Ep. 89 with Kayla Ness-Witte | Founder, Owner - Von T Fine Jewelry

How Motherhood Reshaped An Entrepreneur’s Vision And Sparked A Jewelry Brand

What if the most meaningful brands are built in the quiet—between nap schedules, hard choices, and a faith you can’t always see? Kayla of Von T Jewelry joins us to share how a life in diamonds, a move across states, and the loss of a daughter named Hope shaped a company rooted in legacy, not speed. From her first retail job to gemology school and years in manufacturing, she learned why craftsmanship matters and how quality outlasts every trend. Then motherhood arrived and rewrote the rules: success became service, integrity, and growth that fits inside family.

We get honest about the unsexy side of entrepreneurship—forming an LLC, taxes, bookkeeping, and deciding when to hire versus contract. Kayla shows how building an A‑team and a weekly women’s networking sisterhood turned isolation into momentum. We dig into her decision to create a demi-fine line under$100 so women can wear durable, everyday staples, and the two-year wrestle before adding permanent jewelry. That “maybe too trendy” risk unlocked deeper relationships, new engagement-ring clients, and the confidence to sign her first studio lease. It’s a masterclass in discernment: research deeply, choose premium tools, and take the smallest brave step.

You’ll also hear how she holds harmony at home and work: a 5 a.m. routine powered by Mel Robbins’ countdown, family dinners with conversation jars, and simple marriage rituals that keep connection alive. Looking ahead, her vision is clear—measured expansion, the same intimate experience, and a brand that keeps faith and family at the center.

If you’ve been debating a scary next step, this conversation will nudge you forward. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs courage today, and leave a review to help more mompreneurs find this show.

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Credits:

• Editor: Joseph Kirk
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Transcript

Welcome & Guest Nerves Melt

Kelly Kirk 0:10

Welcome everybody to Reclaiming Your Hue, where we are dedicated to empowering women to embrace and amplify their inherent brilliance. Our mission is to inspire mothers and entrepreneurs to unlock their full potential and radiate their true selves. I'm your host, Kelly Kirk, and each week my goal is to bring to you glorious guests as well as solo episodes. So let's dive in. Good morning, Kayla. Good morning.

Kayla Ness-Witte 0:38

How are you? I'm good. Are you excited? I'm excited.

How We Met Through Permanent Jewelry

Kelly Kirk 0:41

I'm a little nervous. Don't be nervous. And it's so easy for me to say that, and I'll just share a quick story and then we'll start diving in. I did my first ever podcast interview where somebody was interviewing me. I was on their podcast. And I remember I literally was shaking like getting the Zoom all set up and stuff because she's down in Arizona. And so we had to do it that way. And I remember being so nervous. I was like, oh my gosh, what am I doing? What am I saying? What if I don't get my message across right? And then I had this epiphany, like, oh, this is exactly how my guests feel when they come to visit. And you know, they haven't had um the experience, or you know, it's you know, the first time that they're really talking through that intersection of motherhood and entrepreneurship and trying to remember all of it, but nobody knows your story better than you. That's what I always like to say. So let's dive in. Okay, I would love for you to share how it is that we got connected. Sure. Would you mind?

Kayla Ness-Witte 1:44

Well, I'm really grateful to be here. We met through, I just think it's a really beautiful full circle connection. I was referred to to you, Kelly, when you were looking for somebody to do permanent jewelry, which is one side of my business, um, for your one-year celebration last June, which it feels longer than that. But when I was thinking about that on the way here, June was not that long ago. Um, and the referral came from your friend Deedra, who I met at NYZ during an event I was doing there, and I was able to craft some jewelry for her. So um, it just reminds me of one of those moments that's really how intentionally God weaves connections together. And you know, we we actually ran into each other then at another women's event, which was really fun. I know.

Jewelry As Memory And Experience

Kelly Kirk 2:30

You're like, hey, I know you, and I'm like, hey, I know you too. Oh, yeah, it's it's so fun. I just remember thinking for that anniversary event, I'm like, what do women want? Jewelry. Jewelry. And I remember talking to Deedra and going, You have some really beautiful permanent jewelry. And I think she had actually posted something on her stories a while back, and I just had like made this mental note in my head, okay, whoever Deidre used, because I love her, she's like one of my besties, and I love her style too. I'm like, mental note, whoever Deidre used, that's who I'm gonna use for my for my permanent jewelry whenever that time comes. And then just as God may have it, as I'm putting together everything for the podcast anniversary of it, I'm like, what are the really fun things that I can have in place for um these women to just step to? And the permanent jewelry came to mind and got that information from Deedra, and here we are, you know sitting down talking about your life.

Kayla Ness-Witte 3:37

And it's a really beautiful thing because jewelry, let's be honest, is a little more discretionary. It's not something that you have to have, but it is something that it makes you feel good. And and permanent jewelry was one of the things that I wasn't sure that I wanted to add to my business. Yeah. Um, but with kind of encouragement from girlfriends, I decided to add it in um uh in a really high quality fashion. Yeah. And it is something that creates a memory. So it's not just about the jewelry, it's about the moment and the memory. And that's what's really special about permanent jewelry and what creates memories for your event as well. Because those people that did get permanent jewelry that day will look back and they remember the connection of everything, which is really special.

Motherhood Before Entrepreneurship

Kelly Kirk 4:21

There's been no short of like two handfuls of times that some of the women who had been at the podcast anniversary event reached back out and they're like, Hey, can I get the information for the gal who did the permanent jewelry? I'm like, Yep, here you go. So thank you. It's it's so incredible. And I'm I'm really excited to learn more about how you got into this business. What's the what's the genesis of it for you, Kayla? And um, before we kind of go into all of that, I'd love to have the listeners know a little bit more about what came first. Was it entrepreneurship or were you a mother first? And then the entrepreneurship business came along.

Kayla Ness-Witte 5:07

Yeah, so motherhood actually came before entrepreneurship, but my foundation in jewelry, the jewelry industry was very well established. I actually started my career in jewelry when I was 18. I was very fortunate to kind of fall into the the industry and just fall in love with it. I had been building my career for a long time before I became a mom, but I've always been driven, ambitious, and very focused on creating something meaningful.

Kelly Kirk 5:32

Okay.

Kayla Ness-Witte 5:32

And I didn't officially start my company until after I became a mom. It was motherhood that really truly defined my approach to entrepreneurship.

Kelly Kirk 5:40

Oh, I love that. Okay. Tell me more about what that means to you.

Kayla Ness-Witte 5:44

Well, I I think motherhood really has reshaped why I do what I do, how I show up for my company, my work, and what success really means to me as not an entrepreneur, but as a mom too, because they do blend together.

Kelly Kirk 6:02

For sure. I think there are so many. I mean, you're the technically the 89th guest that I've had on here. So, you know, call it between 85, 89 different occasions where I'm sitting here across from a woman and going, there's so many parallels. There are so many parallels between becoming a mom and having a business. And so many takeaways that you can have from being a mom to implement into the business, and vice versa. Truly, truly, truly. I mean, you're you're dealing with people, right? Different personalities. Sometimes our children can have their own different personalities that come about depending on seasons of life. And navigating through that is really interesting. It sure is. Okay, so how many kiddos do you have?

Boys, Bonding, And Golden Years

Kayla Ness-Witte 7:03

I have two. I have two boys. Two? Two boys. They are very different from one another. I sometimes wonder how did you come from the same mom and dad and you're in the same raised in the same home. Right, right, right, right. Okay, so how old are the boys? My oldest is 12. 12. And my youngest will be 10 in a couple weeks.

Kelly Kirk 7:22

Oh, so your your boys are about the same age as my two bonus boys as well. So that's really neat. And yes, to your point, those two boys that we have are incredibly different in how they approach circumstances, how they handle tough times, the activities that they do, but they're also like two peas and a pod. I don't know about your boys, but like two peas and a pod together.

Kayla Ness-Witte 7:50

Just so the other day, I sent my picture to my husband. He was gone hunting, and it was our boys sitting on the same chair, cuddled together, playing a video game. It's so good. And I sent him a picture and I was like, what they were just fighting an hour ago, but here they are, you know, two peas and a pod, and they do love each other.

