We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Gina Murphy a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Gina, thanks for joining us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
The idea for my business came about completely by accident; it was a sort of perfect storm of coincidences and circumstances that resulted in a simple but novel idea that – little did I know at the time – would end up completely changing the trajectory of my life. It all started a little over ten years ago, when I was a high school teacher raising three boys as a single mom. One of my favorite pastimes was just going to the beach with my boys. Living so close to the ocean was truly a blessing, as it offered a convenient and inexpensive way to spend time together as a family in a beautiful natural setting that provided hours of fun. Like many people, one of the things we liked to do at the beach was to forage for interesting seashells. I came to really cherish these beach days, as I knew, standing in those moments, that they would be some of the moments I would eventually miss the most. I realized that a good way to preserve these cherished memories was through the seashells. I started dipping the seashells we collected in a clear resin to mimic the effect amber has on flowers and fossils, and was able to successfully preserve the seashells in this way so they wouldn’t chip, break, or degrade over time. Eventually I started shaping the seashells into hearts, which was quite time-consuming and laborious, but in the end, I would have a lovely keepsake that reflected how sentimental it was to me.
It was during this time that a good friend of mine lost her grandmother. She had come back from retrieving her grandmother’s ashes and was holding the urn, talking about how she wished there was a way for her to carry her grandmother’s ashes with her wherever she went, but how it wouldn’t be realistic for her to try to take the urn with her everywhere. It just so happened that I had recently had the idea of turning my seashells into jewelry so that I could wear these tangible reminders of precious memories. I had purchased a blank bezel pendant from a jewelry supplier for this purpose but had so far not been successful with getting the seashell to properly fit in the bezel setting. When my friend presented her problem to me, the gears in my mind immediately started turning. Although I had been unsuccessful with setting a seashell into a pendant, that was something large and rigid and difficult to form into an exact shape, whereas cremated remains could be separated out into different amounts and had a much more fluid quality. She was willing to try my spontaneous idea, and it worked out just as I hoped it would; the ashes became a unique and beautiful center stone of a necklace, and my friend had a discreet and unencumbered way of keeping her grandmother close wherever she went.
Gina, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
My name is Gina Murphy, and I am the founder and owner of Close By Me cremation jewelry. When I first started my business in 2013, I was doing it around my job as a high school teacher. I didn’t have a background in business, nor had I ever envisioned myself owning my own business or in any way ever had the desire to be an entrepreneur. My love for creating an item that is equal parts memorial, jewelry, and art came first, and from that came the business. Eventually, Close By Me grew from being a side job that I did from home into the cherished career and established brand it is today.
All my pieces are made in either sterling silver or 14k gold, with a large variety of options to suit a wide range of tastes and budgets. I am uncompromising when it comes to the quality of my jewelry, but it is still extremely important to me that my pieces are accessible to as many people as possible. Today, I’m honored to offer my own designs – heartfelt inspirations that are brought to fruition with the help of my talented designer and jewelers. I have an extensive selection of cremation rings, necklaces, earrings, and bracelets on my website, as well as a growing men’s collection. I am also passionate about creating custom designs and greatly enjoy working closely with my clients to craft original, one-of-a-kind pieces that perfectly capture their loved one and the bond they shared. While I rely on outside help to make the actual jewelry, the ashes setting of every single piece is handcrafted in my office/studio. Using my patented process, I combine a small amount of ashes with a clear, high-grade jewelry resin that solidifies them and brings out their natural color, creating a beautiful, stone-like setting that is permanently bonded to the jewelry. I pride myself on offering cremation jewelry that no one would immediately know is cremation jewelry, allowing my clients to wear their pieces with discretion.
Beyond providing a product entirely unique in its look, feel, and creation, my business is truly centered around my clients, with enormous importance placed on individualized customer service and an unwavering commitment to client satisfaction. Close By Me is a memorial company at heart, built on trust, transparency, communication, and connection. I find purpose and fulfillment in what I do every day because of my clients and the incredible loved ones and stories I get to learn about and help memorialize. With the support of my amazing team, who share my empathy, passion, and values, I strive to make the entire order process from start to finish as smooth and comforting as possible, ensuring an experience that is as special as the memories my jewelry represents.
Can you talk to us about how you funded your business?
Although now I have a small network of trusted jewelers and manufacturers that I rely on to bring my jewelry designs to life, when I first started out, I picked out some ready-made pendants, rings, and earrings from an online jewelry supply store to offer on my Etsy shop. Making cremation jewelry was just a blossoming hobby that I was developing in my limited spare time, and I didn’t have the funds to start building up a stock of items; instead, I waited until someone placed an order, and the payment went through to my bank account before purchasing the piece I was going to make for them. With each sale, I was able to put a little bit of money away. An important turning point was when I applied for and received a patent for the way I set ashes into jewelry, which I call my setting process. A friend of a friend had heard about what I was doing and, after seeing some of my work, contacted me to share their kind words and support. They asked if I had a patent or was considering obtaining one, and while the idea had crossed my mind before, I had written it off after learning its cost. He was adamant that I should do this since I was bringing something unique to the market and, if I couldn’t afford it, he offered to let me make payments once I started making money. It blew me away that someone believed in what I was doing so deeply and could see the future and impact my cremation jewelry could have. I got the patent and paid him back over our agreed upon timeframe, and over time, my customers – and my confidence – continued to grow. It took an enormous amount of patience and frugality at the beginning to nurture and maintain my fledgling business, but I also learned the importance of having around me a supportive and knowledgeable network of people whose values align with mine.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
This story isn’t going to be unique, but attempting to operate a small business during the height of the COVID pandemic ended up being my tale of resilience. My team, whom I relied on to help with the day-to-day operations, couldn’t come into the office, because coming into our small office posed a huge risk to everyone’s health. I was suddenly plunged into handling the responsibilities of four other people in addition to my own. But, like I said, my situation was in no way unique, and the other small businesses I depended on were hurting as well. My jewelers and suppliers were struggling with their own staffing shortages and shipment delays, and this of course impacted me in turn. An important facet of my business is ensuring the best possible client experience, and I try to do this with consistent communication and timely order fulfillment. So, when all my clients began having to endure significant delays with their orders, I couldn’t help but feel extremely disappointed in myself. Even though now I can look back and recognize that I was doing the best I could despite all these external factors outside of my control, when it was happening, I just felt like I was disappointing my clients and was letting was unsure if I could maintain my business ultimately letting not just my clients down, but my boys and employees down. This stress started to weigh on me pretty heavily and caused me to doubt myself and ability to keep the business afloat.
It was at this time that someone approached me wanting to buy my business. They made me a very generous offer, with the tradeoff being that I no longer have creative or operational control of the business. This was a major decision, and it certainly added another layer of stress to my life as I agonized over what to do. Ironically, being faced with the decision to sell my business ended up being the catalyst I needed to regain my confidence, my momentum, and persevere. I had taken an enormous risk when I started this business, but I took that risk because I knew this was what I loved to do, and I believed in myself. This company had, over time, become my baby; I nurtured it and raised it with the values I believe in. Although it would have been a relief to relinquish control, especially when I felt like I was about to hit bottom, I realized I would never be able to forgive myself if I gave my “baby” to a stranger who didn’t share my same vision and love for it. Once I remembered this was my destiny, I began to believe in myself again and was able to push through a very difficult time that ultimately made me stronger.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://closebymejewelry.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/closebymejewelry
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/closebymejewelry/
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/closebyme/
Image Credits
Chelsea Loren, Steve Limones