We recently connected with Catherine Gross and have shared our conversation below.

Catherine , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

For over half of my life, I’ve created jewelry with the idea no other person would own the exact same piece. My passion for jewelry making came at an early age, along with a fondness of “rocks”, which manifested into a hefty collection of handmade earrings and gemstones.

Upon discovering information about the metaphysical properties gemstones are believed to hold, I’ve since made it my mission to create one of a kind, wire wrapped gemstone jewelry to aid those on the path of self exploration, healing, and purpose by infusing soul-filled intentions, love, and a little bit of magic into each piece. All of my jewelry is inspired by nature, all things magical, and created to Make You Feel ‘Soul’ Again.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I will never forget the day when I was was introduced to the craft of jewelry making. I was just 13 years old. My best friend at the time, Ellen, and I were sitting in her room when her Mom, Shannon, walked in with a small bag from a local craft store. She excitedly told us she had bought a few materials for us to make earrings— the bag was filled with a small assortment of glass beads, along with the hardware for assembly. I chose white and purple beads and began creating; from there I was completely hooked.

I vividly remember riding my bike to various stores around my hometown here in Owensboro, KY to find supplies and view their assortments of jewelry for creative inspiration. Before I knew it, I had created over 50 pairs of earrings, a few necklaces, and bracelets, along with gifts for friends. Creating jewelry became a part of me, and those I was close to took note; though, I had chosen not to sell my jewelry at that time.

Some years went by and my desire to create jewelry had diminished, not due to anything in particular aside from learning how to maneuver through life as a young adult.

There is a part of my story that I hope to one day share, but I will say that my entire life was flipped upside down 2016-2017, and as fate would have it, brought me back to the craft of jewelry making. At the time, choker necklaces were all the rage and I tried my hand at making a few. I worked at a local steakhouse and would wear them during my shifts. Much to my surprise, several of my coworkers took notice and asked me to create necklaces for them, thus leading to my very first jewelry sales.

With motivation at hand and the desire to expand upon my craft, I took a deep dive into learning the art of wire wrapping, along with the metaphysical properties of crystals; which was yet another nod at what I enjoyed so much as a child… collecting crystals. The use of primitive tools (such as pliers), crystals, and metals to create tiny, intricate works of wearable art fascinated me. It felt as if I had honed back in on what I enjoyed so much about making jewelry as a young teen— the fact that each piece was handcrafted, truly one of a kind, and held meaning.

In November 2017, “Built to Roam Designs” was born and my Etsy Shop had officially opened. For two years I worked simultaneously as a bartender and jewelry designer. Many of my weekends were spent vending at various craft fairs and festivals within the tri-state area while I tended bar during the week. Within this time, I began a healing journey of my own and began exploring what it was I truly wanted to achieve within my life.

In 2019 I left the restaurant industry to pursue my passion as a full time wire wrap artist and fulfill my mission to create one of a kind, wire wrapped gemstone jewelry to aid those on the path of self exploration, healing, and purpose.

While there have been challenges, obstacles, and adjustments throughout these past few years, there have been just as many successes to celebrate. I love creating collections with meaning, purpose, and the message of healing through joy.

Jewelry becomes a part of us— wedding bands, for example. Wearing jewelry is a way of symbolically telling the world who it is you are as an individual. It tells a story. It holds meaning. I enjoy playing with visually interesting shapes, colors, and structures within the pieces I create. I want to invoke a feeling within those pieces, only to be fully interpreted by the viewer, or wearer. I want people to look at my jewelry and automatically know it’s a “Built to Roam Designs” piece. Most of all, I want people to know they’re made with a lot love and a little bit of magic.

9 times out of 10 I don’t have a design plan when creating jewelry— each piece is intuitively crafted, and a part of me knows it’s being made specifically for someone who will resonate with the message it holds. I always look forward to the day when I get the chance to meet, or speak with the people whom my pieces were created for. The same thought crosses my mind each time; “I’m so happy to know this piece was created for you.”

We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.

Finding a passion for jewelry making again after a multi-year hiatus was one of the biggest surprises of my life, which lead to another one of the biggest surprises of my life— the fact that people wanted to buy what I was creating without prompting.

Selling jewelry began with my co-workers at the steakhouse where I was working at the time and gradually word got around to my bar guests, many of whom eventually bought pieces from me, too. I found it interesting that I was being approached and asked to create custom pieces, or bring my pre-made jewelry into work for my coworkers to look through. There were several days where I would completely sell out of my inventory.

Within this time, I was contacted by the owner of an artisan coffee shop that was in the midst of opening here in town; and much to my surprise again, was asked to sell some of my jewelry through their shop. It was in this moment that I realized my side hustle was growing and becoming a full time jewelry artisan was a potential reality— up until that point, it seemed more like a pipe dream.

A few months later I was contacted by a friend’s mother who was looking for vendors for a small shopping event at a local nursing home. I had never thought about vending at the time, but the event seemed small and easy to manage, so I signed up. It was this event that really got the ball rolling for me— I made my first “big” jewelry sale, which also made me realize how much I enjoy meeting the people whom my pieces were made for, thus leading me to sign up for larger vending events, including the Reid’s Orchard Apple Festival and ROMP Bluegrass Festival here in Owensboro.

Within this time, and after A LOT of encouragement from friends, family, and strangers alike, my Etsy Shop was officially opened, with only a slight expectation that it would do well— once again, I was surprised. I couldn’t believe that people I didn’t know wanted to buy my jewelry via an online platform…. but they did. This was the moment that I knew for sure that I could indeed fulfill my dream to become a full time jewelry artisan. A mere two years later, it became a reality.

I just celebrated the 5 year anniversary of Built to Roam Designs! It’s wild to think back on how I started vs. how my business operates today. Scaling has required a lot of trial and error, learning, finding my rhythm, and discipline— A LOT of discipline. The truth is though, the only reason I’m where I am today is due to the encouragement and support of those around me, and genuine selfless help from friends during vending events over the years, and still to this day. I’m forever grateful.

How did you build your audience on social media?

It wasn’t until relatively recently that I decided to take charge and begin growing my presence on social media. I realized that the narrative I had held onto about “not caring” about social media wasn’t going to allow my business to grow. Though the thought of showing my face more, learning how to make quality content, captivating captions, and stories seemed daunting, taking a deep dive into learning these things was necessary to grow my business and share my message.

Funny enough, a hobby of mine in high school was filming and compiling short videos, most of which were from events, or trips I wanted to commemorate and share with friends and family. Mind you, this was before the days of video content, so having the ability to take previous knowledge and implement it into a current video content strategy really helped to up my game. My following has grown 6 fold over the past year and I’m really proud of that— it excites me to know others want to join me on this journey!

The best advice I have for those out there looking to grow their business by gaining a following is 1. Don’t worry about being perfect, 2. Don’t fret over algorithm changes, 3. Be consistent, 4. Figure out your target audience, and 5. Be YOU!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.Etsy.com/shop/BuiltToRoamDesigns
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/BuiltToRoamDesigns
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/BuiltToRoamDesigns
• Other: Pinterest: www.Pinterest.com/BuiltToRoamDesigns