Kelly Kirk 8:08

Oh, I know. It's just so incredible. And I'm not sure if you and your husband have these moments where you're like, some of this stuff is we're gonna look back and go, oh, that those were the golden years. Oh yeah. Oh my gosh. So incredible to just see those interactions and stuff and have those tender moments too, where you're either witnessing the tender moments or it's literally happening in real time for you, like whether it's a hug or a kiss or some snuggles. Oh yeah. My gosh. I we're kind of in an interesting phase with our almost three-year-old right now. We have gone this long without any major hiccups, like speed bumps. She has always slept well, she always has like fed well, eats well, pretty good demeanor, and now all of a sudden she watches a movie that she has watched before and is scared from one scene from that movie. It's Sleeping Beauty, Maleficent's Castle. And she keeps like waking up in the middle of the night, and while disruptive, I go, hold on a second. Having these snuggles with her, I didn't get to like she never slept in the bed with us. And so I like that was not how we approached. Like she was in her, um, why can't I? I can't even think. Like, if feels like it was so long ago. Her bassinet. She was in our room for only a few weeks, and then we transitioned her into her room. And we never got those like little snuggles. And so now that we are getting the snuggles, I'm like, this is amazing. Yeah. And I like literally want to get more sleep because I'm so used to having more sleep. But then we go, these are the golden years.

From Minnesota To Coasts And Back

Kayla Ness-Witte 10:13

And it's a season. It is. And it's fleeting. And that's what I tell my husband too. Um, when my younger son wants me to lay with him. I'm like, they're it's gonna turn off like a light switch, and they're not gonna need that cuddle or want that cuddle anymore. And those are the really special moments that I try to slow down as a mom, yes, and business person who has a million things on her list every day to do. Um, slow down and really taking that moment. And it's not easy, it's not always easy for me to for me to do, but I try to remember those things because they are really special.

Kelly Kirk 10:45

Have you ever seen on social? I think there's maybe a video or two that's circling around about you just never know when you're gonna have that like last moment. The last moment where they like want to sit down and watch a movie with you and snuggle, or they're like they're having a moment and they want you to come and just rest with them in bed. You just never know when some of those last moments are gonna be.

Kayla Ness-Witte 11:17

It is so I believe it's about that like 12. My older son's kind of that way, you know, doesn't need me as much in those in those moments, which is okay, right? But it goes so fast.

Kelly Kirk 11:29

Yeah, like something about going into or I almost spilt my coffee, my tea, preparing for middle school. Yeah, right. They're in preparation for middle school, and then once they get into middle school, it's like things just shift and change. And to your point about seasons, right? You have these different seasons that you go through with your children, and also how you manage through those seasons in your business, and then seasons that you're going through in your business while also creating margin and space for your children too.

Kayla Ness-Witte 12:06

Yes, right. And feeling like you're not dropping the ball anywhere or let anybody down, my customers, my family, my husband. It's it's not always easy.

Kelly Kirk 12:17

It isn't. We're gonna go deeper into that. However, I'm gonna put a pin in that and I want to bring the listeners up to speed to how Vonti Fine Jewelry came into fruition.

Kayla Ness-Witte 12:30

And where how old were the boys when that started? Sure. So I actually decided to start my company when my youngest was three months old. Woo! You know, nothing like we moved across the country.

Kelly Kirk 12:45

So are you not originally from the Twin Cities?

Quality Over Trends In Jewelry

Kayla Ness-Witte 12:47

So we actually are uh I grew up in the Alexandria area. Okay. So western Minnesota. Um, I've kind of lived everywhere. I lived in New York, I was a nanny out there for a while. I um and then I moved to California and I went to gemology school there. So I'm a gemologist. I studied diamonds and gemstones in my early 20s. Okay. Um, and then I've always come back to Minnesota. You know, there's something about the seasons in Minnesota and just being close to family and and all those things. I've always been drawn back here and I met my husband here. Um, and I worked in retail jewelry here in the metro area for several different jewelers. And then uh my husband was asked to transfer to Texas for his job. Okay. So we decided to move there and I worked in uh jewelry manufacturing, which I loved. We manufactured bridal jewelry, I did inside sales for them, and then I was a trainer that would train um like the store staff to sell our product. And after my second was born in Texas, we decided we did want to be back closer to family. So we moved back to Minnesota. Um moved across the country, U-Haul, everything back. And I was visiting with some girlfriends um one night having a glass of wine, and I knew that the company I worked for in Minnesota would would would take me back if I wanted to go back into that space. But my girlfriends really encouraged me to start my own company. And so it's sitting there over that glass of wine that um Vonti Fine Jewelry was born. And you know, I look back on it and I'm not a risk taker at all. And um, I had been doing what I would call concierge jewelry for friends and family while I worked in manufacturing. So I would kind of connect people or I would make the ring in Texas, and then I would source the diamond and bring it in. And um, they're like, you're already doing this. You are, but you're you're not doing it as your own business, so you're not making any money. They're like, why don't you start a concierge fine jewelry business? Yeah. And that's how I was born.

Kelly Kirk 14:50

This is fascinating to me. It's so fascinating. Okay, so how did you was there something that happened in like childhood or when you were graduating that like drew you to this jewelry space?

Kayla Ness-Witte 15:09

I always enjoyed fashion. Okay. Fashion is what I thought I would go into. Um I when I was a nanny in New York, I started college out there and in fashion. And not design, but just more like the management side of things. Sure. And uh then September 11th happened. And my family, I was 18, and they're like, you know, you're coming, you're coming back to Minnesota. You know, it was a very scary world at that moment. And um, so then when I moved back, I was like, okay, well, what am I gonna do now? And I I started college here in um just business. I started a technical college in business and marketing, and I worked in clothing, a retail clothing store, vanity. You might remember, you might be too young.

Kelly Kirk 15:55

I am not too young for the vanity season. No, I loved vanity.

Kayla Ness-Witte 16:02

So that's kind of where I worked there in high school. And then when I moved back from the East Coast, I worked there again in the Alexandria mall. And I've always been a hard worker and I've always had more than one job, even when I was a teenager. So there was a help-wanted sign in the jewelry store in the mall. And I'm like, I'm just gonna pop in there and see if they, you know, yeah, see if I would be a good fit for them. And so that's kind of how I fell into it. I was just on a on a bathroom break from vanity and saw the help wanted sign in the jewelry. I love it.

Kelly Kirk 16:34

I'm like, um, did you watch like Jurassic Park and start like having this like obsession with um, you know, like paleontology and like dusting off things, and then all of a sudden you're like, oh, maybe no, not really.

Kayla Ness-Witte 16:48

Like I literally fell into it.

Kelly Kirk 16:50

Help wanted. Help on, help wanted.

Kayla Ness-Witte 16:53

I love this. Oh my gosh. And you know, it's from working there that I truly became passionate about learning more about like how diamonds are created in our earth and different gemstones. And then I actually discovered that hey, there's a there's a school for this, there's a trade school to study gemology and diamonds and gemstones, and um, it's in California. I'm 19 years old. How cool would that be to you know move to Southern California?

Starting A Business: Ops And Legal

Kelly Kirk 17:21

Uh and and that's how I did it, and that's how everything really began. I I love this. I would love to know. So you have this time period in New York, you have this time period in California. How do you feel like those two different coast locations formed how you approach business? I'm sure that there like there has gotta be because the Midwest is incredible. I understand why you wanted to come back. And also probably a couple years behind the times when it comes to each respective coast. Yes, right? Yes. And you know, arguably like New York is like outside of Paris, right? The leading charge in most of like fashion and all of that stuff. And so while yes, you were young, 18, spending some time out there, are there things that you can recollect perhaps that you were like, I remember what it was like being in New York, and I remember what it was like being in California, and the difference between the uh geographical locations and then here in the Midwest. Yeah, too.

Kayla Ness-Witte 18:45

And you are right, it's very, very different. Southern California to New York is very different. Um, California is obviously very relaxed, you know. The the style of things is going to be different there. Um, I worked at Barney's New York when I was going to school out there. I worked in the men's suit department. I oh my gosh, my my family isn't financially able to send me to college. So I had to pay for everything on my own, which I appreciate. I think it's made me who I am as well. Um, so I had to have a job while I was going to school. So gemology school was eight to three, and then I would go go to work. My friends would go to the beach and and you know, just that experience of fine quality products. Yeah. Um, even though that was clothing, just recognizing how when you buy something that is made better, manufactured better in quality, it is something that you're going to have forever. And I think we do see that more in New York. You know, they are more of the, they want the fine quality, the nice things. Um, I'm very much quality over quantity. Even when I sell products today, I'm I'm a very classic jeweler. I like to sell very classic pieces. Um I I don't, I mean, I will sell something trendy, but I will say the majority of the things that I sell or stock or craft are very classic and timeless, and they're going to change through your wardrobe and your and your seasons. So that that is very important to me. Minnesota is for sure behind on trends. You know, I would say probably by almost a year when it comes to even when we talk about um metal colors, you know, yellow gold versus white gold versus platinum. Um, we're very behind on what is trending throughout the United States. Last year, throughout the United States, it was mixing metals. I didn't see that a whole lot. So I kind of see that happening probably this year, mixing their metals and their jewelry and things like that. So interesting. But it's it's very interesting how the trends, how long it takes the trends to get to the Midwest. And but but to your question about that is just having a quality product. And I've always prided myself on that with my company, is I am not going to offer something that's just trendy, yeah, that everybody else has. I want to offer something that you are gonna have and wear forever. That's important to me.

