Over the Counter

Podcast: After Tragedy, One Young Woman Turns Her Grief Into Beauty

She lost her boyfriend in a terrible accident. But she found meaning in the act of making jewelry.

Published

5 years ago

November 10, 2019

Kyle Bullock

Or listen on your favorite podcasting platform with our RSS link.

FOR HIS LAST PODCAST of the season, Kyle Bullock of Over the Counter tells the story of Emma, a woman whose life was turned upside down when the man she loved and hoped to marry died in a car accident.

For Emma, the tragedy caused her to completely change the direction of her life. She left community college, where she was studying to become an art teacher, and moved to a different school to try out the art of metalsmithing. Quickly showing promise in her new field, as well as finding comfort in the act of creating jewelry, she decided to build her skills further with a months-long jewelry apprenticeship in Florence, Italy.

Emma’s instinctual method of working through her grief was to create beautiful jewelry that was redolent with symbolism. And while her loss remained one of the defining events of her life, she was able to move forward and now runs her own jewelry brand, Emma Elizabeth Jewelry (emmaelizabethjewelry.com), based in Grand Rapids, MI, but sold nationally.

That Emma was able to build a satisfying, deeply meaningful career by fashioning beauty out of the most terrible of losses should provide a lesson for all jewelers, says Kyle.

“Don’t ever forget that every and every piece we create or sell means something deeper to the customer that we might ever imagine,” says Kyle. “In the same way, don’t ever forget your own experiences. Owning and managing a jewelry company can bring difficult, sometimes even painful, experiences for you to deal with. It has in my life, for certain. But in the nature of our work, we are given a unique opportunity to shape our circumstances into something beautiful. So, go out and do beautiful work, listeners. The world needs it.”

SPECIAL OFFER: Here’s a special offer that fans of Over the Counter and the velvet voice of Kyle Bullock won’t want to miss. The author recently released a new book called Mister Christmas, described as “the story of a white-collar loser who has his life turned around when a mysterious stranger offers him a job creating a real-life Santa’s toy factory”.

For listeners of this podcast, Kyle is offering the audiobook version of Mister Christmas for only $3. To get the deal, go to misterchristmasbook.com to order, then use promo code “OTC” at checkout.

Kyle Bullock

Kyle Bullock is a fourth-generation jeweler who manages Bullock's Jewelry in Roswell, NM. He is also a best selling author, speaker and performer, and small business coach. To contact him, email him at KyleRBullock@gmail.com.

click to Comment(Comment)

Up Next

Podcast: The 12 Days of Christmas … Like You’ve Never Heard It Before

Don't Miss

Podcast: When a Planned Purchase is a Style Mistake, Honesty Always Pays

Family Legacy, New Chapter: How Wilkerson Turns 89 Years of History Into Future Success

After 89 years of serving the Albany community, Harold Finkle Your Jeweler faced a pivotal decision. For third-generation owner Justin Finkle, the demanding hours of running a small business were taking precious time away from his young family. "After 23 years, I decided this was the time for me," Finkle explains. But closing a business with nearly nine decades of inventory and customer relationships isn't something easily managed alone. Wilkerson's comprehensive approach transformed this challenging transition into a remarkable success story. Their strategic planning handled everything from advertising and social media to inventory management and staffing — elements that would overwhelm most jewelers attempting to navigate a closing sale independently. The results speak volumes. "Wilkerson gave us three different tiers of potential goals," Finkle notes. "We've reached that third tier, that highest goal already, and we still have two weeks left of the sale." The partnership didn't just meet financial objectives—it exceeded them ahead of schedule.