We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Dani Ortiz. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Dani below.
Hi Dani, thanks for joining us today. One of the things we most admire about small businesses is their ability to diverge from the corporate/industry standard. Is there something that you or your brand do that differs from the industry standard? We’d love to hear about it as well as any stories you might have that illustrate how or why this difference matters.
Mainly being a self-taught jeweler, I use non-traditional methods and materials. mainly, I use billiard balls in my artwork in lieu of traditional stones. I find that this allows me to use more of the material for a more unique piece and less waste.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
MY NAME IS DANI ORTIZ, AND I AM THE TWO HANDS THAT MAKE SAGE SILVER JEWELRY. I’M A SELF-TAUGHT METALSMITH, BEGINNING IN 2012 AS A SINGLE MOM LOOKING FOR ADDITIONAL INCOME AND AN ARTISTIC OUTLET.
SINCE STARTING MY BUSINESS INM 2014, I HAVE BEEN CREATING UNIQUE, SMALL BATCH COLLECTIONS OF ONE-OF-A KIND PIECES MADE COMPLETELY BY HAND FROM START TO FINISH.
MY PIECES ARE CRAFTED USING ONLY .999 FINE SILVER AND .925 STERLING SILVER AND FEATURE STONES AND UNIQUE, NON-TRADITIONAL MATERIALS I CUT BY HAND AS A LAPADARY ARTIST.
I PREFER TO USE UNIQUE AND NON-TRADITIONAL MATERIALS TO CREATE MY PIECES SUCH AS HAND-CUT BILLIARD BALLS AND UP-CYCLED BILLIARD BALL SCRAPS I MAKE INTO COMPOSITE MATERIAL; ROSARITA, A MATERIAL; CREATED FROM REMNANTS FROM GLASS MAKING; VINTAGE AND ANTIQUE DICE; AND MANY OTHER TRADITIONAL STONES AND GEMS SUCH AS TURQUOISE, ONYX, OPAL, CORAL AND MORE.
I AM COMPLETELY SELF-TAUGHT AND OPERATE AS A ONE-WOMAN SHOW. EACH ITEM IS UNIQUE AND HAND MADE WITH LOVE. I LIVE IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA WITH MY HUSBAND, TWO DAUGHTERS AND VERY ORNERY WEENIE DOG SCOOTER.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
WELL, STARTING AS A SMALL HOBBYIST AND GROWING INTO A BUSINESS DOING A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF GROSS SALES PER YEAR WAS A STEEEEEEEP LEARNING CURVE. TAXES, PAYROLL, QUARTERLIES, BOOKKEEPING… I COULD WRITE A NOVEL ABOUT ALL THE THINGS I DIDN’T KNOW. IT COST A LOT. BUT HIRING GOOD HELP AND SURROUNDING MYSELF WITH PEOPLE WHO HELP ME WITH ALL THE THINGS I CAN’T DO ALLOWS ME TO FOCUS ON MY ARTWORK!
How did you build your audience on social media?
I WAS FORTUNATE TO JOIN INSTAGRAM IN ITS INFANCY. THERE WERE MAYBE A HANDFUL OF SILVERSMITHS ON THERE… SO I BUILT A LARGE FOLLOWING QUICKLY. BUT LARGE NUMBERS AREN’T NECESSARILY A GOOD THING. ENGAGEMENT AND KEEPING IN TOUCH WITH YOUR CUSTOMERS, BEING AND SHARING YOURSELF (LIKE YOUR LIFE!) IS SO HELPFUL AND I THINK ALLOWS PEOPLE TO REALLY CONNECT WITH YOU AND YOUR BRAND.
Contact Info:
- Website: SAGESILVERJEWELRY.COM
- Instagram: SAGE_SILVER