Kelly Kirk 21:06

A woman after my heart. Seriously. While I appreciate having some of the trendier pieces, I find myself like these pants are probably the trendiest pants that I've ever had in my entire life. Otherwise, I will typically veer more on the traditional side, also trying to piece in levels of sophistication, right? And jewelry is certainly one of the ways to be able to do that. So Joe, if you're listening right now, maybe check out Kayla's website.

Kayla Ness-Witte 21:46

Oh, I love it. And it is fun to have trendy jewelry pieces as well. So don't, you know, don't mistake what I say there. But I think when you're gonna put your dollars into jewelry in the more expensive things, you know, like an engagement. ring or your wedding band. You want you want quality, quality pieces. Um and and we'll maybe get into this later, but that's why I crafted the line that I crafted as well before even permanent jewelry was I wanted classic things that weren't really expensive, but people could afford to kind of interweave them into their um to their jewelry wardrobe, I call it.

Building An A‑Team And Support System

Kelly Kirk 22:22

So when did you officially like what year was it when you officially launched Von T Fine Jewelry? So I started my company in 2016. 2016, okay. And you had been doing a lot of um let's call it like a little one-off um opportunities. Somebody would come to you knowing that you've got this immense amount of knowledge in gemology and just jewelry in general. So you were doing a lot of the stuff hence the reason your friends were like what are you doing? Why don't you just do something on your own? I am I'm curious when you started it what were some of the surprises that you had in starting the business and what were some of the moments where you're like this is exactly what I need to be doing?

Kayla Ness-Witte 23:19

Yeah. Uh well when I started my company I had already been in the industry for 15 years. So I had a lot of really great connections and people I had met along the way. So the actual excuse me product sourcing or connections that was really the easy part. The the hardest part was honestly the the actual business side the the LLC like how do we make sure we do everything legally how are we working on sales tax? Am I going to have employees? Are they going to be W-2? You know the that was the more challenging side of business um because that's to me not the fun not the fun stuff is the fun stuff is working with the clients and getting to know them and building incredible jewelry for them that that's fun. That's what I love to that's what I love to do.

Sisterhood And The Power Of Community

Kelly Kirk 24:12

So as business owners though we know that we've got it where where there's one we've got to have the other and I I am literally right next to you agreeing with you in the respect of like the kind of fourth thought of all right I'm starting my business will I end up having an employee or employees what is that going to look like having the conversations with um accountants and pouring some of that time and energy which feels like it's a waste of time. Yeah but actually is so important with like having a good accountant maybe a bookkeeper at the strategy that they have in place you know saving you on your tax dollars etc etc etc right I mean it's so important and guess what I don't know if I've ever actually gone this route in conversation about the business side of things. Like I've taught I've talked at Ignasium about business scaling sales etc but there is also this important important with the capital Istric yes important part of operating a business.

Kayla Ness-Witte 25:36

And the operation side like you just said it takes a lot of time and you and you're not making money while you're doing that. Right. Right? And matter of fact you're spending money. You're spending money so that's that's the hardest thing is like making sure you're doing everything right and you know the first thing I did was I hired an attorney to help me like drop the papers from my LLC. I said I don't want to do this wrong. I want to make sure that I that I'm doing it right and that I'm filing my business correct. So that was like the first step. You know and I did have a woman in my studio maybe a year ago and she started asking me about business. She goes so did you know how to do everything when you started your business and I looked I said no way I said I said I think it's almost virtually impossible even if you go to business school yeah to know everything you need to know before you start your business.

Faith As Foundation And Naming Von T

Kelly Kirk 26:25

Well think about it there's so many different I mean business is business right and you've got sort of your core pillars of what operating a business looks like and then depending on how your business operates can can veer you in a different direction on how you strategize everything with operations side of it. Like us with our real estate business is gonna look different than what it how you are operating with your business. Right. Vice versa I mean one of those core pillars of running a business is when the business starts to grow and scale then you go do we hire? Yes yes or do we contract out because hiring on somebody and W-2ing them brings on a whole different can of worms benefits 401k et cetera et cetera unemployment insurance unemployment payroll tax pay payroll like yes and if you're if you're if you have started your business because you are incredibly good at your craft and also perhaps sales right some of that stuff is going to feel so foreign and this is why it's so important to find your A team.

Kayla Ness-Witte 27:58

Yes as well yes you're right because that is true that that is foreign to me it's not something I enjoy doing it's not something I like doing I I joke that I hired hired excuse me my husband to be the CFO so he could like work on my accounting because I don't like it. Yep and I want to be creating and connecting with customers and all of those things before I sit behind a computer and look at numbers. I know I mean it's important it is an important side of business of course that's why I've grown to where I am but it's um I like the fun I like the fun things.

Kelly Kirk 28:32

I know I'm with you I'm totally with you I remember at one point and this just happened within the past year. So I I joined forces with Joe back in 2024 right and mainly on the operation side but not in like the finances. So I'm talking like the systems the operations the procedures of how to up like get the business going minus the finances and Joe is literally like I've got this I'm gonna handle it. I've been handling it for seven almost eight years and then all of a sudden it just got to a point because now he has somebody else in the business it's a family member and he I just remember at one point he's like I I feel like I'm tinkering like I'm spending more time doing this than what my job is which is being the lead agent getting out and getting business in the door and there is this like fine line where again to my point of you reach a certain threshold where you have to go I can't do this on my own anymore. And somebody else needs to come in and when we hired a bookkeeper things changed dramatically yes we were spending money and it is kind of scary.

Kayla Ness-Witte 29:59

It is scary right like you have to have faith I always say that you have to have faith in what you can't see. Yes and that faith God is going to lay the path for you to move forward. So you're spending that money to hire somebody and in turn you pray that you'll be blessed to continue to move forward.

Kelly Kirk 30:18

And interestingly enough um because we did we did some research right it wasn't like we have integral people in our life that we know like and trust as silly as that sounds it's very cliche but like because we have known them for immense amount of time we trust the people that they're gonna connect us with and so it's important to do your due diligence. You know if I'm gonna speak broadly to the listeners right now it's so important to do your due diligence going back to that a team what I'm talking about and what Kayla and I are are jabbing back and forth about about is your A team is an attorney your A team is a bookkeeper. Your A team is an accountant your A team is your financial advisor also like who are you gonna surround yourself with which is a nice little segue into what does that look like for you switching gears.

Loss, Hope, And Returning Home

Kayla Ness-Witte 31:28

My my husband my kids are very important to me we spend a lot of time together um my kids are in sports you know so we spend a lot of time at the hockey rank we spend a lot of time at the baseball diamond um there isn't always a lot of time for other people yeah and I and I mean that in the kindest way um my family that I grew up with they're very important to me they're very supportive I wouldn't be where I am today if I didn't have the support of my parents and the encouragement to kind of just let me leave and spread my wings. I mean I moved to the East Coast after like October after I graduated high school they didn't think about stopping me. They're just you know so the fact that they encourage me to kind of always try things and move forward. And so they're my biggest cheerleaders I have a I have a big family. And then I have a great group of women I'm part of a women's networking group and they really are my extension of my business and supporters and I will say that um we it's become more of like a sisterhood than a business group and that has been really um invaluable to have to have that that group of women would you mind sharing what the name of that group is um so the group is called Women Women Networking. Okay and um we meet once a week in Rogers that's actually where my studio is as well and um sometimes we have guest speakers come in and visit you know we had an attorney in yesterday that was talking about estate planning all those things you yeah we were just talking about in business that um you don't always have at the forefront of your mind but that are very important on the backside as well.

Kelly Kirk 33:07

So I'm writing down sisterhood and circling it because that is so cool. I feel that I'm in this season of life right now where I personally don't feel like I have a lot of margin to add more. Yes like I'm meeting so many people right and I'm sure you feel this too like you're meeting so many people because you do a fantastic job of marketing your business. Thank you you're at um different little pop up things you go to fairs and stuff like I don't know if that's actually the right word for it but you get where I'm going with this like and the the amount of people that you're meeting it's like holy cats and dogs but understanding there's always going to be seasons of life there always is season and that I feel like what you're saying about the season in life right now that you're in that's where I'm at yeah you know where there's not a lot of energy to have I don't know how to say this.

