Opening a brick-and-mortar shop is a huge step for any permanent jeweler, and Robin from Spark in Greenville, SC, is here to share her journey from mobile pop-ups to owning her own storefront! 

In this episode, Robin takes us behind the scenes of her 3-year journey in permanent jewelry, starting from a windy and miserable first pop-up (we’ve all been there!) to becoming a local go-to for permanent jewelry. We chat about how she built her brand by partnering with boutiques, staying active on Google and social media, and keeping her website updated to drive more bookings.

If you’re thinking about opening a brick-and-mortar, Robin drops some must-know advice! Like hiring employees, adjusting pricing, navigating licensing & insurance, and making sure you don’t open more days than you’re willing to work yourself! We also dive into POS systems, outsourcing bookkeeping, and all the behind-the-scenes details that make running a brick-and-mortar smoother!

If you’re a permanent jeweler dreaming of leveling up from pop ups to a storefront, this episode is packed with real talk, valuable insights, and a reminder that figuring it out along the way is all part of the journey!

Tune in now and let’s talk brick-and-mortar business, growth strategies, and making your mark in the permanent jewelry world! 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thegreenvillespark/?hl=en

Website: www.thegreenvillespark.com

Jen Thyrion: Hey there, I'm Jen Thyrion, and I'm so glad you're here. I'm a former nine to fiver that dove into entrepreneurship eight years ago with zero business experience. I'm a wife, mama of two young girls, boutique owner, jewelry designer, and now the proud owner and coach leading Goldie Links Permanent Jewelry.

I have a passion to empower fellow business base. This podcast is made to equip you with everything you need to succeed from actionable marketing steps to digging deep on your mindset. I know firsthand the heart, hard work, and let's be real. At times a struggle that makes up this amazing journey. You wanna know what has enabled me to shine the brightest Coaching Plus community?

Here at Goldie Links we share openly, educate and lift each other up. Expect to get linked with fellow PJ owners that will do just that. Sprinkle with plenty of fun along the way. Competition is an old school thought and connection is the way. Get ready to feel inspired. Welcome to the Goldie Links podcast.

Hey there. Did you know that we offer handmade permanent jewelry supplies? Go to GoldieLinkSupplies. com to view our beautiful chains, connectors, bangles, and more, including our non permanent stretchy bracelets that are available to you for wholesale. Everything is created by our tribe of mama makers.

What is a mama maker? Stay at home moms that create on their own time between raising their children, serving as a self care creative outlet and supporting their families. Your items come with signage on how these supplies are made along with gemstone property info as each gemstone has a special meaning.

I found her so engaging on her social media. I couldn't wait to chat with her and hear more about her experience transitioning from a mobile business to a brick and mortar. She is full of fire and someone you just want to be friends with. Enjoy this conversation with Robin. All right, Robin, I'm so excited to sit down with you today.

I've heard so many great things about you. Um, so why don't we just start off and you tell everybody who you are and what you basically want everyone to know about you.

Robin Murphy: My name's Robin Murphy. I am in Greenville, South Carolina. I will have been doing permanent jewelry three years this February. So my business will be three years old.

So, and I just opened up a brick and mortar November 2nd

Jen Thyrion: here in Greenville, South Carolina. That's amazing. So, like, first let's start, like, how we even started with permanent jewelry. Like, how did you start? Do you have experience with jewelry prior? Like, what was your experience before? I

Robin Murphy: was an insurance agent.

Wow. Nobody's having a good day in insurance. So, I saw permanent jewelry on TikTok. Some girls in Utah just kept showing up on my For You page. So, I'm 100 pounds second wet. So, I have a tiny wrist. So when I saw it, I was obsessed. I couldn't find anybody doing it here. The closest would've been Concord.

Somebody was doing a popup, but I was scared to go up there and they would have a line, you may not get through the line. And then I took come back home almost an hour and a half with nothing. So I told my husband, I was like. I want to bring this to Greenville. Will you support me? And he did a little research.

He's like let's do it. So I did both insurance and that for a while part time. My first pop up was miserable. It was in the beginning of April. It was outside the coldest day of April ever with about 25 mile per hour winds. I did six that day and I was thrilled with that. I was thrilled with that because of the weather.

So then I signed up for some other pop ups throughout the summer just to get my name out there and quickly learned that I had to have two people to do pop ups to pop the tent. So I switched my focus to boutiques. and hair salons and then figured out that by doing that, then they're going to share my information on their social media pages and I will get exposure that way.

So my account grew pretty quick and then I kind of shifted. By two or three months later, I feel like there's one or two other people doing it here. And I went to Clemson in August for a sorority event. No, I'm sorry. It was not a sorority event. It was a boutique. And they had 50 people waiting on me when I got there.

So I told the owner, I was like, I cannot finish these in the allotted time that you've given me because people kept coming. I was like, we've got to cut the line off. And they did. And I said, can I come back the next day to finish up? Whoever still wants one didn't get one. And I did, but that meant I had to call into my insurance job.

So I did call in. And then that Monday I gave my notice that I was going to do permanent jewelry full time. So that was by the end of August. My last day was. By maybe September, first week of September, I was doing permanent jewelry full time and I've not looked back. Did

Jen Thyrion: you have anyone working for you at the time or is this all solo?

that I was not out of town, I did not see any way to finally get a Saturday off. So, the only way was if I were to hire more people, which I've learned, they want me at a pop up. So, that's hard, because I don't want to say no to anything. I am a very competitive person and I don't know, I just have enjoyed growing this business and seeing the results of my hard work.

So, come June ish, I did a pop up in District Midtown, which is the complex that I'm in, and I saw the unit and I could not stop thinking about it after being at PJX. Either we have to look at it and see if this is going to work, or we have to stop thinking about it. So, I looked at it at the beginning of July.

And put in an offer, I guess, to do it. And we negotiated that. It took two months to do all that. Come September, I finally got keys. And I hustled, because I have a gift boutique as well. Not a lot, but for something for people to look at. And hustled to get everything done in such a short amount of time. So I could open before Christmas season.

So that at least people could come in here and get gifts. And kind of think of me in the future if they needed anything.

Jen Thyrion: Yes. Let's go back to like, when you did start, I feel like again, you were the first in your area and then it sounds like because, you know, from what I see and that's why I'm like, of course I follow you.

I know you're in the membership. I follow you. And like, I don't even know before that even how that happened, but I, I followed you for a while and I just feel like you have such a great following and you really are really engaging on social media. So what do you feel like lent to your growth that enabled you to open a brick and mortar?

Like was one of the factors of the fact that you were the only one in the area to start and that kind of really jumpstart or was it, what do you think is the biggest reason you were able?

Robin Murphy: I, there are girls that are doing it in salon suites and stuff here, but everybody here, you have to have an appointment.

I pride myself that you can walk in. I want a group of girls that say, Oh, we want permanent jewelry. Where can we go today? So I'm the only place that you can go walk in and get permanent jewelry Wednesday through Saturday. Everywhere else, you've got to have an appointment. And I just feel like that kind of discourages someone if they've got to go online or can't get a person on the phone right then.

Jen Thyrion: What do you feel like though, when you were just doing pop ups? So like, what was the reason you felt like you were being, you were so successful? Like that, I guess, to enable you to open a brick and mortar. Cause obviously brick and mortar, which is nice. You already felt like you had this customer base, right?

Like it was, that was more of a comfort, you know, because a lot of times and granted, I guess this industry, maybe it's obviously I would never tell anyone to just like, if you want to start from a joy, open a brick and mortar right away. Right. That'd be just insane. So you definitely do feel like you need that base, right?

The customer base that you feel like, okay, like, you know, I do have people that know me that have been to me before, but prior to opening the brick and mortar. What do you feel like lend to your success? I guess

Robin Murphy: I would say having the website I used to get and I feel like 2, 000 hits a month is pretty good on my website I was always the first one that showed up for sparked greenville on my the website google search for permanent jewelry My instagram would then show up my pricing page wouldn't show up.

