The holidays are approaching and if you’re anything like me, you’ve got quite a few yogis and woos on your list. Folks that are kind at heart and full of joy, but probably really tough to shop for!! They want things you may have never heard of or perhaps you’re a yogi yourself and looking for something GREAT to put on your Christmas list. I have just the thing. In the next two weeks I will be presenting interviews of some amazingly talented and beautiful women who have created the perfect gifts for your modern hippie friends and at the end of my series I’ll compile them all together with a few other fan favorites for a huge holiday gift guide. I’m so excited about this series and am beyond blessed to introduce you to Sharona Weinerman of SharonWein Designs Jewelery!! She’s the perfect first entrepreneur to present and I couldn’t be happier she said yes to being on the blog.
Sharona comes from a jewelry making family, with her father in the custom jewelry making business most of her childhood in Bogota, Colombia. Her own journey started off by owning a jewelry store with beautiful pieces and somewhere during her time as a shop owner, she started making her own custom pieces. She loved the zen peacefulness that came from creating and crafting customized pieces for customers and soon came to doing this as her business. We met though B-school, the online business program we both graduated from and I knew that she must’ve been a rockstar if she went through Marie Forleo’s program! {So many of my business school friends are true rockstars}. Without further ado, let’s dig deeper into Sharon and her mama beads and custom pieces.
1. How did you come to making mala beads in addition to your custom jewelry work?
Twelve years ago I was doing Bikram yoga. I was always hot and sweaty and there was never any jewelry allowed. It’s quite a strict practice and mala beads were not something anyone I knew was wearing. One day my sister in-law asked me to make her a set of mala beads. She told me she was using them in yoga and meditation. I started researching and decided to hand knot her a custom set. I fell in love with the zen process of creating the 108 strand of beads and as I shipped them to her in Columbia, I knew they would be the perfect gift and potentially the start of something new for me. I just loved the meaning of the stones, the repetition of creation and infusing the malas with love!
2. That sounds so beautiful! Did you say your sister in-law lives in Colombia? Did you grow up there?
Yes I did! I met the love of my life on campus at B.U. in 1988 and when we got married I moved with him to his home country of Canada. I’m originally from Colombia. {She’s gotten used to the cold, I asked!}
3. How do you pick the stones for your mala beads, in terms of meaning, but also your supplier?
My suppliers are either known to me or someone I meet on the road and fall in love with. I have one supplier locally in Canada, another in NYC where my daughter lives and yet another in Thailand where I’ve visited before. I never buy any stones online as I need to look them over, inspect each piece and truly feel them. As a woo-woo it’s always important to really see your stones and understand their energy. I’ve been collecting stones for 10-12 years and since my jewelry shop closed 6 years ago, I’ve created an amazing supply. When someone asks for a mala or a custom piece, I’m drawn to certain stones or beads to infuse it with more meaning.
A few years ago I went to the Gem Show in Tucson, Arizona and fell in love with so many stones. Living in Canada added a tremendous weight to my heart during the week I was there. I wanted to purchase EVERYTHING but with taxes and flights, budget etc., I was restricted to buying only certain pieces. It’s amazing what we are drawn to, what speaks to us and what we are allowed to bring into our lives (in terms of energy and also what I was legally allowed to bring back). It was so fascinating to see the side shows about crystal healings, energy work and how others work with the stones for more than just jewelry. I’m always learning and wanting more. I pick up beads here and there and have been collecting as I said for 12 years. When I find a jewel that needs to come home, I find a way!
4. That sounds beautiful! How long have you been making malas alongside your custom pieces?
Only about a year and a half now. I’ve been doing custom pieces for years and made more of an entrepreneurial business out of it 6 years ago when I closed my shop. I love doing both custom and mala work (which can be customized).
5. What is your favorite quote of late?
“With life as short as a half taken breath, don’t plant anything but love” -Rumi
6. What would you tell your pre-business self?
There will be good days and not so good days in business…just learn not to take things personally
7. What is the best gift you have ever received?
My grandmothers beautiful embroidered tablecloth that she used in many years of family gatherings. So many happy memories.
8. Where can we find your work, and how do we go about getting a custom piece of jewelry or mala beads?
My website is http://www.sharonweindesigns.com. You can check out my pieces online or email me at sharonweindesigns@gmail.com.
Thank you so much Sharona, for sharing your gift of jewels with us and letting us peek into your life behind the scenes! I cannot wait to see all the custom work you do in the years to come.
Lots of love & Namaste
Jenny