Kayla Ness-Witte 34:13

I don't want to sound I don't want to sound just say it. But have really deep girlfriends you know and and that's sad. Like I want that I definitely want that and I do have good girlfriends. Yeah I'm very much I'm very private. I'm very private about my business I'm very private about my life I am the type of person where I would rather have a couple really good friends than lots of friends that are just surface level. Yes. So I don't go deep into a lot of things with just anybody you know about my struggles and trials and and that I it really takes a lot to kind of get get in and like share really personal private stuff yeah with people.

Kelly Kirk 34:50

The fact that you're on a podcast right now and talking is pretty incredible. So hats off to you because we are going to dive a little bit deeper um not too deep like that you're not gonna feel like comfortable right but um but I do think that there are really beautiful things that happen in sharing those vulnerable moments so that other people who are listening this community can go I feel that in my bones. And I love how Kayla worked through that and I love how she approached that circumstance so that I have more tools in my tool belt.

Kayla Ness-Witte 35:34

Yeah right well and I don't know if you've ever felt this way Kelly but it can be lonely being a business owner can can be very very very lonely. Oh yeah. So this women's group that I'm part of and we kind of will talk about maybe things that we're going through in in business and in life too people will share personal things it makes you feel not so alone you know and if you're struggling in your business in some capacity or having a slow month or whatever it might be it makes you feel like okay this is just a season.

Risk, Trends, And Permanent Jewelry

Kelly Kirk 36:07

I'm gonna keep I'm gonna put one foot in front of the other I'm gonna keep being who I am I'm gonna be very authentic and if I am if I put myself out there in true character customers will come oh I love this going back to a a that drop of information that you shared you mentioned faith and just trusting in something that you can't believe like see right you you believe in something you can't see you trust in something you can't see I am curious what has faith looked like through you through all of what you have done with your business and and motherhood as as well I think it's exactly that when you're a Christian and a believer you have to you have to have faith we cannot see God.

Kayla Ness-Witte 36:59

We have to believe that he is working in our lives um can I share with you how I actually uh named my company that oh yeah okay of course faith is kind of woven into it okay um so um I actually have a note about this so faith is really the foundation of everything that I do I try to operate from a place of trust rather than than fear I trust that God is guiding my steps and that I don't have to do everything perfectly because I've made many mistakes I'm sure I've harmed friendships and um but really trying to be obedient more than more than the outcome of things. When I started my company in 2016 I was in constant prayer and talk with God that I wanted my business to grow in his time. That was my prayer almost daily I operated my business 100% on referrals I had little kids at home I had a three month old baby I I didn't have a store or storefront I should say um so I was never in a rush to grow fast my focus was always building very organically through through those referrals and through those connections and just being authentic to who I am I did not want to focus on rapid expansion I wanted to focus on being intentional and align with my faith and the season of life that I was in a mom. Okay yeah I had a baby and a two and a two and a half year old yeah so so I don't know if I'm really answering your question because I kind of went off three envelope it does it it absolutely does and um and then so how did you get to the name of so your business I we actually were pregnant with a baby girl in between our boys and um unfortunately we lost her in utero and we named her hope. Okay. Hope that you know God is there for us and that we will be able to have more children in the future and um that in through all those hard seasons of life that let's be honest aren't really talked about very much as I was laying on my bathroom floor having a miscarriage in pain and crying and telling my husband don't let our one and a half year old come in here and see me like this. I knew that when I was sitting with my girlfriends coming up with my company and I was like what am I gonna what am I gonna name it? I don't want it to be Kayla's jewelry. You know there's already a K jeweler's like I didn't want it Kayla's jewelry and I didn't really want my my personal name in the business. So our children's names are deeply woven into the story of my business name. So like I said we named our um daughter Hope after walking through that loss um the name became a reflection of God's faithfulness and restoration in our lives our both of our boys start with the letter T. And when I was naming my company um that initially naturally like became part of it. Like I want to leave a legacy for my family. I didn't want you know their names to be in it but I wanted I wanted it to be very intentional. So Von T isn't just a business name it's it's personal it reflects my family my story seasons in my life that really have shaped who I am Vaughn actually is German. I have a little bit of German in me but I don't speak it but interesting when we were when we were sitting there talking we wanted like what what's kind of classy like elevated I don't want people think I'm just like selling tchotchky junky jewelry you know I wanted it to be classy. So Vaughn translates from German from or of and biblically that represents to me where everything comes from our hope our healing our purpose this is this is for something from God. We when we put it all together Vonti represents work that is created from faith from hope um from naming our daughter hope from the story of our family and it's just a constant reminder um that my business is built for something much deeper than jewelry like it's really not about jewelry.

From Pop‑Ups To A Studio

Kelly Kirk 41:02

You know it's like I said it's jewelry can be a really trivial thing you know but it's about the relationships it's about the meaning I I get to craft like engagement rings you know it's like such a special thing and I get to tell people stories yeah through jewelry whether it's fine jewelry or whether it's demi fine jewelry and like that the the fact that people choose me to be part of that is really special it's a it's a long enough pause that I'm not gonna I will not edit this out because it's so impactful Kayla and that a lot of different ways I could go right now. Would you say that that moment as you were going through the miscarriage was one of your darkest moments?

Kayla Ness-Witte 41:55

Oh 100% 100% you know you you question everything you've done. Did I eat something that was wrong? Should I have not did I have a drink of alcohol before I knew I was pregnant did I should I have taken all the medicine the doctor told me to take you know all the things you you you start to I I think it's only natural to blame yourself. You know you have this little baby growing in you and the second the doctor told me that there was no heartbreat I was broken. You know it was a baby that we had planned for we actually did not know it was a girl at the time we did genetic testing after her death um so then we found out that it was a girl that was very important to me to know that we have a baby girl in heaven that we'll see one day again. But that was that that was a you know one of the moments too that we were in Texas that made me realize that you know family is more important than living hundreds of thousands of miles away and not having my mom and sisters to to hug and like tell me that it's going to be okay and you know that we'll move that we'll move forward and you know that God will bless us with another healthy baby again. Because at that moment you it's scary and it's painful.

Kelly Kirk 43:05

What an opportune moment though to to understand that very essence of faith. Yeah oh yeah and going it's through those through those dark valleys what comes out of it is hope right yeah you can't not have the valleys without the peaks and you can't have the peaks without the valleys it's just life. It is life and something that I have learned in all of the conversations that I've had is the more we understand that not necessarily life becomes easier it just becomes A little bit more manageable.

Kayla Ness-Witte 44:01

Yeah.

Kelly Kirk 44:02

To go this really part of part of me saying the shitty time that I'm going through right now isn't gonna last forever.

Kayla Ness-Witte 44:12

And it's not gonna define who I am as a person.

Kelly Kirk 44:17

Right.

Kayla Ness-Witte 44:17

And our family planning was always to have two children, you know, and without experiencing that deep, deep loss, we would not have our second son.

Kelly Kirk 44:28

Right.

Kayla Ness-Witte 44:29

You know, so trying to encompass the beauty of it all. And it was a very it was a very hard season. And being so far away from close family was was hard.

Kelly Kirk 44:42

And so that was what year was that?

Kayla Ness-Witte 44:45

That was um, let's see, that was 2015.

Kelly Kirk 44:50

Okay.

Kayla Ness-Witte 44:50

Yep. Okay, and then it was shortly after that that you moved to Minnesota. Yep. So we uh let's see, we lost hope February 12th, 2015, and then we got pregnant with Teddy at the end of May, and then we had him February 2016, and then we moved back to Minnesota July of 16. I'm so proud of that.

Growth With Discernment And Vision

Kelly Kirk 45:11

There's a timeline. I'm so proud of you. Seriously. There's when something like that happens, I have to imagine that there's I don't have to imagine, I know this to be true that there's a grieving period that happens. And again, to peace and the faith to understand that something something else can come from this and for you and your husband to have those moments of grief, but then go now, now let's try again, yeah, is really brave.

Kayla Ness-Witte 45:48

And that was the scariest thing to to try again to get pregnant. That was a very scary path to walk down. Yeah. Because I never wanted to go through that again. It it's a very lonely, it's a very lonely place, and it's something that, you know, I do think more and more women are talking about it, but it's not something that is talked about often. And then here we are, thousands of miles away from family. Yeah. Um, I was at the end of my first trimester. A lot of people didn't even know that I was expecting yet. So you have that aspect of it where, well, just you know, people's thoughts are just move forward, you know, and you you know, at least she wasn't full term and all the things. Um, yeah, but it's still a deep loss, you know, and and moving into that next stage of okay, should we try again for a second baby was was very scary. And we had to continue to have faith that that our next baby was going to be healthy and we would complete our family.

