How to be a Jeweler with Madison from Fewer Finer

Plus her 5 favorite things right now...

Phew, I’m finally emerging back to my normal day-to-day chaos after a whirlwind two months of work and travel. And I’m so excited to dig back into substack by having my friend Madison Snider, founder and designer of jewelry brand Fewer Finer, as the second interviewee in this series.

I first met Madison when we were introduced by our mutual friend Nan (who also happens to have a great substack). I ended up hosting the FF team at my office for my annual holiday trunk show, which got put on pause this year due to The Ticking Tent. Madison and I ended up connecting over more than jewelry. We share a love of design, aesthetics, travel, fashion, and our kids to name a few.

Please check out Fewer Finer, follow her on social media through the FF account and personally, and finally, read our interview below…!

Editor’s Note: This is all part of a new project for me, and a time consuming one at that, one thing you can do to support this completely free publication is to like, comment, and SHARE SHARE SHARE if you have friends who might also enjoy this type of content as well. Thank you again for all your support and encouragement, it means the world.

SL: Tell us about your background - what were you doing before and how did you end up working in jewelry? 

MS: I have had Fewer Finer for almost six years now and before I started the company my work mostly oriented around marketing and food. I had the dream job for a young twenty something working for a marketing agency that represented luxury hotels as the Photography Producer, so I traveled all over producing photoshoots for some of the most amazing hotel brands. Before that, I worked mostly in food - as a Private Chef, in Restaurant PR, and with food photography. I was drawn to jewelry because I love it, and I wanted to create a brand. I felt this was a product I’d really enjoy designing, branding, and marketing so I did that, starting small with an initial collection of about 10 pieces. 

SL: How do customers typically find you? My business is almost wholly word of mouth - is yours too? Social media? A mix? And how do you get the word out when you're launching a brand? I had considered sending an e-blast to everyone I knew when I started my business but then chickened out...

MS: This made me laugh! It’s a problem all businesses have but in our own ways. Initially I really leaned into Instagram, and it’s been a huge part of the brands growth and reach. When I started I could barely even afford my own work so I was definitely not marketing to my friends. I did know it was important for me to have the brand and website feel very complete and polished when I first started so that when people landed there, from social, or word of mouth, or now through things like ads or press links, that they immediately felt a sense of trust. That is so important when the things we’re selling are in the thousands of dollars. 

SL: As someone in a creative field, but for the home, I always feel like it's our job to listen to and understand a client's personal tastes, but also for them to come at the project with an understanding of YOUR style too. I'm thinking about this as it relates to custom work (which I know you do a lot of), to make sure it's the right fit. Is it the same in jewelry? 

MS: Very much so! We do a lot of custom work - everything from redesigning engagement rings to turning an old broach into a set of earrings to engraving a portrait of a pet on a signet. People are usually coming to us because they love the look and feel of our work, and they may have examples of pieces we have don’t that they love. It’s a lot about understanding what is important to them and knowing the limits of what is structurally feasible while welcoming opportunities for creativity. I think a physical product is more straightforward than designing a space, so I have a lot of admiration for you and your work!

  Note: I commissioned this custom piece above as a group gift for a dear friend's 40th!

SL: How do you determine your prices? I know that was one of the hardest parts of going out on my own four years ago and I definitely undervalued my services at first. I assume jewelry is a bit more formulaic and fluctuates based on the cost of materials, but even so, pricing in your industry really runs the gamut. 

MS: It’s a great question! At the most basic level we are looking at the cost of our raw materials, which for us are mostly 14k gold and diamonds and the cost of labor, which is entirely done here in NYC, and the cost of our time, for designing and producing, and then putting a markup on that. It’s relatively simple to understand what we have to charge to remain stable as a business when we are working with a product and material that people understand to have intrinsic value. With your work, I think that is more challenging, again, because it is hard for both you and your clients to understand the dollar value of your time. 

SL: Walk us through a typical day at Fewer Finer. I feel like you wear so many hats, tell us about that.

