Today we’d like to introduce you to Brenda McDermott.
For folks who may not have read about you before, can you please tell our readers about yourself, how you got into your industry / business / discipline / craft etc, what type of products/services/creative works you provide, what problems you solve for your clients and/or what you think sets you apart from others. What are you most proud of and what are the main things you want potential clients/followers/fans to know about you/your brand/your work/ etc.
I’m Brenda McDermott, owner of Rei of Light Jewelry, and I design beautiful intentional jewelry, jewelry that speaks to your soul. Before I discovered my personal soul’s purpose, I spent the first part of my working life in the corporate world. When I realized my deepest passion was in helping people, I left that world behind to devote myself to health, wellness, and the healing arts. Now, I draw on that background as I devote myself to working as an artist and teaching people ways to reach their highest potential.
From a young age, I had been interested in designing jewelry. I would make it and sell it at Farmer’s Markets or to friends that loved it, but being mainly self-taught up until then, it just felt like a hobby. Years later, I began taking jewelry designing classes to learn new skills and techniques. I loved everything about making jewelry–the process from inception to completion, the creative outlet that designing provides, learning new techniques, and experiencing satisfaction when a fabulous piece emerges. As my skill grew, I began to realize I had a gift I could not deny.
Every day for me is exciting as I create jewelry that draws on the powers of natural stones and crystals. The jewelry I create is more than just pretty accessories. It is wearable art that speaks to your spirit, that heals, that inspires passion. My designs emanate from a perfect blend of a desire to positively impact the lives of others with a passion for unique and beautiful healing jewelry.
From dainty to dramatic, my original designs offer a luxurious collection of crystal necklaces, earrings, bracelets, unique bohemian designs, and cancer healing jewelry for both men and women. My designs are meant to wear with your jeans and sneaks or out to a fancy dinner, to yoga or pickleball or for happy hour with friends. Dressed up or down, they are the perfect accessory for anytime or anywhere.
Rei of Light Jewelry touches people on two levels. First, it is genuine artistry that appeals to anyone who loves beautiful jewelry. But on a deeper, more spiritual level, each piece is individually crafted to resonate with the customer who needs what that piece has to offer, to enhance self-expression, and to empower its owner.
As an artist, creating jewelry is intensely personal for me. Through my understanding of the power of crystals and gems, the stones used in my creations give meaning to every piece beyond its inherent beauty. There is a connection with my customers there, not just “one and done.”
After carefully considering the properties of each stone and reflecting on its meaning, I give my creations a unique name to give them life for the wearer. My hope is that my jewelry will connect others to the healing properties of the natural world and awaken a sense of their own inner strength and beauty.
Rei of Light Jewelry designs are infused with a powerful healing essence. While the stones I use can offer healing for many different conditions, helping those dealing with cancer holds a special place in my heart. Using specific crystals and gemstones for support in healing cancer, many of my Rei of Light pieces are custom designed for those who are searching for ways to ease their journey from a cancer diagnosis back to health. I take those orders very seriously. Not all of those customers survive, but I take comfort in knowing I may have helped ease their journey.
Because each unique piece reflects a personal connection to my customers, I am deeply committed to providing unparalleled service. As one recent customer told me in her review, “She offered to actually hand-deliver the piece to the hotel concierge so that it would be there for me when I checked in. If that isn’t 5-star (maybe even ten-star service!) I don’t know what is! But more so than that, Brenda has a dedication to her craft and strong, helpful relationships with her clients that is one of a kind.”
Who is your hero and why? What lessons have you learned from them and how have they influenced your journey?
Bridget Korn is my hero; she is a 10-year old cancer survivor and the daughter of my best friend. Bridget was diagnosed with an aggressive form of osteosarcoma at age 6. She endured 16 rounds of chemo, had the lower portion of her leg amputated, and went through 40 weeks of treatment at St. Jude Children’s Hospital. I went to Tennessee to be with my friend, Jamie, and Bridget so I could help after Bridget’s amputation. I was constantly amazed at how she was handling all that she was being put through. The phantom pains that amputees talk about, I watched it happen firsthand. The grueling physical therapy, the time she fell and broke her femur and had to experience so much pain and a major setback in her was heartbreaking. But Bridget was upbeat, and she was and still is unstoppable!