Kelly Kirk 46:52

And to think all of this is woven in the name of your business, and that is just so special, and I love too that you are considering that legacy piece of it too. It's just yeah, I love it. Thank you for sharing that because that was deeply vulnerable and very beautiful at the same time.

Kayla Ness-Witte 47:15

Thank you as well. And I think it's it is it is a hard thing to share and talk about. And and people will ask me, like, oh, is Vaughn your last name? You know, but it is I I do like to share how we came up with the name because it is it is important and it is it wasn't just something I opened a book and pointed to a word, you know, it was a lot of thought put into um that legacy that I want that I want to create. You know, maybe my kids won't want to be jewelers, but and that's okay. But it's okay, right leaving, leaving an impression on, you know, even even the customers and the people that I have the honor of serving.

Values, Family, And Intentional Time

Kelly Kirk 47:51

You just never know, right? You never know what is gonna come down the line. And and it could be one of the boys, right? It could be. They you may be just making the the most beautiful impression on them, no matter what, right? I think that there is something so beautiful about being in an entrepreneurial space and showing our children there's a different path, right? The I don't know about you, but when I was graduating from high school, I wouldn't have ever thought about entrepreneurship.

Kayla Ness-Witte 48:27

Oh, it wasn't even on my it wasn't on on my radar at all. Honestly, I didn't I didn't graduate thinking, I'm gonna own my own business one day. Yeah. My father owned his own business. There actually, I have three siblings. We're all entrepreneurs, we all own our own businesses. So it's really interesting how life has transpired, but it was it was never on my radar.

Kelly Kirk 48:46

Yeah. I mean, it was graduation, go to college, find that corporate position, and you go from there.

Kayla Ness-Witte 48:54

Yeah.

Harmony: Surrender In Business And Motherhood

Kelly Kirk 48:55

And I think about even up until my early 30s, I still had this, this is the only way. This is the only way. This is the only way. Interestingly enough, as I was, I had uh probably five-year stint. I don't know if that's the right way to put it, but five-year tenure working in property management on the sales and marketing side. And I started to have these little prompts to go into real estate. And I started reading a book about real estate until I was like, that's too risky for me. That's too risky. So when you mentioned you're not much of a risk taker, girlfriend, I feel like it's interesting now that I'm in this world of entrepreneurship and have been since call it 2018, 2017, 2017, 2017. I find myself more prompted to take risks. And it's not like full-fledged diving into the deep end by any stretch of the imagination, but it's like I'm actually willing to dip my toe into what that opportunity might look like.

Kayla Ness-Witte 50:23

Well, you've had success along the way, right? So you've learned that your hard work has paid off. And that's that's me as well, you know, as I grow and like take the little risks to do new things, you know, like adding permanent jewelry to my company. Yeah. I mean, that was a big, that was a big investment, a big risk. Yeah. It turned out to be really great. I would have never met you. We won't be sitting here today if I didn't add permanent jewelry. So the people and the relationships that I've created through that part of my business has been incredible. And it took me actually two years to decide to do permanent jewelry. So it's okay. I like took my time, you know. I was like, it's a risk. I don't know, like it's trendy. Um, so taking being able to trust yourself and and taking those risks.

Kelly Kirk 51:06

How long has permanent jewelry been like a thing?

Kayla Ness-Witte 51:10

Yeah. Yeah. Um, in the Midwest, I would say probably about four years. Yeah. Um, I've been doing it for two years. And then, like I said, I was thinking about it for two years before that, but I don't I don't know when I first started thinking about it that it really was even here yet in Minnesota. So maybe three years. Okay. Three to four years has probably been around. It was really like I discovered it in Nashville and then I sat on the on the coast. Like you were talking about earlier. You know, everything takes time to get here. Um, and yeah, so probably about I would say about four years. It's probably been been around. And I'm a researcher. So I'm, you know, I started to research like what equipment do I need? I'm gonna invest in the best equipment, what product do I want to carry, all the things. Yeah. And um, it took it took time until my girlfriend's like gently pushed me over the edge.

Discipline, 5 A.M. Club, And Routines

Kelly Kirk 51:56

Just like, just do it. Just do it, just take the risk. So I did have, when I met you almost a year ago, I had this impression, and this just goes to show like there's so much more depth to everybody's businesses. I did have this assumption, even as you were like getting everything set up for the event, too. I was like, oh, it's just she does permanent jewelry. Like that's what I and then I think I started following you um probably a month or at least a couple, probably after you and I started like having our communication. I started following you, and I was like, oh, she's got more stuff. And you you were setting everything up, and there was, I think my sister-in-law was like, I was talking to um the gal with Von Tee Fine Jewelry, and she does like rings and stuff, and then I saw the rings, and I'm like, oh cool. So I bring all of this up because I want to have you explain when Von T started 2016, how did it, how did it get revving forward? And then what what were the layers that you started to add on? And I want to talk too. I mean, because I'm I'm just curious, and I'm sure that the listeners are curious too, like, what does the what does the structure of that look like as well?

Kayla Ness-Witte 53:24

So when I started my company, the whole idea behind this at that time I called it more concierge, fine jewelry. I wanted to create this intimate space for my clients to shop for engagement rings, wedding bands, diamond earrings, whatever it was they were looking for.

Kelly Kirk 53:42

Yeah.

Kayla Ness-Witte 53:42

Um, I wanted to create this like safe space where you don't have to walk into a big jewelry store. It's very intimidating. I mean, I've helped plenty of young gentlemen that have walked into the big jewelry stores that I worked at, and they are like deer and headlights.

Kelly Kirk 53:58

Yeah.

Kayla Ness-Witte 53:58

They think all the salespeople are gonna pounce on them, and everybody works on commission. And that's not how it is that every store, every store isn't commissioned. But that's the feeling and the impression I think people get when they walk into a fine jewelry store. And so I wanted to do the opposite. I wanted to create this space where I could educate my clients on what they're buying. And at the end of the day, if they decide not to purchase from me, that's okay. They weren't meant to be your client, and vice versa.

Kelly Kirk 54:27

It you know, like it's that's there's something else coming down the road.

Kayla Ness-Witte 54:31

Yes, exactly. So again, back to that, having the faith that everything happens for a reason. So I really wanted to create this space of um like it's just a safe space where people could ask questions and not feel like it's a dumb question. Right. You know, most 20-something men that are buying diamonds have never bought a diamond in their life. So, like, or know what kind of diamonds, like the cuts of diamonds and stuff. That's probably one of my biggest passions is actually educating the customer on the product, you know, and and talking about, let's just talk about engage rings, talking about the the quality of the diamond, the cut of the diamond, you know, how how we can put their money in certain areas of the quality of the stone to you know make the most off of it. Like that, I I'm deeply passionate about educating my customers. Like that is the number one thing, and just the quality and craftsmanship. Being I had worked in manufacturing, I have so much knowledge in that space as well. Not every piece of jewelry is crafted equally, and when it's cheaper, it's cheaper. Yeah, for a reason, you know. So that's like I just love educating my customers on that. So that was, let's see, I really operated my business like that, in like I said, referrals until about in 2023. I decided that I wanted to create my own collection. Um, either craft it and um um, you know, I buy from suppliers as well. So I don't craft everything in my collection, but but between the two, craft and hand finishing thing, I wanted to create a collection that was a little bit lower price point that women could buy for themselves. Like that was really my goal in 2023. Like I want to put together a collection of demi-fine jewelry. Demi-fine would be uh sterling silver, 14 karat gold filled, things that are not solid gold, but actually still wear very nicely. You can swim in them, you can sleep in them, you can shower in them, work out in them. Um, I wanted to create that collection that women could just buy for themselves with discretionary income. Everything's under $100. Yeah. It's it's really great quality. That was something I was really passionate about. So 2023, I created that collection. And then at the end of 23 was when I added the permanent jewelry.

Kelly Kirk 56:44

Okay.

Kayla Ness-Witte 56:45

So um it kind of it kind of evolved. I was already buying all the materials to make my collection. So I had the chains and things like that. And my girlfriend's like, why don't you just do permanent jewelry? But here's the thing back to your point about you didn't know I did the other stuff. Right. I didn't want to be known as the permanent jewelry girl. And I know that maybe sounds bad, snooty. I I'm not sure. I I because I have this deep passion and all this experience and knowledge in the fine jewelry space, I didn't want to be known just for that.

Marriage Rituals And Connection

Kelly Kirk 57:18

Well, yeah, I I get where you're going with this. It would almost feel like it's diminishing the, you know, from the point of starting your business in 2016, the 15 plus years of knowledge, deep knowledge, deep expertise that you had continued to build for yourself. And it you weren't sure, like, is this something that's gonna be fleeting?

Kayla Ness-Witte 57:43

That's exactly why it took me two years to make the decision. I was like, is this a trend? Is it um is it gonna be done in six months? And yes, I did not want to water down my brand with a trendy thing.