I was like the first three or four on my search engines So I think it was the my pop ups. I constantly updated on there. So I feel like that was in the search engine. Just having all that, that I would ask people how they found me. They would say a Google search, my Instagram and my Facebook would even show up in the search.

So I feel like the website and keeping it updated was huge.

Jen Thyrion: You just do that. Or did you have someone help you do that? I do that. Okay. Good to know. Cause I feel like that's a question a lot of people have. And I think that websites, I can't speak. As much, but I feel like it's so important. I think people downsize the importance of it because we always think of social media.

We go right to social media. But like you said, I mean, obviously those are even popping up in searches, but also same. I, and I think this is so smart. So I love that you said that to ask people, how did you find out about this? How did you find out? How'd you find me? And I am surprised too about how many people find me from my website versus social media.

So it sometimes leads them to social media and then they follow you, but they really, that is so important. So for you, do you feel like, yes, updating it and always putting your, obviously you're putting a location all the time when you're putting your events, do you feel like that?

Robin Murphy: So I was, yeah, I was updating with my events every time.

I used to do photos every quarter, so I would update my photos on there. Now I will say, I'm struggling because I went, that was that website. I have a new website with a new name. Not the same platform, so I don't have the opportunity. One, I don't have the events. Two, I haven't decided if I'm going to put the retail stuff on my website to have that to update.

I don't have as many things to update now that I have the store.

Jen Thyrion: Okay. Okay.

Robin Murphy: So, right now, I'm pushing Google Reviews. And a lot of people have found me that way. So I've already gotten 54 in two and a half months from, because I was not on Google until this, I did not wanna put my home address for, I couldn't figure out how to do it without putting in an address.

Put

Jen Thyrion: an address. Yes. Okay. That makes sense. And that's a good question actually for . Um, when I was thinking like, you know, talking about being in the membership Gold Link Society, I know Ashley's in there and she talks a lot about Google profiles. So that's actually a good question because if you do need.

Your address. So actually, that's something I want to ask.

Robin Murphy: Well, without, but I think somewhere along the lines, I hit something. Those are things that will send me over the edge. Those. Okay, I know. That's why it's so helpful to have the help. Yeah, so I wasn't gonna spend too much time figuring it out. It's fine for me to be off.

My website was sending people to me. They were telling me they were finding me from Google. So I was fine. And that that also gave me the confidence they were coming to see me. That gave me the confidence to open up

Jen Thyrion: I feel like that's something I should know, but Ashley takes care of all that stuff for me, which is nice, because like you said, that's the stuff that sends me over the edge, too.

So I have someone to help me do that. That is who my person is. So actually, inside the membership, FYI, if anyone, wherever, but Ashley is so helpful that she is coming out with a little course for permanent jewelers to actually cover all that stuff. Because it is. It's one of those things that just seems so daunting.

In the end, when someone, you don't know what you don't know, right? So it's like, it's so easy, but yet, for you, if you don't know, it is hard. So that's good to know. So with updating your website, so did you switch platforms then from your other? So what were you prior? I was on a Squarespace before,

Robin Murphy: and she set that up.

It was very easy to update. I had an events page, plus I had a calendar on the front page, so you could click on it and toggle over to see what events I had. So there's two places to look at events. You can get full details of the map on the events page. That was great. I loved it. I put hashtags in there, tags, all that to help with the SEO.

I assume that's how it works. But now, I don't have as many events to keep updating because the only events in the store. And right now, I'm only doing like two, maybe three a month. So I may have four if I'm lucky on there. Or those

Jen Thyrion: are, like, the day that we're going to be closed in there. So, are you on a different website platform now, though?

Robin Murphy: Yes.

Jen Thyrion: Okay, what are you on now? Think? Instuta? Maybe. I don't

Robin Murphy: know if that's the editor or what. I don't know. Oh, okay. Okay. I didn't know. So, when I rebranded, they did my website, and they,

Jen Thyrion: I don't know if you switched platforms to be like Shopify or like be more, you know, centered on. I am

Robin Murphy: married to Square.

Jen Thyrion: Oh, you are.

Robin Murphy: Okay. I have a ton of gift cards outstanding.

Jen Thyrion: I hear you.

Robin Murphy: I don't know how to handle that and switch platforms. I

Jen Thyrion: hear

Robin Murphy: you. I don't think I can.

Jen Thyrion: Yes, that's something to be aware of because like I'm actually talking to a couple people about that and they're actually a local boutique owner and we were speaking of brick and mortar because I'm looking forward to opening mine.

I actually, I've been using square for anything mobile, right? For permanent jewelry side, but for my website, I use Shopify. And when I spoke to her, she was like, you want to make sure she's like, if you're gonna open your brick and mortar and you want it all connected, like you just like you said, with having merchandise.

Whether or not you want that on your website, because she, the way she had it, she did have merchandise on her website and people would purchase and pick up, like they would like be shopping, locals would shop and just like take it from at least like purchase it online because there's only so many of each size and whatnot.

Right. So then they could just pick it up from the shop and they don't have to pay for shipping. So she's like, but because I use square, but then I use Shopify for that, but I use square in the store. She's like, it was so confusing. They could, they obviously don't talk to each other. They don't sync. So she's like, I just really, really, really highly suggest you make that all one.

And I was like, I'm so glad I talked to you because yes, that makes sense. Like, although I have Shopify for supplies, it's something separate from my permanent jewelry business, but yet what if I do want to offer, like you said, items from my store and have someone be able to pick it up or have that all together with inventory.

So I'm like, Ooh, okay. So just for someone to be aware of listening to this, because even if you don't sell product right now, do you see yourself selling product in the future where you're going to want to combine all that? You know,

Robin Murphy: I am one that wants to do. I want it to be as easy as possible. I want it to be as easy as possible.

I don't want to add a whole bunch to my list. Stopping at the post office is adding something to my list. Agreed. It is turning left instead of going straight and having to go around and maybe get out of my car depending on how many packages I have. That, I don't want to add to my list right now. So, right now, I think I'm going to add a page that just shows what's new in the store and we're going to call it good.

Yes. Well, you also have

Jen Thyrion: such a great following. Do you feel like, because I've seen you do this before, where you talk about new items you have in the store. Do you feel like just even showing up in your stories and saying that to people DM you and say, Hey, like, and ask you questions about products? Um, yes.

Robin Murphy: So like we're almost sold out of the rugs and the bunnies that I posted just last week. I think it is helpful. I mean, people say I wouldn't have seen it if you didn't post it. I probably post too much. I'm very impulsive and we'll post, but I know what will get me more likes, but I'm like, it's not fun content and this is.

It's probably not needing to be posted, but I'm just want to post it.

Jen Thyrion: I think that's a way to go about social media. I think sometimes people overthink it and then they, you know, and that's when you're like worried about, Oh God, should I post this? And then you just go with it, which I love. I

Robin Murphy: just know there's a difference if I let my stories clear.

Some people may not know this. If you let your stories clear, then more people are going to see it, that first one that pops up. So I make sure that that is good content that they're going to see. And then it's good. I put like usually a poll or a question. Right kind it or interaction and then they then outside to see

Jen Thyrion: a simple strategy.

And I think I talked about it before in a podcast episode with Kristen, who does, who helps me with my social actually, because that is something I said, because I'll, I'll share funny things with the girls or just random stuff. So either, yes, I save it. Like I let it expire. And if there's like something funny, I want it like that.

I want to share that. I know people will be like reacting to, or like you said, a poll and like, that is perfect. And like, let it set it. You set you off because it's like that next story you think might not get as much engagement. It might just be something, Oh, new chain. And maybe not as much engagement as like, start off, let it expire and then start off with something really interesting.

First time letting things expire. Yes.

Robin Murphy: Cause then I'm like, Oh, do I go delete it?

