Today we’d like to introduce you to Erin Kandoll
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
What started as a young woman carrying a tackle box full of silver wire and beads while working as a boat officer on a 105-foot research vessel has become a fully operational e-commerce silversmithing and jewelry business. I run my business from a 19-foot shipping container my husband and I refurbished on a tiny Alaskan island overlooking the water, whales, and mountains. I picked up twisting silver wire with beads because I’ve always been obsessed with jewelry. This affinity for silver quickly led to grabbing a $10 blue propane torch and teaching myself silversmithing as a means to cope with the grief from a traumatic event at sea. I still use that old-school torch to this day!
I evolved my craft year after year, inspired by the nature and rainforest surrounding me. After seven years of small local pop-up shows and realizing I was an expensive hobbyist, I knew it was make-or-break time. I stumbled upon a fantastic podcast and was inspired by the host and founder of Flourish & Thrive Academy, Tracy Matthews. Enrolling in her “Laying the Foundation” course, I implemented their strategies and saw a rapid spike in my business growth within the first year and even more in the second. With their help, I clearly envisioned what I wanted for my life, family, and business. Three years later, I’m enrolled in their year-long Momentum course, where I continue to work hard daily alongside an incredibly supportive group of coaches and female entrepreneurs. Together, we support each other as we turn our dreams and ambitions into reality.
Twisted Ginger Jewelry is now my full-time gig, allowing me to contribute financially to our family’s income. Making a lifelong career out of my passion for jewelry-making has been pivotal for me and my family. Teaching my kids that they can make a living from their passions with hard work and determination, is priceless!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Like any small business starting up, it requires leaps of faith, endless unpaid working hours, daunting financial investments, and loads of dedication. The biggest struggle was during the pandemic. I almost gave up entirely on jewelry making, selling off my tools and supplies while pregnant with my second child, and homeschooling my kindergartner. After about six months of not creating and feeling adrift from a career path, I felt a hole in my being. I had to figure out how to make jewelry and make money doing it. Living on a remote island, married to a commercial fisherman and a mother of two, and my career options were limited. With income from fishing fluctuating year after year, I needed to contribute to the family income working from home, but I knew it had to be something I loved to avoid draining my spirit. I needed to create art in a way that could help support our family.
After deep diving into the business side of things with the help of the Academy and honing in on exactly what kind of jewelry I wanted to make, I began to rebuild my collection of tools. I moved into more intricate silversmithing that involved setting stones. Traditional silversmith schooling wasn’t an option on our island, so I relied on trial and error. With seven years of basic soldering and working with silver under my belt, I was able to catch on quickly.
Space and proper ventilation became a challenge as my tiny corner in the garage wasn’t cutting it anymore. That’s when we decided to take the leap, buy an old shipping container, and repurpose that 19-foot hunk of metal into my studio, creating a beautiful workspace beside our home with the most inspirational view. If you follow me on Instagram, you can enjoy that view with me. I have videos of the transformation on my page and often share glimpses of my studio and surroundings in my stories.
Staffing and production then became my next hurdles. I quickly realized I could only physically run the business and make a portion of the jewelry myself as demand grew. It was tough for me to transition from being the sole maker of every jewelry piece to taking on the designer role. With the encouragement and help of my coaches, they quickly partnered me with a talented silversmithing team in Bali. Ensuring the quality of my work while having others help create it and keeping everything 100% handmade was paramount to me. That’s why I flew to Bali this past winter—to meet and work with the skilled artisans making some of my jewelry designs. I demonstrated my techniques and was grateful to learn some of their traditional methods, allowing me to incorporate ancient Balinese techniques into my designs. I even joined in on their Balinese ceremonies and was graciously shown around the beautiful country and its cultural activities by the family who runs the operation. Cultivating a deep connection with the family and the artisans working hard to bring my jewelry to life keeps the positive energy in my designs that I strive to convey.
Their commitment to 100% handmade processes, ensuring the jobs of their employees who had been with them for decades, has allowed me to expand my business while keeping my own hands busy as I remain dedicated to personally making all of my Custom and One-of-a-Kind pieces. Now, I run the business side of things as a two-woman operation with the help of my incredibly dedicated assistant and dear friend, Mandy Ritenour, aka, my ‘Right-Hand Mandy.’
These partnerships maintain the integrity and quality of my work and enable me to expand my reach. I’m already starting to get my jewelry into more brick-and-mortar stores, starting with our Southeast Alaskan communities. This year, I plan to continue that expansion and branch out into more stores in the Pacific Northwest and across the US. I’ll be traveling to the Anacortes Art Festival for my first off-island event and couldn’t be more thrilled to meet new people, watch them try on my jewelry, and help them pick out stones for their unique custom designs!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My jewelry combines heirloom style with a futuristic flair, inspired by the stones themselves and the things I love: fairies, warrior goddess energy, and the enchanting mysteries of nature and the sea. My work constantly evolves as I create monthly mini collections using various handpicked turquoise and other unique stones. While I love working with all kinds of turquoise, my collections feature a wide variety of beautiful nuggets of earth, from Australian opals and jaspers to Herkimer diamonds and opalized wood. I love creating with them all! This approach keeps my work fresh and exciting, allowing my creativity to run wild.
