We put out a call on Instagram for questions you've always wondered about Take Shape Studio and we chose this one to answer first:
Would you ever open a store?
This is something I think about ALL THE TIME and have seriously considered. I've found the most success selling my work in person where people can touch, try, stack, and just play around. I absolutely love interior design, supporting small businesses/artists, bringing community together, and curating spaces, so...store! I actually named myself Take Shape Studio instead of Take Shape Jewelry because I wanted to leave room for a more expansive brand.
While a store sounds dreamy, there's also quite a few reasons why it doesn't make sense, at least right now. Primarily, I want to make jewelry, and I think running a store would take me away from that. I already have one million other tasks beyond making jewelry just running my jewelry business, so I can imagine that getting away from me without hiring a solid team.
I also live in the Bay Area, and retail spaces are not just expensive, there's theft and burglary (like in any city!). I know there are safety measures and insurance, but that also feels like a hurdle.
Lastly, I've been able to dip my toe in creating a retail space through Fog City Flea where I designed my permanent display and keep a large portion of my inventory. I considered building out even more of a curated space in the new Mission location, but I decided to keep it simple. The potential mini store did lead to me thinking through what I would carry along with my jewelry, and one item that felt obvious is a jewelry travel case. I've been working with a non profit in India to bring that to life, so that will be available in the next few months.
So, maybe someday I will have an in person retail store, but for now we keep steady.