Learn How Katia Rudnick Built a Jewelry Brand With Meaning & Purpose

A single glance across a yoga studio changed everything. Katia Rudnik saw a medallion bracelet, followed a quiet nudge, and uncovered a new medium, a message, and a patented idea that would shape Katia Designs into a purpose-driven jewelry brand people don’t just wear—they feel.

We open with Katia’s journey from Soviet Moscow to Boston at sixteen, navigating a new language and a new life. Years later in Florida, after helping run medical spas and raising three daughters, she wanted work that felt like her. A metal clay class unlocked an organic, earthy-glam look; meditation and gratitude gave it a voice. She began stamping mantras—breathe, believe, keep going—into her pieces so the wearer could carry a reminder close to the heart. Then came the “aha”: a magnetic clasp that lets one necklace shift into many looks. She patented the mechanism, pairing utility with meaning to carve a distinct niche.

We dig into the real mechanics of growth: pricing artistry when materials are brass and bronze, building early inventory for pop-ups, and turning DTC storytelling on Instagram and Facebook into momentum and over 10,000 five-star reviews. Katia explains why scarcity fuels collecting, how two new collections a month stay fresh without chaos, and what oxidized finishes do for detail and brand identity. She shares the team’s evolution from a garage to a Boca Raton studio, overseas components with local assembly, and the balance between creative impulse and operational discipline.

As social platforms shift and acquisition costs climb, Katia is expanding beyond the feed. Nearly 200 boutiques now carry the line, and a first retail kiosk at Boca Town Center will invite shoppers to try, layer, and feel the difference in person. We also touch on thoughtful influencer partnerships, the “Goddess Shirt” and scarves that extend the look, and the daily habits—yoga, heavy lifts, mindset work—that keep creativity resilient. If you’re building a brand, reinventing at midlife, or craving design with purpose, you’ll find practical insights and a spark to follow your own whisper.

If this story moved you, follow Katia Designs, share the episode with a friend who needs a nudge, and leave a review—what mantra would you wear tomorrow?

Transcript

Welcome & Katya’s Origin Story

Voice Over 0:00

This is iDesign Lab, a podcast where creativity and curiosity meet style and design. Curator of interiors, furnishings, and lifestyles. Hosted by Tiffany Woolley, an interior designer and a style enthusiast, along with her serial entrepreneur husband Scott. iDesign Lab is your ultimate design podcast, where we explore the rich and vibrant world of design and its constant evolution in style and trends. Today on iDesign Lab, we're joined by Katya Rudnik, founder and CEO of Katia Designs. From growing up in Soviet Russia to building a purpose-driven jewelry brand in South Florida, Katia creates pieces that blend natural elements, empowering mantras, and mindfulness. Her jewelry isn't just worn, it's felt. Today, we'll explore her journey of creativity, confidence, and turning inspiration into a thriving brand.

TIffany Woolley 1:14

Which, if you can't see, they're beautiful sparkly pieces around your neck. I'm sure they have to do with your designs. So welcome. Thank you. And not only do we want to hear and highlight obviously Katya designs, but we want to know the backstory. So explain to our audience where Katya designs started from.

Immigrating To Boston At Sixteen

Katia Rudnick 1:36

You know, it's funny because sometimes I look back and I feel like I've lived so many lives. You know. And and uh not often, actually, when I have this conversation, we'll go all the way back. But I think it does have so much to do. As as most of us, I think our childhood uh foundation influences are but your childhood started in Russia. Yeah. So it's to me.

TIffany Woolley 2:04

To me, that's just so fascinating.

Katia Rudnick 2:05

Yeah, it's so tell us a little about that.

Scott Woolley 2:07

Where did where in Russia did you grow up?

Katia Rudnick 2:09

Uh I grew up in Moscow. Okay. Um uh back it was when it was a communist country, and I immigrated to the United States in 1989 when all the changes were happening. Uh so when the world came down and uh just things are so I really got to experience how it was there for the previous 70 to 80 years, and I think that anyone my age or older that came from Russia have been have that tough foundation because you had to be uh to to live in that.

Scott Woolley 2:50

So did you come with your family or by yourself?

