We were lucky to catch up with Stephanie Schultz recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Stephanie, thanks for joining us today. Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?

Being an entrepreneur and running your own business is not for the weak. With that being said, I am so extremely grateful to live this life that I’ve created. To be able to wake up every day without an alarm, and set my own schedule. I am my own boss – I don’t have to listen to anyone telling me what to do, or worry about being late for work. However, I am also not easy on myself at all. I thrive on being busy, and sometimes (okay… a lot of times)… take on more work than I probably should. But the truth is, I love what I do so much that I can’t help myself. I may work 24/7… but at this point in my life, I could never go back to a regular “9-5” job. I am truly blessed to make a living doing what I love.

I don’t think people truly understand how much work goes on behind the scenes of running a business. Not only are we as artists creating the products that we sell… but we are also usually the photographers, running the website, doing all the marketing, invoicing, accounting, packaging & shipping, etc etc.

And still, I wouldn’t change a thing. As cliche as it may be, I really do encourage everyone to follow their dreams and to conciously choose/create the life that they want to live.

Stephanie, 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?

Mermaid Metal started in 2013 as a jewelry brand, but over the span of 10 years has become so much more. I now also sell crystals, as well as hand poured soy candles; made with all non-toxic ingredients. I began my business selling on Etsy, and now although I do have my own website… the majority of my sales come from doing live sales on Instagram. I also enjoy selling in person and will do a few markets/maker festivals throughout the year.

Jewelry is and always will be the core of my business/brand…. and where my passion truly lies. Mermaid Metal jewelry is carefully crafted entirely by hand, using sterling silver & genuine gemstones, from the comfort of my home studio in New Jersey. Each piece that I create is an extension of me; infused with love and healing energy… from not only myself, but also the stones that are used.

The first year of my business was mainly making a lot of necklaces, using wire-wrapping techniques and beads… but I knew deep down that I really wanted to make rings… as that was what I personally wore the most.

In September of 2014, I enrolled in an 8-week long metalsmithing course, and within the first hour of class, I fell in love. I learned the art of soldering, forming bezels, stone setting, and fabrication – creating jewelry at the bench using hand tools to manipulate and form the metal. Since then, I continue to teach myself new techniques in order to grow, and have even taught a few metalsmithing classes myself (pre-covid). I plan to bring them back in the very near future.

My inspiration behind my brand derives directly from the sea. From the peace that comes from staring at the endless horizon. From that feeling you get when swimming under the waves. There are no thoughts under the surface… just serenity… an overwhelming sense of calm. I try to channel that feeling into every piece that comes off of my bench.

Mermaid Metal is so much more than just the products that I sell. It is my way of connecting to the world and spreading good energy. It is about pursuing your passions and living a life that fulfills the soul.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

For me, the most rewarding aspect of being an artist is the people that I get to meet along the way…. in person and through the online community that I’ve created. I truly pride myself on being as authentic as possible when showing up on the internet, and I also make it a point to connect and form friendships with my customers. I can genuinely say I have made so many real friendships along the way.

I have such immense gratitude for every single person that orders from me, whether it is one time or on a consistent basis. Without my customers, I literally wouldn’t be here. The same goes for people who are sharing my work, engaging with my content, and supporting in other ways… whether they purchase from me or not.

I believe that you get what you put out. And so, I put myself out there authentically… knowing that “my people” will always find me.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I think this one is an easy answer… when the pandemic hit. All of my markets got cancelled for the unforeseeable future. At the time, I was also working a few nights a week as a beer-tender at a local brewery… and that shut down too. There were so many unknowns…. would people even want to purchase jewelry right now??

And that’s when I decided to start going live on Instagram to try and make some extra sales. I figured if I couldn’t set up at a local market, I would try it at home. I worked my tail off to make a decent batch of new rings and necklaces, and set up a table in my living room (on my coffee table) with all of the new jewelry and even a few small crystals for a little extra variety. I labeled each one with a “code” for people to claim with. And I did surprisingly well! Well enough to do another one the following month. It eventually got to the point where I was doing them every other week. I started incorporating more crystals. I even starting making my own candles (something I had always wanted to do, but never had the time). They were such a hit!

Of course, the first…. 20 or so times I went live, my anxiety was at 1000%. I never liked public speaking, or having the attention all on me. And here I was, going live for hours at a time and talking to people who couldn’t talk to me back (they could only type).

As time went on, it got easier… and now it’s something I really look forward to. It has been a huge game-changer for me in my sales, and has also connected me with so many people.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.mermaidmetal.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/mermaidmetal
• Facebook: facebook.com/mermaidmetal