Last year, I had the pleasure of meeting Kristin Krull of Camba Jewelry at a Parc Boutique trunk show in Minneapolis, MN. Her table was next to mine and over the course of the event, we began sharing our passion for creating jewelry. At that time, Kristin was getting ready to quit her day job and start living out her dream of working for herself. That is a leap I commend her for taking, especially in this economic downturn. After following her line throughout the last year, I can see that it will be no problem for her take her business into full swing and go many places with her inspirational jewelry.
Kristin has a very unique way of expressing herself in her work. She has much more than a line of jewelry, she tries to motivate and encourage while creating unique and stunning pieces. She is not afraid to make her own mark on the world while continuing to be a kind hearted person.
It's not just about buying something pretty for yourself, it's about Courage, Ambition, Motivation, Bravery, and Acceptance or Camba when they are put together as an anagram.
To get a better idea of Kristin Krull and what inspires her, I asked her a few questions:
How did you start your company? What inspired you?
Although I'd been making jewelry as a hobby since 1995, I officially started Camba Jewelry in 2009 after much contemplation about the direction of my life. I've always realized the importance not only of what is inspiring, and what is not. I started paying more attention to times went I felt good, and those times were always when I was creating something. Conversely, I began plucking away the things that were making me unhappy.
Six months after high school graduation, I moved to the Bay Area of San Francisco and bounced from job to job while attending San Jose State. In college, I was able to churn my creative energies into delicate handmade paper, metal sculture, oil and watercolor paintings, cast figurines, and made installation art. I also taught myself to make handmade soaps and candles. Much of my art was sold to surrounding businesses to help pay the sky-high rent. I never took one business class.
One day I made a necklace from some old plastic pink beads to spruce up my otherwise mundane waitress uniform. I reluctantly sold the necklace right off my neck for $5.00 to an enthusiastic coworker. "Well," I thought, "I'll just go make a another one". One by one, necklaces and bracelets were jumping from my body onto the necks and wrists of those around me.
I honed my skills by assisting in the design and production of jewelry by Keren Peled (Bay Area and Tel Aviv based) and Rowena Gill (Bay Area and London based). I was also mentored by jewelry designer extraordinaire Rosalina Lydster. These women were truly inspiring; we had in common a deep love of rich color and how to align it beautifully with a woman's silhouette, and we weren't afraid to put in the hard work to see results. These sneak peaks of the life of a designer made me wonder if jewelry as a hobby could become something more, something meaningful.
My stay in California lasted almost 15 years. I always say that I was raised in Minnesota but grew up in San Fran. 15 years was enough, and I missed my family. I moved back to MN in 2007.
With owning your own business, it can be hard to have down time. How do you balance work with relaxation? How do you keep motivated to try new things?
For me, throwing myself into jewelry design and assembly is my down time. There's nothing I'd rather do. It's like getting a 12 hour massage-- at the end of my work day, I feel relaxed, fulfilled, and totally energized. I leap out of bed in the morning and can't wait to get started. I can work 10-14 hours easily. Sometimes I have to force myself to take small breaks-- to have lunch, call a friend, or go to the gym. I become anxious when I'm not creating. Thus, my breaks are short, but necessary to maintain a social and physical balance. Otherwise I'm a bit of a hermit.
What is the best thing about owning your own business?
Freedom and personal growth. It takes tremendous confidence to portray what you think is relevant in an industry to an audience that has so many other options. Belief in yourself means power, and realizing this power fuels inspired thought.
You recently took a big leap and transitioned into working solely for yourself... can you tell us about that? I worked for a great company for almost 3 years. It paid well and came with tremendous benefits. However, being a checkout girl at Costco was not why I got a BFA degree. I am not a good employee; my work ethic generally suffers when I feel degraded all day long. I don't like being on someone else's watch. I was surrounded by people who are convinced that this way of life was not only acceptable, but necessary, yet everyone complains about it. I felt a burning misery everyday that I wasn't suppose to be there, that I had other things to accomplish, and that I was not partaking in Costco's ethical business practices. A mere 6 hour shift would send me into depression.
One night after a particularly (emotionally) grueling day, I shined a light on my first and fourth mantra (I have five) and summoned their fullest potential; it was Courage and Bravery that led me to finally write my 3 week notice. It takes massive amounts of courage and bravery to walk away from that steady paycheck, but I felt my options were very black and white: to remain miserable and paid, or free to discover just how far my creative adventures could take me. If not now then when? I have no children (yet), I've got my degree, and I'm no longer in the grip of Bay Area costs. I needed to commit to one or the other, and I chose to trust the universe and follow my passion. Costco was very supportive of my decision and even offered to give me my job back should I have a change of heart.
What sets your jewelry apart from other businesses out there?
I'm not one to judge the trends and tastes of other businesses. I don't focus much on what other businesses are up to. There are far too many people with different ideas of what is beautiful; My jewelry is simply an interpretation of what I think is beautiful. My hope is that other's will think so too, and based on results, I see that people are agreeing with my vision.
 |
| Fun Rib Cage necklace for October |
What key words best describe your business?
I am creativity on the end of a diving board. I am overflowing with visions and ideas and can't get to them fast enough. The key words that are driving forces for me are Courage, Ambition, Motivation, Bravery, Acceptance. These mantras are an anagram, Camba, which was born
while walking a Bay Area neighborhood I once lived in called San Carlos. During my regular walks through this peaceful neighborhood, I began repeating these mantras to encourage self betterment. Camba Jewelry is a very fitting name for my company.
What is the biggest obstacle you have had to over come with running your own business?
I have been seeking some assistance as my business grows, and I've had a few people offer their time to help out. There was no better education than when I apprenticed for two amazing designers, and I'd love to provide that experience to someone who wishes to explore this path. My obstacle is trusting people. I pay more attention to a person's actions than their words. If their actions do not coincide with my five mantras, I do not ask them back. I believe staying true to Camba. Perhaps forgiveness and understanding should be the 6th and 7th mantra!
Where is your business located and how far is your reach? Meaning can you work remotely to any location?
I work out of my home in Minneapolis. I could potentially work anywhere, and am open to the possibility. Since I have a strong online presence, my business reach extends to North America (I don't ship overseas, unless I know you personally). I have an Etsy shop and post daily creations on Facebook. I get many requests for items that I post. Some things don't even make it to the stores, they're gone that fast. I also currently sell in 11 stores in the Twin Cities Area, and one store on Vieques Island off Puerto Rico.
I usually end my blog articles by asking people to give me a favorite fortune cookie they have received to end with something funny. I really like the personal spin Kristin put on it.
I don't really enjoy the fortunes of cookies, as they usually have nothing to do with fortune, but I do have a favorite quote as July 2011: "You know you really have it when you've got the nerve" -Lady Gaga
