We were lucky to catch up with Melanie LeBlanc recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Melanie thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

I Come By It Honestly…

Creativity is in my blood. I inherited this skill from both sides of my family; and it’s because of these strong genes I found myself fully immersed in the arts at a post=secondary level for a total of 9 years.

Funny enough, I originally rebelled against the idea of becoming a studio jeweller because my entire childhood was spent in my parents jewellery store-especially holidays. It was only until the last 3 years of my art education when I decided to transform what I always felt was a family curse, into a career, and entered a jewellery and metals program in Ontario.

Upon graduating, the transition into my professional field was a very HARD one. I knew it would be due to the early exposure I already had. Luckily I was in my 30’s when I graduated, so my life experiences up until then, granted me confidence to pursue the industry completely on my own. Being independent from my family’s business ( and their success) still remains very important to me after 20+ However, I must acknowledge how grateful I am for their moral support and the advantages I gained because of their involvement in the industry.

Thanks mom and dad.

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

I grew up on a rocky island in Northern Ontario where the dramatic landscape and environment has given me a deep affinity with the natural world.

My family means the world to me ~ so much so, that our dynamic (and the wild landscape of home) have influenced most of my artistic production since 1995.

Metal is often considered cold, stagnate, and mechanical. I prefer to challenge that notion by being in full contact with the material, trying to expose both nature and humanity. Scratching, twisting, filing, and fingerprints are common characteristics found in a completed piece of jewellery. It’s really important to that the jewellery looks handmade.

Since 2003, I have pursued jewellery-smithing exclusively and work out of a studio-gallery with metalsmiths alike in Parkdale, Toronto, Canada.

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

Interestingly enough, I received a small loan in order to start a small summer business upon completing my 1st year in jewellery school. I knew I wasn’t prepared to make a profit on just my jewellery school projects, so I imported recycled silk clothing from India and sold it along with my medicohre jewellery at various art & music festivals. The small loan paid for itself by the end of that summer and I continued to do this for many more summers. Eventually, I was able to sell only jewellery at these fairs and continue to so today.

Of coarse, I made many mistakes along the way, however, starting small was the BEST decision I could have ever made.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Talent and inginuity helps build my reputation but CUSTOMER RELATIONS is just as, if not, more important.

Jewellery is a very personal experience for the beholder, so I want to gain the customers TRUST in me. And in order to build trust, I aim to accomplish the following:

Listen- I want to “hear” my customer when they speak. This way I can provide them with the best information possible and hopefully remember it in the future. Listening to what the customer “may not” be saying can be important.

Be human- I am myself…it’s okay if I’m not perfect…just as long as I’m being respectfully authentic. This usually makes the customer feel more at ease, too

Continuity- I provide new or returning customers with the same, spectacular service every single visit, no matter how my day is going or how big or small the sale may be.

I could go on….

Contact Info:

• Website: www.melanieleblanc.com
• Instagram: @melanieleblancjewellery
• Facebook: Melanie LeBlanc – jewellery & objets d’art
• Linkedin: Melanie LeBlanc – jewellery & objets d’art