We recently connected with Elizabeth Anne and have shared our conversation below.

Elizabeth, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

Goldsmithing definitely isn’t something I learned overnight! I formally apprenticed under a master Goldsmith for about 6 years, absorbing every word and learning everything that I could. I’m currently attending GIA (Gemological Institute of America) to become a Graduate Gemologist. The biggest challenge has definitely been my gender and my age, as I started in this career at 15 years old. Believe it or not, the fine jewelry industry is predominantly male. Sure, there are plenty of female jewelry designers, but very few actually physically make what they design. When I was working for other fine jewelry companies, I was constantly having to prove myself to my fellow male coworkers that I actually knew what I was doing. Most of them were double or even triple my age. But let me tell you, I feel like I learned more from them than I did during my entire formal apprenticeship, and I’m so grateful for it.

Elizabeth, 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?

Exodus Goldsmiths is a woman-owned business in an industry that is predominantly run by males. We’re hoping to help change that. While the fine jewelry industry itself has advanced greatly in regards to technology and innovation over the past 100 years, there is a lack of representation by the clients it predominantly serves: women. At Exodus Goldsmiths, we believe that sustainability, transparency, and craftsmanship are of the highest importance. The actual art of jewelry making is nearly lost. Gold-plated, hollow, cheaply made jewelry is the new norm. We create art, but we also help our clients design high-quality heirlooms that they will pass on from generation to generation—pieces that last the test of time. We use only recycled precious metals, and responsibly sourced gemstones, diamonds, and pearls. Our clients deserve to be informed, educated, and be at peace knowing that not only will their piece last for generations, but that the materials used to craft it are eco-friendly and human-rights friendly.

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

Social media marketing is an absolute MUST these days. Building up that solid audience is one of the most difficult things for smaller businesses. When we first launched our e-commerce website, we knew that an Instagram and a Facebook page would have to closely follow.

Two apps that are absolute lifesavers for our social media marketing are PLANOLY and CANVA. Planoly is basically an automated post scheduling app where you can upload photos with captions, and then schedule them to post on specific dates at specific times. It really helps relieve a lot of stress to do this once at the beginning of the month, and have the app do the rest of the work for you, instead of trying to do it every day.
Canva is amazing for DIY graphic design. It is especially great because no matter what you design, if you use their templates it will always look like you know what you’re doing. Even if you don’t. You can even design your own logo, business cards, and stickers!

One word. Hashtags. They may seem annoying and cliché when you see them at the bottom of a post, but it’s a major part of reaching your target audience. The #hashtags are little keywords that people “follow” on their Instagram or Facebook accounts when they want to view more of that specific hashtag title. For example, if a person is looking at engagement rings on Instagram, the algorithm on the app will show them more and more of that topic on their account. So when you use hashtags associated with “engagement ring”, you’re more likely to show up on their page. Posting at least two times a week is extremely important with the app’s algorithm as well. It shows that you’re active on the app and will expose your account to new potential followers and clients.

One thing to note is that Instagram is brutal and unforgiving to small businesses. We had a major following on the app for years, with hundreds of carefully curated posts and stories. One day last October we got a notification that our account was PERMANENTLY SUSPENDED. After hundreds of emails trying to get this issue resolved, we had to throw in the towel and make a brand new Instagram AND Facebook account , since they’re both owned and operated by the same company. This was a major set back for our social media presence, but we are working hard to get back to where we were!

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

When making engagement rings, the focus weighs so heavily on the woman’s response when she gets proposed to. After-all, she’s the one that will be wearing it for the rest of her life! Unfortunately, I’m never present when the ring gets revealed to her, and I don’t get to see her initial reaction. No one really thinks twice about the man’s perspective or thought process when it comes to the design or purchasing of the ring. But for me, the best part is when he opens the box for the first time and sees the ring. It’s the last step of the project for me, and I get to see that all of the hard work was worth it. You would be so surprised by how many men get teary eyed when they open up that box! I was told once by a client that he felt like he was seeing a physical manifestation of his love for their soon to be spouse. And that’s stuck with me for years. I joke around and say “If he doesn’t cry when he sees it, then I didn’t do my job well enough!”.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.exodusgoldsmiths.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/exodusgoldsmiths.official/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/exodusgoldsmiths.official/

Image Credits
Cali Cho Photography (Engagement/Couple photo)