I can't believe it's been over 2-1/2 years since my last blog post.

I've really missed writing - the creative process, being able to express my own thoughts and feelings (hopefully evoking similar thoughts and feelings in the reader), and the utter satisfaction and joy I feel after finishing a piece. I had always wanted to be a writer, however when I attended college, I made the practical decision to get my degree in Business. Although it served me well and helped me to attain and work in positions to gain the knowledge and experience that I use to run my business (all of the administrative stuff), I still wonder...what if I majored in English, Communications or Journalism instead?

Although I definitely don't have the time right now for literary pursuits, from time to time and when an opportunity presents itself, I can allow myself to indulge and express myself through writing.

I had been wanting to get into Kakaako Vert Magazine for over 3 years (ever since I opened the boutique at Ward Centre). I had been approached multiple times to purchase advertising space, however always told the sales representative that visited me that I would only consider buying an ad if I also got a feature. As a small business with very limited funds, a feature would provide a more meaningful return on my investment. She would always say that she would let the team back at the office know but nothing ever came of it.

Then during my 10th Anniversary Sale in July, I somehow got on the Managing Editor's radar - possibly because I was collaborating with 8 other businesses (some that she follows?) that were reposting on Instagram about the sale? She reached out to inquire if I was interested in being featured in their upcoming Fall Issue. My professional reply was, "Sounds great!" but inside my head I was thinking, "HECK YA!" (well...that is the cleaned up version of what I was actually thinking - you can use your imagination haha). I was so excited!!!

The editor sent me a short list of standard questions but I ended up spending 7-8 hours on my answers, knowing that it could be my one and only chance to share the story behind the Blue Bird brand. I knew I needed to highlight the human aspect behind the business and my special connection to the Kakaako area to make the article relatable and relevant to the magazine's readership - who are all potential customers. In general but especially in Hawaii, people are more inclined to support people who they can relate to and businesses with owners who have been part of the community for many years. So it was really important for me to share as much as I could. In the end, I knew that the editor wouldn't be able to include everything I submitted but I was really happy with what was published.

You can take a peek at the article below:

If you'd like to learn more about Blue Bird's history and more about my connection to Kaka'ako, you can see my full submission to Kaka'ako Vert (and some of the details that didn't make it into the article) below:

KV = Kaka'ako Vert
BBJH = Blue Bird Jewelry Hawaii

KV: How did the idea for Blue Bird Jewelry Hawaii come about?

BBJH: I started beading, strictly as a hobby, in the early 90’s - going to local bead stores for materials and supplies and making simple jewelry for myself and as gifts for family and friends.

In the mid to late 90’s, some of my pieces were sold (under my first business name “Jewelry By Jana” - *cringe*) at Villa Roma at Ward Warehouse during prom season and I was also making bridesmaid jewelry for friends and then through word of mouth, friends of friends.

I then ended up taking an unintentional 10-12 year break from jewelry making - life got busy with work, dating, pursuing other interests and hobbies, planning a wedding, getting married and enjoying being a newlywed. However a freak accident 15 years ago in late 2008 (I slipped and fell in the shower and tore my ACL) set me on the path to jewelry making again, finding my passion and ultimately turning it into my career.

After tearing my ACL, I was stuck on the couch with nothing to do. So I dusted off my jewelry tools, excited about creating again. Discovering that I needed more supplies, I visited my local bead store. Those visits became more frequent as I took classes to expand my knowledge, skills and repertoire, eventually discovering the techniques I enjoyed most. It was also the beginning of my love of sparkly gemstones. At this point and for several years after, it was still just a hobby and I was still only making jewelry for myself, sometimes selling a few pieces to co-workers for extra cash.

Feeling unfulfilled and unhappy at my job, I wanted to make a change. However because of financial obligations and responsibilities, my options were limited. I wasn’t able to quit or completely change fields/industries and I didn’t want to go back to school. Compelled to do something, even if it was only on the side, in July of 2013, Blue Bird Jewelry Hawaii was born.