MS:  It’s a fun question to ponder but I really don’t have a good answer because in a lot of ways I feel like the “work” I do is always changing. As the founder, I’ve played every role on the team but now am stepped away from many of them too. I like structure and working from an office so 4-5 days a week I’m in the office for most of the day. I’ll take lunch or coffee meetings here and there, but I’m a strong introvert and my best work and focus and feeling of completion for a day happens when I can zone in on my own. I have meetings with various team members and clients throughout the day, work on designs and custom work, plan for future pieces, launches and collaborations, handle any production issues, meet with contractors for accounting, paid marketing, e-commerce, etc, and I’m sure lots of other things I’m forgetting to mention here! I am in the diamond district about every two weeks checking in on production and meeting with vendors and shopping for new vintage items. 

SL: What's the wackiest thing a client has asked you to make?!

MS: Dog stuff, lol! People just love their dogs so much and so many want to commemorate or celebrate them with jewelry! We’ve done lots and lots of pet related things but a screw cap vessel charm for someone to wear their dogs ashes in was probably the most unique. It’s such a cool piece actually! When we sent it to her I sourced a tiny tiny funnel so that she could pour them in there. 

SL: You're a new mom. Congratulations! As a brand founder, how will you approach striking the elusive work/life balance? Tell us about your team. I struggle with this so much. All tips welcome, even if you're a new mom!

MS: Becoming a mom changed me in so many ways, as so many people said it would, and I didn’t understand until I experienced it. I felt so lucky to take about 4.5 months mostly off of work to be fully present to this new chapter, but since being back at work (my son is 6.5 months now), I feel really lucky to have found much more of a balance then I anticipated. My husband, nanny, and I are a great team. And we have so much additional help with my in-laws and parents and a real community of friends and neighbors in Greenpoint, Bk where we live. I have become aware of the fact that motherhood is an experience ripe with change - it’s beautiful and sad sometimes too, but even just thinking back to when my son was two month old or four months old, of course he was different then, but I was so different too. And now, I’m so different than two months before, so I am welcoming the fact that there will be many iterations of myself in this journey. 

SL: I know like me, you're super inspired by travel. Can you talk about how that has informed Fewer Finer?

MS: Yes, of course! High end travel experiences are my greatest luxury and I obsess over the details of hospitality, design, and food when I travel. While on a personal level it is something I'm so passionate about and inspired by, my collection is not necessarily influenced by this passion. With my pieces, I really aim to make things that are beautiful for everyday wear. I want them to stand the test of time, so pieces you can put on and never take off, and to not be influenced by trends. I love to create pieces that are sentimental to the wearer, so travel can be part of this - like when we made our Family Bracelet for a client with the names of all the countries she had been to instead of names. I love to think that our client wear and love our jewelry as much when they are loading the dishwasher as they do when they are on the Amalfi Coast! 

SL: What's next for Fewer Finer?!

MS: We have a very exciting year ahead with the opening of our own showroom in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. It will be a private atelier by appointment only but it is in a building that will also hold our office and having this little townhouse of our own is a dream come true! We can't wait to welcome clients into our space and to activate it for all kinds of fun events, jewelry showings, and little parties! 

SL: Where do you see your business in 5 years, 10 years?

MS: I like to always remind myself that this is a long game for me. I started this business when I was 26 with no investment beyond a small personal savings. I had no business experience, jewelry experience, or understanding of an e-commerce shop. I have learned so much, built such confidence, and really enjoyed the whole experience. That said, I am constantly challenged, always learning more and often humbled. When things come up that feel stressful, I remind myself that I really want to build a legacy business that I get to be part of for my whole life. That keeps things in perspective and makes me excited for all the ways that this small jewelry business will fulfill me and delight our clients for years and years to come. 

SL: 5 things you're loving right now. Go!

MS:

1. These hair clips are so nice and chic, and they come beautifully packaged so make a nice gift

2. These white T shirts that I own way too many of.

3. This soup that makes the perfect lunch.

4. Everything Crown Affair - I own about 80% of their collection.

5. This carpet that we put in my family room and I love so much.

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU to Madison for sharing your wealth of knowledge and insights with the Intel crew!

Friends, is there anyone you know that you think would be perfect for this series? If so, drop me a note!

x

SL