Katia Rudnick 2:52

I I I immigrated with my family because we were Jewish. Uh so we had some family here in the United States that sponsored us. Wow. And I came here when I was 15, almost 16. Such an impressionable time. That's a crazy. Yes. Uh, and we came um with not much.

TIffany Woolley 3:16

And how does a family even have that conversation? Like, how do your parents you know?

Katia Rudnick 3:21

I now think about it because I'm the age. Sort of like where, you know, my mom, because I came with my my my parents and my grandparents. They came with us, they were 70 years old. My mom was in her 40s, and I'm thinking, how does like I that's crazy? It's like me moving to a country that I don't speak the language as well.

Scott Woolley 3:43

So you didn't speak English when you came? No. Wow.

Katia Rudnick 3:45

And like so, for all of us, it was you know complete culture shock. Um, and it was quite an experience, and we uh lived in an apartment all together.

Scott Woolley 3:58

Where did you settle? Where did you come to Boston? Into Boston. Okay.

TIffany Woolley 4:00

So it's so it's funny, I went to college in Boston. Yeah, which one?

Katia Rudnick 4:04

Yeah, my husband went there.

TIffany Woolley 4:07

And there was a great Russian community there.

Katia Rudnick 4:11

There's definitely the, I mean, Russians are everywhere. Right. Yeah, like anywhere in the world you go. Yeah. Um, and I think of what has happened, you know, from that time to now. Um, and yeah, so the definitely some core beliefs and foundation that uh I was raised with has a lot to do with the way I am today. At this point, I'm very Americanized. You know, I mean I barely speak any Russian. I only speak to my mom a little bit, you know, but I speak English, you know, my kids don't speak Russian. Um but I think in English. You do? Yeah, like I used to dream in English. I I count in Russian, you know, but I think in English. And uh uh it's it's it's an interesting thing that is happening in my head. But yeah, like I'm I'm I'm very Americanized, but at the same time, those 15, 16 years that I spent there has a strong impression. It definitely made me into a person that I am today.

Scott Woolley 5:20

Well, at 16, was it tough to learn English?

Katia Rudnick 5:22

It was. I came I I went to Brookline High School. In Brookline, in Brookline, and there was a a a little Russian community there, you know, students. And uh, you know, if right now sometimes I giggle thinking to myself, taking because I was basically just dropped into taking English classes, and I'm like, you know, I don't even just jump in. I don't even know how um but you know, you do resilient.

Scott Woolley 5:52

But it's also writing and reading. Everything, yeah.

Finding Florida And Early Ventures

Katia Rudnick 5:55

I mean I took uh ESL, which was uh English Second Language, but I was talking to someone actually recently, and they were talking about a critical thinking class, and I'm like, I remember taking that where I barely spoke English. Like, how the how was I even supposed to figure that out? Right. So so yeah, that was that was an interesting experience. And then, you know, it took me a couple of years to um start feeling more comfortable because I was surrounded by a big Russian community, the accent stuck around because I was speaking actually Russian, where someone that is dropped in in in in the area, like if there was no Russians spoken, I know people that came in the same uh time as me, same age, they have zero accent. Yeah, but mine interesting. Mine's stuck, yeah. I kind of like that. It's it yeah, I guess so, you know. So I I it was uh a little upsetting, but I've learned to appreciate it and love it at this point. And so in uh I met my husband uh when I was in Boston, as I mentioned, he went to be you, and we settled down there, and we have three beautiful daughters, and we uh moved to Florida 20 years or 21 years ago.

Scott Woolley 7:21

What brought you to Florida?

Katia Rudnick 7:23

What do you think?

Scott Woolley 7:24

Business or the weather. Those two.

Katia Rudnick 7:27

Those two actually we uh we used to have a chain of medical spas in Boston and New York, and we would come here every possible break vacation, and we were like, what are we doing there? As many of people that move here from you know northeast. And one of those times um we were like, you know what, okay, we're just gonna do it. Yeah. So we opened up a store, uh actually a few stores here, and we did that. And and back then, uh I was really uh assisting my husband's, it was more of his dream running that business. And I was using my artistic uh creativity to build our locations to help out and sort of eat the vision.

Scott Woolley 8:20

Does he still do that?

Katia Rudnick 8:21

No, no, not anymore. Um and uh we did that for quite a few years, and then when I was about 45 years old, you know, because I I was searching, I wanted to do something that you felt it felt yeah, it's like mine and and felt good to me.