I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with Blue Bird so I just started making jewelry in my spare time. Several months later, a co-worker suggested doing a “Jewelry Party” with some of her friends. There would be food and drinks, creating a fun atmosphere to hang out and shop in the comfort of one of the friend’s homes. After several successful Jewelry Parties, I had the confidence to approach my first retail store and in January 2014, Blue Bird was carried at Mikinola at the Koko Marina Shopping Center.

I went on my first gemstone buying trip in May 2014 - this was the tipping point that really impacted my overall design aesthetic. Selecting my own gemstones directly from suppliers versus buying from bead stores with their own curated offerings, made all of the difference in developing my own distinct style and look. It also saved me money since I could purchase at wholesale prices versus retail. Shopping for and working with gemstones is and has always been my favorite part of the jewelry making process.

Because I spent so much money on my buying trip, to try and recover some of my expenses, I decided to do several craft fairs during the 2014 holiday season. I was nervous and unsure about how Blue Bird would be received when exposed to a wider audience, but was very happy after a successful craft fair season. It was the first time that I realized and acknowledged that I could actually do this and that Blue Bird was a legitimate business.

Still unhappy at my job, in January 2015, I decided to take a huge leap of faith - I quit my day job to do Blue Bird full-time from home. I started the Blue Bird Instagram account and launched the bluebirdjewelryhawaii.com website soon after.

For the next 5 years, Blue Bird was carried and had pop-ups and trunk shows at several local boutiques such as Fighting Eel, Allison Izu and at Ten Tomorrow, just to name a few. I participated in numerous events at various venues such as Honolulu Night Market, back when it was in Kakaako, Temari Trash & Treasure at the Japanese Chamber of Commerce, several Sip n Shop events at the Ritz Carlton Waikiki, private shopping events for members of the Oahu Country Club and countless events at the Blaisdell, including what would become my best event of the year: the Made in Hawaii Festival. One of the coolest opportunities I had was participating in a retail pop-up market during Honolulu Fashion Week at the Convention Center in 2015 and 2016.

To create more opportunities for Blue Bird during the off season, I hosted many of my own trunk shows at the Ala Moana Hotel. I was able to create a more intimate, private shopping experience away from the crowds, reminiscent of the Jewelry Parties in the early days.

After the end of the 2019 holiday season, on the day after Christmas, I found out about an exciting opportunity that would change Blue Bird’s path in a major way.


KV: When did you open in Kakaako?

BBJH: Having a boutique at Ward Centre has really been a full-circle moment for me - like coming home.

I lived in the Kakaako area for almost 30 years. I grew up at 1350 Ala Moana (on the corner of Ala Moana Blvd. and Piikoi St.) back in the 80’s when it was the only condo in the Kakaako area. My husband and I lived on Waimanu Street a year before and for several years after we got married from 2006 through 2012. The Ward area had been my stomping grounds during high school and college. My mom would have breakfast at Yum Yum Tree (currently Genki Sushi) every Saturday morning with a friend. My friends and I would hang out at Borders (currently Kid City) or Mocha Java (currently Tali’s Bagels & Schmear) to study, hang out or drink coffee. My husband and I had a marathon first date (we went home at 1am on a weeknight!) in 2001 at Ward Centre - first with dinner at Scoozee’s (the old Red Pineapple; currently a Golf simulation place), coffee at Starbucks (the old Merriman’s/Pier One?) which was across the street, and drinks and dessert at Ryan’s (upstairs; currently B-Side Lounge).

I had always dreamed about having my own brick and mortar store and had been casually looking at retail space since 2017. Even though I didn’t really think it was a possibility, I had always been curious about the tiny space in the Ewa Wing of Ward Centre.

On the day after Christmas in 2019, I found out that the tiny space that I had my eye on for so many years was vacant! In mid-January 2020, I was meeting with the leasing office - the negotiation phase was quick. I signed the lease, obtained Commercial Liability Insurance and had the keys by January 31st. It felt serendipitous and meant to be. I had one week to clean, paint, build furniture and move in and on February 7, 2020 (a week before Valentine’s Day), Blue Bird Jewelry Boutique had its soft opening.

