Today we’d like to introduce you to Colleen.
Hi Colleen, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Colleen Fernandez is the founder of Bound Nolo, an experiential retail and jewelry brand based in Minneapolis’ North Loop. A native of Hopkins, Minnesota, Colleen earned her degree in communications from Arizona State University before beginning her career in advertising in New York City, where she met her husband, Jonathan. After returning to Minnesota in 2019, she rediscovered a childhood interest in jewelry making and began exploring permanent jewelry during the pandemic. In 2022, while working in corporate America and navigating infertility, Fernandez began offering permanent jewelry at private parties and pop-ups as a way to supplement her income and save for IVF. What began as a side business quickly gained momentum, expanding into farmers markets and larger events before moving into a small Minneapolis studio and, ultimately, a full storefront. Today, Bound Nolo operates from a growing North Loop space with a team of employees and has evolved beyond permanent jewelry into a broader experiential retail concept centered on interactive jewelry, accessories, private events, and brand activations.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Entrepreneurship is not for the faint of heart. Building a business requires an incredible amount of resilience, particularly because there often isn’t anyone standing on the sidelines telling you to keep going or reassuring you that you’re making the right decisions. Much of that motivation has to come from within. For Colleen, that drive has always come from a desire to build something meaningful and create something bigger than herself. Through the inevitable challenges, distractions, and moments of doubt, she continues to return to why Bound exists: to create a place where people come to celebrate, women make meaningful connections, and individuals feel empowered to express themselves through personal style. More than building a retail business, she sees Bound as a platform for community—and that larger purpose continues to shape where the company goes next.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Bound Nolo is an experiential retail brand based in Minneapolis’ North Loop, specializing in interactive jewelry, accessories, and experiences designed around self-expression and connection. While the company began with permanent jewelry, Bound has grown to offer a variety of customizable experiences, including charm bars, hat bars, and other hands-on activations both in its North Loop storefront and at private parties, weddings, corporate events, and large-scale brand activations. What sets Bound apart is the belief that retail can be more than simply purchasing a product—it can be something people participate in, personalize, and remember. The brand is especially proud of creating an inclusive, welcoming space where people come to celebrate milestones, connect with one another, and create something that feels uniquely their own. As Bound continues to grow, its focus remains on evolving the traditional retail experience and finding new ways to bring creativity, personalization, and connection to its customers and community.
How do you think about luck?
Luck has certainly played a role along the way, but Colleen attributes much of her journey to perseverance, hard work, and an unwavering belief in her ability to keep moving forward. Building a business does not pause when life becomes difficult, and some of her greatest challenges have happened alongside deeply personal ones—from navigating pregnancy loss to losing her father, all while continuing to show up for customers, manage difficult business situations, and lead through major events and milestones. Those experiences have shaped her perspective that life and business will always ebb and flow, and circumstances will not always be within her control. She embraces her Irish good luck when it comes her way, but ultimately trusts that even during the hardest seasons, she has the resilience, faith, and determination to find a way forward.
Pricing:
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- $75
- $100
- $150
- $200
Contact Info:
- Website: https://boundpermanentjewelry.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boundnolo/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/BOUND-NOLO-61550630343620/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colleen-fernandez-81888a6b/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/bound-nolo-minneapolis