Kelly Kirk 57:59

It just we hit the nail on the head. It just goes to show too. I am starting to really get a better understanding of who you are as a person, too. Um, you obviously you value quality, right? And so at on the same token, when you piece in quality and you piece in that traditional piece and the sophistication component, I get it. Yeah, I get it. I 1000% understand that. That's cool. Yeah, it's but here we are, and the reason that we are even having this conversation right now is because of it that.

Ten Years In Business And What’s Next

Kayla Ness-Witte 58:41

And I have met so many incredible people through do per doing permanent jewelry. So I kind of put my foot in my mouth when I say that because it has permanent jewelry, it has been an incredible blessing to my company. Love that. I have met so many clients who now have purchased their engagement rings from me, and that's so fun. And they're like, oh, Kayla's my jeweler, and like I love that. You know, it's like building that relationship from that $60 piece that I put on them at maybe, you know, James J. Hildays, you know. Um, so it's it's interesting how you don't always plan for those pieces of your business, but it got me to where I am right now. If I wouldn't have done permanent jewelry and taken that risk, I probably wouldn't have my studio that I operate out of now. Um because it was a risk, you know, paying rent somewhere, committing, signing a lease. Like that is that was scary for me. And I had always operated by going to my clients, true concierge. I would go to my clients, you know, and that's why I worked referral because I knew them and I felt safe. Um, and I would take the product to them and sell it, you know, and now it's all evolved and now they can come to me. And now, you know, I'm thinking of future growth and and possible expansions and what that might look like. And it's all because of permanent jewelry, which is which is interesting and kind of silly when I look back on it and talk about it, but it's been a huge, it's been a huge blessing to my company.

Kelly Kirk 1:00:17

The word discernment is coming to mind as we're talking through this and how as business owners, you have to discern on how you are gonna move forward with your business, i.e. implementing a different um a different set of uh options for your clients, or discerning when the time is right to have your own studio, right? I am curious when did push come to shove for getting the studio?

Light TV, Books, And Home Spaces

Kayla Ness-Witte 1:00:52

Let's see. I have been in my studio, it was a year in August. Okay. So a year and six months almost, which is crazy. It's gone by in such a flash. Um and before that, I was doing permanent jewelry just at events. You know, I'd pop up and I rented a little space in Rogers that was like a shared workspace. Um, and I would just go there, like I would take appointments and I'd go there a couple days a week. And it's it's almost like such a far memory that I actually did this. I forget about it sometimes, but I literally, I think I paid a hundred dollars a month to rent this space. And I would make appointments and I would go there and I'd meet my clients. There might be other people working there because it's like a shared working space. And then it came down to the point where I said to my husband, I'm like, I think I need my own space. There was a gentleman one day that was working there. Actually, he wasn't working, he was reading a book. Yeah, so um, I think he came there just to get out of the house, to be honest. He was reading a book, and he asked me if I could do what I was doing somewhere else. And I was like, ooh. And I took offense to it because I'm a I don't know, what you I was like, I felt I felt bad. Yeah, I felt bad based on how he was feeling. And I was taking on that energy, and it really offended me. And I was like, you're just here reading a book, and I'm, you know, not being loud or obnoxious or anything like that. And um from there forward, I was like, I think I need to find a space that's a little more permanent where I can set my stuff up, I can leave it, I can lock the door, I can have my sign on the wall, I can turn off the lights at the end of the day. And um, it just so happens there was a building being built in Rogers that um, so I'm in actually a building that's called my salon suite. So it's all beauty related, but every single suite in there is independent business owners. We all rent it for our business. Yeah. And uh it popped up on my Facebook feed that they were having an open house. It was under construction. And I said to my husband, I'm like, I think this is like God telling me I need to go look at this space. And I messaged them on Instagram and I just said, Can you tell me? I'm so frugal. I said, Can you tell me how much? Like, what's the cheapest suite? You know, yeah. And um, she's like, Well, the the least expensive one I have right now is $300 a week. And I basically closed my computer. I'm like, I can't do $1,200 a month. I could. I was doing a lot of business with permanent jewelry. I'm like, I can, but the risk and that was so scary to me at the time. And I took a couple of days and I said to my husband, like, I can't, I can't do that. That like, what if it doesn't work?

Kelly Kirk 1:03:30

Yeah.

Kayla Ness-Witte 1:03:31

What if it doesn't work out? And I like failure's not an option for me.

Kelly Kirk 1:03:35

Yeah.

Kayla Ness-Witte 1:03:36

I've always lived by that philosophy. Like, I I pivot and change maybe what I'm doing, but I I'm not going to fail. That's always the mentality that I've had. So a couple days later, I was like, all right, maybe I should just go look at it. And I um I called the girl and I was like, okay, can we meet there? It's under construction. And um, she showed me the unit, and it's literally you walk in the lobby and you get buzzed in the building, and my studio's right there, like front and center. Everybody has to see it when they come in. It's glass doors. And I was like, okay, God, I hear you.

Kelly Kirk 1:04:07

Kayla.

Kayla Ness-Witte 1:04:08

Yeah. So I was like, this is it. I have to take the risk and I have to do this.

Kelly Kirk 1:04:13

Haven't looked back since.

Kayla Ness-Witte 1:04:14

I haven't looked back since. I mean, it's the best decision that I've made in growth with my company. And now I'm only looking forward, like, what's next? You know, my plan is to stay here for a few years, at least the roots, and people know where I am, and they're finding me, and then, you know, potentially have something larger. But I've never really wanted to have a full-fledged storefront because I don't want to veer from my whole concept of that small, intimate feeling when you're shopping for Julie. Yes. Yes. Yes. So kind of like a, I would consider it maybe like a micro store. You know, maybe that's my next my well, what I have now is would be considered a micro store, but having something that's maybe a little bit bigger, but not um, you know, maybe build something out. But, you know, future, future plans and hopes and dreams and prompts the question.

Advice, Hope, And Finding Your People

Kelly Kirk 1:05:05

It's five years from now, and you and I are sitting down for a glass of wine. Where's Kayla at? Yeah. Where's Von T find jewelry at?

Kayla Ness-Witte 1:05:16

You know, I never would have said this before, but I I I'll have a bigger space.

Kelly Kirk 1:05:27

Okay.

Kayla Ness-Witte 1:05:28

And it was never part of the plan. My whole business concept was to be small, to say, to stay small. Um, you know, I want everybody to have diamonds that are from Vonti jewelry on their body. I mean, is that a is that a big dream?

Kelly Kirk 1:05:41

I'm getting teary-eyed and it seems so like cheesy because it's it's jewelry, right? But I'm looking at your beautiful diamond earrings right now, too, and going, oh gosh, they're really pretty. And it'd be so nice to have. Of a nice pair of and and then to just think like I love I love seeing women succeed, I love it so much. And to hear, like, I already know it's gonna happen for you.

Kayla Ness-Witte 1:06:15

And I really just want to focus on that growth that supports also my family because I do everything I do because of my family. Yeah. Had I not moved back from the East Coast and met my husband and married him and had babies, I wouldn't have this company. I probably would have never started my company.

Kelly Kirk 1:06:33

Yeah.

Kayla Ness-Witte 1:06:33

So I need to remember my values and make sure that my growth supports that side of my life and not forget that, you know. What are the values that you hold true? Um well, faith, of course, we've talked about that a lot. Um, and just it's it's it's very hard for me to slow down, but slow down a little bit to capture those moments of when my younger son wants to cuddle with me on the couch in the morning when we're rushing to get everybody out the door to all the things.

Kelly Kirk 1:07:08

Yeah.

Kayla Ness-Witte 1:07:08

Um, and being there for their activities, you know, and not missing that stuff because it's so fleeting. Yeah. And then also being there for my family, you know, my mom and my dad as they age and and my siblings. Yeah. It's not always easy. We live two hours away from the rest of my family, but just supporting the rest of my family and then, you know, helping my kids make the right choices and guiding them as they get older and they're gonna graduate. And so sad.

Kelly Kirk 1:07:38

It is so crazy to like have that future thinking about those moments, yeah. Right? It is really challenging to not get a little uh teary eye about it.

How To Connect & Closing CTA

Kayla Ness-Witte 1:07:52

I do, I'm a sixth grader, and I think about him graduating, and it makes me so sad. He'll probably listen to this and roll it, roll his eyes, right? He's a middle schooler. But it does, you know, and um of course every change in life comes with its own things, and we have a very full, joyful life. I'm very blessed and lucky to be living the life that we're living. Um, but slowing down and like being more intentional on the family time, and that actually is my goal for this year. I've I've worked so crazy last year and had such tremendous growth that of course I still want to grow. Yeah. But I don't need to grow as much as I did last year.

