Fifteen years ago, amidst the challenges of a divorce, Jen Scheffler-Johnson ignited her passion for creativity by founding her jewelry business, Realia by Jen. Despite the disruption of a global pandemic, Jen's business is flourishing. With an eye for innovation, she has sculpted distinctive jewelry lines and captivating art pieces. Jen's unwavering fascination with the dynamic world of retail fuels her aspirations, which someday may include her own storefront.
Realia by Jen
Experience Rochester, MN
Fifteen years ago, amidst the challenges of a divorce, Jen Scheffler-Johnson ignited her passion for creativity by founding her jewelry business, Realia by Jen. Despite the disruption of a global pandemic, Jen's business is flourishing. With an eye for innovation, she has sculpted distinctive jewelry lines and captivating art pieces. Jen's unwavering fascination with the dynamic world of retail fuels her aspirations, which someday may include her own storefront.
Realia by Jen
Experience Rochester, MN
The Growing Destinations podcast is brought to you by Experience Rochester. Learn more about Minnesota's third largest city, which is home to Mayo Clinic and features wonderful recreational and entertainment opportunities, by visiting experiencerochestermncom.
Jen Scheffler-Johnson:Nothing comes easy that's worth having, and so I think in the beginning it was just really being humble and asking people for help and asking people for time, and then people being generous and saying yes and obviously dealing with the rejection of a lot of people saying no.
Bill Von Bank:Welcome to the Growing Destinations podcast, where we take a deep dive into destination development and focus on a wide range of topics, from tourism and entertainment to economic development and entrepreneurism and much more. I'm your host, bill Avon Bank. 15 years ago, amidst the challenges of a divorce, jen Shefler Johnson ignited her passion for creativity by founding her jewelry business, rialya by Jen. Despite the disruption of a global pandemic, jen's business is flourishing. With an eye for innovation, she has sculpted distinctive jewelry lines and captivating art pieces. Jen's unwavering fascination with the dynamic world of retail fuels her aspirations, which someday may include her own storefront. Jen Shefler Johnson, welcome to the Growing Destinations podcast.
Jen Scheffler-Johnson:Thank you, thanks for having me.
Bill Von Bank:Jen, can you share with us the inspiration behind starting your jewelry business? Rialya by Jen.
Jen Scheffler-Johnson:The name is something that came from my years in education, so Rialya means real things that you use to teach, and when I started this company, I was teaching and I was also going through a divorce, and so I needed this in my life and I needed the catharsis, I needed the therapy, I needed the art, the outlet, whatever you want to call it at the time, and so, to me, the inspiration behind it and the name are inextricably linked.
Bill Von Bank:And starting a business during a challenging personal time, such as going through a divorce and transitioning from teaching to entrepreneurship. That must have been quite the journey.
Jen Scheffler-Johnson:Yeah, it was and is still kind of that journey. It's something that is a part of my daily life. But that transition at the time going through the divorce, I think this is what kind of helped keep me going. Maybe it was a distraction, maybe it was just, you know, again, like referring back to that therapy of being able to do something creative and making things for people and getting that. I don't know. I get a lot of joy when I see people delight, people's delight, from something that I've created. And I think when you're making things that you think are beautiful and someone else reassures you that it's beautiful or they have that same reaction it's, it's there's a lot of gratification to that. So there's that part of it. And then that was, you know, maybe like a shorter term or that. That's like a grief, right, when you go through a change, like a divorce, that goes in and out and up and down, and so this was something that was a new kind of study, in addition to having you know my, my day job and the support network that I had from that to at the time.
Jen Scheffler-Johnson:But the teaching, teaching to entrepreneurship transition. I mean, shoot, I think all teachers are entrepreneurs really. So that was an easy transition, you know, I think, and I think I've always approached anything that I do, and I especially liken sales to teaching. I think maybe that's how I sell is by, by teaching people. Maybe it's teaching them something, that permission to look beautiful or permission to care about how they look or, you know, whatever it is in the fashion world of things, and so that transition has been, I think, an easier transition for me too, but definitely a long transition, right. So from teaching to entrepreneurship, that happened in waves and I think, honestly, entrepreneurship came really naturally to me because I was raised by entrepreneurs as well.
Bill Von Bank:So you mentioned the creative process really fueled you. Why did you decide to really go into the jewelry world?
Jen Scheffler-Johnson:I think I just like making things with my hands. There's such satisfaction that comes with that physical creation of something and then seeing people incorporated into their lives in whatever form it may be incorporated, and then just kind of having that community too. That's very uplifting.
Bill Von Bank:Can you reflect on the past 15 years of your business?
Jen Scheffler-Johnson:That's so many years. It just sounds like such a long amount of time.
Bill Von Bank:And has it flown by.
