We recently connected with Patsy Wiswell and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Patsy thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Alright, so you had your idea and then what happened? Can you walk us through the story of how you went from just an idea to executing on the idea
I’ve always been interested in being a maker. Learning needle arts at a young age, I was always the first kid at the craft table at school and camp. This turned into stringing some beads and I was hooked!
The idea of turning a jewelry making hobby into a business lead to unique challenges. We live in a New England town that is known for both its fishing and yachting community. Having spent my life on or near the water was a great design inspiration.
Sourcing, production, marketing, selling – all new to me. I spent a great deal of time googling, sadly, you don’t get paid for that! I was able to take a few classes in silversmithing to get an idea of the terms and processes. Lost Wax Casting revealed itself as the process that would work best for translating my designs into reality. Meeting with manufacturers & touring facilities came next. I was lucky to find great folks along the way who were happy to share their knowledge to bring me along on the production journey.
We narrowed down a few designs and were off to the races. With production sorted, next steps were to find suppliers for the ancillary items needed – jump rings, chains, cord, packaging – all from different sources. Again, we turned to Ms. Google and spent a LOT of time contacting people to see if they were a good fit.
We were ready with the product and took our first pass at a website. We’ve lived through 2 complete re-designs to get where we are now.
Along the way, we participated in many community markets and pop ups to gauge interest in our designs. With positive feedback from our customers, we launched into the wholesale markets over 12 years ago.
We’re now in 40+ fine retail locations and have a robust direct to consumer business.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Patsy Kane | Nautical is a woman-owned boutique jewelry design and manufacturing company rooted in the heart of New England.
What began as a creative endeavor has grown into a brand celebrated for its classic maritime-inspired pieces, crafted from a variety of metals and materials.
We pride ourselves on producing the majority of our products right here in New England, ensuring authenticity and quality in every piece.
It’s our mission to make the experience you have with us, the best possible.
Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?
Happy to share the origin story of our design partner! As friends, we knew that a collaboration would be an authentic way to reach both jewelry lovers and nautical fans.
What happens when a lobster trap maker and a jewelry designer sit down with a cocktail napkin and an idea to work together? The Ketcham Nautical line is born.
Friends Heather, owner of Ketcham Supply Company and Patsy, owner of Patsy Kane | Nautical were looking to merge their talents for design and manufacturing. Ketcham Supply, founded by Heather’s father, commercial lobsterman Bob Ketcham, is the originator of the wire mesh lobster trap. Patsy’s company, Patsy Kane | Nautical offers a line of New England made marine inspired jewelry.
We bring a respect for the process and for the heritage to every product we sell.
What’s been the best source of new clients for you?
Wholesale markets. I do 2 wholesale trade shows every year and am also active on the Faire wholesale platform.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.patsykane.com
- Instagram: @patsykanecompany
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/patsykanecompany
Image Credits
Greta Tucker Photo
Blue Seven Marketing