I had been adjusting and settling into my new routine of running my own boutique until 6 weeks later…

When COVID hit and Oahu had its first shut down. We all initially thought that the shut down would be for 2-3 weeks (who knew that it would actually be for 2 months!). In a daze, my husband and I packed up the boutique that I had just moved into. I remember shedding a few tears seeing my lovely space empty again, fighting feelings of sadness and anxiety.

Like many other businesses, I had to pivot to online sales to survive. I applied for reimbursement grants, networked with fellow business owners and prepared myself and the boutique with the necessary PPE and protocols to conduct business safely and responsibly when it was safe to reopen. I started out with private shopping appointments, slowly expanded to being open 3 days a week before finally settling into a 5 day a week schedule. Although my initial plan before COVID was to hire part-time staff, to keep overhead costs down, I’ve continued to run the business and work at the boutique by myself.

In the years since then, Blue Bird has enjoyed a slow and steady growth. However, because of changes in the economy - inflation, higher interest rates and the recession, 2023 has been challenging, especially for small businesses like mine. However during times like these, I try my very best to focus on the notion of gratitude. I’m grateful for the support from my friends and family. I’m especially grateful for my best friend and husband Gav, who has whole heartedly supported me and my dream throughout the years. Most of all though, I’m grateful for my customers - for helping to keep my boutique doors open and for allowing me the privilege of being in business for the past 10 years. I’m hopeful that the economy will improve and I look forward to what the second half of 2023 and the coming years will bring.


KV: What sets your business apart from others like it?
​
BBJH: There are many talented artists in the handmade jewelry industry in Hawaii - these are some of the things that I think set Blue Bird apart from everyone else:

Versatility: Although a number of our pieces appeal to women in their 20’s, because I design for myself and I’m 51 years old, the majority of our collection appeals to women in their 30’s, 40’s, 50’s and 60’s. Although I need to keep an eye on the trends, our jewelry is not trendy - our pieces are classic and timeless - adornments that women will be able to wear and enjoy for many years and seasons.

Blue Bird jewelry can easily be worn from day to evening - most of our pieces seamlessly transition from a day at work to an evening out - just by making slight changes to your outfit, hair and makeup, and other accessories such as your handbag and shoes.

Because our design aesthetic is delicate, you can layer multiple Blue Bird pieces together and/or pair them with other jewelry brands. Because our jewelry looks luxurious, you can even mix and layer your Blue Bird pieces with your fine jewelry and diamonds.

Quality/Workmanship: The gemstones that are featured in our designs are of exceptional quality. In addition, we are always delighted to be able to discover new gemstones with unique cuts and shapes that are not readily available or well-known on the market and share them with our customers. Each gemstone is painstakingly sorted, selected, matched (for color/size/shape) and neatly wire-wrapped. Before making it out on the boutique sales floor, each piece is quality checked by me for symmetry and strength.

Customer Service: Customer service begins the moment someone steps into the boutique, whether they purchase a piece or not.

I share that each piece is handmade by me, features semi-precious gemstones and also talk about the difference between gold-plated and gold-filled metal. I educate about how gold-filled jewelry is a wonderful alternative to solid gold jewelry - for a fraction of the cost, you can still get a high quality piece that lasts for many years if cared for and stored properly.

Great customer service means going above and beyond, even after a purchase is made and after someone leaves the boutique. Each purchase comes with Care Instructions that you can take home and refer to with tips on what to do and what not to do with your handmade jewelry to ensure that it lasts and stays shiny over time. A storage bag with an anti-tarnish strip is also included for this purpose. Earring backings (and 3 extra pairs of backings) are also provided free of charge so that you (hopefully) don’t lose one or both sides of your new earrings.

Our Loyalty Card program is true to its name and keeps customers coming back. It was also a small way to give back to my customers - a small reward and thank you for their patronage. Each purchase earns stamps in $50 increments. When the stamp card is full (after a $500 total spend), you get $50 off your next purchase. In the past 5 years that I’ve had the Loyalty Card program, over 300 cards have been redeemed, meaning that Blue Bird has given away $15,000 to customers in free jewelry!

