We recently connected with Harvest & Dave Cocke and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Harvest & Dave thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Do you manage your own social media?

In the beginning, I managed all of my own social media — posting product photos, replying to messages, building community, and sharing behind-the-scenes glimpses of my process. At that stage, it was doable, and honestly, kind of fun. But as my business grew, I realized my time was much more valuable at the bench — creating beautiful, handcrafted jewelry — than constantly trying to keep up with messages, content creation, and posting schedules.

Recently, I hired someone to take over the social media side of things, and it’s been a game-changer. Our online presence is the heartbeat of the business — it’s how we connect with clients, form relationships, and make sales. Delegating that role to someone who understands my brand and can maintain that connection with our audience has allowed me to focus on the work only I can do.

For other business owners, my advice is this: in the beginning, do it yourself so you understand what your audience responds to and what your brand voice is. But when the time comes and you find yourself stretched too thin, don’t be afraid to bring someone in. If you want to grow, you have to let go of certain things and trust others to help you carry the vision forward.

Harvest & Dave , 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?

My husband Dave and I have always had an entrepreneurial spirit. Over the years, we’ve explored a wide range of businesses — from restaurants and tree services to plant sales and crafting. But we always dreamed of leaving the snowy winters behind and starting a new chapter in the desert. So we sold our restaurants in Oregon, packed up our lives, and moved our family to Arizona in search of sunshine, opportunity, and a safe, beautiful place for our children to grow up. We landed in Prescott, a place that gave us all the beauty of the desert with the charm of all four seasons, plus great schools and a strong sense of community.

Once we were settled, I learned that the college down the street offered silversmithing classes — something I had always been curious about. I signed up, and from the first day at the bench, I was hooked. That’s where Desert Darlings Silver was born. What started as a creative outlet quickly evolved into a full-fledged business — designing and crafting one-of-a-kind jewelry and presenting everyday wear turquoise pieces to a market that had seemingly always focused on “special occasion wear”. The ability to partner with niche markets, and western boutiques across the country has been extremely fulfilling and we cannot wait to expand into more spaces.

As things grew, I reached a point where I needed help keeping up with demand. That’s when Dave quit his job and started taking classes too, originally to support my business. But he quickly discovered his own talent and passion for the craft. Soon, he launched his own site — Arizona Copper and Silver Co. Now, we both run our separate brands under one family-owned umbrella, The Cocke Co. LLC, creating handcrafted jewelry in the Arizona desert while raising our kids and living the life we dreamed of.

What sets our work apart is the intentionality behind every piece. Everything is handcrafted by us, right here in Arizona — influenced by the landscape, inspired by the techniques we learned from experts, and built to last. Our jewelry tells a story, both of place and of passion. We’ve built strong relationships with our customers and boutiques alike, and we’re proud to create meaningful work that’s as beautiful as it is personal.

I’d say what we are most proud of is how we are both individually able to recognize what our clients need, where to focus our sales, and how organically we have turned our business’ into a success side by side. While Dave focuses on heirloom pieces and I have found my success in everyday wear items and special interest markets nationwide. We can’t wait to see what the future holds!

Can you talk to us about your experience with selling businesses?

Yes, we’ve sold businesses before. At one point, we owned and operated two restaurants in Oregon. They were successful and thriving, but we reached a point where we knew it was time for a change. We had a vision of a different life for our family — one with more sunshine, more space to grow, and more time together. That vision led us to Arizona.

Selling the restaurants allowed us to make that move and fully commit to starting a new chapter. We were fortunate — both sales went smoothly and were positive experiences. I truly believe that happened because we trusted our instincts.

The biggest advice we can give is to go with your gut. If you feel a shift coming — whether it’s toward a new venture, a new lifestyle, or simply a different pace — don’t ignore it. Your business can be successful on paper, but if it’s no longer aligned with your life or goals, it might be time to let it go and make room for something new.

Sometimes, the best decisions in business aren’t just about growth — they’re about alignment. And in our case, following that instinct led to the life and work we were really meant for.

We’d love to hear about how you met your business partner.

Well — we met on the dating site Plenty of Fish! So yes, my cofounder and business partner is also my husband. Meeting Dave was the beginning of a transformation for both of us. It marked the start of a life where our individual talents had the space to shine, and where we could grow something meaningful — not just as a couple, but as creative collaborators and business partners.

Building a business together has deepened our relationship in ways we never expected. We challenge each other, support each other, and balance each other’s strengths. Having someone by your side who shares your values and your vision, who pushes you to keep evolving — that’s truly one of the most valuable experiences in life and in business.

If there’s one piece of advice I’d offer to anyone looking for a partner in business (or in life), it’s to find someone who sees your potential, respects your drive, and isn’t afraid to build something beautiful with you from the ground up.

Contact Info:

• Website: Desertdarlingssilver.com and Arizonacopperandsilverco.com
• Instagram: Instagram.com/DesertDarlingsSilver And Instagram.com/arizonacopperandsilverco
• Facebook: Facebook.com/DesertDarlingsSilver and Facebook.com/arizonacopperandsilverco