Jen Scheffler-Johnson:It has flown by. It has flown by for sure. There have always been challenges, right. I mean. Nothing comes easy. That's worth having. And so I think in the beginning it was just really being humble and asking people for help and asking people for time, and then people being generous and saying yes and obviously dealing with the rejection of a lot of people saying no and then making the decision to. You know, when I started Rialia by Jen, I was also involved with the small boutique. I became part owner of it. I was given that opportunity, which was amazing, and I really took that opportunity and ran with it and that was a good experience because it taught me a lot about sourcing and about, you know, the market and how people go to market and just kind of the inner workings of that side of the world of retail. And I think retail is so fascinating and it's gone through so many evolutions in these 15 years. So that's why, reflecting back over the 15 years, there's so many things that have changed, and then there are many things that remain constant too.
Jen Scheffler-Johnson:How do you?
Bill Von Bank:know what's the next big thing or best thing that's going to sell? You don't.
Jen Scheffler-Johnson:I mean you just know what you like. I mean for me. I try to make things and create things that bring me joy. I try to lean into that side of things because if I try to do what everyone else is doing, then it's already been done right. I get a lot of inspiration from my travels, from talking to people, from pragmatic things like sterling silver tarnishes when it's sitting out like just jewelry wise, and gold doesn't, and I like gold better than silver. So it's like you know, just preferences and leaning into kind of trying to streamline and figure out what you want to put in front of people and then seeing how they react and seeing what people are requesting and what their feedback is too.
Bill Von Bank:Then you've created some lines too, and one that really makes me chuckle is the bad ass jewelry line. Tell us how that started.
Jen Scheffler-Johnson:Well, I always tell people that bad ass started when I became a mom. That was my B words collection at its core. Bad assery a term I like to, I've coined and like to use really is about harnessing that inner spirit, that inner strength, and utilizing it on a daily basis, right? So I talk about people being bad ass. I mean in that term. I think when I first started using it was a little more. It would make people clutch their pearls and gasp a little, and now it's common use. I think, from an edgy perspective, there are still people that see it and are taking it back. But I think most people are like, yeah, they can get behind it. So I really want people to see that and lean into the message of self-love, the message of just really harnessing that strength that they've got inside and using it to make better life for themselves, in whatever way that means.
Bill Von Bank:In what ways do you think Rialya by Jen stands out from other jewelry brands, from other jewelry brands in the market?
Jen Scheffler-Johnson:It's a saturated market out here. Y'all, I think you know, as a former teacher, as a former English teacher especially, I really focus on my messaging and on those on the cards that you know my jewelry comes on and the way that I merchandise it and the way that I'm trying to storytell is that's the part that differentiates me. So, you know, there are sassy words and things that people can wear that are kind of mantra driven, and I think that's something that I really leaned into. The other thing is really color. Like I'm very drawn to vibrant color and so I'm never going to just do neutrals, right, I love, like the bright, bright, bright colors, the nuance have always inspired me and I don't think they're ever going to go away. They're just going to keep cycling back through, just like any good trend. Right, it's just a reincarnation of something else. But that I think those two things are probably things that would differentiate me. It'd be interesting to see what my customer base and fans have to say about the things that they're drawn to.
Jen Scheffler-Johnson:But I think it's a spirit. There's a spirit behind it too. So, like I make a line that's about self love and it has an upside down heart in it. And if you don't read the card, you may not know what it means. But the heart is upside down intentionally, and so most of the things that I design are intentional. But what that upside down heart signifies is that you've got to. You know, fill your own cup up first and love yourself the most. And it's upside down because when you're looking at it, when you're wearing it, it's right side up to you.
Bill Von Bank:Let's talk about jewelry as art, and I'm intrigued by your line of bejeweled skulls. Tell us how that gets started.
Jen Scheffler-Johnson:So that goes back to a fashion show. I was doing the the go red for women, the red dress event, and it was an event that would happen in the winter, early spring, and it would bring together designers and local celebs and each designer would make one outfit and it would go down the runway and it was raising money for for women's heart health awareness. And I had a young heart survivor. She was a young girl, probably like 10. And she was going down the runway and her designer was putting her in an outfit, a gown, that was snow white inspired, and he said, Jen, I really need something that she can carry to just help distract her and just give her a little boost of confidence and something, you know, kind of flower girl ask, but not.
Jen Scheffler-Johnson:And I said I have an idea, I want a bedazzle and apple and put her on the runway holding that apple and so she can show it and show it off and hold that and it'll be a little security for her. And so I did and it was so fun to just do that. And then I had other things sitting around my house and I was like what else could I bedazzle? And I had these antlers on my table and I was like I'm going to bedazzle these antlers, and that's where it started.
Bill Von Bank:And curious who your client base is for it. My client base is vast.