Jen Thyrion: Okay. It was funny. I have that question. I'm like, is it the same as when you delete it versus let it expire? Is it going to be the same? Like, I don't know.

Robin Murphy: You lose your insights. And God, I'm like, I'll keep it at

Jen Thyrion: a certain amount.

So I hear you. Well, okay. So let's talk. So going into brick and mortar life. So being that your insurance agent before you had no experience, obviously having your own business prior, correct?

Robin Murphy: I did not know how to start a business. I didn't know anything. I don't have any friends that own a business. I had nobody to ask.

I had to figure out how to do permanent jewelry, I had to figure out how to open a business, I had to figure out how to do social media. There is a certain franchise that I looked at playing with, and they wanted you to put your Instagram in your Facebook's handle. And that stopped me, because I had not posted on my personal Instagram in two years.

Jen Thyrion: Wow.

Robin Murphy: Yeah. Yeah. So I personally did not also graduate from college because I was scared of public speaking. So that really surprises me about you. I feel like you're very engaging. I have since starting this been on the news twice. It was on my bucket list to be on a podcast. So thank you. You check that this year.

I didn't apply with that company when I was looking at doing permanent joy because I wanted to see my Instagram and my Facebook and I'm like, but being a business owner and having to share your business. Oh, post just about anything it gets in front of a few eyes about my business, because if you are not your biggest cheerleader, nobody else will be.

How can you expect your friends to show up for you if you're not even going to cheer for yourself?

Jen Thyrion: So starting from the beginning, because you started, I feel like before really trainings even were like, you know, there's more trainings to choose from now for sure. Did you go with a training or did you,

Robin Murphy: I taught myself.

Okay. I was pausing YouTube videos and any video I could to try and figure out what machine everyone had. And then I was trying to find that machine or find a label. Back then, I feel like everybody covered whoever, like covered the sunstone. Yes. Um, and then there was no name on the Amazon welder. So, but for me personally, I chose the Sunstone because I knew if I spent that much on a machine, I could not just tuck it in a closet.

And I mean, I probably have ADHD and I'm like, Oh, yes. For a while, and I couldn't just ignore a 2, 000 machine. I would have, my husband would be like, when do we get, we need to start practicing. So, I mean, I had that, ordering that is what made me commit to doing it. Because, I mean, I had to figure out and troubleshoot and figure out settings, all that.

I had no welding experience. No business experience, figured it all out myself, and I do feel like that made me stronger in every aspect of my business to get in front of a camera, to post on social media, to watch my numbers, to, I mean, everything and figure out, just be successful.

Jen Thyrion: Well, yeah, it's almost like this, like confirmation you're capable.

You know what I mean? It's like taking on this challenge. And that's what to say. You take on this challenge and you realize, Oh wait, I can do that. That means I can do this too. It kind of like, it kind of makes confidence grow, right? Like it's just, it's almost like this great, um, momentum you had going probably after you did that.

So when you started, what I hear is obviously you were like, okay, where do I start? Let's do markets. Cause I feel like that is very typical, right? Like we might go to our friends and say, okay, who wants to host a party? Okay. Start there. But really in the end, if you have, you're just wanting to get your word out there.

Right. You did markets first and then headed into like maybe making those connections. I'm assuming you then stepped foot into boutiques and salons, like you said, and you took it from there. We have

Robin Murphy: a

Jen Thyrion: boutique here called

Robin Murphy: Lizard Picket, and you were changing ownership. So when I first started, I messaged them and asked them, Hey, can I come do a permanent jewelry pop up in your boutique, and they said, We're having ownership change.

We'll follow back up after that changes. So when the new owner took place, she actually contacted me and said, Hey, yeah, can you come in? So I did, and it was a good event and I normally, whenever I had a good event, I would say, Hey, can I come back? How often would you want me to come back if you do? So I would try and schedule them every month.

If I did well, then I would say, Hey, can I come back the next month? I had a lot that wanted me to come back every month. And so that's how I kind of filled my calendar. And from that one event. I had four boutiques saw me, so they all invited me. All of those boutiques became monthly reoccurring events.

And then I filled in hair salons or boutiques. I've done dentist's office, orthodontist's office, teacher, schools. I would go to schools during teacher appreciation or around Christmas. So, I felt like each one of those led to two or three more events.

Jen Thyrion: I guess going back to, cause this is, this is the impression I get from you.

I feel like you're really engaging. And I think that is one of the best qualities to have obviously doing this is that like once you were around others and booking, obviously booking things off of one thing showed that like you were connecting with and you know, really engaging and being, you know, engaged with the owner of the boutique and things like that.

I guess like, what is your, what do you feel? is one event leading to three others. Do you know what I mean? Like, what was it? Do you feel it was the

Robin Murphy: relationships I became friends with each one of these business owners and store managers. And I know I was their friend and I still am. And I've seen. One of them grow from a smaller space to a bigger space.

And that makes me so happy to see them grow in there. I just wanted each business owner also to have a successful sales day. If I was there, I just want, I was glad to be a small part. If they had a better day of sales. When I was there.

Jen Thyrion: Because it's like one of these things of relationships that's really serving both of you guys.

Like, obviously, like, you know, if you're, if you also are invested in their business and they're invested in yours, I mean, that's a great partnership to have, you know? And then obviously with you opening your own brick and mortar, do you feel like you got those, that same support from these other businesses?

Yes.

Robin Murphy: One of them has already been here, actually another one of the store managers at the boutiques I went to. I actually just hired her last week. Like, she's not the store manager anymore, she does social media at home part time. So she's gonna come up here and work with me just a few hours a week to help me.

Jen Thyrion: Okay, so with opening your shop, okay, first of all, you mentioned being on the news a couple times. So take me there because how does that happen? Because I'm sure many people want to know how to get on the news.

Robin Murphy: No, it's actually the same Fox Carolinas what ours is. Last year I went on for the morning show for Valentine's Day.

Like, you think of permanent jewelry for Valentine's Day. So that was my first time. The second time was just a segment of, it was during the summer, just a segment on their kind of variety morning show. So they both found me. I got asked to go on there, and actually that news station also has done a little blurb.

I'm only open Wednesday through Saturday, but apparently one of the first Mondays I was closed, they did a new business spotlight and showed my business. I didn't even ask for it. I wasn't even here, and they featured me on their show. My cousin's like, did you see that you were on the news? I was like, no, but it's only one station that I've been on.

So technically, I guess you could say I've been on there three times.

Jen Thyrion: Do you feel like that really helped, like, did people come in from seeing that? Do you feel like that was really a great exposure?

Robin Murphy: I'll be honest, it was, they both were between like nine and 10 o'clock in the morning. I'm not sure how many people are watching then, but I'll take if it's one person, it's worth it to me.

Jen Thyrion: Oh yeah. Oh, for sure. You never know what one person that can lead to for sure. I'll say that. Okay. So opening the brick and mortar, did you, what's, what, first of all, how big is your space?

Robin Murphy: I have, um, just over a thousand square feet. I think a thousand six. So it's not big,

Jen Thyrion: have no storage, no storage. Oh my gosh.

We're creative with that. Did you already know that going into that you wanted to offer? Cause do you, what else do you offer in your boutique? Let's just go.

Robin Murphy: I just have permanent jewelry. That is what, where we make our money. So I've got the gifts because I do not take appointments. I only do walk in. So if someone does have to wait a few minutes, then they have something else to look at.

Jen Thyrion: Oh, that's awesome. Like why do you decide not to do that structure where you don't take appointments? That's awesome.

Robin Murphy: I feel like sometimes permanent jewelry can be impulsive. Like, hey, let's go get permanent jewelry today. And sometimes it's just me and I feel like, I'll be honest, I never really wanted to figure out how to work the square appointments.

That just is one more thing that I have to feel like I don't figure out it really doesn't make me any more money because I can do more people in an hour that don't have

Jen Thyrion: appointments than do I know and it's really hard because even when being a mobile business up and I'm trying to figure out how I'm going to structure it going in the brick and mortar because I do take appointments for mobile events, but it's not.

