We recently connected with Michaela McCall and have shared our conversation below.
Michaela, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?
In March 2020, I began dating my now husband, Ken. Ken is the last of a dying breed, a cowboy who represents the legacy of the American west. From the very beginning of our relationship, I was introduced to the lifestyle of a cowboy, the lifestyle that is the American west. I was still working in the cardiology office, but my passion for healthcare was diminishing with each day that I dated Ken. I fell in love… With Ken, with the ranching lifestyle, with the people that work hard every day to carry on the legacy of the American west; I wanted to be someone who also carried on the legacy of the American west, and so Blue Roan Turquoise was born.
My contribution to keeping the legacy of the American west alive was not going to be through horses, as my experience was limited at the time. While the desire to be a cowgirl began when I was a little girl, I never had opportunities to pursue it, until Ken. I wanted my legacy to be genuine and unique. This brought me to my first pair of turquoise earrings, an heirloom that was given to me by my mother, a pair of earrings that were once my great grandma’s. My great grandma was a woman of the west, a woman born and raised in Cody, Wyoming where she learned what it meant to raise cattle. After marrying, she moved to Texas where she continued to use her knowledge of cattle ranching to help run their family cattle ranch, which she did well into her 70’s after her husband passed away. She was a woman who helped her husband on the ranch and raised their two children. I began thinking about the turquoise in these earrings and as I looked at their raw and natural beauty. It is a representation of strength, natural beauty and determination. It is a symbol of the American Cowgirl; the women of the west who ride horses, work cattle, tend to the animals, prepare home cooked meals and raise the next generation of cowboys and cowgirls.
After settling on turquoise as my contribution to the legacy of the American west, I began brainstorming a name for the brand. I wanted it to represent both Ken and I’s contribution to the legacy of the American west. The ranch Ken works for gives him a string of horses to ride, one of those horses is blue roan named Watt. In all the photos that we have hanging up in our house of Ken cowboyin’, he is riding Watt. Ken and Watt are teammates, and Watt allows Ken to be able to do what he loves; riding through the mountains of Colorado gathering horses. Watt keeps Ken safe while they work, something I will forever be grateful for. Watt is special, and is the inspiration for the name Blue Roan Turquoise.
Blue Roan Turquoise was officially started in May 2021. While the summer months were slow, I began brainstorming ideas of how I can advertise, how I can share this legacy of the American west. And so came my first trade show. I attended a livestock exposition in Cheyenne, Wyoming where I fell in love with the people, the relationships and the environment. During my trade show, I had opportunities to talk to a variety of people. The connections that I felt and made encouraged me to continue traveling to livestock and rodeo events. These customers were some of my first customers, and have remained loyal customers. I pride myself on excellent customer service and on honesty, traits I believe make small businesses successful. I am excited to be helping my customers find unique handmade pieces of turquoise that they will cherish and love. Pieces that will one day be passed down to their great granddaughters, just as my first pair of turquoise got handed down to me.
I work hard every day to become a woman of the American west. I am proud to be keeping the legacy of the American west alive through turquoise, just as the stone maintains its legacy from generation to generation. I think my great grandma would be proud of the strong woman I have become. I especially know she would have loved the man I have chosen to spend the rest of my life with, the man who has shown me real cowboys still exist.
Michaela, 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?
My name is Michaela and I am the owner of Blue Roan Turquoise! I am a ranch wife, a part-time substitute teacher, a business owner and I hope one day I am lucky enough to be a mom! I grew up in northern Colorado with my mom and dad and my two sisters. Growing up, both my sister’s had horses and participated in 4-H. My interests in horses then was minimal and did not yet include spending my days on horseback gathering horses in rural Colorado.
After high school, I attended Colorado State University in Fort Collins where I graduated with my Bachelor’s in Health and Exercise Science with a concentration in Sports Medicine. My goal was to become a physical therapist. After graduating, I was hired as a medical assistant in a cardiology office where I spent time building trusting relationships with my patients as well the nurses and physicians I worked with. I gained so much knowledge and interest in cardiology and healthcare and chose to purse a career as a physicians assistant. With two years of effort, continual education and coursework, and healthcare experience, I was not accepted into any PA programs, and chose to change directions. This was a turning point for me and I began looking for other options, and so Blue Roan Turquoise was born.
