We were lucky to catch up with Sally Bass recently and have shared our conversation below.

Sally, appreciate you joining us today. Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?

I started out making jewelry over 30 years ago. I started out smaller, and worked my way up into more ambitious and creative endeavors. I am now very fortunate to be in the position to earn a full time living from my jewelry. My work has been on runways, and on television shows. I feel like I am constantly learning, as the world evolves around us constantly in terms of how business works. I never thought I would have as much of a social media presence as I do, but it was necessary and is now an important part of my brand.

Sally, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I was travelling around the world with a backpack, and I figured I could pick up some wonderful artifacts and make some jewelry along my travels. I started making earrings and pins at first, and that developed into me making necklaces, bracelets, and eventully rings. Something that has set me apart from other jewelers is my very ecclectic, unique, bold style. I translate all that into my jewelry, and make one of a kind showstoppers that you will never find anywhere else. I also provide beautiful clip earrings for women who otherwise would be unable to adorn their ears. I have heard numerous times over the years many compliments for that, earning the nickname of “The Clip Queen.” I myself do not have pierced ears either, which is part of why I am so happy to make such fun clip earrings. I am so proud of myself for being able to stay true to my artistic vision, despite it not always being easy. When people buy a Sally Bass piece, I want them to know that they are getting a truly unique, one of a kind, piece that was carefully created with intention and wholehearted love for each piece.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

People ask about pivoting directions in the business, and I think it’s a constant process. You have to have a willingness to change and go down other paths, or you will struggle to maintain any growth. That being said, I was so resistant to social media. I had started and I disliked everything about it, and everything about it was as struggle! However, I learnt to embrace it. Now it is a critical part of my business! I have also learnt to have fun with it. I post constantly on my instagram @sallybassjewelry and I truly enjoy it now.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

I built my following slowly, but consistently. The best way I can phrase it, is that I built it by “turning up”. Posting videos and photos of my work regularly really helped my following grow. I also took advantages of any opportunities to showcase my brand. Something I started doing over the last two years, almost three, was doing weekly videos that gave my customers a chance to see fresh products, to stay in touch with me, and just check in. Now they look forward to seeing my Lives/Videos each week. My advice to anyone starting out is to post as much as you can, as regularly as you can. Take feedback, and learn from what works and what doesn’t.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://sallybass.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sallybassjewelry/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesallybass
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheSallyBass

Image Credits
Susie Lang Sally Bass