The Jeweler's View

Courtney Gray
  • 5.0 (15)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

A podcast not only for Jewelry Makers, but all Creative Movers and Shakers,  connecting entrepreneurs and aspiring creatives in with the resources, knowledge, and mindset support they need to achieve goals they once thought impossible. 

  1. 6d ago

    #87: Jewelry Success: Are Your Marketing Efforts Paying Off?

    Send us Fan Mail Planting Seeds: Why Visibility and Relationships Pay Off Later Courtney Gray introduces The Jeweler’s View and explains that many important business results are invisible at first, because relationships and trust often take months or years to turn into sales. She shares a story of meeting a woman at a music show who didn’t follow up until a year later, became a client, and eventually became her first assistant and a key part of her jewelry school’s growth.  Courtney also recounts asking her friend Steve, a five-decade jeweler, about the value of shows; he says about 70% of his commissions come from relationships that began at shows rather than same-day sales. She encourages makers not to mistake slow results for failure, emphasizing consistency, visibility, collecting emails, handing out cards, maintaining a website, and continuing to show up patiently while “planting seeds.” We cover: 00:00 Welcome to the Podcast 00:35 The Hidden Buyers 01:15 Seeds and Timing 01:32 Music Show Story 02:56 Roots Before Results 03:19 Steve on Trade Shows 05:35 Long Game Visibility 07:02 Not Yet Not No 07:56 Keep Showing Up 08:57 Final Reminder and Outro Support the show Visit www.CourtneyGrayArts.com to read more about what I offer.  Be sure to follow The Jeweler’s View so you never miss an episode! Now you can watch on You Tube: @theJeweler'sView. I’d love it if you could subscribe, and leave a rating and review by scrolling down on the main show page, this helps the podcast reach more amazing listeners like you.  💎 Have thoughts to share or just want to say hi? Reach out anytime and be sure to get on my VIP newsletter list. Welcome to the tribe! – Courtney Helping Jewelry Creatives access the knowledge, resources, and mindset they need to achieve goals they once thought impossible. Connect with me or check out the Transform Your Jewelry Business course at  www.CourtneyGrayArts.com 🤗 Linktree: All the Things  🎁 Get your FREE guide: Courage, Clarity, and Customers  and  ...

    11 min

  2. Jun 30

    #86: Why Do Buyers Connect with Certain Jewelry

    Send us Fan Mail The Emotional Experience of Buying Jewelry: Trust, Connection, and Consistency Courtney Gray introduces The Jeweler’s View and explains that while materials, craftsmanship, and price matter, most jewelry purchases begin with emotion: trust, connection, curiosity, and recognition.  She argues makers don’t need sales pressure or persuasion tactics; instead, they should invite clients into an experience shaped by welcoming interactions, attentive environments, and genuine care.  Gray highlights listening as an underrated skill, especially in custom work, where slowing down to hear the story behind a request builds connection and helps clients feel included and informed. She notes that “luxury” can be feeling considered, and shares buying a motorcycle at 47 as an example of decisions driven by identity and feeling.  She emphasizes that makers’ confidence, warmth, and consistency in communication, packaging, pricing, and photography create predictability and trust for deeply personal jewelry purchases. What we cover: 00:00 Podcast Welcome 00:35 Why Jewelry Is Emotional 01:43 Trust Before The Sale 03:03 Listening For The Story 04:24 Luxury Is Feeling Considered 04:44 Motorcycle Feeling Shift 06:12 Warmth Over Perfection 06:44 Confidence In Your Work 07:53 Consistency Builds Safety 08:40 How People Feel 09:20 Closing And Next Steps Support the show Visit www.CourtneyGrayArts.com to read more about what I offer.  Be sure to follow The Jeweler’s View so you never miss an episode! Now you can watch on You Tube: @theJeweler'sView. I’d love it if you could subscribe, and leave a rating and review by scrolling down on the main show page, this helps the podcast reach more amazing listeners like you.  💎 Have thoughts to share or just want to say hi? Reach out anytime and be sure to get on my VIP newsletter list. Welcome to the tribe! – Courtney Helping Jewelry Creatives access the knowledge, resources, and mindset they need to achieve goals they once thought impossible. Connect with me or check out the Transform Your Jewelry Business course at  www.CourtneyGrayArts.com 🤗 Linktree: All the Things  🎁 Get your FREE guide: Courage, Clarity, and Customers  and  ...

