January: Recovering from the holidays. Y’all, I’m always wired on coffee and a bit frazzled once my Santa’s Elf Duties are over for the year. That last week before Christmas is NUTS...but in a good way. January is my time to sleep, re-energize, and plan for the new year. And that we did….but we didn’t quite know what was coming!
February:(above) Like a crazy mom and a true family business owner, I decided to fly myself and my 6 month old to Baltimore for the American Craft Council show. I love this show and meet many amazing folks there each year. This year it went so well - and all with a 6 month old in tow! (thanks Mom and Dad for coming and being part of my baby entourage!)
March: After coming off of an amazing time in Baltimore and swinging through Virginia to introduce my son to this entire extended family, including a special time meeting his great-grandmother, we journeyed back to Savannah and BOOM the world ended. We knew it was big when they cancelled the Savannah St. Patrick’s Parade - which is kind of a big deal in these parts!
April: Did April even happen? But really, April was the month where I took my worry and concern and decided to do something about it. I sat down and came up with a game plan. Covid was trying to take so much from my business and small businesses everywhere. I wanted to look back on this time and I wanted to see accomplishments. I wanted to see things checked off my to-do list. And so it started…..
May: I applied for the Red Backpack Grant, a project with the Spanx by Sara Blakely Foundation. And I was selected! This gave me an infusion of funding to make my list from April a reality! Go, go go...and the race began.
June: I began my monthly birthstone blog series. I started working on a big PR campaign to promote the Red Backpack Win! I completely overhauled my studio and started on some massive organization projects. I looked at things I’d been procrastinating and I got them DONE! I also found an amazing graphic designer to help me rebrand. (new look above!)
July: Rebranding continued. We started shooting my brand video with a new video team. I updated my website: the first of several late summer updates. AND all just in time for…..
August: A Spanx Red Backpack Fund interview happened. Yes, they saw what I was doing and were so impressed that they wanted to feature Kristen Baird Jewelry as one of the success stories! All the while, I started a series of guest writing articles for Southern Jewelry News, recorded 2 podcasts, made an appearance in a few local magazines, took an actual family vacation and celebrated Paxton’s first birthday!
September: We continued to roll out the new Kristen Baird look and were pleased to hear that Kristen Baird Jewelry was voted "Best Jewelry Store in Savannah" for the 2020 Best of the Best Awards! We celebrated the Savannah Grand Bohemian Gallery "New Moon" opening - the first event I had been a part of since February. It felt good to safely be back with friends!
October: This month brought so many changes. After going so fast and furious since I made my resolution to get things DONE in April, I took some time to see where I was and WOW, we had done a lot. October went by in a flash but not without wrapping our big brand video, having a Solo Savannah Grand Bohemian Gallery Meet the Artist Show, doing a fabulous Branded Photo Shoot (above) with our friends at Paprika Southern, and gearing up for the holidays!
November: We launched our big video!! I had this idea for a Sparkle Box, but I wasn't sure. We celebrated Thanksgiving! This Sparkle Box kept bugging me so I decided, why not? And we did it. And you guys LOVED it! People poured their support our way. I'm telling you, it was awesome! And that sparkle box kicked off.....
December: What a blur! Even thinking about it now, I get a little teary. The support I felt this year blew me away. People shopped with me. They called me to purchase, they texted me asking about pieces, they emailed me with questions. I've never had this much excitement from clients and I saw first hand their dedication toward supporting the "small guys". Y'all it was incredible.
December 31: I am beyond grateful. So thankful. And here I am. Typing away and thinking about how much I have to say thank you for. About how happy, joyful, blessed and humbled I am. I have the best friends, family, clients, supporters, cheerleaders! I get to create beautiful jewelry. I am an artist as my career. It's still crazy to think about. So THANK YOU all for your encouragement this year. A year that could have broken me. I could have lost it all. But I made quick decisions. Tough decisions. I cried. I stressed. I worried. So much worry. But I also buckled down. I leaned in and asked for help. WE did it. Not just me. Everyone around me helped. YOU helped. Without you, I have no business. Each of you helped! It truly takes a village to raise a child and it takes a village to support a business and business owner too. Looking at 2021, I'm excited....a little nervous. But mainly excited. We've got this folks ♥️