Scott Woolley 8:44

And how old were your three girls at that point?

Katia Rudnick 8:48

Uh so my uh youngest uh my uh my older kids might have uh twin girls. They were um about twenty. Okay. Yeah, and my little one was about uh uh thirteen, I guess.

Speaker 4 9:05

Okay, they're about to we have twin girls.

Katia Rudnick 9:07

Okay. How how old? Sixteen.

Speaker 4 9:09

Sixteen.

Katia Rudnick 9:10

Okay, you got a couple more years. Hang in there. All right.

Scott Woolley 9:14

So they're so your two oldest are around twenty, and you're now thinking about doing something different.

The Yoga Spark And First Tools

Katia Rudnick 9:20

So yeah, so I'm I'm basically where my kids are sort of like already, you know, at the place where I can probably driving. I can yeah, they're driving, they're doing the thing, the you know, school time is becoming more available. Definitely have shifted, you know? And I wanted to do something, I didn't have the clarity of what I wanted to do. And one day I was uh in yoga class, and I was in upside down dog, and uh, this woman between my legs was wearing this really cool medallion bracelet, and it just it was like an iPad moment. I I was just looking at it at the whole class, you know that it took it it took my attention because it looked so cool. And the thing is, I was never into jewelry, never really into fashion, but my like I was kind of doing my thing, but I wasn't jewelry was never my thing, right? But that thing, that that vision was just like so strong, and I came up to her uh after the class and I was like, this is really Tell me what is what is where'd you get this, you know? Yeah, and she gave me the name of the company. I looked it up right after the class, I couldn't find it, and then I was like, I wonder if I can make it, because I was always been very good with my hands. I can I like creating things. And so that day I just went on Google and I looked up art classes in in this area. Yeah, so for the for the jewelry, right? And uh Boca Art Museum popped up because they have a lot of classes for adults and kids. Amazing. And there was a class for jewelry making, and I just drove there. On a whim.

TIffany Woolley 11:06

Just like your husband and kids or I just want to be able to do it.

Scott Woolley 11:09

You're not a jewelry wearer. No. You've never run a business. No start a jeweler.

Katia Rudnick 11:13

Not in my no. Not on the mile, no.

Scott Woolley 11:15

No. So did you think you're gonna start creating jewelry or so?

Katia Rudnick 11:19

This is what interests, this is how sometimes, and I'll tell you first the story.

TIffany Woolley 11:22

You have to be so open, I feel like, to be able to receive that information, which clearly you were.

Katia Rudnick 11:28

That was and and that was something that after I explained to you how this all came about, I think that's exactly what makes this the most important part of this whole experience. Right. You know, because I was just following. I was receiving and I was just following without any overthinking. There was no like, oh, how am I gonna? So I drove to that school, I walked in, and I was like, this just feels right. This feels right, and then there was it was this medium that I've never seen before. Still a lot of people don't know about it. It's called metal clay, where metal comes in a clay form.

TIffany Woolley 12:12

Okay.

Katia Rudnick 12:13

So you you basically, it's like play-doh. Yeah so you form it into whatever you want, you put it in a kiln, and then it turns into solid metal, and it comes in uh bronze, copper, silver, gold, whatever you want to work with. And I was like, wow, this is magic. You know, it was like completely kid in me. A kid in me, it was like, wow, and it just looks so organic and cool. And I walked out of there, I was just like, my my heart was beating faster. And uh it was almost like I got infected by something that I it was it it overtook me.

Speaker 4 12:49

Right.

Katia Rudnick 12:50

And I uh um signed up. It was eight classes, one one class a week. But meanwhile, so was this like during the day or when like your kids are in school or yeah, I just I just like any free moment that I had was you were like focused on that. That was my focus, was just like tunnel. I I watched I started watching YouTube videos on how to I bought all the books, whatever information I could get.

Scott Woolley 13:18

Was there a vision that you were thinking like coming in the future that you were planning for?

