In this interviedw, find out how Karen Van Der Hout took her fun side project of selling initial necklaces to moms in the neighborhood through Instagram to a thriving full-time jewelry business. Within only six years, Toronto’s Van Der Hout Jewelry is well-known in North America, offering quality solid gold and gemstone pieces, along with custom designs. Whether you’re looking for great jewelry at reasonable prices or a woman entrepreneur looking to level up, this interview is one to check out!
Disclosure: This sponsored post features the inspiring journey of Karen Van Der Hout, who transformed her passion for jewelry design into a successful Canadian-based business.
Interview with founder Karen Van Der Hout
Below, Karen shares insights on her marketing tactics, the scaling process, and her invaluable advice for aspiring women entrepreneurs. Discover how Van Der Hout Jewelry has expanded from initial necklaces to a full-fledged jewelry line, making waves in the industry.
Karen, can you share with us what inspired you to start Van Der Hout Jewelry?
I was inspired to start Van Der Hout Jewelry as a millennial with a passion for jewelry design. Many of my friends and peers were starting side hustles, selling personalized products on Instagram.
I have family in the jewelry industry in New York and knew how to go about getting designs produced, so I used my skills and connections to make personalized jewelry and started promoting on Insta. Within two years, it became my full-time job.
How did you initially market your customizable initial necklaces?
I Initially marketed my customizable initial necklaces through Instagram and local trunk shows and pop-up shops in Toronto. The demand grew so quickly that I had to build a website to keep up!
Wow! Please share a bit about how you scaled up and what helped with the quick success.
I think our quick success was due to the quality of our products. Our pieces speak for themselves. We also received seed funding, which we used for media buying on Google and Facebook. We learned early on to create our own compelling social media content and that was a big help.
Since starting with initial necklaces, you’ve expanded to a full jewelry line. We’d love to hear about the design process!
With a background in the jewelry industry, I already knew about the manufacturing process. I started working in the industry, in a family business, at 14 years old and went on to work at several major jewelry brands that sold at big box retailers. I learned a lot about what jewelry customers wanted.
By the time I started my own business, it was incredibly helpful to know which kinds of pieces were popular, what was on-trend and what sold. I kept all that information in mind as I collaborated with producers to design our pieces.
Transitioning from Instagram sales to a full online business is a big step. What helped you make the transition?
Transitioning from Instagram sales to a full online business required resourcefulness (a lot of Googling!) and tenacity to build a website. I was pregnant at the time and running around town meeting with web designers, manufacturers, suppliers, social media influencers and potential investors.
I won’t mention names, but there were definitely people who didn’t take me seriously as a pregnant woman in a male-dominated industry. That was also a significant hurdle, but once the sales started coming in, all those people understood that I was running a legitimate business and attitudes changed.
What advice would you give to a woman entrepreneur looking to scale their business, based on your experiences?
My advice to women entrepreneurs is to never give up, even on the toughest days. Embrace rejection, build a skilled and supportive team, and NETWORK! Extensively! It’s not just what you know, but who you know.
What are your future plans for Van Der Hout Jewelry?
The future plans for Van Der Hout Jewelry are to continue growing and expanding our brand throughout Canada and the United States. We want to make jewelry buying fun and easy so that women can feel their joyful fabulous best, every day.
Thank you for being here, Karen Van Der Hout!
Karen’s experiences show that with a love for what you do, innovation, and perseverance, you truly can achieve what you want! Without sacrificing product quality either.
See the great jewelry for yourself on the Van Der Hout Instagram page. From rings to earrings and necklaces, there are stunning solid gold and gemstone pieces.
See the full collection over at the Van Der Hout Jewelry shop online. I love the personalized necklaces, as well as the new clover design items. It’s very cool too that you can get one-of-kind pieces made, often within only a few months. What ones catch your eye?