We recently connected with Jamie Bodnar and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Jamie thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

It is silly to say but every piece of jewelry and accessory I have made is meaningful. They are all named after women who have impacted me but the very first piece I showcased has the top feelings for me.

I named a set after my best friend’s late sister, Ally. My last conversation with her was about my little dream of creating Forty-Eight Creations and that this was going to be my moment. I haven’t been very successful in a career so I wanted to turn my hobby into a dream.

It was the exact day I received a call that she wasn’t here anymore that I was going to make this happen and I wanted to do it for her. It was also decided that our business would donate to 10% of our sells to help mental illness and suicide awareness in 2024. We will be doing it quarterly and we’re excited to be making our first donation at the end of this month.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I would want future 48C friends to know that I truly love what I do. I have been a very creative person since I was little and this outlet fills my cup.

I bought my first pair of polymer clay earrings in 2021 and I was obsessed and shocked how light weight they were. I wanted to know if I could create something like this and in 2022 I tried. I had amazing support from my husband and our families and they pushed me to think about selling them. It was the main discussion in the summer that I should go for it. A big moment happened in my life and I took it as a sign not to wait for it anymore. If I wanted something, I needed to go for it and that’s what I did.

Now I make pieces in love and name them after women who have been so impactful in my life.

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

As for someone who is still starting out and doesn’t even have 1,000 followers I am very proud to say I have gained my audience very organically. I’ve done this by being what I feel like is authentic and consistent. Posting at least 5-6 times a week during what my “peak” hours are and making content that shows what I’m creating. I’m engaging with my followers with questions, polls and offer small giveaways. I’ve joined an amazing local women’s group that is all about networking and building relationships with those who understand small business and being an entrepreneur.

I think the best advice I can give is be yourself with your business, you are started it for a reason and people will love that. That’s the best way you can become unique.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

We like to call it a mantra, but our main goal is to not only provide handmade jewelry and art but also a service of connection and community. We want to make a difference in the lives who truly need it by supporting them the way our current followers/audience have with us. That is why we want to focus on making quarterly donation to help those communities who specialize in doing so. We speak about at least once a month on our social media platforms and we have signage that explains it when we sell at markets.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.fortyeightcreations.com
• Instagram: @fortyeightcreations
• Facebook: @fortyeightcreations
• Linkedin: Jamie Nicole Henrich