It's very hard because like you said, you don't know how really how long someone's going to take. So it's really hard to time out. Yep. And to say, honestly, I was doing it where one person every 15 minutes, which you know, is kind of speedy, right? Like someone has to, and say, they want to have like a stack with connectors and add an ink lid.

And, you know, they want to have more availability and time and freedom to choose more, but they probably feel a little rushed. And I, I hate that. So I'm like, honestly, that's why I love like. The brick and mortar, which I want to hear from you. I decided to brick and mortar, but honestly playing into the experience of like being able to, that's why I do the, what reason I love in home appointments.

Although I don't love people coming into my home. I'm not loving that more and more, but the fact is they have more or why I love parties. People have more time and like, you know, really sit with the chains and feel like they can run through them and decide exactly what they want. Right. So tell me more about that.

What is the difference between, and you find the best. And if there is worst things of like going from mobile to brick and mortar. And like, what is the pros and cons?

Robin Murphy: So at my pop ups, depending on the time of year, it's very seasonal here. I tell people right now we are not in permanent jewelry season.

Come after Valentine's Day, I think it'll start to pick up and then it's on until August for us. After September, October, it's dead. But if you come, so Mother's Day, anybody comes to Mother's Day pop ups, Like, they would have to wait an hour, at least, yeah, and the first customers I had last year did not, were not ready to make a decision.

And my husband was getting frustrated and there was a line building behind them and they were not ready to make a decision. And so. I had to just kindly say, hey, do you mind if I just take these behind you? Those are some awkward conversations. I don't like confrontation. I would have rather not had to ask that because they were first, but they also were not ready to make a decision, which that's why I have all the pictures on my website.

And it's hard to, nobody can just text me. I have 150, over 150 chains. They can't just ask me to send them a picture of my chains. If you cannot get 150 in the photo, it's just in no way.

Jen Thyrion: A photo never does the chains justice to you. You know what I mean? It's just like, it's so hard. I

Robin Murphy: agree. So, I understand and I think one girl got onto me in one of the permanent jewelry groups because I had too many chains, too many decisions, whatever.

My husband says. That is what I am good at, is helping someone decide on their lifestyle, what size chain they need, what looks good with their stack. I'll counsel you, and I can. I can help you make a decision very quick. So, anyways, I did have a line, but I felt like if I took appointments on Mother's Day, not everybody would get their jewelry.

I will stay as long as an event as I need to, so that everybody gets helped. And there are people that did leave, but they have come back to see me. They mentioned that they couldn't wait that day, and they came back to see me. That is fine. You want jewelry with your mom that day? You will get it. But in the store, I have three bars and two connector trays that people can look at.

So I've got a couch that has a bar and connectors they can look at right there. And then over in between our welding desk, we have two bars. So that two sets of people can look and we've got one set of, um, connectors and our glow ups are over there and our solid gold on a separate stand for people to,

Jen Thyrion: um, look at.

Well, yeah. Don't you feel like that's a benefit? Cause I think of that too, with the brick and mortar and like. Playing into the experience. Like if you go to a pop up and yes, if you're in a boutique, they can walk around too. Right. But it's like, at least it's your spot. They can look at your chains. You have places where like they, they can shop just your show, your store.

And, um, and depending again on the structure, if you're in a boutique, but a lot of times, like you said, you're at like a dentist office or you're somewhere like random, right. Where it's like a coffee shop or something where no one's going to might not want to sit for an hour or, you know, hopefully not that long, but you know what I mean?

A little bit of time before they get their appoint, you know, I

Robin Murphy: also would tell business owners, I said, I did have a boutique that was a little nervous because Mother's Day weekend, I had two events that day. The line formed fairly quickly, but my thought is they are forced to look around your store. I have a waitlist and they can write their name down and walk around, but they are forced to look around your store and possibly buy something they don't need.

So if I took an appointment, then those people are not forced to sit there and look at that shirt that they may or may not need.

Jen Thyrion: True. Okay. That brings up a good point. We just had a waiting list because this got brought up to in membership calls where people, some, some have, and I have the courses on tip of my tongue.

It's like apps people use. So you just have people write down, do they have a, you write down their phone number and then you just tech, how do you work? How do you do it?

Robin Murphy: I have a little son has white list and I have right here and they come in and nice. Just write their name down. Is that, that is free?

And is one app I have to fool with or pay your membership on? It's easy. I haven't had any problems thus far, but it works for us and we even have it in the store.

Jen Thyrion: Yeah, because even the way I know people have used, some people have used apps, which is great, you know, I mean, especially if they need to walk further away and that would, depending on, maybe you're at a market and that makes sense because they can walk away, right?

For me, yes, I've always had just a piece of paper. They write their name and phone number. And when I get to the person prior to them, I say, Hey, I'm about 15, 10, 15 minutes out and I text them. So that's just, you know, I've never also used an app, but just the way I've done it too, and it's worked. So, so tell me about transition from mobile to brick and mortar.

I know so many people are interested in that and have either. They're in the process of doing it or they have a dream for it and kind of just being realistic on the expectations. How do you feel it's played into your business going from that structure? What's been your experience now being what three months in, I guess,

Robin Murphy: so I love it.

I love not knocking and packing up. I know. Oh my gosh. I, my schedule actually. I'm very fortunate that I had all these boutiques that I had reoccurring events, and my calendar just started to open up when I decided to do this. So, my September and October slowed down a lot, so I could work more here, because we had to stain the floor.

I mean, we did most of the work ourselves. We were able to do that and I had time to do that because I was usually doing about 25 events a month and a

Jen Thyrion: lot.

Robin Murphy: My husband asked me how many events I've done and I figured it out this week in 507 in three years. We got down to about 16, and that was me and Miranda, so that I could focus here, and I was just hustling to open up, but now, to get me out of my store, it's gonna have to be a guaranteed amount, right now, because I don't have the staff to do it.

So, I have Eva, which is a college student, and she definitely wants to work weekends, so that's great, but I may lose her this summer if she ends up with an externship out somewhere else, not here in Greenville, and so I still need to hire. Two to three more people for me to be able to want to do more pop ups.

Jen Thyrion: Because right now, are you, because you mentioned you, so you have, do you have only one more employee right now? I have Eden and I have Erin. Okay. So I have two. Are you there all the time when you're open or do you have employees there when you're not there?

Robin Murphy: I'm here 100 percent of the time.

Jen Thyrion: You are? Yes.

Do you feel like you're at a point where, or is it you just, you just want it that way? Or do you feel like you could be open and, and, and have just the employees there?

Robin Murphy: I don't have, no. Between them, they cannot cover all the days yet.

Jen Thyrion: Okay.

Robin Murphy: So I still need somebody that can cover Wednesdays and I would like to open on Sundays.

Jen Thyrion: Okay.

Robin Murphy: So, um, I will still stay closed probably Monday and Tuesday. I may open Tuesdays if I can find somebody that would work those. But I was advised, do not be open any more days than you are willing to work yourself. Okay. It's harder to take away days than it is to add them.

Jen Thyrion: Yes.

Robin Murphy: I don't want to work any more than Wednesday through Saturday right now.

So that's why we're only open Wednesday through Saturday. What are your hours? Eleven to five. Okay. Wednesday through Friday, and eleven to four on Saturday. So my other struggle is

Jen Thyrion: Yes.

Robin Murphy: Hiring people and like we aren't physically open that many hours to give someone a lot of hours.

Jen Thyrion: Yes.

Robin Murphy: So unless I want to commit to it and make sure I have coverage, then I, I don't want to add a day yet unless I know I have the coverage.

Jen Thyrion: Do you feel though, do you get more requests and people asking to be, to come in like on a Sunday or the days that you are closed? Do you feel like if you got an employee to be there on like a, say a Tuesday, it would be worth it to you? Because the biggest thing I hear. Is payroll is your biggest expense going into having your brick and mortar space.