    11 min

  3. Jun 23

    #85 Packaging, Presentation, and the Art of Taking One Thing Away

    Send us Fan Mail Take One Thing Away: Visual Clarity in Jewelry Design and Presentation Courtney Gray, host of The Jeweler’s View with nearly 30 years in the jewelry industry, shares a guiding principle for makers: when something feels unclear, remove one competing element. She applies a style tip about taking off one accessory to jewelry photography, packaging, booth displays, websites, and jewelry design, arguing that professionalism and luxury often feel calm and intentional rather than crowded or expensive-looking. Gray explains how adding props, signage, explanation, textures, and design details can dilute focal points so everything “speaks at the same volume,” and she urges makers to ask where a viewer’s eye lands first. Cohesive, simple presentation builds trust, and thoughtful editing and restraint help jewelry and branding feel refined, focused, and able to “breathe.” We cover: 00:00 Welcome and Mission 00:32 One Thing Off Rule 01:09 Overcrowding Kills Focus 03:49 Focal Point Check 04:48 Luxury Feels Calm 05:01 Cohesion Builds Trust 06:15 Editing Takes Courage 07:07 Presentation Shapes Feeling 08:00 Take One Thing Away 08:28 Closing and Next Steps Support the show Visit www.CourtneyGrayArts.com to read more about what I offer.  Be sure to follow The Jeweler’s View so you never miss an episode! Now you can watch on You Tube: @theJeweler'sView. I’d love it if you could subscribe, and leave a rating and review by scrolling down on the main show page, this helps the podcast reach more amazing listeners like you.  💎 Have thoughts to share or just want to say hi? Reach out anytime and be sure to get on my VIP newsletter list. Welcome to the tribe! – Courtney Helping Jewelry Creatives access the knowledge, resources, and mindset they need to achieve goals they once thought impossible. Connect with me or check out the Transform Your Jewelry Business course at  www.CourtneyGrayArts.com 🤗 Linktree: All the Things  🎁 Get your FREE guide: Courage, Clarity, and Customers  and  ...

    10 min

  4. Jun 16

    #84: Are You Waiting for the Perfect Setup? Unleash Your Creativity Now

    Send us Fan Mail Resourcefulness Over Readiness: Building Momentum and Confidence as a Jeweler Courtney Gray welcomes listeners to The Jeweler’s View and shares lessons from nearly 30 years in the jewelry industry about what moves creative careers forward. She challenges the belief that growth starts after buying better tools, branding, or equipment, noting she has seen creativity stall in fully equipped studios while strong work emerges from limited setups. The episode focuses on resourcefulness, momentum, and how confidence is built through action rather than waiting to feel ready. Gray explains how “getting ready” can disguise perfectionism and fear of being seen, and how constraints can sharpen creativity, including in jewelry photography through understanding light and practicing repetition. She emphasizes that problem-solving builds self-trust, encourages small, imperfect steps, and cautions against romanticizing burnout while urging makers not to postpone their creative life for perfect conditions. We cover: 00:00 Welcome to the Show 00:32 The Gear Trap 01:24 The Ready When Myth 02:15 Perfectionism and Vulnerability 03:06 Constraints Spark Creativity 04:09 Better Photos Without Fancy Gear 04:55 Confidence Through Reps 06:13 Invest Without Waiting 07:25 Use What You Have 07:55 Closing and Next Steps Support the show Visit www.CourtneyGrayArts.com to read more about what I offer.  Be sure to follow The Jeweler’s View so you never miss an episode! Now you can watch on You Tube: @theJeweler'sView. I’d love it if you could subscribe, and leave a rating and review by scrolling down on the main show page, this helps the podcast reach more amazing listeners like you.  💎 Have thoughts to share or just want to say hi? Reach out anytime and be sure to get on my VIP newsletter list. Welcome to the tribe! – Courtney Helping Jewelry Creatives access the knowledge, resources, and mindset they need to achieve goals they once thought impossible. Connect with me or check out the Transform Your Jewelry Business course at  www.CourtneyGrayArts.com 🤗 Linktree: All the Things  🎁 Get your FREE guide: Courage, Clarity, and Customers  and  ...

