We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Elizabeth Barbour. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Elizabeth below.
Elizabeth, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you share an important lesson you learned in a prior job that’s helped you in your career afterwards?
I had a life & business coaching company for two decades before I started my jewelry line last year. I’ve learned that you must experiment with a lot of different things to find the sweet spot. When I was a newbie coach, I used to feel like a failure if only a few people showed up to a talk I was giving or if a class I offered wasn’t well received. But then I’d deliver a group coaching program that transformed the lives of all of the participants or I’d help an individual client have a major breakthrough and I realized that I was really great at what I did. With jewelry, it’s the same. I may design a piece and think it’s the perfect bracelet, but it doesn’t sell well. And then other items that I thought were just OK sell like hotcakes! Success isn’t a straight line and you have to keep thinking out of the box, trying new things and be willing to experiment to find the real market homeruns!
Elizabeth, 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 never imagined that I would become a jewelry designer! And yet, my very first job at age 16 was working in a jewelry store in my hometown of Ridgefield, Connecticut. I engraved jewelry, sold Rolex watches, designed the holiday window displays and learned basic bookkeeping. I especially loved helping people find the perfect gift for their loved ones! Sacred Celebrations inspires people to create more meaning and magic in their daily lives. With our custom gift boxes, intentional jewelry and inspirational books we encourage people everywhere to design celebrations and rituals to invite more joy and delight, strengthen our self-care, deepen our spirituality, create intentional community and celebrate the joy of being alive!
With the gift line at Sacred Celebrations, I’m doing the same thing that I did in my first job at age 16. – helping people express their love through gift giving. Our jewelry is made from Czech glass beads and semi-precious gemstones that all have different metaphysical healing properties. You can feel the magic and intention that is part of every bracelet when you wear it. The dragonfly is my spiritual totem and business logo and it symbolizes transformation and resilience. It’s my most popular seller!
Our custom gift boxes are carefully curated by me including several items from North Carolina artisans that I trust. Right now we offer a House Blessing Ritual Kit, a Gratitude in Action Ritual Kit and a Smart Self-Care for Busy Women Ritual Kit. In the future, we’ll have boxes for babies, birthdays, weddings, grief & loss, divorce and more. They’re unique because they’re an experiential gift. It’s not just “stuff”, there’s guidance on how to design a ritual. Clients tell me they LOVE both giving and receiving them as gifts!
Now based in Asheville, North Carolina, I’ve been an intuitive life & business coach for 22 years. I attended William & Mary for undergrad and earned my master’s in counseling from the University of Delaware. I worked in higher education administration for a decade until I discovered coaching and I’ve been all in ever since. Starting the gift line with Sacred Celebrations has become a way for me to express my creativity and spirituality in tangible form.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
Sacred Celebrations jewelry is hand-crafted to impart meaning, magic and memories. Rooted in the belief that we need to celebrate and reflect on life’s milestones, we believe jewelry can inspire wearers to connect more deeply to themselves, others and spirit. Just like brushing your teeth or making your bed, we want the simple act of self-adornment to become an essential part of your daily ritual. Selecting one of our bracelets each morning is an act of self-love and empowers our customers to enter the world with more balance, mindfulness and joy.
In addition, we are craving connection with ourselves, with our communities and with spirit. My love language (thanks to Gary Chapman’s Five Love Languages book!) is giving and receiving gifts. When we choose a gift with thought and intention, we are expressing our love and telling someone “I see you”. Giving a new mom a moonstone bracelet encourages her on her journey of new beginnings. Someone with a cancer diagnosis might love receiving a rose quartz bracelet to remind them of how loved they are. If a friend has recently started a business, green aventurine is excellent for inviting in abundance and prosperity! My mission is to help people give gifts that bring more meaning and magic to our every day lives!
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
The delight I hear from the customers who wear my jewelry. I often hear “I never take mine off” or “I can’t wait to buy another one!” One of my best customers has bought about a dozen bracelets. They sit in a little tray on her dresser and every morning, she closes her eyes, says a prayer and asks God to guide her to the bracelets she most needs that day. Then she chooses two! Every time I see her, she’s wearing a different combination! I love combining bling + spirituality. I also love when people have a shared experience of my jewelry. A retreat leader recently purchased bracelets for every member of her women’s networking retreat event and gave everyone one as a gift and remembrance of their time together. They were thrilled with the thoughtfulness that went into choosing their talisman.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.sacredcelebrations.com
- Instagram: sacredcelebrationsgifts
- Facebook: sacredcelebrationsgifts
Image Credits
Wendy Jade Photography