Conversations with Lisa Fagan

Hi Lisa, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been a creative person compelled by art, color, and design. As a child, my family lived in Spain, Chile, Guatemala, and Mexico. These rich and colorful cultures influenced what I was attracted to and developed my artful eye and point of view. Specifically, I admire these countries’ reverence for the beauty in the imperfections and the organic nature of handmade objects. This aesthetic, both primitive and charming, is woven throughout their indigenous art, architecture, and fashion. Growing up in Spain and Central and South America, I was often the new kid on the block, and over time, I developed the skills to acclimate to new and foreign environments. And I realized that fitting in is not the same as belonging. Those experiences taught me that authenticity is the most essential commitment we make to ourselves. I learned that vulnerability, imperfection, and self-expression are what connect us. Authenticity is what makes us interesting! These experiences formed my personal and artistic ethos. We inherently want something that is uniquely ours and sets us apart, something that carves out a place in the Universe just for us. Jewelry does that. Through my jewelry line, Relica, I create pieces that enhance individuality and personal expression by honoring the beauty of my customer’s humanity and authenticity. The relics and stones included in my pieces add voice to that expression with their time-worn aesthetic and charming cultural stories.

Please talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned. Looking back, has it been easy or smooth in retrospect?
My biggest learning curve and challenge was changing my business model from wholesale to DTC through online sales. I began with the mindset that I could only make a worthwhile income through wholesale.

I signed with a sales rep and a showroom out of the Chicago Merchandise Mart. Eventually, I added a handful of other reps and hired an assistant. I scaled quickly, and three years in, I was completely removed from what brought me joy – creating and connecting with people who wear my art. Even though I had 150 active wholesale accounts, I didn’t get to interact with the buyers, and if things didn’t sell, I seldom knew why. That information is critical to success, especially before I embarked on designing new collections. The design process felt random, and with two to three lines to put up every year, I felt I had fallen into the fast fashion abyss. Today, I have an email list and sell (and resell) directly to my audience through my website. If it gets busy, I have a production house that helps me. The rest is a one-woman enterprise, allowing me time to incorporate other interests into my life. I would have never imagined this when starting.

Let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Before I began my jewelry business, I worked in professional development, which is the world of philanthropy and fundraising for nonprofits. I worked in marketing, fundraising, strategic planning, and capital campaigns for a health organization, a private college, a University, a whaling museum, public television, and a music school. Each environment was completely different than the next. That felt familiar and exciting to me. I enjoyed the diversity of people, the workflow that was different every day, the relationship building, and working with individuals with whom I shared common values. Doing good for the good of others feels good! But I knew the time would come when I’d need to connect with my creative side and hopefully be able to monetize what I loved doing. That moment presented itself when I had my daughter and decided to stay home to raise her.

Let’s end by discussing what matters most to you and why.
Again, authenticity and connection! Authenticity is sometimes difficult to describe, but it’s compelling, and you know it when you see or experience it. And it’s less often than I’d like. We’re a society that places a lot of value on conformity. True connection only occurs with authenticity. I hope as we humans evolve (and I believe we are) that we have a greater tolerance and appreciation for the freedom of self-expression.