So it's like playing that game too. It's like, well, I don't want to be here Tuesday, but is it worth me paying an employee to be here? Would that really, you know, justify, I guess.

Robin Murphy: I think it would justify Sunday being open. Okay. More people off of work might come after church. You've got Mother's Day on, you know, I feel like Mother's Day would be a good day to have, um, be open and let them actually come on Mother's Day.

But Tuesday, no. I don't think Tuesday would be worth opening. But my problem is I get packages Monday and Tuesday so I end up up here anyway.

Jen Thyrion: Yeah. So what has been, what do you feel like has been your biggest challenge since starting the Brick and Mortar? Finding people that want to work. What, I

Robin Murphy: need a unicorn.

Yes, I need a unicorn. A few days during the week, maybe one or two days during the week would do a pop up, would do a Saturday if we, if people are out of town so we can have a Saturday off. Maybe even Sunday. So I think that's going to take two or three people to cover that. And not even that many hours.

I just hate that. I don't know. I just need a mama that's got older kids that's just flexible and wants some extra money.

Jen Thyrion: I know. What, like, what is your advice for finding employees right now? I know you're kind of new at it too, but I'm going into it as well. And we spoke really quick about it before we started recording, but I've definitely hired just random workers to help me with a market prior with my boutique.

And not, not really a full time. And this is also a very different role. to represent your business at a brick and mortar versus just kind of work a market or do random things. And I don't know, what is your, what is your best advice or what's been your experience so far with hiring?

Robin Murphy: I really want to hire a customer, so I have not posted on Indeed or LinkedIn or anything like that.

I want a customer who loves my permanent jewelry and is passionate about it. And both Eva and Erin were. And Miranda had even my jewelry before, um, I hired her. So, I don't know. I feel like somebody's gonna walk through that door and be what I need sooner rather than later. And I need it to be real, real soon because I have two huge events in March that I am doing.

So I think I'm gonna have to ask for outside help. You know, I don't want to, but.

Jen Thyrion: Was that happened organically or you did post on your social and those were customers or did you just, it just happened to be conversation and it just happened or?

Robin Murphy: I, for Erin, I posted on my social media like. A week or two ago and she saw it and she's like, hey, I'm interested.

And I was like, okay. And so I knew her. She was the manager already at a retail boutique. So I'm like, she's going to be perfect. She's the kind of can help fill the holes that I pick up where I'm not strong. I feel like so and help me get we're working on our policies and procedures right now because. I did not have that in place before I opened.

Eva was actually the, um, contact for a sorority that I did. So when I saw her name, so everybody has been somebody I already knew. So, that has been helpful. So just hopefully I can find some license. Yeah,

Jen Thyrion: I hear you. Well, you are just so You're still so new. I mean, you've really only been open, like you said, three months.

So it's really just the beginning, beginning stages for you. Let's talk numbers because honestly, that's one of the things people being a mobile business, that's one of the guests pros, right? Is that you're not paying, unless you're in a market, you're paying that fee. But for the most part, for me, I wasn't market centered in my business.

Cause I think I already had prior experience with markets, with the boutique that I already had relationships with boutiques that I went right to that. Right. So for me, I can count on probably one hand when I paid a fee to be somewhere. So for me, it was like, yes. mobile. Can it be a pain? Sure. Depending on maybe, maybe that girl that loves it.

I don't know. I got to a point, which is one of the reasons, you know, I'm heading into a brick and mortar, but it's exhausting. And like, even just, I'm doing an event literally in two days. I'm already like, Oh God, like, you don't have to take all these things. And so that is the pro though. You're not paying to be somewhere.

Right. So how do you feel it's What's played into and been a difference so far? I guess it's hard to say it's been three months and probably a slower period, but with your numbers, paying that rent and having the overhead.

Robin Murphy: So November, I don't know what to compare it to. I don't know what normal retail sales are for any boutique or anything around here.

I just knew what my sales were and I always, like you, kept my fees very low. I mean, it was a holiday fair, a three day event, Christmas. Market and maybe a there's a charity pop up event that I do So those are basically the only ones I paid to do Last year to christmas markets actually and then the other one which is a personal friend So it's a donation to their charity organization.

So I had very little overhead, I mean if you consider that even overhead other than insurance, but I my goal is just to beat my sales from being mobile And I say that because I had a wider range of people had access to me, whatever part of the county or whatever I was in, that's what sales goal right now.

Because if I meet those numbers, then I have enough to make enough to cover rent, which is not been my rents minimal here, I think, compared to being. So, it is a, um, apartment complex that they've put retail in the bottom. So, um, this is the first development. It's only a year old. It's not got a lot of walkable traffic.

It's not a walkable area. You have to pull up here. A women's boutique across from you have a coffee shop going in next door. There's an ice cream waffle place, a hair salon, and I have a photographer next door. So, there's still six open spaces. Depending on what comes might turn into more walkable traffic, but we do have the residents that live here and we're across from the mall.

So, if you go to our mall, we're not far. I'm not in a downtown and I never would have been downtown because parking's awful in our downtown. So, this was as good as it gets. It's for me without having a huge amount of space to have to deal with and fill that cost. So just, that's why this area I loved.

Jen Thyrion: So do you have like, do you, did you do the comparison yet for your like November, the first month you're open versus November of last year when you were totally mobile?

Robin Murphy: So I did a soft opening when I got my certificate of occupancy. It was before, well, our grand opening we knew was going to be towards. Thanksgiving, the weekend before Thanksgiving. We went ahead and said we have our certificate documents. They have no events planned. We're opening this Saturday, November 2nd.

And I think that, I think that was just the way that Christmas fell.

Jen Thyrion: Do you feel like the retail helped you a little bit? Like, can you, I mean, I don't know, like again, how deep you go to numbers, but like how, what do you think the percentages of people coming in the door buying something additional when it comes to retail?

It's pretty high.

Robin Murphy: My rent, my retail could, sales could cover my rent. Good. That's amazing. They have each month, but would I count on that? No, it would just cover my rent.

Jen Thyrion: Hey, busy entrepreneur. As you know, being a business owner, you have to wear all the hats. You're a social media manager, marketer, graphic designer, accountant, photographer, videographer, web designer, business coach, scheduler, and the list goes on.

I know how overwhelming it can be. And this is why I created the Golden Link Society. It's our monthly permanent jewelry membership. We have a weekly call to talk about all the things, but not only that, including monthly photography and video to use for your social media and marketing, Canva templates, monthly business expert, monthly training, support group, discount, and first dibs on Goldie Link supplies and more.

My intention is to create a beautiful community of permanent jewelers that want to level up their businesses together by creating lasting friendships and having fun. This is what I wish existed when I started my business almost 10 years ago. If you want to know more, check it out at GoldieLinksSociety.

com or at AllTheThingsPermanentJewelry. com. I hope to see you there. How did you think about what you wanted to offer? Like what came into that mind, you know, go through that brainstorming of, okay, I'm not open to brick and mortar. I've never had a boutique or offered retail in that way before. Did you kind of get a feel for what your customer would want or what you just like?

Like how did you go about that? It's more of my favorite

Robin Murphy: things. Yeah. So, me and my husband love to go to downtowns and see the little shops. You know, we would pick up things along the way, so I loved, we went to Clayton, Georgia, and there's a countertop spray there that I got, and I got a geometry towel.

Love those things, carry those things in my store. I personally use a roll on perfume that I get tons of compliments on, and nobody else sells it here in Greenville, so I carry that. I'll tell you afterwards, okay, or you probably see it. It's the riddle oil. You probably think yes, I have seen that. Nobody else carries that here.

So, oh, my gosh, that's amazing. So, then a lot of other stuff was. What customers have told me they love, or, like, we have a green book, it's called the Blank Book. I have it at my house, it's, uh, the places that we've visited, it literally is blank on the inside, but you could use it for an Airbnb, you could use it for your vacation memories or whatever.

