Getting fired was never fun. But somehow it kept happening. Enough that I eventually found myself in a vocational counselor’s chair. The results from the tests were conclusive: Be self employed. Sitting in that chair I found myself having to answer the dubious question of “well, can you do anything?” Jewelry, I said. There you go, the counselor said. And so I went.

And I went- for ten years. It’s been an interesting journey. One fueled by naiveté (or plain stupidity), the knowledge that this was what I was supposed to do, and an amazing amount of support. Reaching this milestone was never something I imagined. After learning about “vision” at the Renaissance Center in San Francisco, I never really extended these ideas of who I would be as a designer for longer than 3 years. And at every “vision” milestone I found myself having to create another idea of what my success would look like. The challenge to keep shaping these goals were difficult, but one that was always supported by the people around me. When I was asked to launch this blog, and share my vision, I begin to reflect on the influence that so many people have had on my success. Building Melissa Joy Manning, Inc (oh my god, I still have a mini panic attack when I realize I have incorporated myself) didn’t happen in a vacuum and it certainly didn’t happen alone. It is with gratitude that I type this first entry, and with gratitude that I invite you to learn more about us as a company and as individuals.

I started this business somewhere around 1997….walking door to door asking people to carry my jewelry. Putting myself out there as an artist was terrifying. Would they like me? Would people buy my work? But I mustered my courage and somehow got people to try and carry my work- I’d trade it out, I said, if they couldn’t sell it. Many doors later we find our jewelry in over 200 accounts world wide. It’s still unreal to me and I’m amazed to be here. Being able to do what I love is in amazing gift, and doing it with an incredible group of people (some still here, some gone) has been the biggest gift of all.

So I’m excited to have a place to share with you where we are going, where we’ve been, and what we love. I hope you’ll check back in on this space and learn about our company in depth and the true things that keep us going these days (because there’s a lot more to us than jewelry); sustainability, community development, philanthropy, and environment. Oh and fun stuff too… I mean, how annoying and trite would this blog be if I only used this space to tout our corporate agenda? Boring! And so I’m opening our blog up to any member of our team- watch for posts from everyone at MJM as well as to you. Want to know something about us? Have a question you want answered? Ask! Send us an email…together we’ll have lots of ideas to share.

And so it’s been ten years. Wow. Thanks to all of you who’ve been there to keep me grounded, sane and motivated. I look forward to sharing the next decade with you.