Messages, Mindfulness, And Metal Clay

Katia Rudnick 13:23

The vision, the the the the vision of uh putting the medallion of her of her was sort of like my end goal of a kind of foundation of where I was going. And then the vision was I wanted to put messages because I was 45-year-old woman, and a lot of women that age are refining ourselves, re-just lost, you know, and looking and searching uh to be fulfilled because kids are kind of grown up. You're you know, you're so many changes were going through our changes as women. I was like it was it was a combination of that. And the fact that you knew like I need to do that. I felt, I felt I was I was being called for something, and then then the what happened simultaneously is I was going through my spiritual journey, awakening the changes. So I started to meditate, I started to read books, I started to look for things that would help me feeling better. And I leaned towards gratitude, uh, being more mindful of what I need to pay attention to, think about, uh, and all that practice that I was doing for that, I wanted to put into the messages on those pieces that I was creating. So I in the beginning it was like So were you sketching them?

TIffany Woolley 14:56

Were you writing them down? Like what was your process when you weren't like per se in the class?

Katia Rudnick 15:02

Like what were you the the in the class I was only you know one hour a week. Right. So how were you collecting all of the age? It was just like it was a downpour of inspiration. Like it could be uh uh again, a video that I was listening to, it could be a book that I saw, it could be someone that would say something, and I was like, okay, you know, the like uh any type of message, it could be anything is possible. I'm like, I want to put that on, and then I was I started making stamps, and I was starting to create pieces. In the beginning, I was very inspired by nature, shelves, leaves, and then I would put that message on the back, and I was playing, and I started making playing with beads, putting it on the side.

TIffany Woolley 15:46

So, where would you go to like get inspired even by these mediums, like a shell? Or like we're going to the beach, or yeah, so yeah, really reflecting.

Katia Rudnick 15:56

I would go out outside, but you know, I would go on the beach with my husband, I would look for pretty shells, which you know, living here is pretty easy to do. And then you would make a mold of it. Okay. And then I would make that pendant, put basically create that outside, and then on the other side, I would put the message. So that was, and and you know, if you scroll all the way down to the beginning of my Instagram, which was seven years ago, which will take a while, uh, because I've been posting every day.

Scott Woolley 16:27

You have a pretty strong Instagram. You got like over 80,000. I have amazing followers.

Katia Rudnick 16:33

That's a whole nother we need to dive into social, but I want to hear it's it's uh uh and yeah, so I'm community that comes with community has has been a blessing. And so I started making different it it was so fulfilling for me to do this. So were you doing this at the kitchen table?

TIffany Woolley 16:53

Did you transfer a room in the house, garage, okay?

Katia Rudnick 16:56

I kind of started the kitchen table, but then eventually I bought kilns, you know, and then you had a table mess everywhere. I'm not I'm a messy creator.

TIffany Woolley 17:08

Did any of the kids want to like you know, does it want to do you? Like everybody's kind of let you do your thing. Yeah.

Scott Woolley 17:14

What did your husband think of all this?

Katia Rudnick 17:16

In the beginning, he was like, Okay. Yeah. Called it a hobby for a while. Okay. You know?

Scott Woolley 17:23

Or at what point did you say to yourself, I want to start selling this and start creating a business?

Katia Rudnick 17:29

So the way, the way, you know, the the concept came to me almost the first week. The logo and the name came to me the first week of this. Then I started making this um a few months into it, I decided to do to start doing a little pop-ups around here, which was very intimidating to me back then.

TIffany Woolley 17:51

Well, and I would think even just having enough to be able to present, like, you know, creating an inventory had to be a process.

Katia Rudnick 17:58

I was making like I because I any free moment I had that I that I was doing that. So I built up already to begin with, somewhat of the nice inventory of yeah, nice inventory. And then I uh had my first uh uh pop-up in Delray in the city.

Scott Woolley 18:15

But you said you were intimidated by it. Why?

Katia Rudnick 18:17

What because I've never done anything like that.

Scott Woolley 18:19

Okay.

Katia Rudnick 18:19

And I didn't know if people would like it. Like I loved it, but I didn't know if I can, you know. So there was a first pop-up in in a garage in Delray. It was on Atlantic Avenue, this little uh gallery, and they had like l vendors, you know, a few vendors. And uh I put up my table, uh tablecloth, decorated. I was gonna say curate your house.

Scott Woolley 18:48

And I was like, That'd make you feel good.

Katia Rudnick 18:50

Okay, alright. And um and then I just started doing them as as many as I could.