I don't fill mine, mine's just blank, mine's decoration, but we sell those. I've got bunny decor. The phasics that, um, Taylor Swift had on in her, recently, she got, she was seen wearing it, but they're glitter freckles. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay, we carry that. I mean, I'm just looking for things that nobody else carries.

We have these star wallets that are super cute and all different colors. A

Jen Thyrion: lot of

Robin Murphy: gifty stuff.

Jen Thyrion: You're not offering

Robin Murphy: like clothing, right? I cannot offer clothing per my lease. So there's already women's boutique in here. So we cannot offer. I do have the Greenville Spark merchandise, but that, uh, just t shirt.

Yeah, and

Jen Thyrion: honestly, in the end, I don't know about you, but I just love, like, I feel like I could never get up the boutique y stuff just because I love shopping for myself.

Robin Murphy: A lot of things that I would purchase already, I use disposable face cloth. We have those in here. So, it's gonna be things that I'm gonna blister, uh, blister block.

Cuticle oil, the spongy, um, Kirin sponges that, I mean, most everything in here, my husband's cologne, we sell that. I mean, most everything we, me or my husband use.

Jen Thyrion: Yes, I love it. Well, yeah, I just love, and again, going back to your social media. So do you have someone helping you with social?

Robin Murphy: I mean, you can say Eva now helps me.

We have now a social media calendar. She helps me with that now, but she'll create Tik Toks and stuff for me because I just, I get burned out. I love posting to social media. I feel like I do it sometimes too much, but I go through phases where I have a whole bunch of ideas and then I have no ideas.

Jen Thyrion: No, I love it.

I feel like you get a sense of who you are and I love that you do show up because I think a lot of people are scared to show up on their social and I feel like you do. So being that you didn't even post and you were scared to like, you know, even apply for that franchise prior. What is it for you? Like what kind of set it off?

Was it just, you know, not having the fear, I guess, again, social, because I think a lot of people have this barrier and this. It's kind of, I don't know if it's a fear of call it quote unquote a fear, but there's a little bit of like, some people just don't enjoy it too. It sounds like you enjoy it. I don't enjoy it now.

Robin Murphy: I don't think I can let go of social media.

Jen Thyrion: Yeah.

Robin Murphy: There are certain things I want to control and that's one of them. You can, I'll hire, I have a bookkeeper and I have a tax accountant because I don't want to do those. Those are not my strengths and there's too much room for error in those. I don't do those, but I can do the social media.

My About Me or personal posts, when I share those, they do the best. And I do those for conversation starters. I have boxers, I'm a twin, I have a daughter that's a diabetic from Guatemala. If someone comes in my chair and they feel uncomfortable, but they look through my social media, that gives them something to talk about if they can relate to it.

Jen Thyrion: I love that you said that because I do share things on my social too. I don't put my girls a lot on my feed, but I put them in my stories and I can't tell me people sit down and say, Oh my God, I'm always like, your girls are so cute when you did this. Or there was time I shared a video of my hair getting stuck in a curling iron and like people are like, it just seems like you're relatable.

You share these little tidbits. I did share a miscarriage post, which I know was really heavy, but now I have women that sit in my seat and tell me their stories. And they feel like they can and that just gets to know this little piece of me and I'm not sharing every little, I think some people think you have to share if you do go kind of go vulnerable or just share little parts.

It's like, you have to share everything. That's a very small, small thing of my life, you know, like these little tidbits I'm sharing, but it definitely gets people to know. And they feel if they go to my feed and I feel the same way about you. And that's why I say this, you definitely get a feel of who you are and who you're going to sit in front of.

You already kind of know. I

Robin Murphy: am very transparent. And this might have been a fault, but I would post on our pop ups who was going to be at that event. So my graphic showed if it was going to be Miranda or if it was going to be me. I wanted them to know who they were going to see. Solid Gold, we didn't have Solid Gold at both, but we did about me post on Miranda too.

I do have customers that love just going to her. And I want them to know who they're going to show up and see because they're going into a business. And I wanted them to know who they were going to sit in front of. So that they could trust us.

Jen Thyrion: Yes. So speaking of being a brick and mortar, when people are looking into locations and considering possibilities of being somewhere, being that you said you don't have a ton of foot traffic, granted you are around other businesses, you're under, you know, apartment complex, how do you feel people are finding you?

Is it just be, you know, due to how they're, Google, yeah? Google,

Robin Murphy: and they're like, we saw you had a bunch of reviews, and that's how we ended up here.

Jen Thyrion: Yes.

Robin Murphy: I

Jen Thyrion: know. It's almost like, it's so funny because sometimes I think we forget how we even function when we're thinking about our own business. It's like, how do you find businesses?

What do you look? Cause I think all of us at this point, even if you're looking at for something on Amazon right away, what do you do? Go to the reviews and just read the first page of reviews. Or if you go to like, or there's maybe a few one stars, you're like, okay, what are those one stars about? Is it the quality?

Is it the shipping? Is it the fact that came broken? Like, you know, you want to like see where, and then that you make your decision so fast just based on that. And that's why I always talk about Instagram when it comes to, again, you, you showing who you are and like being like so clear on your brand. It's like, I can go to your Instagram and get a feel for you in four seconds.

You know what I mean? So I think that it's

Robin Murphy: important to show your face who you are, because I know there's many pages out there. Maybe you don't even know who the business owner is. And I feel like they want to see that. I think the other thing they want to see is how many chains do you have? So that's why I do have a hard selection.

And I don't really rotate out chains unless I have a problem with them. I just keep them if they sell or even some that don't sell till they sell

Jen Thyrion: out and I won't reorder. Do you share your pricing with, to your customers, like on your website or do you kind of keep that? I don't.

Robin Murphy: And if someone asks, I'll reply on.

a post, but I don't leave it posted on my Instagram or Facebook, but it is on my website. They can see it there.

Jen Thyrion: Okay. Oh, we can. Okay. Did you adjust your pricing once you got a brick and mortar?

Robin Murphy: I was at 65 for a gold field or sterling silver until PJX this year. So for two years. Over two years, I was at 65.

After PJ, I think before I even left there, I'd already increased my prices to 70 before I left there. I did not know I was opening a brick and mortar when I was there. When I opened the store, they were 75. Now, when I started at 65, I did not have an accountant. I didn't have a bookkeeper. I didn't have nine city business licenses.

I did not have any employees. And so people would ask them and then the price of gold in there, because you know, that's gone up since we started. So I justify, I mean, I probably should have gone up more, but I'm just thinking I do still feel like 75 is, is a lot for a bracelet. But now I've got all this overhead and employees that I have to, but I just, I pretty much did not increase my prices since I started.

And even though I added all those things. Um, I had to, but I do flat three pricing for gold field and sterling silver. I do not charge for an inch and I charge the same for both. It is the same experience. But I also was not the most expensive and I had the most experience in my area. So that's also how I justify it.

If someone charged per inch, they were charging more than I was charging.

Jen Thyrion: So do you charge the same for glow ups? Like in order, whatever glow up they choose and they choose, do you do the same? I charge a

Robin Murphy: hundred. So I charge 25 for just a regular connector. So my thought is the amount of chain. More width of the blow up equals a hundred so be the same you got a connector in a chain.

Jen Thyrion: That's cool But in the end it's like you you definitely are and that you find out what works for you Cuz I think even going back to someone who jumped on you and you know for having a lot of chains I always want to be clear. It's like It's not a one size fits all. It's not, that might not be the best for her.

And she might feel that way, but it works for you because I have to say, I also have a ton of chains. Okay. And one of the things people like coming to me for is because of that. And so that's just kind of, and that's just my personality. Okay. That's just who I am. So I'm like, This is, this company represents literally what I love to just like you said, what you're buying for your boutique is like things that, you know, so, and I'm seeing that my customers like it too.

