We were lucky to catch up with Melissa Kay-Steves recently and have shared our conversation below.

Melissa, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s start with education – we’d love to hear your thoughts about how we can better prepare students for a more fulfilling life and career

When I was roughly ten years old I knew I wanted to make jewelry. I scrapped about with anything I could get my hands on until I found a bead and findings warehouse in my hometown. As I journeyed through life, college, travel, I was always searching for a way into the industry; a class, an apprenticeship, someone who would teach me metalsmithing. For whatever reason the doors never opened and I forged on until one day, shortly after my daughter was born in 2005 I discovered metal clay. Things just catapulted from there and now I own Charmtree Jewelry Studio, a metalsmith school in Maryland, where I teach metalsmithing and metal clay classes. I also host guest intructors from across the country, Maker’s Nights and studio memberships.

My biggest dream is to reach the younger generation. I can only imagine where my skill level would be if I had found an open door to metalsmiting in my teens. My biggest dream is to reach the younger generation and show them that there are other avenues for success outside of the traditional college hustle. The trades are incredibly rewarding and jewelry making can be a very lucrative career.

My mission is to create a successful credited program for teens in Maryland. One where they could learn metalsmithing as well as how to successfully own and operate a jewelry business. Our educational system teaches kids to prepare for college, but there are so many other options out there, like the trades.

If I could change one thing about the education system it would be to allow high school students to intern with local businesses for high school credits and hands-on experience. Imagine how this could change a child’s view of what is possible. Not every child is athletic, musically talented or a national honors student. There are creative children who love to craft, build and invent who would thrive in a maker-type environment.

Melissa, 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?

When I was 12 years old, I figured out how to repair a special necklace gifted to me by my grandmother, and thus began a love affair with jewelry making. Over the years, I taught myself basic techniques like wire wrapping and forming. In 2006, I took a Precious Metal Clay certification class in Annapolis and was instantly hooked. I spent many years teaching myself techniques and then selling my work at craft fairs and local boutiques. In 2009, I was asked to teach a jewelry-making and found my calling.

I began teaching classes in precious metal clay and travelling to gem shows and local venues for classes in metalsmithing. In 2018 I was mentoring under a local metalsmith. He and his wife owned a shop in Cambridge, MD and I started working there during the week teaching classes on the weekend. It was a dream job. But one day, in early 2019 he told me that they were moving out of state and they both thought that I should by the business and open my own school. I was petrified.

With my husband’s help I decided to take the leap and so after 10 years of teaching, creating, and learning, I decided to open Charmtree Jewelry Studio, a metalsmith school on Kent Island, where I teach and share my passion for jewelry making with others. We have had our ups and downs but we are still cranking out some pretty talented metalsmiths who walked in the door with zero experience. It still amazes me to see how creative people can be. It is the most rewarding job (outside of my kiddos) and it keeps me excited every day.

Have you ever had to pivot?

Covid was a reality check for me. I opened my business October of 2019 and had to shut down in March of 2020. It was scary. All that time and money invested and in-person teaching was on hold indefinitely. To say I was was stressed was an understatement. But I hustled. I searched for any grant money available and found a few small local grants to help keep some bills paid, applied for the PPP loan, but didn’t pan out because I was not in business long enough.

I spent every day doing the research. I had been watching other studios from the very beginning. There are a few that had really inspired me. They were teaching online and offering memberships. I started offering online classes and I started a membership program with benefits like free open studio time, discounts on classes and field trips. The membership program became the bread and butter that kept me a float for 2020 and into 2021.

There will be many times where we need to pivot in business and the most successful people will find a way to change. Some things do fail (I don’t like online teaching and haven’t mastered that technology yet) but the trick is to be able to think outside the box when things are not working.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

Money is not worth sacrificing your peace. Not everyone wants you to succeed and sometimes there are people who are put into your life to teach you a lesson. I had to “fire” a former member. This person was incredibly entitled not to mention disrespectful. They thought becuase they spent a lot of money in classes at the studio they had the right to tell me what ato do with my business. They caused problems and stress with other members an myself. I accepted it for far too long, not wanting to rock the boat, just trying to keep the peace. Being a people pleaser is never going to work when you own your own business. It makes you second guess yourself. I had to have a hard conversation and turn this person away. When I did it was so freeing and my studio has been conflict free. I established some rules and never looked back. I needed to learn that lesson and it has helped me grow in many ways.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.charmtreejewelry.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/charmtreejewelrystudio/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/charmtreejewelrystudio/

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