We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jessica Coté. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jessica below.

Jessica, appreciate you joining us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

I tried to make the announcement as if it were a completely normal thing to say on a Monday morning.

“I’m going to buy two thousand pounds of rocks.”

My husband stared up at me, eyes wide above his computer monitor. To his credit, the man didn’t spit out his coffee.

“I’ll get a working capital loan,” I said. “I can do the parceling and packaging, marketing and education materials. We’ll have to store it all here in the house until I can figure out the other details.”

He managed to swallow. Nodding slowly, he sat back in his chair.
“You’re sure this will work?”

I paused, thought this over for the hundredth time. Despite seeming like an insane idea, I really felt the need to pursue it. Sure, I had a few minor concerns. What if there was very little ROI? What if it didn’t sell or people wouldn’t trust me? What if a dog or toddler ingested my product? And what if I ruined the relatively respectable reputation I’d built over the years as a metalsmith and instructor?

No, I thought.  I wasn’t sure at all if this would work.

I’m pretty sure my voice cracked when I finally answered him.

“Yes.”

That was 2018.

___

Fast forward almost six years and those “rocks” are a foundation on which I’m trying to build a small but sturdy castle. Hone & Highlight, as the product is now named, is a silicon carbide abrasive housed in a ceramic binder, manufactured to custom specifications suited for the art jewelry world and used to mass finish nonferrous metals. What does this mean? Essentially, it’s a fancy description of what more or less amounts to rock tumbling for the studio metalsmith. Rough dull stuff goes in, and refined dynamic stuff comes out.

These days I’m working on securing my third wholesale account and have moved nearly seven thousand pounds via direct-to-consumer sales on my website alone. H&H has paved the way for collaborations on other tools and resources for art jewelers and led to affiliate partnerships. What’s more, by pairing the product with education as it relates to easing pain points for those making handmade jewelry, we’ve been able to significantly increase the scope of work some artists are creating. Mass finishing with H&H offers aesthetic consistency across individual pieces and entire collections of work, saves time, studio space, and money, is chemically and environmentally gentler than alternative finishing methods, and assists those with physical limitations such as carpal tunnel, arthritis, compromised lungs, etc.

While it’s not all been easy, the risk of bringing the media to market has more than had its rewards. I think my version of success involves service and significance, and my hope is that H&H enables jewelry artists to do more of what they love.  I’m glad I took the leap.

Jessica, 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?

I’m Jess Coté, a designer, metalsmith and jewelry instructor.

I think I first fell into my love for jewelry early on when my maternal grandmother would take me time traveling by way of her expansive farmhouse attic. The smallest treasures of this mysterious place, pulled from the shadows and reflecting ghosts in a sparkling army across the rafters, introduced me to the woman she had been in a life bordering but well before my own. Though I didn’t have the vocabulary to say so at the time, I understood then that adornment is a language of identity.  A few years later, I recall sitting at a kitchen table with a cardboard box full of broken chains, orphaned charms, lone earrings, and a pair of pliers.  This stands out in my memory as the setting for my first real “play” with design.  I was hooked.

I attended NC State University’s College of Design and graduated with a Bachelor of Art & Design. The COD didn’t have a jewelry program, but my time there was invaluable for learning design principals, problem solving, ideation, discipline, process and so much more. I was able to create jewelry within the disciplines of my studios there, which meant exploring adornment through textiles, photography, paint, wood, and other nontraditional mediums.  Meanwhile, I took a jewelry course down the road at Meredith college and frequented the Pullen Art Center, both of which gave me a foundation in working with metal.

After a layoff in 2008, I found myself standing with a one year old on my hip and an art degree in my hand. I could work to pay for daycare, or I could make something substantial of those passions that, until that time, had been little more than soft “someday” aspirations. I had a lot of help through the following years- it took a village to raise me but I was fortunate to have a supportive network of people willing to give of their time, advice, knowledge, and resources.

Today, under the business name Rosy Revolver, I fabricate jewelry for the creative, adventuresome woman who takes a thoughtful, authentic approach to her life and how she presents herself within it. As an instructor, I also teach others to construct jewelry in a way that best reflects who they are and what they care about- this means approaching the making from more of a personal point of view with the intent and heart of an artist as opposed to a strict set of skills dictated by the standards of the proper bench jeweler. Additionally, I work to develop tools and resources intended to streamline and enhance the productivity of the small studio metalsmith. I think it’s important to make more makers and help makers make more art.  I don’t buy into the idea of the starving artist.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

Though he deals primarily with the art of writing, almost anything by Steven Pressfield has been a huge help to me. His book, The War of Art, is brutally honest and in my opinion, amazingly on point. It’s so easy to get in our own way as artists- for all the blame that we could place on exterior conditions, we could point that same finger back at ourselves five times over and only then be scratching the surface of the ways we hold ourselves back. It’s a gut punch and a reality check. I keep my copy by my bench.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I’m not sure if it falls into the category of unlearning per se, but I definitely did have to do a bit of reparenting myself once my jewelry business began to grow in earnest.

My knee jerk reaction has always been to say yes- yes! To anything! You want my work in your store? Absolutely. Make you a custom piece? Sure. Participate in this show? Alright. I made the mistake of thinking that if my work was wanted, it must be a good fit. Here again, art mimics life, and not all relationships are healthy.

I had to learn to put some boundaries down and say no projects that don’t align with my aesthetics, ethics, or goals.

I had to quit working for exposure.

I had to have courage before I could ever grow confident.

I had to quit trying to do it all. Instead, by securing help in areas of my business where I lack talent and knowledge, I was able to free myself up to do the things I do well. Doing this thoughtfully and with the right people is a gamechanger.

I had to stop thinking that being an artist is only about making art.

I had to stop telling myself I’d get to work after inspiration came and instead learn that work itself invites inspiration.

I had to start holding my convictions lightly, being clear on my goals but flexible in my approach.

I had to stop laying blame elsewhere and take full responsibility for what happened to and within my business. It’s up to me to do better as I learn more, and playing victim to an algorithm, an economy, a weather event or anything else outside of my control is a waste of time and an excuse to be less than I’m capable of being. Once I got this through my head, I really saw the growth begin.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.rosyrevolver.com
• Instagram: @rosyrevolver
• Facebook: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rosyrevolver/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rosyrevolver/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@jessicajordancote9998
• Other: https://www.pinterest.com/RosyRevolver/