So, um, again, and even what you said, like all the things I feel like what's kind of standing out to me is that, you know, kind of finding out what works for you and also to not being, I do believe there's an industry standard for permanent jewelry, but when we get really judgy about people's prices too, it's like, like you said, There, you didn't have all those things when you first started, you didn't have an accountant, have all those license.

When you're first starting, you really have no clue. And then once you grow and grow and grow, you're adding more overhead to your licensing, all the things you just listed. Now you have a brick and mortar. You have to worry about rent and employees. And it's really hard to say to someone that's not the right thing when there's a lot of different circumstances that play into pricing and a lot of other decisions we make in our business.

So yeah,

Robin Murphy: the trade. The websites, I mean that's all a cost too.

Jen Thyrion: Oh yeah. Insurance. All the things added up, I know. So when you said that, that's actually a good point because I don't think we've ever touched on that on the podcast. When you did mobile, you spoke about all these different licensing you had in different areas.

You had to do that, right? To pop up in different places?

Robin Murphy: I think people assume that if they're in a business that inside city limits they don't have to have a business license and oh yes you do. If you Pop up in a business that is inside city limits. Yes, you do need to have your own city business license.

So, because we cover over four counties, when we did pop ups, we'd go to Greenwood, Greenville, Spartanburg, Anderson, and Pickens. So, we had city business licenses throughout all those. And I would go one place, one time, see if I did well or if they asked me back. If they didn't ask me back, then I would not get a city business license, obviously, there.

But if they asked me back, then I would get one. I think I had up to 11, maybe 12 at one time. And then I'm like, eh, I'm not doing much there. We're not going back there. So, yes, this will be the first year that I can let go. I couldn't handle filing all the sales tax and all of them. That's what I was going to say, do you have someone helping you with that?

That is something that you have to do. I provide a spreadsheet to my accountant of where I was and where the gross sales were in each city. They file that for me, but I do the renewing, which last year I figured out that there's one website I can go to that will, um, let me put in the gross sales. And that's how it figures up and I can pay it all through one website.

So I did that part. They did the monthly filing for me. But now I'm like, City of Greenville, check. Just go ahead and file all of the sales tax in City of Greenville.

Jen Thyrion: Yeah, there you go. And yeah, that's things that people don't think about. And then once you get into it, you're like, okay, what? And every location is different when it comes to that too.

So that's what's hard because I can't just say, Oh yeah, look into this. It's like your state versus my state. Like it all works a little differently, you know?

Robin Murphy: Well, rainbow is 6 percent and every other one we have is 7%. So you just have to be mindful of that. Changing your sales tax rate. I

Jen Thyrion: did not have to really do that anymore.

Yes. Yes. So tell me to like, just actually speaking of that. So what do you get help with? You get help with your accountant, right? Like what do you outsource right now?

Robin Murphy: My bookkeeping and my accountant, those two are worth their weight in gold.

Jen Thyrion: Yes, I agree. That's all

Robin Murphy: that I have help with. I do everything else.

Jen Thyrion: That's amazing. So you're doing your ordering here, you know, just, yeah. All the inventory or pricing. Are you using barcode systems in your, um, a system? Yes. Okay. Did you ever do that? Mobily? Did you use barcodes mobily or no?

Robin Murphy: So I have one price. And then I have rose gold, gold filled, um, sterling silver, glow up, and then bargain bowl are all the choices under bracelet.

I do not have, with over 150 options, I was not putting each chain in square. To do that. I mean, that's probably a big, big no, no for some people, but I just, I'm not scrolling on squares through a hundred different to find it. I just don't know

Jen Thyrion: the way to do it. Well, that's why I asked that because I'm going into a barcode system.

I didn't do barcodes either, but now, I mean, even though you can do barcodes through square, I'm like, I said, I'm transferring to Shopify for everything POS system, but. I did at one point try to keep track, but like you said, with busy pop ups, I'm not scrolling and scrolling and trying to find that particular chain.

No thanks. Like, so then I got to a point where I put mine in tiers and I just had bracelet, ankle under each tier. And that was easy. Right. But at the end of the year, I'm not going to lie. I've been getting more into like getting more concise with my numbers and really it would have been. so cool to see what chain did do the best.

You know what I mean? Like if I had that inventory and had those numbers to show, um, I, of course I have it by tier and I could say, okay, I sold this many bracelets in this tier or something. Right. But I'm excited to kind of like barcode it out so I can keep all the chains. Cause for me, I do have tiers, but I was just curious if you, cause I feel like, man, maybe mobily people could do that.

I just don't know how that works. I was just curious, but. With you in

Robin Murphy: the terminal, it'd be even more annoying.

Jen Thyrion: That's

Robin Murphy: just gov. I don't know. I'm maybe one day I will tackle that, but that's not today. I hear you.

Jen Thyrion: I hear you. And so, but your product, so your actual, how do you price

Robin Murphy: everything else other than the connectors and the chain and the glow ups?

Everything else is barcoded. Was that

Jen Thyrion: pretty easy to do that system?

Robin Murphy: Yes. Well, FAIR is who we ordered some stuff through. They will download into your system and create the item for you. So that is wonderful. Oh, that's amazing. I

Jen Thyrion: didn't know that. Okay, so any advice? Well, we're actually like, let's share.

What do you see your next year? Or where do you see the Greenville Spark going? What is your

Robin Murphy: I hope to have four or five people here. And I'm getting a Saturday off. And then my hope is that maybe I get back out and do some, some pop ups. Some, like there are places, I still want to support some of my favorite small businesses.

But I think that's going to take me going out to do, but I want to have just a place where people come to create the permanent jewelry experience with their mom and loved one. That is my favorite part of this is creating memorable pieces. I mean, I have so many customers that have been with me since the beginning.

I don't know. I just hope that I have a full staff and can take a day off to be honest.

Jen Thyrion: Yes. I hear you. I feel like growing a strong team is definitely because that's the whole dream of like, you know, you, you want to have a business pulse at the same time. You want to be able to grow to a point where you can not have to be the face of it all the time.

Right. So. That is the ultimate, um, and have some freedom. Cause obviously that's one of the reasons why we're entrepreneurs, right? Is lending into a little bit of freedom. So

Robin Murphy: I am hoping I'm going to unchanged. Oh, yay. Please come. I, I'm trying, I I'm gonna

Jen Thyrion: have to close this door if I do, but, uh, no, I hear you.

That's my biggest worry too. I didn't even consider that. I knew that when I was like, I'm gonna be there. I'm gonna teach gloves. Okay, cool. I'll be on the beach. You know, teaching jewelry, making. How amazing. I did not really think about the fact that I'll be having to brick and mortar at that point and how , so whether or not I close the shop for a few days be being that I'll pretty, pretty much be newly open.

I think I'll be open on what. Six weeks at that point. So I'm also a little worried about that. I'm not going to

Robin Murphy: lie to keep your Google profile updated on your hours when you are closed. Okay, perfect. Good to know. Yes. Message because one of the first weekends we're still doing our popups and the store was open.

And she didn't check my social medias and I didn't update that. I'd actually gotten on Google just that week. And she's like, you need to update this as saying that you're opening. You're not. And I was like, great. My first review is going to be a negative one.

Jen Thyrion: I know it's never under a snake is honestly, even for me, I had, I changed a pop update once and I didn't, I changed my social cause I always go right to maybe most people are going to see on my social media.

I didn't change it on my website. So of course I had people show up and then, you know, I like, like, like luckily I didn't get any bad reviews or anything, but I felt so terrible. I was like, Oh my gosh, I didn't even think to update on my website. I just have to get my social. So yes, that's a good note.

That's a

Robin Murphy: good update. I thought it was more of a process, but it's very easy to update. Okay. Not even sure about for PJX if it's gonna have to be closed or not. That's like my biggest stress right now.

Jen Thyrion: I hear you just kind of taking time away.

Robin Murphy: My daughter graduates high school this year so we have a big trip planned and just the coverage.