    9 min

  5. Jun 9

    #83: Let Your Art Speak: The Magic of Wearing Your Work

    Send us Fan Mail Let Your Jewelry Leave the Bench: Small Visibility That Builds Confidence Courtney Gray introduces The Jeweler’s View and explains that jewelry gains traction through everyday wear, not just big launches or shows. She argues many makers get stuck waiting to feel “ready,” even though movement and visibility are what build confidence.  By wearing your work—especially experimental pieces—or letting trusted people wear it, you gather real-world feedback on comfort, scale, movement, and emotional impact, and you learn what resonates without needing every interaction to become a sale. The same idea applies online: share process, experiments, and evolving work through consistent small moments of presence.  Gray emphasizes visibility can be small and intentional, not performative or influencer-driven. Her weekly “bench note” is to wear something you made, observe reactions and questions, and notice what the work teaches you. We cover: 00:00 Welcome to the Podcast 00:35 Jewelry Travels With People 01:51 Why Makers Stay Hidden 02:44 Wear the Experimental Pieces 03:32 Real World Feedback Loop 04:30 Confidence Is Tiny Evidence 05:20 Visibility Online Too 06:27 Small Intentional Visibility 07:13 Bench Note Challenge 07:49 Closing and Next Steps Support the show Visit www.CourtneyGrayArts.com to read more about what I offer.  Be sure to follow The Jeweler’s View so you never miss an episode! Now you can watch on You Tube: @theJeweler'sView. I’d love it if you could subscribe, and leave a rating and review by scrolling down on the main show page, this helps the podcast reach more amazing listeners like you.  💎 Have thoughts to share or just want to say hi? Reach out anytime and be sure to get on my VIP newsletter list. Welcome to the tribe! – Courtney Helping Jewelry Creatives access the knowledge, resources, and mindset they need to achieve goals they once thought impossible. Connect with me or check out the Transform Your Jewelry Business course at  www.CourtneyGrayArts.com 🤗 Linktree: All the Things  🎁 Get your FREE guide: Courage, Clarity, and Customers  and  ...

    9 min

  6. Jun 2

    #82: Unlocking Your Audience: Who Connects with Your Creative Work?

    Send us Fan Mail Stop Guessing Your Jewelry Customer: Find the Patterns That Drive Visibility Courtney Gray introduces The Jeweler’s View and explains that many makers assume their customer is “someone like me,” which can become outdated as their work and audience evolve.  She argues that understanding who actually resonates with your jewelry is foundational to visibility and affects messaging, engagement, sales channels (Etsy vs. galleries), presentation, and pricing; if the customer picture is fuzzy, everything downstream gets fuzzy. Instead of inventing a fictional ideal customer, she recommends looking for patterns and evidence: which pieces get picked up, tried on, saved, shared, commented on, reordered, or sell fastest, what price points move, and what feedback galleries, retailers, and staff hear.  If this conversation resonates, Systems That Save Time and Transform are both open now at courtneygrayarts.com What we cover: 00:00 Welcome to the Podcast 00:35 Are You Your Customer 01:44 Why Customer Clarity Matters 02:54 Find Patterns Not Personas 03:36 Collect Feedback Everywhere 04:08 Learn From Retail Partners 04:59 Make Listening a Practice 05:44 Transform and Next Steps 06:46 Final Thanks and Sendoff Support the show Visit www.CourtneyGrayArts.com to read more about what I offer.  Be sure to follow The Jeweler’s View so you never miss an episode! Now you can watch on You Tube: @theJeweler'sView. I’d love it if you could subscribe, and leave a rating and review by scrolling down on the main show page, this helps the podcast reach more amazing listeners like you.  💎 Have thoughts to share or just want to say hi? Reach out anytime and be sure to get on my VIP newsletter list. Welcome to the tribe! – Courtney Helping Jewelry Creatives access the knowledge, resources, and mindset they need to achieve goals they once thought impossible. Connect with me or check out the Transform Your Jewelry Business course at  www.CourtneyGrayArts.com 🤗 Linktree: All the Things  🎁 Get your FREE guide: Courage, Clarity, and Customers  and  ...

    8 min

  7. May 26

    #81: Part 2: Building a Jewelry Business That Evolves With You From Wholesale to Direct-to-Consumer, Brick & Mortar & Hard-Won Lessons

