Not So Fast Poopy Pants, it's 2020 Afterall....

Well, where HAVE I been for the last couple of months? Not that anyone is paying attention to the passage of time, during this blur we refer to as 2020, but a couple of months ago we packed away the mask making supplies with the intention of returning to the glamorous life of small business entrepreneur. Which, side note, is not glamorous in the slightest, but let's just play along for fun.  

Just as I was about to get back to business, the worlds attention turned to the BLM movement. I felt wildly uncomfortable stepping back into social media. I made a conscious choice to remain respectfully silent and to listen, learn and process. I’ve also learned to trust my instinct and intuition, and while I stand by the choices I made during the past several months, they have not been without personal sacrifice. Apart from word of mouth promotion from very supportive friends, social media is my primary means of advertising and marketing. Without it, like many others, my business came to a halt. And I remain very sensitive about returning to the medium during these persistently difficult times.

We (ok, me), at Gold and Smoke, create empowerment jewelry. The message behind every single design is rooted in empowerment and what that means to the wearer. The tag line for Gold and Smoke is "You are Bulletproof". The essence of the brand’s mission statement is, "Wear your piece of Gold & Smoke with pride and confidence and let it serve as a reminder that you are protected, powerful, invincible, transformed." So, I ask, who doesn't that apply to? And thus, I slowly wrap my head around feeling confident that empowerment jewelry absolutely has a relevant place, always, but especially right here, right now. 

With all that said, I am a small business owner. To build, I must promote. To thrive, I must create. I am working on custom pieces and new designs, that I'm excited to offer. And, I feel comfortable sharing this (long) part of my story, here with you. So, when you are looking for a gift for any occasion, or for any of the many everyday victories and people who we want to feel empowered, I have a collection of items that are available for immediate shipment as well as customization. In the coming weeks, we will be highlighting new designs as we make our way back to the social media sphere. 

To anyone who made it this far, thank you deeply for taking a minute to read my thoughts - you are likely someone who has supported me throughout this journey, in a variety ways, and I thank you again! I do appreciate every one of you.