Rony Q&A Vol. 2

Do you have a particular love of delicate jewelry yourself?

I do! I always have. I like to not be fussy so small, easy pieces are, well, easy. I like to leave my jewelry on all the time. #lazystyle 

What advice would you give to a young entrepreneur who wants to start a jewelry company?

  1. Start small! Go big only when it counts. 
  2. Find your voice. 
  3. Trust you gut, but ask tons of questions from every kind of person you have access to - and listen with an open heart and mind. 
  4. Listen to every episode of “How I Built This.” 

Oldest Catbird piece that’s still around today? 

Our Classic Hammered Rings (in silver and gold). 

What’s your favorite dinner order?

Greek salad with anchovies and coffee, milk no sugar.

Sweet nothing bracelets on both wrists… any thoughts?

Yes, I love symmetry :) Also a big fan of layering bracelets - Forever & clasped!

Where did you get funding to start Catbird? 

I was - and am still - self funded. When I started in 2004, I used the 16k I had in savings which covered my security deposit and some rent, some merch, and the build-out that we did ourselves with floor panels from Costco. I was scrappy! (See photo!)  At the time 0% credit cards were a thing, so I used those instead of bank loans. It was a different time! 

What's something you had to learn the hard way?

Allowing my fear of confrontation to guide me… When someone is a bad fit, passively waiting for it to get better is a bad idea. Letting it go on too long is damaging to your business and your people.

How did you know it was time to expand?

Great question. At critical junctures when you are experiencing different kinds of growing pains - that’s when it is clear that it’s time to make changes. When you need more space, or new software, or a big new hire… maybe things you can’t quite afford yet or don’t feel ready for - those changes are usually instigated by some sort of pain! You’re losing people, you’re working too hard, customers are mad, there are too many mistakes, etc - time to look inward and explore if there is a better way to do things. There was a period of time where space was a HUGE issue for us, so we made our plan to move our HQ to the Brooklyn Navy Yard where we moved in the Spring of 2018 - and we are still growing! We do tours, actually -- come visit us!  

Is it ok to get jewelry wet? 

I leave all my jewelry on, all the time. But traditionally one should be gentle with pearls and very gentle with opals. We actually have a full jewelry care guide, which you can find here

What’s your fave piece?

Here are some of my favorite pieces that I also wear daily: Diamond Pinprick Necklace, Greco Lariat Necklace, Elisa Solomon Viola Ring, Old World Classic Wedding Band, Welded Sweet Nothing bracelet, a threadbare. 

What is your favorite candy?

Ooh what a question! I love caramel and I love coconut. My head is spinning because I don’t know!! Can ice cream be my favorite candy?

 

Is deciding what to stock a gut feeling or more technical process of what might sell?

Both Leigh and I do tons by instinct but we also rely on data and information to backup decisions. If we love something and the data goes against us, we will do it anyway. 

Here is a great quote from the brilliant Mickey Drexler, “Instincts are knowledge, history, looking around and seeing what’s going on.” (From his podcast with David Chang.)

Favorite Williamsburg drink or lunch spots? 

We have a whole sheet that we edit fairly regularly about this very subject!

Such a small thing, but the logo is dynamite…

Thank you! Not a small thing at all! I love it too. It was drawn by a wonderful human who is an incredible artist - she was a sales associate for years!! 

How do you manage to continue when you struggle?

Hmm. There are many ways to answer this question. If I am struggling personally, then work is really a respite - where I can solve problems and be busy and it feels good. If I am struggling AT work, that is much harder but there really is no choice but to power through. I am responsible for people’s livelihoods and my troubles just have to be worked out for the greater good. Too bad, me! At those times especially I am so grateful to have such an incredible staff.

The dainty style Catbird brings is amazing, do you plan keep the style the same?

YES!! Always. 

How’d you START? Like what were your literal first steps?

Here is a really great article from Rookie where I talk all about this!  

What’s the proudest accomplishment in what you’ve done?

Building a company where people stay, for a long time, is the most gratifying thing. Everything else that I am proud of stems from that!