Blue Roan Turquoise is a western jewelry boutique that prides itself on maintaining the legacy of the American west. Southwestern turquoise Navajo jewelry is a staple for the women in the western industry and is a connection to the American west. Blue Roan Turquoise prides itself on selling authentic handmade high quality Navajo jewelry. All pieces are made with high-grade stones, sterling silver and are stamped by the Navajo artist. The jewelry is made by a variety of artists from the Navajo Nation in north east Arizona, south eastern Utah and north west New Mexico.
Blue Roan Turquoise is founded on the legacy of the American west and the morals of the American west. As the owner, I pride myself on providing excellent customer service. I make it a priority to spend time educating myself about my products; researching the different turquoise, where they are mined, what gives it the specific colors and the history of the artists whose jewelry I am selling. I am honest and I am proud to be a businessowner who takes the time to educate my customers.
How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?
While the western community is large and encompasses such a variety of people, at the same time is such a small world. I have begun taking Blue Roan Turquoise on the road to livestock shows across the Midwest and the west, and while I get to meet new people and gain new customer’s, I also get to see many of my previous customers at each show. While I am traveling for my jewelry, they are traveling to show their livestock, whether that be their lambs, goats, sheep, pigs or cattle. I believe that the loyalty I have gained from these customers doesn’t come from the proximity. My loyalty from these customers comes from my interaction and connections I make with them. My husband always tells me that there is something special about me, that people just open up to me when I talk to them and share things they wouldn’t normally share with a stranger. This is a trait that I am so grateful to have because it allows me to have meaningful relationships, with family, with friends and with customers. My favorite part of having booths at livestock shows is the opportunity it allows me to connect with people. I enjoy hearing stories and actively listening to my customers experiences, it gives me something to talk to them about when I see them again! It allows me to have continue to build relationships with my customers!
After a show, I will keep in touch with customers via email, checking up on their purchase to ensure they are still satisfied. I enjoy seeing how they have styled their new jewelry and I always enjoy suggestions for items they would like to see. When I am shopping for jewelry, I have a list of items I am looking for that are requested by different customers. I want to ensure that I am carrying items that they are interested in and I enjoy being able to help them find exactly what they are looking for!
Do you sell on your site, or do you use a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc?
Initially, I was selling only on my website and through word of mouth. This was due to the fact that I was still working full-time and was unable to invest more time in growing my business. Throughout the first few months, I would also do in-home jewelry parties and set up at someone’s house, an option that I still offer if I am available. In September 2021, three months after starting Blue Roan Turquoise, my seasonal full-time job was coming to a close and I was ready to invest more time into making Blue Roan Turquoise my full-time job! My website sales were slowing down and I needed a way to further advertise my business. This is when I began researching western trade shows. As a consumer myself, I struggle purchasing high end items online. I prefer to be able to try them on in the store, touch them, see them, and know that they are genuine. In my opinion, people are likely to become loyal customers and give repeat business if they can associate a face to the business. By attending events where I am representing my business, I am able to connect with my customers. While this sometimes leads to a sale that day, that is not always the case. The biggest benefit that I think my website allows me to have, is the opportunity for potential customers to purchase items they previously saw at a show. With my attendance at trade shows, I have noticed a spike in my website views and sales.
My website can be found through my social media accounts, and is an additional way for people to find my website and shop with me. My website is www.blueroanturquoise.com and my Facebook and Instagram handle name is ‘Blue Roan Turquoise’.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.blueroanturquoise.com
- Instagram: Blue Roan Turquoise
- Facebook: Blue Roan Turquoise
- Linkedin: N/A
- Twitter: N/A
- Youtube: N/A
- Yelp: N/A
Image Credits
Jasmine Mallo of Jasmine Mallo Imagery Tafra Donberger with Tafra D Photography