Kelly Kirk 1:08:31

Fascinating.

Kayla Ness-Witte 1:08:32

I want to just like keep serving my clients really, really well. And I mean, of course, I'll, you know, if it happens, that's wonderful, but that's not my ultimate goal. My ultimate goal is to serve my clients well, uh nourish those relationships, and then be there for my family more this year through this like season.

Kelly Kirk 1:08:52

I love it. This was something that I put a pin in earlier in our conversation. We're gonna come back to it, which your your thought about how challenging harmonizing all of it can be. Being a mom, being a wife, being a business owner, you know, what has what has harmonization looked like for you? And you've you've you've given us a little inkling of what you're what that has looked like, but let's talk through some of the the challenges, the intersection of motherhood and and your business.

Kayla Ness-Witte 1:09:33

Yeah, and and I won't sit here and say it's perfect because it is something I work on every single day and have self-reflection. Um, I think the biggest parallel that I've noticed between entrepreneurship and motherhood is they both require surrender. We cannot control everything in our business. You know, somebody leaves me a bad review on Google, like I can't control that. I can only control how I react to that. And how about, you know, when we're with our children and something happens, maybe that we're not proud of them doing, we can only control how we react to them. We can plan, we can prepare, and I can work incredibly hard, but I can't control it. There are seasons where uh growth is very visible and exciting, like last year was that season for me. And then there's also seasons that feel very quiet, messy, or even like I'm going backwards. Like the very beginning of my business was very quiet. You know, it was it wasn't not in business, but I was quiet. You know, I was building. I'm a quiet builder, I'm a silent builder, I'm not shout it from the mountaintops. This is what I'm doing. So um I think in both motherhood and business, I have to nurture them and in different in different ways. And um, I've also learned that neglect, whether it's for my business or myself or as a mother, it does happen eventually. And we we as moms and business owners, we can't pour endlessly without refilling our own cups. And we cannot lead well on empty. Yeah, and I had not always led well in my company or as a as a mom. And you know, so now I I by I fill my cup by getting up at 5 a.m. to work out because I know if I work out, I'm gonna be a better mom and I'm gonna feel better. Do I wanna get up at 5 a.m.? No, I do not want to get, but but those are the things I have to do for myself, even though it's hard in the moment, because I know it's gonna make me feel better and be a better person, wife, mom, you know, all the things.

Kelly Kirk 1:11:41

I am literally praising right now. If I had video, people would be seeing me praise because I like to talk about the um, depending on how the conversation is going, the bookends of your day. Like, what do the bookends of your day look like? And you just spoke to, you know, being a part of the 5 a.m. club. Yeah, and it's this has sort of been a trend. Like, who's a part of the 4 a.m. club? Who's a part of the 5 a.m. club? Only if it works for you, right? Like what I realized is I'm operating at my best in those morning hours. Yes. And as the day goes on, that cup starts to deplete. So do I want to be going to the gym or doing something in my house while I'm also trying to figure out what like how am I gonna get dinner in place and the kids off to their respective space like places for activities and and and no how do you have the discipline though to get up at five o'clock in the morning? Let's actually talk about this. Let's talk about how how you work through being disciplined to do that, knowing that it means I will be operating better.

Kayla Ness-Witte 1:13:06

Yeah. Um, okay, have you read any books by Mel Robbins? Do you listen to any of her podcasts?

Kelly Kirk 1:13:11

I do, yes. I enjoy her a lot.

Kayla Ness-Witte 1:13:13

Yeah. She, I I listened to one podcast, and I don't listen to it often, but she talked about um like starting her day and how um, did you listen to this when she said she set her alarm and she counts backwards? Five, four, three, two, one, and she gets up because you can't think about it. Once you get to one, there's nowhere to go. You don't go five, four, three, two, one, zero, negative one, negative two. You just stay. Yeah. Once you get to one, it's over. So you you mentally tell yourself, my alarm goes off. I'm gonna give myself five seconds, and then I'm gonna rock it out of bed and then start my day. You know, now I hit students probably more than I should sometimes. My husband's like, Are you gonna get up? What are you doing? But that stuck with me. And I even say that to my kids. I'm like, when you don't want to do something, when you want to do something, don't want to do something that's hard, count backward. And I actually even do that in discipline when I instead of say, I'm gonna count to three, I count backward, and I will say it works. And my kids listen, when I get to one, they're like, All right, I'll get off the counter, whatever, you know. Um, so I've just had that mentality of if I want that time for myself, I have to get out of bed and I have to to do it because the rest of my day is put into filling other people's cups. Yes. So, and at the end of the day, I'm like you said, doing all the things. Um, and I I'm I'm an early to bed kind of late. Yeah.

Kelly Kirk 1:14:38

So um Are we talking like nine o'clock?

Kayla Ness-Witte 1:14:41

Nine o'clock.

Kelly Kirk 1:14:42

Nine o'clock's good. Yeah.

Kayla Ness-Witte 1:14:43

Like nine o'clock.

Kelly Kirk 1:14:45

Yeah, it's I I start to feel I just turned 40 this past September, and I am starting to feel that. Like it is very important for me to like start to wind down. Yeah. As the kids are winding down. Yeah. Yeah.

Kayla Ness-Witte 1:15:03

So I read to them and one night goes off with one of them at night.

Kelly Kirk 1:15:07

It's like eight o'clock, and Maddie's going down, and then the boys are doing their rating, and then they're going to bed, you know, between 8:30 and 8 45. And then I'm like, okay, what else am I gonna do here?

Kayla Ness-Witte 1:15:22

You know, it's it's it has been a little bit of struggle, I will say, in my marriage. My husband would be like, You're going to bed already? Like, we don't get any time together. So that's the fine line being a mom and a wife and a business owner, and you know, taking care of yourself that I've had to learn how to walk because when you're in that busy season of life, it's it's easy to let something slide. So that's one thing I'm very try to be very conscious of as well.

Kelly Kirk 1:15:47

My husband and I have a ritual now, and we started this. Have you ever heard of 75 Hard? Yeah, we have to. Okay, so my husband was doing 75 Hard and matter of fact, he's done it on multiple occasions. God bless him, because I'm like not a chance. Anything else besides like running or like anything else? We'll do anything else. But we decided to um set a goal for ourselves for like us, our marriage, right? And we were like, well, what would what would a version of 75 hard look like for marriage? And um we would do so. There's like five different things that you do for 75 hard physically, right? And so we're like, okay, what are the five things that we're gonna do? Um like uh shoot gifts, a gift, um, like a date. And like every other week we would switch off like what we would do for a date or do something special for one another, physical touch. Um, we would journal. And then the other thing, and this is the thing that has stuck, we've been doing it for two plus years now. We always dance before we go to bed to our wedding song. Oh and it's like our little thing to come together, yeah, even if we're not going to bed at the same time. Usually it's it's me going to bed before he will. Usually now, just depending on the season. But that's our thing. Oh I love that. Do you guys have a thing? Like we don't, but now I'm gonna, we're gonna have a thing because I love that.

Kayla Ness-Witte 1:17:26

It that is so sweet.

Kelly Kirk 1:17:28

I mean, we have and just the connection, just the connection, the physical, the physical touch, the physical coming together. It's just a few minutes. Yeah, you know what I mean? And then it's like if he needs to go and watch some TV, he'll go and watch some TV, and maybe I'll go and sit in bed and read for a little bit. And that's just like our thing. We could be way better about like date nights and all of that stuff, but we also work in business together, so that's like we spend a lot of time together.

Kayla Ness-Witte 1:17:58

Yeah, I think it's the easiest thing to let slip, right? And yeah, we talk about that too, like, oh, we need to have a date night, and you know, and then it's like, oh, we have hockey till 10 o'clock tonight, or you know, so just being intentional about those things and definitely something we could we could work on in our marriage as well.

Kelly Kirk 1:18:17

Well, it's when you are operating a business, it's there's so many things that are that require you, yes, your attention, and it's it's not nine to five. It is not you are literally on your 10-year mark of your business though. What's do you remember the official like day that you filed your LLC?

Kayla Ness-Witte 1:18:44

I do, but now that you put me on the spot, I don't remember. I think it was like August or September of 2016. Okay. So I'll have to look back at that. Because even a woman in my networking group should go like, oh my gosh, Kayla, it's gonna be your 10 year next year. What are you gonna do? And I'm like, I don't know. I don't know. So much pressure.

Kelly Kirk 1:19:01

I know. You'll have to think about it.

Kayla Ness-Witte 1:19:03

Yeah.