Jen Scheffler-Johnson:I have a few people who have been collecting for years in different parts of the world. It's been featured in, you know, local publications as well as international publications. I've had local sports people, some some former Vikings players purchased some pieces. I have had a numerous amount of custom projects that I've done for commercial things, so in in stores and that kind of thing around the country, and they're definitely labors of love. They take a very long time. I did a piece recently. I think it took me a month, eight months to complete it. It was a fully bedazzled bison skull with with some extra oomph around it. So they're they're labors of love, but I love making them. They are story pieces.
Bill Von Bank:Do most of your clients order online? Where do you sell out of?
Jen Scheffler-Johnson:I sell to boutiques around the country and people also order online, so I have a good mix of of kind of that wholesale customer and the the the folks that are buying at events and buying from my website directly.
Bill Von Bank:Have you thought about opening your own storefront? Yeah, definitely.
Jen Scheffler-Johnson:It's. It's something that has been discussed. I used to, you know, before COVID hit, I had a studio location in Bloomington and that definitely drew people to to us. But with COVID that that kind of had to shift and change as as we went through that time. But having a having a physical location is definitely something that I'm interested in.
Bill Von Bank:Since you mentioned the COVID pandemic, how did Rialya by Jen adapt to the changing landscape brought about by the pandemic, both in terms of operations, and I'm really intrigued by how you connect with your customers during a pandemic.
Jen Scheffler-Johnson:A lot of texting and shopping via phone calls and FaceTime and so many different ways to connect that were online and virtual. So that was, that was a big thing. And then just supporting all my stores and their virtual endeavors as well, and then downsizing appropriately, you know, just trying to make sure that I could support the people that were, you know, doing the work for the company and keeping, you know, keeping the lights on, if you will. So that was, that was a lot of it, and just I remember I'd had tables and tables in my basement full of jewelry and I would virtually like have people virtually shopping, and so it was just the way that it that it had to go for that year of time.
Bill Von Bank:As an entrepreneur, what advice would you give to anyone starting a business today?
Jen Scheffler-Johnson:something that is really key to starting a business is you have to persevere, you have to have resilience, and a no Means a yes to something else. Right, it's not just a rejection. You have to be able to be fluid and you have to be able to pivot, and it's that creative Solutioning, I think, that that gets people through if you could collaborate with anyone, who would it be? Prince I.
Bill Von Bank:Think a lot of people would say that.
Jen Scheffler-Johnson:I would make a beautiful purple collection and you still can, right, still can be inspired by Him yes, yeah, but I think just someone like that who has been able to evolve in so many ways and just kept true to his, his own character, like someone like that who is a local Hero, who would show up for you know local happenings and and could be seen out about in the community, but then also, like had just this pervasive International reach looking, ahead.
Bill Von Bank:What are your aspirations and goals for a reality by Jen in the post pandemic era?
Jen Scheffler-Johnson:I think. I mean, I think it kind of can go back to what you were saying, what you were asking me about earlier, with opening a shop, I mean, I think having that connectivity with my customers and having a place where they can, they can go, I Sustainability has become a bigger focus for me, and so even just being able to help people with repairing the jewelry of mine that they've owned for maybe 15 years, or refreshing it and Restranding it or, you know, just helping them with custom and vintage things, having a place would would be better for something like that. And that's something that gives me a lot of joy is seeing people bring in story pieces, right, I mean, I have so many different stories from over the years of people who had a woman who brought me her dad's dog takes from World War two and I made them into this beautiful necklace for her and you know. So it's things like that, where I get to hear someone's really intimate story, that just kind of fuels that fire for me.
Bill Von Bank:Do you still do a lot of custom?
Jen Scheffler-Johnson:No, I do not. It takes a lot of time and a lot of effort and a lot of energy and and kind of Streamlining and wholesaling is a different, a different thing, and so that's been where my focus has has been you do a lot For this business.
Bill Von Bank:Do you have help?
Jen Scheffler-Johnson:Yes, absolutely I have help. I have all kinds of help people that help me with the different aspects of it, from Photography to day-to-day picking and packing and shipping people who are working shows, people who are Working on delivering things for me and picking things up, and I have a full-time person who makes the pieces once they are designed. So, yeah, I have a lot of help.
Bill Von Bank:Jen Shephler Johnson. This has been a fascinating conversation. I'm so inspired by your creativity. Thank you for being our guest on the growing destinations podcast.
Jen Scheffler-Johnson:Thank you for having me.
Bill Von Bank:Thank you for tuning in to the growing destinations podcast and don't forget to subscribe. This podcast is brought to you by experience Rochester. Find out more about Rochester, minnesota, and its growing arts and culture scene, its international culinary flavors and award-winning craft beer by visiting experience Rochester, mncom.