I’m a One Woman Show: In contrast to “typical” retail boutiques, who buy and resell merchandise, I actually make all of the jewelry merchandise, by hand. In addition to being the only person who works at the boutique, I do all of the behind the scenes work related to the business. I do all of the administrative and accounting work - ordering supplies, paying bills, tracking of income and expenses, generating sales reports, paying GE Taxes (the only thing I do NOT do is do my own income taxes). I also take and edit all of my own jewelry photos and do all of the social media. I edit and maintain the Blue Bird website. I come up with the ideas, do all of the legwork, preparation and execution of my promotions and sales. I’ve done numerous collaborations over the years with other local small businesses with the hopes of sharing our customers and lifting each other up. This is all in addition to thinking up and creating new jewelry designs.

I can't believe that 2020 is over.  It doesn't seem real because the past 9-10 months have literally been a blur of either being at home or being at the boutique.  I think I can count on one hand the times that I ventured out without a specific task or errand to do, but simply because I needed and wanted to feel somewhat "normal".  The responsibility of keeping myself safe, along with keeping Gav, my family and my customers safe weighed heavily on me, and still does. 

Although we still don't know what the first few weeks and months of the new year will bring, I'm hoping for and looking forward to a better 2021.

I've never really been a New Year's resolution type of person, probably because resolutions tend to be big and lofty and I never actually follow through with them. I do set goals for myself though - small ones that are usually reasonable and achievable. During the COVID-19 Pandemic of 2020 however, I learned to let go of the goals and expectations I had for myself and for Blue Bird.  The only way to emotionally survive the uncertainty, fear and anxiety was to focus on actually surviving (not necessarily thriving) and being grateful for what I had in the present moment.

With 2021 upon us I'm very hesitant to do my typical goal setting. Instead, I'm going to call them "manifestations".  Manifestations are worded in the present tense, as if you are already doing it or  already have it so that through the law of attraction, your thoughts and energy can create your reality.  I wanted to share some of my 2021 manifestations with you:

1. I am living each day with Gav with lots of joy, love and laughter.
2. My family and friends are living healthy, happy lives and we are enjoying spending time together safely.
3. The boutique is flourishing, I am meeting new customers every day and I am building meaningful relationships with existing and return customers.
4. I am attracting the right people and circumstances in my life and my grateful heart is a magnet that attracts everything I desire. I am creating the life of my dreams.
5. I am enjoying financial abundance - the money I spend will always be replaced with more.

Today was the first time I watched the sunrise - okay...I kinda cheated and watched it via live webcam because I wanted to watch it from the safety of my home and in my pajamas. I felt compelled to watch the sunrise on the first day of 2021 (even if remotely), because it is literally the dawning of a new day in the new year and more importantly, a symbol of illumination, awakening and hope. I wanted to start 2021 and firmly set my intentions with the notion of hope - hope for a better 2021 for everyone, in every aspect.  With this in mind, I wanted to share with you a quote from Emily Dickinson that really resonates with me:

Wishing you all a Happy, Healthy and Safe New Year!

Love,
Jana

I cannot believe that Christmas is ten days away (9 shopping days left)!

I know that I'm not the only one who feels that this year has passed in a blur. Since a lot of our time was spent staying indoors and not celebrating holidays or other special events in the way that we normally do, it almost feels as though they didn't happen.

This is also the first year since 2014 that Gav and I have not done any craft fairs - it feels strange to not be at the Blaisdell, setting up and being at our booth, seeing and catching up with our vendor friends and customers. With the future of events like the Blasidell craft fairs up in the air, I'm even more grateful for my tiny boutique - it will allow me to have a space to showcase my designs, as buying jewelry is such an emotional experience and one that is best done in person. The sparkle, shine and beauty of each piece is never truly captured in a photo or communicated online. The boutique also allows for a more enjoyable shopping experience overall. Shopping at a craft fair can often feel rushed. In contrast, at the boutique, you can take your time and browse at your leisure, without having to fight the crowds.

