We recently connected with Leigh Sandusky and have shared our conversation below.

Leigh, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. One of the most important things we can do as business owners is ensure that our customers feel appreciated. What’s something you’ve done or seen a business owner do to help a customer feel valued?

I have been a jewelry designer and master CAD jewelry designer for the past 11 years. I have designed for several large companies including Michael Kors, Sydney Evan (cover of Vogue on Kate Moss), Tacori, Nicole Richie, Head Custom and CAD designer for Hyde Park, Head Custom and CAD designer for Trice Jewelers, 4Ocean, Moon Magic, and most recently Lauren Conrad’s collection for Holiday sold at Kohl’s. I have had my own custom jewelry design business for the past 4 years.

About 1-2 years ago Scott Sinclair reached out to me to design a custom engagement ring for his then girlfriend. I designed this beuatiful and original Aquamarine and diamond engagement ring set in 14KT yellow gold. After he proposed my social media expanded overnight. Little did I know that his girlfriend is an influencer, Lily B Chapman. I am so thankful for all of the opportunities and business that this couple generated for me. Lily soon became pregnant after their engagement. Her daughter was to be born in July, and to be named Ruby. As a thank you, I made Lily a custom “mom’s” necklace with a heart shaped ruby. They are a lovely couple. I am now working directly with Lily to develop her own jewelry collection, Elizabeth Bay Limited.

Lily is so much fun to work with, and the pieces we are designing together are doing very well. We are currently working on her holiday collection.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Hi! My name is Leigh Sandusky. I have been a jewelry Designer and Master CAD designer for over 11 years. I graduated from FIDM in Los Angeles. After I graduated I designed for Michael Kors, then Sydney Evan, where I was featured on the cover of British Vogue. Tacori, a bridal brand, recruited me from there, and I designed several collections for them. This is when I started CAD design. I am from Boulder, CO, and decided to move back to Denver where I was a designer and CAD designer for John Atencio. I then was the head custom and CAD designer for Hyde Park Jewelers. After that, I mastered CAD design with master jewelers at Trice where I was the head custom designer. I also did freelance jewelry and CAD design on the side for Nicole Richie, Nikki Reed Red Carpet, 4Ocean, Moon Magic, Lauren Conrad and more. I was also featured in Forbes and Rocky Mountain Bride.

I started my own fine jewelry and custom jewelry business about 3-4 years ago. I mostly work with couples getting engaged. I love the couples I work with. It is so much fun to be a part of this special time, and to create something beautiful for them. I am customer experience focused, meaning, it is most important to me that my clients have a good experience working with me and that they LOVE their piece of jewelry. I also re-design heirloom jewelry which is always a fun project to turn something that just sits in your jewelry box into something you love wearing everyday.

The whole custom design process is a breeze and is enjoyable for my clients as well. The initial consultation is free and we discuss the design they have in mind, the diamond, lab diamond, or gemstone I will custom source for them, their budget, my design process, and their timeline. What is pretty cool about my design process, is that I actually design the jewelry using my CAD program, instead of just sketching the design and handing it off to another designer to do the CAD design. I will then show renderings of the design to my clients for approval and then 3D print the approved design for them to try on with their selected diamond. After the 3D printed wax model is approved I hand it off to my Jeweler Phuong Nguyen, who is a highly respected master jeweler. He will then cast and set the stones for the piece of jewelry.

I like working directly with my clients from the start of the process all the way to the final product. It is special to create a piece of art that symbolizes their love and that is something that they will wear daily. I am now opening my studio in LoHi and am working on a new collection of engagement rings that will be featured in the studio and online!

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

I was actually pretty fortunate when it came to funding my business. I started my own custom jewelry business right when Covid hit. I was able to gear my business plan to the new lifestyle. I did not put any money or investment into my business. I would receive a custom request and the client would pay for the materials, and I would make a profit according to the jewelry industry’s standards. My business has been self sustainable, and I am just now starting to make an investment by opening a studio space and creating a few collection. I have been profitable for 3-4 years and my business continues to clime in sales. I am excited for this new chapter!

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

I was asked to design a 14 piece collection for Nicole Richie in less than 48 hours. I mostly did the CAD designs for this project, but I remember staying up both nights to complete the collection and meet the deadline. The designs went directly into production the first round, thankfully, no revisions were needed. This experience taught me that I can push through challenges and get things done under hard deadlines.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://leighsandusky.com
• Instagram: @leighsanduskyjewelry
• Facebook: Leigh Sandusky Jewelry
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leigh-sandusky
• Other: Google:
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