These Hands | Natalie

I started NMJ after finishing my university studies in Jewellery and object. Initially, solely creating individual pieces for friends and family and creating one off designs. I spent this time experimenting with my style while developing on my skills. At first, I had an very basic home studio set up, it took me several years to build up my tools and equipment. With each incremental step forward and each individual project I was able to both expand on my studio set up and further my skills and knowledge.

After about three years of working in this way (alongside full time employment), I started to gain support from a handful of boutique stores and individual customers. I then started working on small run collections which I singlehandedly produced from my only slightly less basic home studio. I launched the online store in 2013, and started to create bespoke bridal pieces in 2014. I was lucky enough during this period to forge relationships with a couple of amazing mentors in the industry who offered guidance and an opportunity to learn.

I continued full time employment alongside the business until late 2016, when I eventually took the plunge to work on the business full time. I finally set up an official external studio in 2016, sharing with a local artist, and hired my first employee. Once I could finally dedicate my entire self to my passion, the business grew and evolved rapidly. The last three years have seen NMJ grow from a two person operation, to a fifteen strong team. While our scale may have rapidly changed, I am proud that our ethos and character still stands strong, and that we are still creating work with the same care, attention to detail and personal investment as I poured into each of those first pieces I made.

On an ideal day, I rise early before my almost two year old and squeeze in a quick morning meditation and shower before she wakes.  We eat breakfast as a family and get out the door to work nice and early. Now that I am a mum, I work 3-4 days a week in the studio. Where I used to make every single piece myself, I now spend very little time actually on the bench. As the business has grown, so has the work associated with running it!  

A significant portion of my time is taken up working on bespoke projects with our clients. This involves consultations, quoting, sourcing, designing and lots of emails. I also design our three seasonal collections each year with Em, and plan, cost and creatively manage the execution of these. Other tasks include managing our fifteen strong team, accounts management, marketing and media planning etc. This year we have had a massive focus on improving our internal and external systems so there are lots of internal meetings regarding focused initiatives both big and small to work towards these goals.

The days usually fly by and before I know it its time to finish up and collect my girl. We try to go for an afternoon swim or a play in the park before heading home for dinner and usually a little bit more work before an early night.