We were lucky to catch up with Kelly Tourgeman recently and have shared our conversation below.

Kelly, appreciate you joining us today. Owning a business isn’t always glamorous and so most business owners we’ve connected with have shared that on tough days they sometimes wonder what it would have been like to have just had a regular job instead of all the responsibility of running a business. Have you ever felt that way?

Working a 9 to 5 job? Not for me. Eight hours a day and a 1/2 hour lunch break? Nope. A helicopter manager? No way. That said, almost my entire life I have been my own “boss.” Being a boss is, well, boss (2017 slang?). A lot of work–around the clock, 24/7 as is said. But it has given me the opportunity to really feed all the drives in my life. I love challenges, I love being a leader, I love being scared sometimes (ask me how I paid rent on my first business location on time), I love being creative, and I love doing things differently than what a “boss” would have told me to do.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Wow, life is messy. Messy Jewelry, now branded as Violet Tiger, came out of nowhere, just like my diagnosis in fall 2013 of MS (Multiple Sclerosis). During my recovery, which is a daily practice and completely unpredictable, I began to create jewelry. Well, the story is a bit longer than that. My then six-year-old son was taking a jewelry-making class and he came home with amazing stuff AND he would not let me wear any of it! So, I said “Fine, I can make my own!”

During what I call my first generation period, creating jewelry became addictive and helpful when I needed to have downtime to recover from fatigue (a major debilitating symptom of MS), or I could not feel the tips of my fingers and the tops of my hands (darn it hands, WORK!), and/or my brain was foggy (better mental exercise than Wordle). Second generation began when people started complimenting me on the jewelry I was wearing, and one wine-fueled night (yes, a tipple or two is not bad for my MS), my friend suggested I make jewelry, sell, and donate a portion of the proceeds to MS research (Autoimmune Association). The name Messy Jewelry came about as a rift on MS and the fact that I can be the most impatient, hyperactive, un-crafty person–essentially messy! (That said, I owned a successful Pilates studio for nearly 20 years, (sadly I closed in July 2020 due to Covid-19 reasons and restrictions), but that can involve big physical moves, not slipping a tiny bead on a string!).

After some unfortunate health setbacks, I took a break from my business goals–emotionally and physically I had hit a bottom. But yet again, my “bossiness” came back; it was time to get back on the horse, or essentially get on with my life. I was determined to go forward in more ways than one. In 2022, I enrolled in an online SEO and advertising class. It was a start. It was time to participate again. And with new learning, I had the confidence to branch out. . .to revamp my website, to do that photo shoot with a professional photographer and model, and to explore wholesale and retail sales.

How’d you think through whether to sell directly on your own site or through a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc.

Jewelry, handmade or otherwise is an over-saturated market. That said, there are ways to make you, your handmade or one of a kind vintage products, and business stand out. Though online, I try to replicate the experience of a shopper discovering a unique boutique, perhaps one that you find when vacationing in a new city or country. I attempt to welcome my shopper into my store, and offer some type of story of interest–maybe about a birthstone’s properties, or the origin of a vintage piece.

One word when considering an online sales site: diversify. Do not sell on one platform; have a safety net. I have my Violet Tiger Shop on Shopify (www.violettigershop.com) which is an affordable and user-friendly (for the less tech savvy to set-up a web-store) as well as Etsy. Etsy is a staple in the homemade market. Big traffic, but tons of competition. But in my opinion, more user friendly than Amazon Homemade. I would advise any new business owner to investigate all of the online options; there are so many new ones, that may be the right fit for you and your business and/or blog.

Any fun sales or marketing stories?

Online shopping, and for that matter, online selling is comfortable–you can do it from the privacy of your home, in your PJs, with no make-up and a glass of wine. No judgement, no need to talk to anyone, just so easy. But in my opinion, a bit boring. I am a people person and after the closure of my Pilates studio in 2020, I was missing the camaraderie of my instructor team and clients. And with my health in decline, I was close to being a “shut-in!”

So for some selfish reasons (LOL! Save myself from my own insanity!), I started taking some risks. I have begun selling my jewelry at local farmer’s markets (come see me at the Malibu Art & Vintage Brunch, every first Sunday of the month), holiday boutiques, and hope to branch out to consignment stores. Now this may not sound too risky, but it forced me out of my comfort zone–it forces me out of bed sometimes at 5am! Yikes. And it forced me to realize that I am capable of doing much more-lugging a tent, tables, chairs and merch, fortunately with the help of my amazing husband and son, being on my feet for many hours at a time, AND talking to people. Meeting my customers in person, has been truly wonderful and what I was missing for the past few years. Selling live also helps me grow my emailing list, social follows, and drives more traffic to my online shops. And lastly, I get more insight on what styles, colors, textures, sizes, etc are popular which helps me define my market, and niche–all key to sales and growth.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.violettigershop.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/violettigershop
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/violettigershop
• Other: Email: [email protected]

Image Credits

All pictures of model taken by Erika Bierman Photography. www.erikabiermanphotography.com

All others taken by Violet Tiger.