Kelly Kirk 1:19:03

Well, let's start to land the plane. I have thoroughly enjoyed this. I have so many more questions, but it just in the respect of time, um, I think that we've covered some really incredible ground. And so I I'm curious, I've got just a few more questions. At the current moment, what is a book or a podcast or TV show, because not everyone reads, that you're obsessing over?

Kayla Ness-Witte 1:19:37

Um, I do I am reading a book right now. I'm trying to remember the name of it now that you just brought that up. Because it's like I'll read a page and then I'll get interrupted. Yeah. You know? Yep. Um, I love turning a page. So I'm very much like I like to have the book in my hand and turn the page. I love that. Um let's see. I am watching an I don't watch a lot of TV. Me either. Um, it's not something that I like for decompression. Um, usually sports is on in our house because I live with three males and a male dog. Oh my god, if the TV's on, it's usually sports. Sports. Yeah. And I don't sit still long enough to like really watch that. Um there is a show on Netflix that I'm watching right now. Oh, what is the name of it? Um, nobody wants this, I think. Have you watched that? Kristen Bell. Kristen Bell. Yeah, yeah.

Kelly Kirk 1:20:29

And she's she s starts dating a pastor. Yeah, okay. He's a rabbi. A rabbi.

Kayla Ness-Witte 1:20:35

Okay, so it's like 20-minute episodes. So um, if I'm on the treadmill lock-in, like I'll watch that. You know. I love it. But it's very easy, light, yeah, fun. You don't have to think about it, you don't have to process it or anything. You know, so that's if I'm gonna watch TV, that's what I want. I don't want like intense, I don't want something I have to. My husband and I have watched The Diplomat together. Have you watched that on Netflix? I haven't. And that's one that like it takes more concentration. Yeah. I like light and fun and love and airy. I know. That's what that that show is.

Kelly Kirk 1:21:08

Emily in Paris all day, every day. Like Netflix, keep that series going. Don't stop it. All right. As you know, my husband and I are in real estate. And I always I liked, I've been asking this question more often because there's always a favorite room in the house, like whether it's a place of peace or just a retreat place, or it's just your favorite space in the house. What is that for Kayla?

Kayla Ness-Witte 1:21:38

Uh, our main level is very open concept. And I actually love that space. I love it when everybody's together. Um, I love the chaos of my kids punching each other at breakfast because that's what it was this morning. You know, I don't love that, let's be honest. But I I love being together with my kids and my husband, and I like being in the same space. Um, I'm not a bath person. I can't, again, relax long enough to take a bath. Somebody's like, knock, knock, knock, mom, I need you. You know, so I threw that out the window years ago. Yeah. Um, so I just I like when we're all together. I don't like one kid upstairs, one kid downstairs, you know, my husband on the main level. I like to just be together. Just like that's kind of our sanctuary, you know, fireplace, like cozy up on the couch, maybe we read a book.

Kelly Kirk 1:22:29

Um I I enjoy that. Oh, we're I I would say I'm right there alongside of you. It's uh in the mornings as I'm getting breakfast ready, or I'm like there as my husband is getting breakfast ready for all of the kids, and we're all there. Or dinner table, because we always focus on trying to have a meal together. Yeah, a family meal, and we we give grace, we we express gratitude, and it's just so fun. I mean, even with Maddie, who's gonna be turning three soon, yeah, she's in on the action and it's awesome. Yeah. It's so fun.

Kayla Ness-Witte 1:23:12

Family dinners are very important in our home as well. Winters are always harder because it's crazy sports season. Um, but we even have a jar that has like some questions. So, like if we if the conversation starters, let's say, you know, because I'll ask the kids how their day was. They're like, fine, you know, they're at that early where they don't want to dig very deep. So we'll grab that jar with the conversation starters. And that has actually been really fun to do that, you know, to create a little more conversation so everybody's not just like eating quick and like running to the next thing. Um, so that I agree. I like that that's my thing. I like the jar thing.

Kelly Kirk 1:23:49

Yeah, I like that.

Kayla Ness-Witte 1:23:50

We might do something like that. It's kind of fun, and the different ages of kids, you know, you get a different response. And from your daughter, you know, you'd get a different response from her.

Kelly Kirk 1:23:58

Yeah, it's a little mumble jumble right now because she's I mean, she's working on building that vocabulary. So sometimes it's like, oh, cool, that sounds good. You're like, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. All right. What's a piece of advice you would give a younger version of Kayla, knowing all that you know now?

Kayla Ness-Witte 1:24:22

Taging on what I said earlier about like not giving myself space to like rest or relax, or I'm always going, I would tell my younger stuff that I don't have to earn the rest and I don't have to prove my worth to anybody and that just trust the process, stop rushing. And God's timing is far better than my own.

Kelly Kirk 1:24:43

Long pause because that was so good.

Kayla Ness-Witte 1:24:46

And I still have to tell myself that like on a daily basis, you know, stop rushing.

Kelly Kirk 1:24:52

Yeah, stop rushing. Like you're nervous. There's so many needs that right now. Like, yeah, what's a piece of advice you would give a woman that is listening right now that maybe needs a little hope?

Kayla Ness-Witte 1:25:11

I, you know, I think it's important to find your sisterhood. You know, for me, it's in my networking group, but just so you have that encouragement of people, whether you own a business or you don't, but finding that encouragement from other like-minded women, maybe it's people you work out with and you just need that encouragement to go through your day because let's be honest, we're all going through something. You know, you've learned a lot more about me today than you ever knew. Yeah, uh, we're all going through something. And even in our world today, it's like everybody has something that they're trying to deal with. So if you have somebody that you can share that with or talk to or sit down and have tea and just one foot in front of the other, if you just keep moving forward a little bit each day, you will reach your goal.

Kelly Kirk 1:26:03

So good.

unknown 1:26:04

Yeah.

Kelly Kirk 1:26:05

How can our lovely listeners get connected to you?

Kayla Ness-Witte 1:26:10

Um, so you can follow me on on socials, Instagram, Facebook, um at Von T Jewelry. Um, I do have a website, von Tfindjewelry.com. Um, you can find me at the local hockey rink if you want to see me. I spend my life there right now. Wouldn't have it any other way. I just put an advertising board on our local rink. So my kids think it's so funny to shoot punks at pucks at my face. Oh my god, it's for real. I love it. So they think it's so funny to, you know, go out there and do warmups and shoot at mom's picture. That is classic.

Kelly Kirk 1:26:50

So both of them are in hockey. They're both in hockey. Yeah.

Kayla Ness-Witte 1:26:53

Yeah. And as you can tell, I've talked about this a couple times. Like our life kind of revolves around that in the winter time. But um, you know, and I'm kind of an open book. I get a lot of people that message me on socials, like asking questions or wanting to come in and see me. I do operate my business by appointment. Um, so you can make appointments on my website, you can make appointments on socials by messaging me. Um, I am the social media person, so it's not great. That's one thing I have not hired out, but I do want it to be authentic in who I am. Yeah. And I want it to come across that way. So um, so I do all the posting, you know, I write all the words, all the copy. I do all of that. Um, so, but those are great ways to to get in touch with me. Perfect. My LinkedIn isn't great.

Kelly Kirk 1:27:35

I I have to, I have to go in and you know, work on that a little bit, but I am on I'll put it down as as a way, but yeah, this has been so incredible, Kayla. I am grateful for the opportunity to have you here and share your story and and talk through those those really raw and vulnerable points too. I giggled when you were like, I'm a very private person. And then you had this just incredibly raw share. And it's truly as tough as that can be sometimes some of the listeners right now are going, Yep, I feel that in my soul.

Kayla Ness-Witte 1:28:16

Well, and that's where I share it from is if one person can take just a little piece of hope away from it, that's that's why I share it. That's why I share it. And you're so kind. I thank you for having me. And you make it very easy to open up.

Kelly Kirk 1:28:34

That's the goal. That's the goal. And to your point, this is just the last little uh cherry on top of the cake. Same. The same feeling about if this just reaches one person, one woman, who then can feel inspired to do what she needs to do in motherhood or entrepreneurship or both. Amen.

Kayla Ness-Witte 1:28:56

Yeah.

Kelly Kirk 1:28:56

Amen.

Kayla Ness-Witte 1:28:57

Just take that little risk, that little step forward each day to make a difference.

Kelly Kirk 1:29:02

I hope you have a great rest of the day. Thank you. So fun having you. Talk to you soon. Thanks for listening. And if you enjoyed this episode and know of any inspiring mamas who are powerhouse entrepreneurs, please help connect them with myself and the show. It would mean so much if you would help spread this message, mission, and vision for other Mompreneurs. It takes 30 seconds to rate and review, then share this episode with your friends. Until the next episode, cheers to reclaiming your hue.