TIffany Woolley 18:58

And how did you decide like your price point or how to even like put a value on something that you you know have such a connection to?

First Pop-Ups And Pricing Realities

Katia Rudnick 19:07

Uh I you know it's interesting that you asked me that, you know, because I have been working with brass brass and bronze, which is not a fine metal, but the time that it took me to create it uh is the value is the value. You know, so so that was originally how it has been priced. As the business grew and the whole uh business model changed, that price somewhat maintained because of the cost of the running an operation and a team and and marketing and all that stuff. So um and uh I started doing that, and then this is what's interesting, what happened uh also a few months into this process. I was playing around one day creating uh necklaces, and I had a magnetic clasp, and I was playing with the necklace, and I was like, wait a second, to give you an example of that. I was like, I put a magnetic clasp on it, that's so cool, and then I was like, you know what? If I put the magnetic clasp over here, then the necklace design will change. So I was like, I've never seen it before. I was like, that's interesting, that is interesting, and I ran to the next room to tell my husband. I was like, I think this is freaking cool. He was not impressed, not impressed at all. I'm like, this is a Eureka moment. This is like, yeah, this is really cool. And then so I incorporated into my designs, and when I started selling it, women were like, Genius, yeah. They were like, This is amazing. Yeah, because you're getting more so much more, more useful, you know, have you found has anyone else done something like that? Or is there well what happened was I was like, I wonder if I can patent this. So uh the patenting process can be very interesting and daunting and lawyer and uh everything, you know, it can be lengthy, very expensive, not not guaranteed results. But uh I was like, I think I want to do this, and so we went to uh a patent uh lawyer, and first you have to go through a search process to see if which is like can you imagine exhaustive, yeah, like you know, and we did that, and then we applied, and the lawyer was like, listen, there's no guarantees. We can do this process two two times or three times because they might come back. Right. And um, and we got approved the first time that we we we applied. So I owned a patent on. So it literally is it is literally my design.

TIffany Woolley 22:05

So um that is the next step into a business.

Katia Rudnick 22:08

That was that was the next step to the business, yeah. That's huge, you know.

Scott Woolley 22:12

So it was intellectual property doesn't make value just in that.

The Magnetic Clasp Breakthrough

Katia Rudnick 22:16

Yeah. Yeah. So when I, you know, when someone asks me what makes our jewelry and what makes our brand unique, I always go to this three points. One is how it makes you feel. Our tagline, it's not just jewelry, it's a feeling. Yeah. So it always starts with a message. Like this pendant over here says believe. Okay. So this one says breathe.

Scott Woolley 22:45

I have to on your website, you have categories. Uh uh, I wrote some of them down. Care, gratitude, peace, self-love, things that people are your jewelry fits into these different basically what are you searching for?

Katia Rudnick 22:59

Where are you what you need that day? A little balance.

TIffany Woolley 23:03

Where's the imbalance, I guess? Yeah.

Katia Rudnick 23:05

Like we all, you know, some days I need all as well, and some days I need to remember who the F you are. Right. The reassuring. It depends, you know, which what what type of uh space you're in. And that's very personal. So you find piece that speaks to your heart. So the message is the foundation of this brand, how it makes you feel. Number two, magnetic class, patent design, where you can wear one piece many different ways. You can double it, triple it, you can bring the pendant on the bottom, on the top. And number three, the fun and the layering look. Right. Because women will tons of compliments because it's very unique and different. And putting those three together, I feel like I'm not really in competition with other brands. You know, we have our own niche. I I uh I like this is who we are and this is what we do. And I think being authentic about this.

TIffany Woolley 24:00

And it's ageless too. I mean, you're not pigeonholing into a t an age limit. I mean, I would think that this really could speak to anybody.

Katia Rudnick 24:10

It will speak to anyone. Uh, because of the messages and the messages that I put on the jewelry, our customers are I would say 40 plus women. Okay.

TIffany Woolley 24:22

Because but I would even think in the youth today, you know, with teenagers and just going through, you know, times, it's such a cool thing for a parent to give a child or a friendship.

Katia Rudnick 24:34

It is, it is, absolutely. It is, absolutely, but not as much as it's gonna mean to a woman who's gone through some shit. Yeah.

