other conversation, but because I do think most people getting into business now think of marketing and think of their business. And they just think of like social media and it's like websites are old school for some reason.

But honestly, I'm running into young people, like a lot younger than me that are not on social media. And I'm like, good for you. That's what I always say. I'm like, I wish I could be like that. I love, I, we all have probably a love hate at some point. Like I shouldn't say hate, but not that severe, but maybe depends on the day, but cause I have met amazing people through social media and honestly, I really, it's a good place.

It's a feel good place for me for the most part. But also just any age group and the people. So I have a website, as I said, and I update my pop up schedule on there. But it'll be my second or third thought, like I always do Instagram first and I'm like, Oh yeah, my website. Yeah. But people will say I changed and this has happened before where I changed a date for a pop up and I'm like, I didn't change on the website and they showed up.

Yeah. And I was like, I don't even think about the website, but really there's more people that go on there than you think. So

Candace: I do think it's important. And I think it's important to. Be able to hand a business card over that has all your social media information and your website on it. It doesn't have to have anything else, but your logo and that.

And that's it. So true. And because I just feel like that's where people are going to go. Oh, grabbing their purse later and be like, Oh, that's that girl. I'm going to book a party with

Jen: her. Yes. And also just plays into, talk to this is but you'll play into a whole nother thing, but. This is actually one of the subjects I like talking about, because again, with websites and search engine optimization, SEO, if someone wants to find you in your area, they're most likely your Instagram is not going to come up.

But it plays almost into the legitimacy of your business. You know what I'm saying? Like someone who has a website versus someone who doesn't, it just seems like you're more legit or something, you're more professional. You actually have a business versus just like a. A side hustle.

h. Shoot. No. That'll be your: 2024

Jen: Well, how do you feel? I hope this episode inspired you in some way. I would love to hear from you. So visit me on Instagram at GoldieLinksJewelry or at my website at Goldie Links.

com. I'm always down to chat. Have a golden day and I'll see you next time.