Although my landlord has not provided any rent relief this year, one of the silver linings is that they are allowing tenants to establish their own hours of operation. I'm extremely grateful for this because can you imagine what kind of additional strain it would put on small businesses like mine to be required to operate at mall hours, 7-days a week? For the past 6 months, the boutique has been open for 5 days a week (Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.), closed on Sundays and Mondays. Having two days off a week has allowed me to have more work/life balance, something that I definitely did not do enough of and took for granted pre-pandemic.

With this in mind, I wanted to share with you our special hours during the week of Christmas and New Year's:

Since Christmas Day and New Year's Day fall on a Friday this year and since we are normally closed on Sundays and Mondays, the boutique will be closed for an additional day - we will also be closed on the Saturday after Christmas and the Saturday after New Year's so that I can have some additional time off (4 days in a row!) to rest and safely enjoy the holidays with Gav (and my mom, too) in our mini social bubble.

And just in case I don't post again until next year, I wanted to take this opportunity to wish you all a wonderful, happy and safe Christmas and New Year!

Love,
​Jana (and Gav, too!)

I can't believe that it's been almost 5 months since my last blog post. I had the best of intentions to upload a new post once a week...or at least once a month.  Each post was going to detail my journey in jewelry-making with the hopes of creating a deeper and more meaningful connection with my customers and followers - a way for them to get to know me better.  It was also supposed to be an opportunity for me to write more (another favorite form of expression), reconnect with myself and remember my "why" (why I do what I do) after feeling discouraged, doubtful and honestly a bit lost during the first stay at home order.

However, one of the biggest lessons that I learned this year - during the unprecedented COVID-19 Pandemic, is that the things that we plan for (big or small) with the best of intentions, don't always happen or turn out the way we had expected or hoped for, despite the time and effort that it took to prepare. I learned that it was okay to let go of what was or what was supposed to be and tried to be grateful for what I had instead of focusing on what I didn't have. I tried to be present and in the moment, which is a definite stretch for a detail-oriented, project focused planner like me. I had to learn how to lower the expectations I had for myself and for Blue Bird. I focused my attention and efforts on the current week because if I thought too far ahead, I became overwhelmed and anxious because the future was so unknown. Shortening my To-Do List was one of the ways that I practiced self-care and kindness. Making new jewelry and working at the boutique were my main focus over the past several months.  Strategic planning, marketing and promotion and extras like blogging often fell to the wayside but I tried my best to not beat myself up about it or feel like I failed.

This year has been filled with so much pain, struggle, turmoil, grief and loss on a global level and not only related to COVID. Everyone has been affected in some way or another; on some level - there are very few people (if any) that can honestly say that they have been unaffected by the events and happenings of 2020. Many businesses have closed and more may need to shut their doors in the coming weeks and months. And although I do not know what the future holds for me or for Blue Bird, I am happy and grateful to share that I have renewed my lease and plan to keep Blue Bird Jewelry Hawaii Boutique open for another year at Ward Centre.  I have this privilege and opportunity because of YOU, my customers.   Without you and your generous support, I could not continue to do what I do and I could not have the boutique.

So I wanted to say, "THANK YOU" and that I'm grateful to also be able to say, "I'm still here". I hope that when you feel safe to do so, you will consider visiting us at Ward Centre at our cozy little boutique, filled with pretty, sparkly things made by hand with lots of love, positive intention and joy.

Please be well and stay safe and healthy,
Jana

​Throughout the years, many people have asked me about how I got my start in jewelry-making.  My usual response is, “It actually started out as a hobby and I never thought that many years later it would become my passion and my career.”  When I really think about it though, there’s so much more to it.  My jewelry-making journey has been a long and winding one, filled with many roadblocks, detours, dead ends and thoroughfares.  There have been several defining and pivotal moments along the way, things that I believe have completely changed and shaped my life into what it is today. There have also been several people who came into my life, some for only a short period of time and some still in my life now, who have played important roles in who I am and how I got to where I am today.  I liken it to The Butterfly Effect – “the existence of seemingly insignificant moments that alter history and shape destinies.  Typically unrecognized at first, they create threads of cause and effect that appear obvious in retrospect, changing the course of a human life.” (I will circle back to this concept further on in the blog…please read on).
 
