'Follow your heart, make what you love' Successfully transitioning from a hobby to a jewellery business with jeweller Natalie Furlong (podcast episode)
In this weeks episode, jeweller Natalie Furlong shares her inspiring journey from a creative hobbyist to a successful jewellery business owner. She discusses her background in ceramics, the challenges she faced during her transition from ceramics to jewellery, and how the Jewellery Business Academy has supported her growth. Jess and Natalie touch on lots of important issues including the importance of following your passion, struggles with social media marketing, and the significance of community and accountability in entrepreneurship. She also offers valuable advice for aspiring jewellers and highlights her unique design philosophy.
Listen now:
231: 'Follow your heart, make what you love' Successfully transitioning from a hobby to a jewellery business
with Natalie Furlong
In this weeks episode, jeweller Natalie Furlong shares her inspiring journey from a creative hobbyist to a successful jewellery business owner. She discusses her background in ceramics, the challenges she faced during her transition from ceramics to jewellery, and how the Jewellery Business Academy has supported her growth. Jess and Natalie touch on lots of important issues including the importance of following your passion, struggles with social media marketing, and the significance of community and accountability in entrepreneurship. She also offers valuable advice for aspiring jewellers and highlights her unique design philosophy.
Takeaways
Natalie's journey began with a desire for unique jewellery.
She transitioned from ceramics to jewellery making during lockdown.
The Jewellery Business Academy provided essential support and resources.
Social media remains a challenge for Natalie, but she is learning.
Pricing strategies are crucial for sustaining a jewellery business.
Community and accountability are vital for personal and business growth.
Natalie emphasizes the importance of following your heart in business.
Creative freedom is essential for design evolution.
Networking with other jewellers has been beneficial.
Taking time for personal creativity is important for overall success.
The Jewellery Business Academy is now open for enrolment. Join us for a year of growth starting in January 2025. Find out more about how you can revolutionise your jewellery business in 2025.
https://www.jewellersacademy.com/the-jewellery-business-academy
Learn more about Jewellers Academy
the jewellery business academy
This Jewellery Business Academy 2025 is designed to offer monthly training, support, community and connection to jewellers who are either in the process of starting their own business or those up and running who are looking to learn more about the trade and grow.
This year long program has been newly filmed featuring jeweller case studies, filming in their workplaces and refreshed content.
Jewellery from Natalie’s collections
about natalie
I seem to have a surplus of nervous energy and am happiest when my hands are busy. From little, I would like to fix fiddly things and when I discovered clay later in life, I loved its soothing effect on me. Then six years ago, I accidentally found silversmithing and I was hooked!
With lockdown and the loss of my wonderful French mum, a few quarantines from travelling to France weirdly allowed the time for me to experiment. Then a brush with cancer made me decide to turn my hobby into my life and go for it!
My influences come from travel, music, art and sculpture and the desire to create something you can’t find on the high street.
Travelling gave me the inspiration to melt recycled silver over pulses and rock salt to create unique organic shapes, reminiscent of Gaudi sculptures and coral, pebbles and stars.
To make these little casts come to life, I wanted to add dashes of gold, as if the sun was shining on them creating shadows. So, I discovered the ancient Korean technique 'Keum Boo', where tiny pieces of 24ct gold foil are fused to the silver with heat and burnishing. Whilst this tends to result in a lot of swearing and a few burnt fingers, I love the effect and feel like a painter adding the finishing touches that make each piece unique.
Your next episode:
We're so excited to launch the brand new Jewellery Business Academy for 2025. This is a newly filmed year-long program starting in January, designed to support jewellery entrepreneurs at any stage of their business journey. In this episode we explore the evolution of the Jewellery Business Academy program from its roots in the Jewellery Business Bootcamp to now.
