How Winning the Halstead Grant Transformed My Jewelry Business

I’m thrilled to be selected as the guest judge for the 2025 Halstead Grant! This is truly a full-circle moment for me and my business. I was fortunate enough to win the grant in 2017, and the experience transformed Kristen Baird ® Jewelry and turned it into what it is today.

Reflecting on everything that has happened since I won the Halstead Grant in 2017, it’s clear that I wouldn’t be where I am now without Halstead. 

A Push in the Right Direction

I first applied for the Halstead Grant in 2016 and did not win. While I was very disappointed, the committee gave me some feedback which had a profound impact on my work:

We see that you are at a fork in the road. There are two likely paths ahead for your business and both are promising. It is just not clear which way you are headed…Either one of these models is promising, but we would recommend making a strategic choice with intention and then aligning your decisions with those goals in mind. 

It was a tough pill to swallow, but so necessary. I did make a strategic choice: I went all-in on the KBJ aesthetic, turning down any work that didn’t fit within my vision. It was scary, but it paid off in the long run! Now, I have a recognizable brand that people seek out specifically. Most importantly, I love every piece I make. And the next year I applied, I won!

Gaining Confidence

After the initial announcement and publicity from winning the grant, I was invited out to Arizona to meet the team at Halstead and teach a class. (One of the many incredible things about Halstead is that they offer monthly jewelry-making classes to their employees.) The experience was very validating as a designer and as a teacher. I couldn’t believe I was someone that industry professionals were looking up to. Before this, I had never had a bench assistant in the studio. I quickly realized that I wanted to mentor new jewelry designers and - more importantly - that I was actually qualified to do so!

I started bringing in interns more regularly and giving them more responsibilities, and now Abby is my right hand in the studio. I don’t know what I’d do without her! Now, my team also includes two virtual assistants, Jeana and Emily, who handle all my social media and content (and generally help keep me sane). It’s all about finding the people who believe in your vision enough to help you execute it. 

Building Momentum 

It’s no secret that winning Halstead gets the wider jewelry industry talking about your business. Only a few months after my grant was announced, I received an invitation from SCAD to apply for their Atelier program. Next thing I knew… I was in France.

I came out of the residency in Lacoste with a whole new collection and a business plan to execute it. I added new pieces to my collections at the Grand Bohemian and demonstrated through the quality of my work and business acumen that I was someone they could rely on. When it was time to open their new location in Greenville, they called me.

Leveling Up

It was a typical weekday afternoon when I received a call from the Corporate Gallery Director at the Grand Bohemian. They wanted to know how quickly I could get a collection together for their new Greenville location. Could I potentially send it… the following morning?

Fortunately, thanks to all the work I’d put into building out my inventory, I was ready! I had all the various parts and pieces laid out, and I spent the evening finishing pieces for a quick turnaround. 

Once I got into Greenville, the clientele and the foot traffic made it clear that I needed to start creating more gold pieces. Because of all the business planning I’d done for the Halstead Grant, I knew exactly how to scale up. I took that same plan and expanded it for gold. The rest, as they say, is history!

It's been almost 10 years since I won the Halstead Grant, but it’s still giving and giving and giving. The experience got my business brain firing, and it hasn’t stopped since. I’m so honored to be invited as a guest judge and help share this opportunity with the next generation of jewelry designers!