    Send us Fan Mail Building a Jewelry Business Without Losing Yourself: Resilience, Team, and Retail Growth with Stacey King Courtney Gray hosts The Jewelers View and continues her conversation with Stacey King about what it takes to build and grow Lulu Designs while staying aligned with the work.  Stacey links her “latchkey kid” upbringing to resilience, learning from tough moments, and putting art first while relying on a healthy support system and community. She shares hard business lessons from wholesale, including over-inventory, cash-flow strain, long corporate payment terms, and the risk of relying on single large accounts, including an unpaid $11,000 invoice.  Stacey emphasizes incorporating early, using business borrowing/credit to reduce personal financial exposure, and investing in coaching. She discusses shifting toward more direct retail through a studio-plus-flagship store in Mill Valley, offering repairs and services, maintaining select wholesale partners, and valuing authentic in-person experiences amid AI-generated content.  Stacey describes a word-of-mouth-built team of master bench jewelers and looks ahead to more custom and one-of-a-kind work, ending with advice to make friends with change. We cover: 00:00 Podcast Welcome 00:35 Episode Focus Shift 01:21 Resilience And Art First 03:57 Community And Reps 05:48 Inventory And Wholesale Risks 07:34 Incorporation And Borrowing 09:10 Protecting The Artist 09:57 Learning From Coaches 10:41 Pivot From Wholesale 12:26 Retailer Storytelling Limits 13:07 Opening a Tiny Store 14:02 Studio-Backed Brick and Mortar 14:54 Repairs and Local Services 15:26 Authenticity in the AI Era 16:21 Building a Word-of-Mouth Team 17:45 Custom Work and One-of-a-Kinds 18:57 Make Friends With Change 20:38 Glasses and Closing Reflections 22:16 Sponsor and Final Sendoff Support the show Visit www.CourtneyGrayArts.com to read more about what I offer.  Be sure to follow The Jeweler’s View so you never miss an episode! Now you can watch on You Tube: @theJeweler'sView. I’d love it if you could subscribe, and leave a rating and review by scrolling down on the main show page, this helps the podcast reach more amazing listeners like you.  💎 Have thoughts to share or just want to say hi? Reach out anytime and be sure to get on my VIP newsletter list. Welcome to the tribe! – Courtney Helping Jewelry Creatives access the knowledge, resources, and mindset they need to achieve goals they once thought impossible. Connect with me or check out the Transform Your Jewelry Business course at  www.CourtneyGrayArts.com 🤗 Linktree: All the Things  🎁 Get your FREE guide: Courage, Clarity, and Customers  and  ...

    24 min

  8. May 19

    #80: Part 1: Staying in the Magic: How to Stay Creative While Running a Jewelry Business

    Send us Fan Mail Staying in the Magic: Stacy King of Lulu Designs on Process, Tools, and Play in the Jewelry Studio In this Jewelers View studio conversation, host interviews Stacy King, founder of Lulu Designs, about staying “in the magic” while building a sustainable jewelry business. King describes creativity as presence and flow, shaped by her background in ceramics, dyslexia, and learning through repeated failure before the internet, and emphasizes collaboration and community over working alone.  She discusses resisting distraction and comparison from social media by keeping a daily grounding practice (reading, natural light, movement, and time in nature). King explains that she rarely sketches, instead letting materials, symbolism, botanicals, and experimentation lead, often supported by teammates like illustrator Christina.  She details how tools like a laser cutter, laser engraver/welder, and a Bonny Doon press are chosen to solve production, physical strain, and inventory/cash issues amid rising metal prices, and she protects creative R&D with a non-negotiable “Fun Day Friday.” What we cover: 00:00 Welcome to the Studio 01:37 Staying in the Magic 03:32 Learning Through Failure 05:35 Grounding Rituals and Distractions 08:00 Design Without Sketching 10:00 Where Ideas Begin 10:25 Tools Travel and Botanicals 12:29 Letting Materials Lead 13:33 Just Jewelry Perspective 13:57 Jewelry as Memory 14:45 Energy and Intention 15:33 Ego and Skill Building 16:55 Choosing the Right Tools 17:12 Bonny Doon Press Benefits 20:07 Metal Prices and Creativity 20:36 Fun Day Friday Playtime 23:16 Gratitude Over Comparison 25:35 Closing and Next Episode Support the show Visit www.CourtneyGrayArts.com to read more about what I offer.  Be sure to follow The Jeweler’s View so you never miss an episode! Now you can watch on You Tube: @theJeweler'sView. I’d love it if you could subscribe, and leave a rating and review by scrolling down on the main show page, this helps the podcast reach more amazing listeners like you.  💎 Have thoughts to share or just want to say hi? Reach out anytime and be sure to get on my VIP newsletter list. Welcome to the tribe! – Courtney Helping Jewelry Creatives access the knowledge, resources, and mindset they need to achieve goals they once thought impossible. Connect with me or check out the Transform Your Jewelry Business course at  www.CourtneyGrayArts.com 🤗 Linktree: All the Things  🎁 Get your FREE guide: Courage, Clarity, and Customers  and  ...

    27 min
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5
out of 5
15 Ratings

About

A podcast not only for Jewelry Makers, but all Creative Movers and Shakers,  connecting entrepreneurs and aspiring creatives in with the resources, knowledge, and mindset support they need to achieve goals they once thought impossible. 

Information

  • Creator
    Courtney Gray
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    87
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Jeweler's View
  • Show Website
    The Jeweler's View

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