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

Tayla, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Owning a business isn’t always glamorous and so most business owners we’ve connected with have shared that on tough days they sometimes wonder what it would have been like to have just had a regular job instead of all the responsibility of running a business. Have you ever felt that way?

Although it’s a lot of work, I don’t see myself going back to a full-time job anytime soon. I was laid off from my last job in 2022 after just six months due to restructuring. I was completely blindsided and felt like such a failure, even though I wasn’t the only one affected. It was hard not to take it personally because I had never been let go from a job before; I always left for a better opportunity. But I was still freelancing, so I figured I would focus on building my freelance business and work on my jewelry business as well. I did a little bit of job searching, but nothing was really catching my eye. Or I would get interviews and not hear back. I kept looking sporadically because it felt like the “right” thing to do, but my heart wasn’t in it.

I spent most of 2023 focused primarily on my freelance business, but this year I decided to go all in on my jewelry business. I started doing more vendor markets and joined an artist cooperative in my neighborhood at my husband’s insistence. I got a wholesale order for the first time and just generally ramped up my operations as much as I could as one person.

I would definitely say I am happier now than I was when I was working full-time. I have so much more freedom to spend time with my family and I’ve gotten to meet so many other business owners and members of my community. Sometimes when sales are slow, I do wonder if I should at least look for a part-time job, but I don’t think that’s the path I’m meant to take right now. I’m taking a huge chance on myself with my jewelry business but, if I don’t, nobody else will.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My business originally started off as a hobby. I collect a lot of crystals and gemstone and have always been drawn to their metaphysical properties. I was also buying a lot of crystal jewelry, but I always thought, “I can make this myself, and I can probably do it better.” I don’t really know what possessed me to think that since my background is as a writer. I have a bachelor’s in journalism and English, and a master’s in health communication. I had just graduated from grad school the same year I started making jewelry, so I was looking for a new job where I could put my degree to good use. I knew I wanted to make jewelry to help me get a new job and a higher salary, so I combined citrine and tiger’s eye for abundance and confidence. I wore this combination for my interviews and got the job, with a significant salary increase from what I made in my previous role. Coincidence? I think not!

The COVID-19 pandemic hit just months after I started my new job, and making jewelry helped me with a lot of the anxiety and stress I was feeling at the time. I was working in marketing at a healthcare organization, so I was writing and editing a lot of COVID communications. It took a huge tool on my mental health, especially as someone who already struggled with anxiety. I would make combinations for stress relief, to protect my energy, or whatever else I felt I needed. But I had such a large inventory that I felt like I needed to branch out and make jewelry for others too. Who couldn’t use some support during a time of so much uncertainty? I was surprised at the response when I reached out to one of my Facebook groups, and it made me feel like I could do this as a legitimate business. So I officially launched LoveStoned Jewelry Co. in August 2020.

I know not everyone believes in the healing properties of crystals, and that is totally fine. I do my best to educate, but I don’t begrudge anyone who just wants something pretty to wear. For those who do believe in the properties, nothing makes me happier than when someone says, “This is EXACTLY what I needed.” Or they want to buy a gift for someone and they give me a concept, and I happen to have a perfect piece for it. It makes it all worth it.

Do you sell on your site, or do you use a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc?

I created my own website and briefly dabbled in selling on Etsy, but I quickly discovered I didn’t like it. Running my own website takes a lot of time and effort, and trying to manage both was difficult. Ultimately, I wanted to be able to control everything and keep my profits, rather than paying fees for listings, etc. I know some people are skeptical about buying from an unknown website, so it can be difficult to build brand recognition. But I really pride myself in doing everything possible to ensure a seamless and secure customer experience. My site has gone through a lot of different iterations since I first started out, and I think I’ve finally gotten it to a good place. But I will keep making updates and changes as needed.

That’s not to say I don’t think Etsy is helpful; there are people who make it work really well, and that’s great! I just didn’t feel like it was for me, and I know my particular market is really saturated. I also worried about what would happen if Etsy went down or my shop got closed. Maybe they were unlikely — but not impossible — scenarios, but having my own site gave me more of a sense of security. I might revisit some day in the future but, currently, I feel more comfortable doing my own thing.

Have you ever had to pivot?

Up until this year, I was adamant about only selling online. But there are a lot of jewelry businesses out there doing the same thing I do, so I knew it would be difficult to get people to notice me. I’m pretty introverted, so I hated the thought of going out to vendor markets. The first and only one I had done up until this year was at a bookstore, so it was really laid back and low stakes. But I choose a word for the year at the beginning of every year, and my word this year was “Expand.” So I decided I was going to do just that. I started doing a bunch of markets, I joined the co-op, and I’m pursuing wholesale. It’s honestly made a huge difference since most of my sales are now coming from my jewelry actually being in front of people. Plus, I’ve met a lot of other business owners since I started doing more events and programs to help build my business. Being self-employed can be really isolating, so the connections I’ve been making this year have been really helpful on this journey.

Jewelry is an emotional purchase, and gemstone jewelry has an added layer to it. In person, I can talk more in depth about the properties of a particular gemstone and really help guide customers to the perfect piece. I don’t just slap things together. Every piece of jewelry I make has a specific intention and purpose behind it, and I know there is someone out there who can benefit from it. I had a combination I made a couple of years ago that I personally loved, but that wasn’t moving on my website, so I brought it to a market I did over the summer. A woman came by and described an issue she was dealing with, and I knew right away that combination was meant for her. She fell in love with it immediately. So even though it took a little while, that piece eventually found the perfect home. It’s a little harder to be able to guide people online, so I’m glad I stepped out of my comfort zone to do more in-person events.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.lovestonedjewelry.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lovestonedjewelryco/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lovestonedjewelryco
• Other: Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/lovestonedjewelryco
  TikTok: https://tiktok.com/lovestonedjewelry