I recently released my new Signature Line, ‘Whimsy Rainforest,’ in alignment with my 16th year living in Alaska. A tribute of silver to the Alaskan rainforest, fairies, and folklore, this line tells the story of our magical little part of the world.
I love offering custom experiences, allowing clients to choose stones and design pieces. This unique journey creates memorable, meaningful jewelry.
My work is easily recognizable for its play with texture and color and the infusion of Alaska’s untamed nature into my designs.I make multiple textures on each component of a piece, using silver-dusted leaves to represent the dewdrops of the rainforest and the life-giving force of water, a signature of my work. I also play with the contrast of colors in my designs, giving them that distinctive Twisted Ginger feel. I want my pieces to be unmistakably my own, reflecting my brand’s unique energy and spirit.
What sets me apart is my drive to make my dreams come true, clearly express myself and my passion for what I create, and cultivate deep, lasting connections with clients. I let the stones guide my hand and designs. When I curate a collection, I open the drawers and hear the stones calling to be out in the world. The entire design phase of every creation feels like a mindless meditation, a dance between me and the stone’s energy like it’s telling me how it wants to be cradled in silver. My collections are as unpredictable as the weather here in Alaska; you never know what I’ll whip up next. Except for October, my birth month and favorite time of the year, you can almost guarantee to see my unique “Turquoise Over Skulls” collections.
I’ll wrap things up with one of the sweetest compliments I’ve ever received from a client. She pulled me aside at my recent trunk show and whispered in my ear: “One thing I always hear people say about your jewelry is that they can’t explain why, but when they wear it, they feel happy, and the energy is so positive and uplifting in every piece…and I feel that too.”
I intentionally infuse loving energy into everything I create, and I’m thankful to hear that people can feel that intention. The world can always use a little more love and positivity!
What matters most to you? Why?
There’s no way to choose just one thing that matters most, but I’ll share a bit about the values I cherish and incorporate into what I put into the world through my business.
Connections matter to me. I help people find meaningful connections and discover themselves on a deeper level through jewelry and gemstones. I also cherish my connections with other silversmiths, rockhounds, and jewelry designers through social platforms. Living on an island of 3,000 people has challenges, but e-commerce and Zoom rooms have opened the world to islanders like me. Over the years, I’ve made many friendships and met like-minded people, and as the business grows, my community continues to expand.
Authenticity is a core value for me. I believe in showing up as ourselves, especially on social platforms, to set an example for younger generations that being vulnerable and authentic is okay. I put extra heart and soul into everything I write and every piece of art I create. On my blog, “Artisan Tales: Crafting Beauty, Enriching Spirits,” I dive deep into my inspirations, motivations, and the stories behind the pieces I create.
I also give back to my Twisted Ginger VIP Fam by sending little gifts and offering fun incentives like early collection launch access, free gemstone guides, and limited mystery box giveaways. I have a million ideas for more ways to give back to those who continue to support my art and I will implement them over the coming years. These gestures help facilitate a deeper connection with my clients and show my deep appreciation for their ongoing support of my art and small business.
Recently, a client’s husband revealed she chose a piece of jewelry from my collection over a pair of super fancy shoes from a major brand (I’ll leave the fancy shoe company anonymous, but let’s say their soles are pretty red). It meant so much that she invested in my small business instead of supporting a major name brand. Herein lies the beauty of the connection we can foster with our clients as small business owners, and I’m all in!
Sharing and giving back matters to me. I love sharing Alaska’s natural beauty and wildlife through my artwork, photography, and social media stories. Living in a nature lover’s paradise, I can give my followers a peek into this beautiful part of the world. Writing is another passion of mine; via my blog, I can make more meaningful connections with my clients through the meaning behind my creations. Extra TLC goes into photographing my jewelry in the natural environment that inspires each creation, such as icebergs, sea creatures in kelp beds at low tide, and the overgrown foliage of the forest. Taking pictures of my completed piece brings the creation cycle full circle.
Humanitarian efforts matter to me and are also a driving force behind my actions. Once I hit key business milestones and pay off startup costs, I’ll donate a portion of my proceeds each year to help children in need. Next year, when I return to Bali, I’ll visit schools and facilities offering aid to children and choosing a foundation to help support them. I feel compelled to give back to Bali in this way, showing gratitude for their help in making beautiful jewelry for me and enabling me to scale and expand beyond my wildest dreams. I’ve always wanted to use my art to support a cause I’m passionate about, and with the help of the Balinese silversmiths, I will be able to do that sooner than I ever thought possible.
Pricing:
- piece. Pricing varies greatly depending on the selected stone, the size, and the intricacy of the piece.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.twistedginger.me/
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/twistedgingerjewelry
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TwistedGingerJewelryLLC/
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@twistedgingerjewelry
Image Credits
Erin Kandoll