The weeks and months since the stay at home order due to COVID-19, have been challenging for me for many different reasons, as I’m sure it has been for everyone. Specifically related to my business, there have been times that I have been grateful for the opportunity to rest and recharge. I enjoyed having the time and space to be creative and think up new jewelry designs.  However, there were also times that I felt defeated and extremely anxious about the future.  In addition to worrying about the future on a personal level, I also agonized about the future of my boutique (which had only been open for 6 weeks), my business, the retail industry and the economy in general.  On those days, I stayed away from my workbench – I only make jewelry when I’m in the right state of mind – when I can put positive and healing energy and lots of love into my designs. On those days, I did other things. I explored new creative outlets, read or watched a feel-good movie and practiced self-care.

Since the retail industry received the green light to reopen on Oahu effective May 15th, I’ve noticed that shoppers and retailers have been proceeding with extreme caution – which I think is a good thing. But it also makes me wonder and worry about what the future of retail and economy will look like for the rest of the year and how that will affect everyone.  Honestly, there have been moments recently that I haven’t been sure if I should continue with my jewelry business.
 
I try my best in times of hardship and turmoil to look for the lesson and opportunity for growth.  However, more often than not, it takes a bit of time and distance to truly be able to understand the takeaway and gain a clearer perspective.
 
My intention of taking this walk down memory lane with you and revisiting my history with jewelry-making is two-fold.  I think it’s a cool way to connect with you - my customers and readers – a way for you to get to know me better and hopefully gain some insight into my background, experience, thought processes, philosophy and aesthetic behind my designs. More importantly though, writing about my journey will be a way for me to remember why I do what I do - why I love gemstones and making jewelry. Retelling my story will allow me to remember my resiliency and perseverance.  It will be a way for me to reflect back on how far I’ve come, hopefully inspiring you to think back on all of the times that you’ve overcome challenges and obstacles in your life, putting what we are all going through because of COVID-19 into perspective – that in the coming weeks and months as we adjust to the “new normal”, we will all have a better understanding of what we were supposed to gain or learn from this experience.  Hopefully instilling a sense of confidence that we will all come out of this together, stronger, wiser and like the Butterfly Effect, exactly where we are supposed to be.
 
Until then, I hope you will join me on My Journey To Blue Bird.
 
Next Up On The Blog:  My First Experience With Beading. 

​I can't believe that it has been over two months since we temporarily closed our doors due to COVID-19. Because we were only open for 6 weeks, there were many moments that I actually questioned if the boutique really happened...or if it was all just a dream.

The memories of my customers, your faces and our conversations (jewelry and non-jewelry-related), is what gave me the strength to have faith and keep going. Our shared love for sparkly things motivated me to use my time at home to create new pieces, in unusual color combinations and cuts. Making jewelry kept me focused on the future of Blue Bird even when the future of retail and the economy was unknown.

​In the weeks prior to and after the announcement of the re-opening of retail on May 15th, I did tons of research regarding safety and sanitizing protocols and talked to a lot of my fellow retail store owners to learn about what they were planning on putting in place. I also communicated with people in the jewelry industry - metal and gemstone suppliers and jewelry associations. With all of this and the health and safety of our customers and community in mind, Blue Bird will be implementing a MODIFIED REOPENING.

​Starting on Wednesday, May 20th, we will be offering our customers a Private Shopping Experience By Appointment Only.  To allow for proper social distancing, we are only able to accommodate one customer at a time.

If you're interested, please call or text (808) 892-8820 or email bbjh.boutique@gmail.com for availability and scheduling. Please note that 24 hours advance notice is requested if possible.