There never has been a “why me” in how Bridget views the cancer, but there has always been a positive outlook and a ton of hard work as she had to learn to walk again, to be a normal kid. Bridget said early on in her treatment that God gave her cancer because she was already helping kids who had cancer (her mom had been doing fundraising for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital through Lifetime Fitness) but now she would know what it felt like so she could help them even more.
What I witnessed in Bridget changed my life. When I think I can’t overcome something or that I’m just going to give up, I think of her and all she has been through and her determination. How could I ever let myself be any less?
Can you share one of your favorite marketing or sales stories – perhaps a time when you took a risk marketing wise or pulled off a sale where the odds were heavily stacked against you. Give us the backstory, paint the picture and help us feel what you felt back then.
As soon as Bridget was diagnosed with cancer, I started to not only think about what it all meant for her and her family but the financial ramifications. I had an idea to design a necklace (I let Bridget choose the name of the piece and she named it Fearless) as a fundraiser and donate all the proceeds to the family. I thought it would maybe raise a few hundred dollars and it would be some way to support her and have people thinking of her and praying for her as they wore the necklace.
I started telling people locally, promoting it on social media and in a newsletter to my customer base. The orders started coming in like mad and from all over the country and then even out of the country. People were ordering the necklace to give to friends, their young kids and for themselves.
Keep in mind that I’m a one woman show, a small business owner. I had my regular daily business to run with many orders coming in from all the designs I create and then suddenly, I was gratefully receiving tons of orders for the Fearless necklace. I would need way more supplies than I had on hand! I needed to buy many strands of the blue chalcedony stone we chose for the necklace (I chose it based on the stone’s meaning) and lots of chain, clasps, packaging material, etc. I got my husband, Chris, on board to help with taping shipping labels on the envelopes and writing thank you notes to each person to include with their order. My art studio had a separate table added just to stack all the envelopes each day to be shipped. We had a regular assembly line going!
I sold hundreds of the Fearless necklace until I just ran out of the stones. I then shifted to a deal of the day piece of jewelry to continue to raise money. In the end, my one-woman company was able to raise and donate $10,000!!!
Interestingly, one day my niece was wearing her Fearless necklace at the dentist, The woman checking her in was wearing the same necklace and commented on it. My niece told her why she was wearing it and the woman told her she was doing the same thing!! Small world.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market and foster brand loyalty?
No matter how big or small, I treat each sale equally, providing the same consistent quality service, care, and attention to detail. Making every effort to create truly unique designs, I translate them into high quality jewelry that is priced so it’s affordable for the general population,
I also take deep pride in really listening to my customers, in giving each individual my personalized attention and providing phenomenal customer service. And I don’t stop once the piece has been delivered. I make it a point to stay in touch with my customers after the sale with email, text, or inclusion in my social media. I especially take time with the cancer pieces and continue to be there after the sale to check in and lend support along the way.
What are you most proud of?
Whenever I hear the words, “Your jewelry have become my ‘go-to’ pieces. It resonated with a need I did not even know I had,” I feel deeply honored and immensely gratified. I am particularly proud of how my jewelry can make a difference in the lives of my customers and of the personal connections that result from that. One client, a cancer patient, wore the custom bracelet I designed for her until she died. Her young daughter inherited that bracelet and now wears it to feel connected to her mother. But even further, she wanted me make another one for her grandmother and now both wear that same bracelet. I know I will always feel connected to those three women.
Contact information:
Website: https://reioflightjewelry.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/reioflightjewelry/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reioflightjewelry/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/brenbythebeach/
Image credits:
Jen Brown- Photography
https://www.instagram.com/ofstardustandearth/
https://www.ofstardustandearth.com/
Alyssa Lucca- Photography
Xandra Mason- model @the.mindful.muse
Child- Bridget Korn @bridgetstrong
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