We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Anna Fodor a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Anna, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to go back in time and hear the story of how you came up with the name of your brand?

I grew up visiting my grandparents home in Baja, Mexico, where I would wake up at sunrise to collect shells on the beach. The name *Intertidal Jewelry* comes from the intertidal zone—the area of the shore where the land meets the ocean, shaped by the ebb and flow of the tides. This space, always in transition, reflects the natural beauty and constant movement that inspires my work, and each piece of jewelry is a tribute to that timeless connection.

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’m Anna—22 years old and from Southern California. Growing up, I spent a lot of time in Baja, Mexico, in some of the most secluded areas, which sparked my love for creative hobbies. One summer, my mom happened to have some jewelry-making tools, and I decided to try my hand at it. I used the shells I had collected that morning (as I did every day) and wire-wrapped a few earrings and necklaces. I was hooked!

What started as a fun hobby in high school quickly turned into a passion. I began selling my creations here and there, but it wasn’t until after high school that I discovered high-quality materials like gold-filled and sterling silver pieces. I incorporate a lot of natural elements in my designs—abalone, freshwater pearls, colored beads, and, of course, shells I personally handpick from my favorite beaches in Baja.

Every piece you see from Intertidal Jewelry is designed and hand-wrapped by me. I specialize in gold-filled necklaces, earrings, and bracelets, but I also create a select few sterling silver pieces for my silver lovers. My designs are deeply inspired by the coast, and many of the materials I use come straight from the sea.

What keeps my customers coming back is the quality. I make sure each piece is durable enough to wear in the ocean, in the shower, or while you sweat, and it won’t tarnish as long as you care for it. When I first discovered quality materials, I knew I could only feel good about sharing my creations if they were pieces you could keep and love for years to come.

I’m also proud to say that if you ever have questions about your jewelry or need a repair, you can always reach out to me directly via DM on Instagram @intertidaljewelry. I love connecting with my customers and ensuring their jewelry stays in perfect condition.

It makes me so happy to know that my jewelry can make someone feel a little more styled—or as some of you have told me—”feel prettier.” While my business may still be small, it’s grown in ways I never imagined, and I’m truly grateful for every step of the journey.

I want to take a moment to thank every single follower on Instagram. Whether you’ve purchased or just followed, your support means the world to me. If you can share our page with a friend, I would be so grateful. Thank you for being part of this adventure!

Can you share one of your favorite marketing or sales stories?

In the early summer of this year (2024) I decided to host a market which I call The Backyard Market. I invited other vendors to join to make it a bigger event and invite many people to. All business owners who have done markets know that they are super hit or miss so it’s hard to know whether or not the market will have been worth it or not. I did NOT want to be that host where the vendors thought it was not worth joining so I went above and beyond to get a love of people to come.

The turnout was amazing! Of course I invited most of the people so I ended up making the most I ever had at a market and it was only 4 hours long. I made almost the same amount as I did when I sold my first home (I am also a Realtor in Orange County), crazy! The reason I put emphasis on this is that small business owners or people who tend to sell at these markets just post maybe a couple stories of the flyer but they should really reach out to people by text, call and make engaging reels or posts to get more people to come. It helps mostly yourself because they come intentionally to see you but it also helps your fellow vendors get sales as well.

How’d you think through whether to sell directly on your own site or through a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc.

I recently created my website and am working hard to create lots of new pieces to upload in a soon to come drop. Expect it in the next couple of weeks.

Before then since 2023, I have sold primarily through instagram DMs. Followers will typically send me screenshots of pieces they like and I let them know if I have it or not and if not I will make it for them or we will make a custom. I have made almost 100 custom pieces in the last year and have sold over 200 or 300 pieces that are pre-made to order. If you don’t see what you want on the website just DM me styles you do like!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.intertidaljewelry.com
• Instagram: @IntertidalJewelry