We recently connected with Kathy Hunting and have shared our conversation below.

Kathy, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your business sooner or later

I lost yet another earring, which inspired Act II of my career. My partner said, “You should learn to make earrings because you’re always losing one.” I agreed I would probably enjoy that, and he surprised me a few months later with a gift certificate for a workshop at my local bead shop. I came home from the lesson obsessed with beading. Soon after that, I discovered polymer clay. At the time I was in my fifties.

A couple of years later, I retired from my career in public health and moved from the D.C. area to northern California. By then I was playing around with various polymer clay bead-making techniques and was on a steep learning curve. I was evolving from the gifting-jewelry-to-friends-stage to the beginning-to-sell-my-creations stage. Post-retirement was the perfect time to start my small business; I had the space to create. I named my company Early Bird Beads. A friend painted my logo of a robin pulling a string of beads from the earth, and I was off.

It was a unlikely transition for me — a highly analytical, left-brained thinker. I was untrained in the arts, though crafty. I let my creative side emerge, and discovered I loved playing with color and form. I had time to be in nature and I took inspiration from it. I also enjoyed figuring out new techniques, and systematically perfecting them. I guess there was a role for my left brain, after all.

The ins and outs of running a small business were also challenging. It took more than a few disappointing craft fairs before I learned where and how to find success with sales. It helped, too, that the quality of my work improved with practice. Forming community with other artists also helped to boost my confidence; they gave me feedback on everything from pricing my pieces to creating attractive displays. When I was in Act I of my career, I would not have had the mental energy to make a go of something new on the side. It’s rewarding to be a maker, and I’m grateful it’s my Second Act.

Kathy, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I make polymer clay and beaded jewelry — primarily earrings, bracelets, and necklaces. I began making jewelry about fifteen years ago, and shortly thereafter discovered the challenge and adventure of working with polymer clay. Hand-formed polymer clay beads are the focus of my pieces. Each bead is unique, and I complement them with glass, semi-precious stones, leather, and metal. Visitors often remark on the vibrant colors and interesting designs of my handmade pieces. No two are alike, giving an organic and very personal feel to my jewelry creations.

My sunny studio in beautiful Point Reyes Station overlooks our small orchard, vegetable garden, blooming flowers, and laying hens. Along with the earth and sky, they provide frequent inspiration, as do the many birds that alight nearby. I’ve made several collections with botanical themes, among them calla lilies, California poppy leaf impressions, sculptural Echeveria succulents, and ginkgo leaves.

In addition to showing jewelry through my website, earlybirdbeads.com, I participate in twice-yearly Point Reyes Open Studio tours and a couple of local craft fairs a year. My part-time business suits my busy post-retirement lifestyle, in which I grow most of my own produce, tend to a mostly-native landscape that I hope the deer will not devour, and volunteer with a number of community organizations.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I live in Point Reyes Station. This small, rural town is the gateway to the Point Reyes National Seashore, which gets more than two million visitors per year. Our local artists sponsor two Open Studios tours per year. I love hosting my Open Studio. Locals and visitors alike stop in not just to shop, but to meet the artists and see where we get our inspiration and how we create our work. Talking with the artist, hearing the stories of our work, and then taking home something hand-crafted creates a personal connection. Many visitors have returned over the years. They are always curious to hear the story behind a new collection.

One such story concerns my Sandpiper collection. It goes like this: One spring day, I was walking on Limantour Beach with a friend. The sandpipers were scurrying about and, because the tide was very low, their footprints were everywhere. I was entranced by them, and said to my friend, “I have to capture those footprints on beads!”

It took considerable experimenting to turn that inspiration into two-tone beads. On one side of each bead, I used translucent jade clay which spoke to me of both the ocean and beach glass. On the other side, I pressed coarse sandpaper into tan clay to roughen the surface, then set about attempting to make bird track impressions. Everything I tried, failed. Finally, I succeeded by pressing each toe-print by hand with a needle dipped in alcohol ink. Dip, press; dip, press; dip, press to make each tiny footprint.

When a visitor shows an interest in my Sandpiper earrings, I tell the story, which reveals my artistic process as well as a connection to a beautiful place — Point Reyes National Seashore.

So, in addition to my artisan-quality jewelry and one-of-a-kind handmade beads, I think one more factor helped build my reputation: jewelry that connects wearers to their love of this place.

How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?

Before I started my business, I started showing my jewelry to friends. If they liked something I would just give it to them. One of my wise friends advised with a smile, “You’re shouldn’t give your jewelry away, but you can offer us discounts if you’d like.” My friends and family discount was born of that conversation, and I continue to offer it to foster loyalty. It’s just 10%, a little more than enough to cover sales tax. But it feels like a special kindness to the recipient.

I keep a customer email list and let them know when my shows are coming up. Between shows, a friend might reach out when she wants something new for herself, but more likely she’s wanting a gift for a family member. In a small town like ours, it’s a delight to run into customers wearing my jewelry. They are my free advertising!

When I’m out and about, I like to show off my pieces. I often pick my jewelry first and then choose what I’ll wear to go with it. If someone compliments me on my jewelry, I thank them and let them know I made the beads by hand. Then I hand them my business card and invite them to my next Open Studio.

From time to time, I hear from friends who need small jewelry repairs. I’m always happy to spend a half-hour in my sunny studio chatting with a friend while I replace her broken necklace clasp or put her earring back together.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.earlybirdbeads.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kathyhunting/

Image Credits

Jeff Deitchman