Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristen Shaw.
Hi Kristen, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
I’m 56, a wife, mother, G-ma, and Great G-ma. I am the sole owner/operator of Kris10’s Gems located in Old Town Spring. It was a case of boredom that started my adventure. Sometime in 2018 is when I started looking for a hobby. Was hoping to find something that I really enjoyed doing. I thought rock tumbling would be fun and rewarding since I love gemstones so much. It was not. You have to have a lot of patience to tumble rocks, and like every other woman I know, I wanted to see results, and I wanted to see them Now! Tumbling rocks can take months to get your finished product, and I just don’t have that kind of patience. One day, while shopping for gemstones to tumble online, I came across gemstone beads. I know it sounds crazy, but I always assumed that beads were plastic. Yet here I am, looking at these beautiful gemstones that are made into beads. I fell in love with them; I was addicted immediately. I began to buy strands of these beads not knowing what I was going to do with them at the time. I just knew I had to have them. That’s when I started designing different pieces of jewelry, from necklaces to rings and earrings to anklets. Everyone loved my designs. Apparently, I was a natural. Who knew? Why was I just finding this out? I sure wish I had known this about myself years ago. This is the thoughts going through my head at the time.
In the beginning, it was more of a hobby. I would make jewelry for family and friends only selling enough to buy more supplies. It was during the pandemic when the pay cuts started coming; at the same time, the cost of living was increasing. This is when I decided to turn my hobby into a small business. I wanted to continue to do what I love and bring in a little income at the same time.
It has been an amazing learning experience for me. It hasn’t all been a bed of roses. There have been many ups and downs. There is a ton of competition in this industry; in Old Town Spring alone, it seems like every other store has beaded jewelry of some sort. I’m not looking to be the next Kendra Scott, nor am I trying to get rich. My goal is to provide beautiful, quality, unique, handcrafted gemstone beaded jewelry for people that is affordable for everyone. Since I handcraft it myself, I warranty the craftsmanship. If it breaks, bring it back, and I will fix it. I strive to craft my jewelry to be robust, unique, beautiful, and affordable.
I opened my first brick-and-mortar in Old Town Spring in 2022, across the street from where I am now located. The location was approximately 1000 square feet. It was a little larger than I needed for just my Jewelry, so I added women’s clothing as well. I moved into the location I am now in November of this year. I plan on staying right where I am in Old Town Spring. I love my little store and love helping people find that perfect outfit for a special occasion or the perfect gift for someone special. Superior customer service and satisfaction are my top priority.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Like any other road, mine has had a few bumps. I just take them on, one bump at a time. One of my main struggles was with my first location. I rented a place that had a lot of obstacles but also a lot of character. This was all new to me; I didn’t know the 1st thing about what I was about to dive into. I decided I wanted to be a store owner, and my first thought process was location, location, location! Main St. you can’t go wrong on Main St. That’s not true. I was located on Main Street, but it was a duplex setting. My entrance didn’t face the street; it was more on the side of the building, facing my neighboring store’s parking area. The left side of the building it faced the street and had a nice-sized porch. I was the right side; my entrance door looked more like a side door. So much so that when people entered the store on the left, they thought they visited my store. I know this because I watched several people read my sign but skip my door over and over again. So I started stopping people that walked past my store but went into the store next to me; I was told that my entrance looked like a back door, so they thought they were going in my store through the front. But that was not my store. After talking to several random people off the street. I made some changes. I made the entrance bigger, ran a red carpet from the street to the front door, I added more signs, arrows, neon lighting, etc. That worked for the most part. But now I had a problem getting them into the store area… I got a lot of people that looked in the front door and turned to leave. Now, getting people through the door of my store turned out to be a struggle as well. The shape of my store was anything but normal; it was shaped like the letter L. When you enter the front door, you are at the top of the L, which isn’t a very large area, but it was long and ran like a hallway and went around a huge tree and continued on to an opened door. Way through the doorway at the end is where the main shopping area was. It wasn’t visible from the front entrance. I had merchandise at the front of the store and down the hallways, but the jewelry cases and the majority of merchandise were located in the back of the store. I would have to guide people through the hallways to the back of the store. This was a huge struggle… I had to come up with ways to get people to go down that hall. One thing I did was place some paw prints on the floor from the front of the store to the back, added arrows and more little signs, anything I could think of that would make people want to venture further in. I had cameras so I could see the front of the store while I was at the back helping others. If someone entered the front of the store and missed the queues, all I could do was watch them leave. Surprisingly, most people followed the paw prints. So, I guess my biggest struggle was with the my first store. I just moved into a new store across the street from where I was November this year,
As you know, we’re big fans of Kris10’s Gems. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about the brand?
I handcraft unique custom one-of-a-kind gemstone beaded jewelry. I have a variety of different styles to choose from at my store. I specialize in creating custom pieces in the color palette, size, and style that you inspire. I also hand-knot Cultured Freshwater Pearls in a variety of colors and sizes. I use quality materials and special clasps, and I strive to create robust jewelry that is affordable. I warranty my craftmanship, if something goes wrong with one of my pieces, you can bring it back, and I will fix or replace it. I also carry women’s clothing and enjoy helping someone find the perfect outfit for a special occasion. I am friendly and will provide as much or as little personal service as you want. I try to keep my prices down and strive to provide the best customer service possible. I choose Old Town Spring because it is close to home the perfect place to provide my service to my local community, but it is also a tourist Town, so I can positively represent our state.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
They might not know how hard I try to make everything perfect and how I take it personally if I don’t.
Contact Info:
- Website: kristensgems.com or kris10sgems.com
- Instagram: Kris10sgems_
- Facebook: Kris10’s Gems
- Yelp: Kriis10’s gems
