Today we’d like to introduce you to Scott Whitaker.
Hi Scott, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
I started creating jewelry over 20 years ago while still in high school. Inspired by an amazing teacher who had a love for jewelry and creating things by hand. While in college, I worked at a small custom jewelry store and spent the next 6 years there while going to college for a degree in business and technology management.
After college, my wife and I purchased a small jewelry store in the town we grew up in and ran it for the next 12 years. In 2018, we sold the store to strictly online sales and manage a few other wholesale accounts.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Oh, where to begin… haha. While in college, my wife and I started a family (3 boys) we also thought it would be a good idea to build a home. I had one year left in school and needless to say it was a lot of late nights and early mornings but we managed and made it through.
We purchased the store in 2006 right before the crash and that was definitely a challenging time for our business and it forced us to look at different avenues for revenue. We started a wholesale line, got into making jewelry for race series across the united states, and also ran our little store… Challenging but good memories.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My work consists of Fabrication, casting, lapidary and other forms of the metalsmithing process. A love for the outdoors has driven a theme in my work over the last few years.
\Working with my hands over the last 20 years in this industry has given me a beautiful connection to the work and the people around me who help make this process of creating possible.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
Hard work, consistency, there really is no substitute for it
Contact Info:
- Email: melissa@scottjamesjewelry.com
- Website: scottjamesjewelry.com
- Instagram: @scottjamesjewelry
