We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Yana Yakuba a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Yana, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. So, what do you think about family businesses? Would you want your children or other family members to one day join your business?

Family business… let’s see. For me, family is a precious part of my life. I’m the kind of person who loves doing things together, especially with those closest to me. In general, I enjoy spending time with my family—laughing, playing board games, and going on trips. My business is my passion and a huge part of my life, so naturally, I want to share this big part of me with my family. As my business grows, I’ve realized that I can’t handle everything by myself and need to delegate more tasks.

I’m fortunate to have four amazing men in my family—my husband and three sons—who are smart, strong, and incredibly supportive. They help me a lot, especially with setting up my booth for various shows and markets. I constantly ask for their input on designs and other aspects of my business. My husband handles the legal side of things, which is a huge help.

As I expand my market presence and apply to more shows, sometimes even multiple markets at once, my eldest son has begun helping me by covering some locations. I’ve trained him on my products, how to communicate with customers, and how to handle payments. We’ve just started working together in this way, so we’ll see how it goes. Maybe one day I’ll hire him on a regular basis.

It’s also essential to have practical, everyday support so I have the time and space to focus on my business. My family helps a lot with cooking, driving, and taking care of the younger kids.

Most importantly, their belief in me and my business is invaluable. Their moral support means the world to me. Whenever I’m preparing for a market, I often hear their parting words: “Go and bring home a million!”

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My journey began in childhood; I was never indifferent to shiny little things. I collected tiny treasures and carefully kept them. Later, I began exploring bead weaving. I remain passionate about beads and truly love the process of beadwork.

My wireworking adventure started in Hawaii, where I was inspired by a local artist and the Hawaiian vibes. With my kids, we collected shells, sea glass, pebbles, and corals from the beaches of Hawaii. When we returned home, I began incorporating these treasures into my wirework. I learned a lot about working with wire through YouTube tutorials. Since then, my designs have undergone a significant transformation, evolving in style, techniques, and overall design.

I’ve developed a unique style characterized by minimalist designs crafted from gold-filled and sterling silver wire, adorned with natural gemstones, pearls, and crystals.

Abstract art has also been a major source of inspiration for me. Like abstract artists, I use textures, colors, and lines to express my emotions. My fresh styles and jewelry designs draw inspiration from the Pacific Northwest, combined with the refined taste, style, and mindset of Europe, my place of origin.

Through my work, I aim to forge genuine, personal connections. I position myself as a personal jewelry designer, focusing on aspects such as personal color type, facial features, body consultation, preferred wardrobe colors, personal history, values, and psycho-emotional needs, while selecting stones tailored to individual personalities.

I continuously draw inspiration from the nature and beauty of the Pacific Northwest, blending this fresh style with the European spirit of taste, style, and mentality where I come from.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

My business is currently at a stage where I’m exploring different shows and markets to make sales in person. This has been a big advantage for me, as it allows me to travel and meet new people. For now, it’s a great way to grow my customer base. People get to know me personally, we have meaningful conversations, share laughter, and build connections.

This personal interaction is the best way to build trust in both my business and my products. Especially in my niche, which is highly saturated, making it difficult for customers to decide which brand to choose. People prefer something special, meaningful, and deeply personal—something that tells a story.

Can you talk to us about manufacturing? How’d you figure it all out? We’d love to hear the story.

Throughout my life, I have been drawn to tiny, shiny things. As I recall from my early childhood, I collected various types of glass, beads, and stones—anything that sparkled. I used these treasures to decorate a small aquarium filled with snails and incorporated them into my Barbie outfits. I have always loved working with my hands, starting with knitting, cross-stitching, and sewing clothes for my toys. A little later, I began making simple beadwork, such as bracelets.

Growing up in Ukraine, where craft materials were hard to come by, I adapted whatever I could find—wire, buttons, paper, paper clips, and pins—to create my projects. This fostered dexterity in my hands and sparked my imagination. When I moved to the United States, I was amazed by the variety of craft materials available. I experimented with different crafts, but eventually, I found my passion in making jewelry, particularly with seed beads.

To develop my skills, I challenged myself with complex designs and combined different techniques. I studied specialized magazines and explored the internet for inspiration. To improve my wire-working skills, I watched countless YouTube tutorials and practiced with various types of wire and beads. Over time, my designs evolved significantly, and I can now see the clear difference between my earlier works and my current creations. I have learned many tricks, fine details of the process, and gained an understanding of the properties of metals and stones. This journey has helped me refine my designs and approach.

I have developed a unique style characterized by minimalist designs crafted from gold-filled and sterling silver wire, adorned with natural gemstones, pearls, and crystals.

Abstract art has been a significant source of inspiration for me. Like abstract artists, I use textures, colors, and lines to express my emotions. Since I don’t solder jewelry, I am constantly searching for the most interesting and unusual shapes, focusing on exploring natural textures and forms.

For now, I create all my jewelry by hand, but I am starting to consider finding someone to collaborate with—someone I can teach and share my secrets with. Creating handmade products is a big responsibility. You need to trust your hands, your skills, and the creative process. Each piece is unique, crafted with care, blessings, and kind thoughts.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://yanayaart.etsy.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yanayaart?igsh=enR4aHJvdHd6bXZ0&utm_source=qr
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yanayaart?mibextid=LQQJ4d
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@yanayaart?si=5vwIa9y_L-4HVKqq

Image Credits

Valerie Lisuk