Jen Thyrion: I hear you. How do you pay? I know people always have that question too. Do you, do they get to keep their tips? How does it work? So,

Robin Murphy: yes, so I pay hourly and then if they're by themselves or here with me and they're doing, okay, so we've got the retail system that not have tips on it, but if they use the terminal over there, then they can use tips on that.

So, if she rings it up over there, that's hers. If there's more than one here, then they're going to split it. Then they get to keep all that and they're all W 2s.

Jen Thyrion: Do you have help with the W 2s? Do you have a system you use with that?

Robin Murphy: My accountant takes care of it. Okay. Not me.

Jen Thyrion: Don't want to worry about that stuff.

What advice would you give to someone just starting? Or maybe even also to, I guess, two part question. Someone just starting in permanent jewelry and then someone who's been doing permanent jewelry that has this dream of opening a brick and mortar. I don't know. What would you, what would you say?

Robin Murphy: I would say, so first you need to start off with a bookkeeper or accountant.

Venmo got me All kinds of sideways messed up when I started because they'll send you the balance of what's in their thing. They'll split the transaction. It just got to be a mess. But a bookkeeper and accountant from the beginning to help you make sure you're doing everything properly. And then I would say if you can build your team before to be able to help you get into that brick and mortar it will make your life a lot easier.

And then you don't have to hire but one or two people. I wish I'd had more people before I opened the store. But we're going into a slow season, so that's kind of, it's just tricky. I mean, it's like right now, I don't feel like I need the people right at this moment, but I have to train them to be ready when I need them.

Jen Thyrion: What has been the biggest challenge you feel in your, I mean, honestly, maybe you're already saying it, but what has been your biggest?

Robin Murphy: In the hours that I can offer, just finding that unicorn.

Robin Murphy: January. A, January, but it was January of last Well, I don't know if I'd really consider the months where I was reaping up and I started, I mean. But after I was going, it was January of last year.

Jen Thyrion: Okay. Do you feel like you're in a kind of Because a lot of people have been speaking about January, this January being a lot worse than last January.

Do you feel the same or do you feel like it's been kind of around the

Robin Murphy: I think it's about the same. I mean I mean, I did better than I did last year, but not much. The goal was just to be last year, so, and I did. Of course, yes. But we are offering, I don't know, you might want to think about doing this, but all the events that we offer.

While we do, we're having a Galentine's event like this. It's Thursday and then we're doing a Morse code bracelet event. Love it. Yes. Offering 10 percent off in the store. I wasn't doing these events for people to shop, but then everybody wants to shop. I'm like, okay, 10 percent off. You know, you participate in our event, 10 percent off.

We did a favorite things. That was where it happened first. And so now anytime I offer an event in the store after hours, they're going to get 10 percent off. As an incentive to participate and come, and they love the discounts. So, my favorite thing was like, hey, you're, you're bringing the gift. There's no intention of buying or doing permanent jewelry here, and some ended up getting permanent jewelry.

Jen Thyrion: I know. Do you find like that's a benefit so far with your brick and mortar? Do you feel like people are bringing, like coming in groups versus like, cause I, I always, I don't know how often you did parties. I, I. I love private parties. Actually, that's my favorite thing to do. But a lot of people would come up to me and be like, Oh my God, I've been wanting to host a party, but I really just don't know about getting, cause my requirement's 10 people.

And so they're like, I'm not sure about 10 people. And I just don't know when I ever want to host and have people in my home. And you know, it's just like the whole thing of getting your house ready and doing that whole, which I totally understand. I feel like I'm at a time in my life where. I actually don't want to host things like that either with my two small girls and just, I don't know, just like the way life is.

So I would rather have girls get together and go somewhere else and have, so do you feel like it's kind of like that with your brick and mortar? It's going to be, I haven't really

Robin Murphy: posted about it because I feel like we have. I only probably want to do two to three events a month. I want to probably host two events and then do pop up, like have pop up vendors come the other Saturdays.

So I have so many things already that I want to do. I haven't really opened that up yet, but that will be, I think come summer, spring, summer, that will be more of a thing where I'm pushing those. Have you more than replaced

Jen Thyrion: your income with insurance? Oh, gosh,

Robin Murphy: yes. I, the one month in the first year I was doing it, I had replaced it.

I was like pure time, so I didn't have a whole lot to replace. But, yes, I think by August of that year, I had. I didn't even wait to replace. I mean, that August, I think I had, I don't even think that was the first month I had. That August, I think I did all of what I had made the whole year.

Jen Thyrion: Crazy, right? So let's just end with this because I know we could talk forever.

And so I being that you're somebody who, cause I think someone listening to that's considering it or feeling like, you know, we have a lot of, we're always questioning ourselves. I feel like, and we think that we're not ready or we're not capable or we never done this before. It's like we go through all these things in our head of reasons why we shouldn't do it, right?

You are somebody who obviously was not a business owner. You have not experienced in jewelry, you know, like, so what do you feel is kind of the key quote unquote to your success? Like the fact that you were able to go from that to this and here you are three years later with a brick and mortar.

Robin Murphy: I think just I have a very competitive spirit and just having to figure out everything along the way.

It was so hard to start that there was no way I was going backwards. I just trying to figure everything out. There was no way I was going to fail. And that's what I told my husband when I wanted to open this. I said, I have not failed this far. Why do you think I'm going to fail at this? I mean, I'm going to host events in here until I'm blue in the face.

If sales are down, we will get through it. We will figure it out. If permanent jewelry goes away, then we're going to fill it up with more gifts. gifts. So we will fill it up with that, but I only signed a three year lease here. So that's all we're committed to, but it, I mean, I'm not going to fail. It's just not an option.

Jen Thyrion: I love it. I feel like that's such an amazing mindset to have. It's like not even just you have like that fire. I feel like that's, I keep thinking I was like, you have the Fire to just figure it out and make it happen. It's like, this is what I want and it's going to happen. I'm going to figure it out. And even if things evolve, cause I think everyone has that little underlying fear too, okay.

It's permanent jewelry and eventually is a trendy is eventually die, but in the end, it's just going to evolve. So as long as you're willing to evolve with it and keep that fire, right. And just say, Hey, like I want to, I want to succeed. And I'm going to make, I'm going to ride this rollercoaster and see where it goes.

I don't think anybody else is offering glow ups in Greenville. Okay, perfect. Um, I don't think so. I mean, I have to think not Greenville. I mean, I know this in the state I do, but not, I don't think in Greenville. No,

Robin Murphy: right. So, I mean, that's, I'm going to keep trying. I have bangles, not your bangles, but I have bangles.

I mean, I don't think anybody else is offering the same bangles I am. So, I'm going to constantly be trying to find that. What does nobody else have?

Jen Thyrion: Yeah, just what makes you special. And I think that's what it comes down to it too. Right. That's amazing. Well, it's been so great to chat with you. I can't wait to see what this next year brings for you.

I feel like it'd be so awesome to catch up with you also at the end of this year, at the same time next year, to see like how your first year in business, brick and mortar went. So I'm wishing you all the best and

Robin Murphy: for having me. Post lots of updates of your new space. I loved watching your video the other day.

Oh, thank you. Thank you.

Jen Thyrion: All right, we will talk to you soon. Where can we find you? How can we stalk you? Um,

Robin Murphy: I am at the Greenville Spark on Instagram, at the Greenville Spark on Facebook, and I am at 500 Congaree Road in

Jen Thyrion: Greenville, South Carolina. I love it. I love it. All right. Thank you so much. Have a beautiful day.

We'll talk to you soon. All right. Thank you. Bye. Well, how do you feel? I hope you found value in today's episode and you walk away feeling inspired. I would love to hear from you. Let's link up. You can find me on Instagram at GoldieLinkSociety. You can find out more about our permanent jewelry membership at GoldieLinkSociety.

com, our handmade permanent jewelry supplies of connectors, chain, and more at GoldieLinkSupplies. com. Okay, I will see you next time. Have a golden day.