Scott Woolley 24:41

So when you say messages, you all of your pieces have some sort of uh word or statement or saying that makes you think about yourself or your life and where you are that day.

Katia Rudnick 24:52

Yeah.

Scott Woolley 24:52

So there's an impact of just beside just wearing it, reading it, reminding yourself of it.

Katia Rudnick 24:59

That's right. It's not just a pretty accessory. Right. It has a purpose. So, like a you know, bracelet might say, Today I choose joy.

Scott Woolley 25:07

Right.

Katia Rudnick 25:07

Or I own my peace. Or it could be something keep going, or you're doing effing great. Like there's you know, there's a it's it's it's the messages that helped me.

Scott Woolley 25:22

Yeah. So does every piece have some sort of saying, or most of the pieces, yeah.

Patents, Positioning, And Niche

Katia Rudnick 25:28

Most of the pieces have them. So the some pieces that might not are the layering. So the concept starts with the medallion of the inspiration. That's how I like to go about it. You know, and then what happens is when someone's in the whimsy kind of. Yeah, it it it's a it's it we it it's funny because our customers often say, like, I have to unfollow you because my husband is gonna addiction. We've known to be a little bit addictive. Yeah, it's a good idea. Because you you get one piece and it feels good, and it's easy, and you put it on a second, and that message makes you feel a certain way, and then you see another video of mine where I show you how you can lay it with this necklace or this necklace, and then customer like, okay, I think I need to have that. And then what ends up having happening is they are building a collection. Right, which is wonderful. And and they they yeah, so it's it's not just like a a pretty necklace that I'll wear with whatever. It's there's a mission behind it, and then they start collecting more and more and more because everything is layerable. You can change whatever you you can create different looks with messages or colors. Well, I was gonna say, and color has messages meaning, so uh stones, you know, so there's a there's a lot to it, and um and then yeah, I I often get uh pictures of uh customers' uh jewelry stands or collections, and you know they could open up a kati design store if they wanted to.

Scott Woolley 27:06

So are most of your sales on your website or in stores? Because I see you sell at a lot of stores, a lot of locations.

Katia Rudnick 27:14

We we uh we the way we build this business is straight to consumer through uh mostly Facebook, Instagram, okay, which is such an amazing way.

Scott Woolley 27:24

So for people who are listening and watching to this podcast, yeah, what is that website so they can it katedesigns.com is our website.

Katia Rudnick 27:32

If you go to Instagram or Facebook, it's Katy Designs. You can find us on TikTok or on uh pretty much any platform. And uh we do have uh I think close to 200 boutiques that carry our line. Most of them in the United States will have some international.

TIffany Woolley 27:54

I mean, you said you have a team, like yeah, where is it?

Scott Woolley 27:57

So do you go to shows? Did you go to like jewelry shows magic show in Vegas?

Katia Rudnick 28:02

Or we we actually went uh this year to Magic Show. We have not done a lot of shows.

Speaker 4 28:06

Okay.

Katia Rudnick 28:07

Uh because we're still kind of developing our wholesale because again, most of our sales have been directly to the consumer. And um we have grown tremendously from the day when I was in my garage. You know, we sold over $25 million of jewelry since then. Um it's been it's been an incredible experience. Um we're now stepping into the retail, and I'm very, very excited about it. I'm sure.

Scott Woolley 28:37

So now you have to have different pricing. You need the three three-tier pricing.

Who Buys And Why It Resonates

Katia Rudnick 28:41

We we you know, and we do right now. You know, we have our prices really range from I would say $40 to $150. Uh-huh. Um, so we have quite a range. It's considered to be a fashion jewelry, uh, yet um our product less. We have an incredible uh quality to our product, which I'm very, very particular about.

TIffany Woolley 29:05

Where are you manufacturing now?

Katia Rudnick 29:08

We or overseas. Overseas we assemble it here in Bokuratan in in our studio. We're located in uh in a plaza where melting pot is. I don't know if you know her. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, we have a studio there. Um, and uh yeah, we've built an internal team. You know, we have people that work uh internally and also off uh uh remotely, like my uh brand uh um manager, my right hand is in Texas.

Scott Woolley 29:37

You know, we have uh people that manage our media, so it's so how does that does that work well for you, having someone in Texas and you're here and she saw you know, she actually started with me when I was still in the garage.

