Kris Nations

Kris and Kim Nations (Photo Courtesy of Kris Nations)

Sisters Kim and Kris Nations describe their jewelry style as “kind of like Alexander Calder meets Dolly Parton”—fun, fashionable, and sometimes “in-your-face,” with pieces ranging from traditional bracelets and rings featuring birthstones to stud earrings shaped like tacos and avocados.

Based in Half Moon Bay, Kris Nations jewelry is designed using original artwork and recycled materials. “We don’t take ourselves too seriously,” says Kris. “We have things that are classic, but we throw in more fun things that are playful and not financially out of reach. We focus on quality materials for people who don’t want to pay $400 for stud earrings.”

Like many other small businesses, Kris Nations didn’t initially qualify for a bank loan, and so Kris was thrilled to get help from Working Solutions—which she had heard about through a friend. They received their first loan of $25,000 from Working Solutions in 2005, and have returned for three additional loans totaling $125,000. Through the process, Kris said she learned to read a financial statement, create a business plan and do bookkeeping. “For us, it wasn’t just money,” she said. “It was all the support, and we completely credit Working Solutions.”

Kim and Kris grew up in El Paso, Texas and were inspired by their mom, a teacher and artist. As girls, they accompanied her to art shows and galleries in Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico. “I saw that you could do something like this and make a living at it,” Kris said.

Kris’s own journey to entrepreneurship started with making jewelry for friends and then selling to small boutiques in San Francisco while she worked freelance for an advertising agency. Kris officially launched her company in 2002, and her sister Kim, who was helping behind the scenes as web designer and art director, officially joined the company in 2006. In the early days of the business, a feature in the trendy email newsletter DailyCandy resulted in hundreds of orders overnight, enabling Kris to quit her day job and pursue jewelry full time.

Their initial loan from Working Solutions in 2005 helped Kris and Kim participate in a trade show in Las Vegas. The additional loans have helped them to expand the business, which has grown steadily—they are now in over 500 boutiques and stores nationwide, including Nordstrom and Bloomingdale’s, and they also sell directly to consumers through their website. Kris estimates that they have made between $2 million and $3 million in revenue over the past couple of years.

Today, Kim and Kris design two collections each year. They have 15 employees, including artists that assemble the jewelry in Half Moon Bay and sales representatives in New York and Los Angeles.

The fun, stylish jewelry is a reward in itself, but Kris is also proud of the less tangible results: providing employment and community for her friends and neighbors. “A lot of people who work in our studio in Half Moon Bay are part-time workers and moms I have met in the community. They’re an amazing group of women,” Kris said. “I have created jobs and a community. I feel like we have the best team we’ve ever had. We have such great people running the office that Kim and I are able to focus on the bigger picture.”

The flexibility of self-employment also allowed the sisters to work while raising their families. “As we each had babies, one of us would take the reins to give each other space. We are very fortunate to have the relationship we have,” Kris said. “Neither of us could do it on our own.”

Current challenges include keeping up with social media and marketing, and Kris sees their website as the biggest area of potential growth. The business grew through selling to retailers, and now she wants to focus on direct sales to customers. “We would like to grow sales and have that be as big as our wholesale business,” Kris said. Looking ahead, she said she’d also like to do more networking with other women entrepreneurs.

She would definitely recommend Working Solutions to a friend. “It’s not just, ‘here’s the money and good luck.’ It’s support throughout. They want you to succeed and they give you the tools to succeed.”

Check out the Kris Nations jewelry collection online at www.krisnations.com!

Media Highlights: