We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Suzanne Weinert . We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Suzanne below.

Suzanne , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?

I am at a place where I’m making a full-time living from my handmade jewelry business, but it for sure wasn’t always like this. It’s taken a lot of hard work, dedication, and supplemental income from part time jobs. For the first 5 years or so, business was pretty mellow. I worked hard but didn’t see much growth. A huge turning point for my business was when one of my necklace designs was shown on Etsy’s landing page, and also featured in their For Her and Mother’s Day gift guides. Almost overnight my sales skyrocketed. They’ve since slowed down but remain very steady. I’ve also seen my in-person sales grow over the years, and this is simply because In Situ is a more established business. What it comes down to is, success takes time! It’s so important to trust the process, and not be too hard on yourself when your business is not doing as well as you would hope.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Yes! It’s so great to be here, and I can’t wait to share a bit of my story today! I own a small, handmade jewelry business, In Situ Jewelry. It’s a one-woman show over here and I’ve had this business for over 8 years now. I design and hand make every piece of jewelry in a modest, home studio on the central California coast. I use 14k gold fill and sterling silver, as well as a variety of gemstones and pearls, to create minimal-yet-striking, timeless pieces.

It’s still surreal to me that this is my full time work. Eight years ago, I saw a pair of earrings in a boutique that I absolutely loved but couldn’t afford to buy. I was a full time mama with two kids under three, and our budget left no money for jewelry. I decided to order some wire online and try making them myself. My first pair was nothing to be proud of, but I just kept making more. I would stay up late at night wire wrapping beads and dreaming up designs. I would hammer metal on my garage floor when I could. One thing led to the next, and eventually my creative outlet evolved into a full-on business and steady source of income.

Customers always ask what In Situ means. It is a beautiful, Latin word which translates to “in place.” My hope is that every piece of In Situ Jewelry is a sweet reminder to focus on the positive, and to live in the present.

Sustainability is really important to me. I am committed to using sustainable, quality materials, as well as practicing minimal waste in the studio. The raw sterling silver and 14k gold fill I use is sourced from a local supplier who manufactures within the USA, and the sterling silver is 100% recycled silver. I use all plastic-free packaging and also offer repairs to any In Situ piece, to reduce waste and prolong the life of the jewelry.

One pretty unique aspect of my business is that for the past eight years, I’ve designed and released new collections of jewelry every Spring and Fall. This is something that brings me so much joy. It also pushes me creatively to always be thinking about what’s next for In Situ, what new designs I want to introduce, and what my customers would like to see in my jewelry line. Every year I choose which pieces from the collection to keep online, and which to let go of. This makes my jewelry line very intentional, in that I only offer my very best selling pieces online.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

Hearing my customers’ positive feedback is the absolute most rewarding thing. Whether it’s through reviews, messages, or in person, it truly warms my heart and it’s what inspires me to keep designing and creating.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

For me, the two most important things when it comes to social media have been authenticity and consistency. I started seeing a lot more engagement and new followers when I started showing my face, my jewelry process, and behind-the-scenes videos. I used to think that people would respect my brand more if I never showed my face, always referred to In Situ as “we”, and made it seem like it was a big company with employees. It took me years to realize that people really just want to see the truth. I realize that my customers actually respect and value the fact that I’m just one woman making jewelry in a modest home studio. The other really key thing is consistency. Just keep showing up, posting, etc. even when you don’t have much to say. For eight years I’ve been consistently posting/ engaging with my Instagram community, and this is what has kept my presence on the platform strong.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://insitujewelry.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/insitujewelry/

Image Credits
Rose Weigner Photography