Katia Rudnick 29:50

Okay. So she knows she can she knows, she knows this brand inside out, you know. We build it together. Um, and we have an incredible team, you know, and Christina, who's uh our PR, that uh uh put you and you guys together, you know, she's local, but uh she's remote also, you know, she's not in actually in our store. So it's a it's a combination. Um, but yeah, you know, what happened was started in a garage, and then we decided to I was doing local pop-ups, right? And uh I could see how the customers were responding. It allowed me to develop sort of the the the what is going to be like it's yeah, there was a foundation that, and then my husband, who's my partner, and he's uh you know business genius. He's like, you know what, we you can't do this on your own.

TIffany Woolley 30:44

We should time to take it out. I think he jumped you? I think he did jump in and you know, we worked with the city. Well, what a beautiful validation though of your tenacity to keep it.

Katia Rudnick 30:55

You know, he saw the potential, you know. He's like, okay, I think uh I think we need to um start improving this model and and building the infrastructure and foundation. Obviously, it did not happen overnight. You know, we hired still seven years. What a vision. It's it's been it's been cool. Yeah, we hired a couple of people in our garage first, and then we're like outgrew the space and then got into the first studio and then moved to another studio as we grew. And there's, you know, when you have a business, it's continuous, constant change. You have to, you know, uh also the life of entrepreneur. Right. There's there's so many changes and variations all the time.

TIffany Woolley 31:37

Easy to enroll with the city.

Katia Rudnick 31:38

You have to adjust, you have to be on the top of things, you have to be uh creative. But all those things uh have been fun because I love learning.

TIffany Woolley 31:52

And that's what keeps it so you know, you said you learned from a mistake one of your most popular finishes. I mean, I can't even imagine through those processes.

DTC Growth, Boutiques, And Scale

Katia Rudnick 32:02

Yeah, so that was uh it it it it's interesting the way that happened. And that's uh I when I was working making the pandants, right? And I and it the the they were very shiny the pandets, but when I was putting the messages on, the messages and the details didn't stand out as much. So when I accidentally dropped one of my pennants in um this oxidation solution, and I was and I was playing with everything. I was doing, I was banging the head. I mean that that garage was, you know. Um and then it it turned almost like black. And when I polished it, all the beautiful details to that. You know, and I was and I loved, I love that I that look, it was almost like, you know, um, I often uh describe our jewelry uh that it's earthy glam, like it's like it reminded me of coins that you would find on the island somewhere, you know, when you find a treasure. Right. It's a treasure, it's shiny, but it has like uh it has some ruggedness. Yeah, like some it has been limiting, yeah.

TIffany Woolley 33:11

It's a lie.

Katia Rudnick 33:12

So uh so and now I've maintained, I love the oxidized look, you know. I like I feel like it gives the character to the pieces. So I've maintained that.

TIffany Woolley 33:22

Um that was an interesting So how do you keep the creative process going for yourself? Are you still doing the hands-on, or do you still keep a corner of the garage that keeps you like uh in all your spare time? Or do you feel like you've morphed more into the the face and the you know the business side?

Katia Rudnick 33:41

I would say everything. All of it. You know, all of it because I still design it. And it's still very I it's uh probably not the most uh traditional jewelry company way. I'm very um which how would I say that? I like I get inspired just the way I was in the beginning, and I follow that. So sometimes I'll just be like, ah, good idea. And I'll sketch that. So you will. And I'll be like, okay, let's make it, you know, like so it's it's it I have a hard time planning sometimes because I'm not sure.

TIffany Woolley 34:21

Well that's the creative mind. You can't always plan. You have to and you have to keep your brain open to that.

Scott Woolley 34:28

So, like currently, right now, how many pieces, yeah, unique or different pieces are you selling?

Katia Rudnick 34:34

Uh you know, we probably have maybe close like around 350 to 400, you know. And what happens is different different different SKUs, different, you know. So different things. You have rings, your bracelet. I mean, rings, bracelet, and then what happens is most of our pieces are limited edition. So once it sells out, it's gone, it's gone. So uh there's some few core pieces, but most of them, once they're gone, they're gone. And that's another reason why our customers will buy it, because they might not it might not be available tomorrow.

Scott Woolley 35:08

So the consumer knows that that's a limited quantity.

Katia Rudnick 35:12

Once they get to know us more and more, if they if they decide to uh invest some of their time, because I'm I there's a lot of education in my marketing. I you know, as I as I show people uh and teach them, and once they get into it, then they know. They're like they see when I post something and I'll say, you know, very small collection, they know to jump on.

Scott Woolley 35:36

So how often are you making new pieces? Uh uh on a monthly basis, a yearly basis? Is it a lot of people?

TIffany Woolley 35:42

Yeah, every you know, every every month, a quarter, like do you release like fashion houses?

Quality, Production, And Team

Katia Rudnick 35:47

We we have we have um uh uh typically two new collections a month. Wow, you know? So when you say a collection, how many a collection a collection might be uh uh a necklace, earrings, bracelet, and a ring. Uh or it might be a collection of the same necklace in a few different colors. So there's different type of collections. Um like for example, next week we have a release of this necklace, and the neckla it has matching earrings and a ring. The earrings say dream. The necklace says believe, and this ring says achieve. Okay. So it's a story. You tell you don't have to buy all three, right? But you because they each one of them will represent a feeling. Yet if you like matching things and you level three, you can too. Right. So that's gonna be a collection next Friday.

Scott Woolley 36:50

Two or three collections a month, so that adds up on a yearly basis. Yeah.

TIffany Woolley 36:55

How far out are you planning them? Uh a few months in advance. So do you have does your team keep you like accountable a little bit? Like you be creative for that? I mean, that is for me too. Like they're all trying to keep me out of my team.

Katia Rudnick 37:10

You know, I I've learned to become more organized. They've learned to deal with my whim and sometimes creative, you know, chaotic uh approach. It's finding the middle ground because, you know, um, I also do uh all the sort of the marketing, you know, it's uh it's the founders' brand. So I'm in the videos and uh the posts that I do. That's so amazing. So balancing all that together is definitely makes it uh how do you balance your time between all that? Because there's the creative side of having to continually create new having the right team and having enough right people to help you is is the way you do it, you know? That that get me, that uh know how to work with me where we complement each other. Um it it's it it really comes down to that. And grateful probably to be part of this.

Scott Woolley 38:07

I mean your story is really like what our podcast is I design. Yeah. I mean you've in every aspect of design, you're from designing a business to designing jewelry to designing marketing.

Katia Rudnick 38:19

I mean, behind it all. And the growth behind it, and and and also what you've pointed out, you know, uh at the beginning of our conversation. Like when I look back at that day in yoga class, if I just ignore that because I had to do stuff, right? Because I had to run errands, or or because I would doubt myself and be like, no, that would just be doesn't that make you like take your breath away? Do you ever think where you might be today if you had be somewhere, you know, this is a great mom and yeah, happy adventure that you're on. But but all of us are like that, you know, because there's it's not like there is a wrong path. Right. We just need to align with that path and go. But all but you know, that little whisper that came in and I decided to follow it that day, yeah, and then this incredible path that it took me on. Um, I always think about that, and I'm a lot more uh careful and mindful, you know, because I I continue. I mean, the that that spiritual journey is continuing. Every day experiencing all this manifested physical experience, yes, but it it it comes from continuous everyday awareness of what am I thinking, how am I handling stress, yes, how am I how do I want to go about things? It goes hand in hand. You know, how do we what do we pay attention to? The same as what I put into my jewelry. You know, it's almost like my jewelry is helping me, just like as it I wanted to help others, others, you know. I go to the to the like yesterday I was wearing a necklace that says resilient uh AF because I've been and I've been wearing it for the last few days because I needed it, you know, the with whatever I was dealing with, you know, and I was um sharing it on a story yesterday. I'm like, you know, we all have stuff to do. Every single one of us, either it's health, either it's family, uh finances, jobs, whatever it is, just a random circumstance.

Scott Woolley 40:46

How do you do it? It's more than just a jewelry line.

Garage To Studio To Systems

TIffany Woolley 40:48

Yeah. There's a message. And and I love that you've been able to build such a team. How did you go about like even just like bringing that first person in?

Katia Rudnick 41:01

Um my husband, um, Andy, is definitely a huge help in that. You know, he is uh he when it comes to operation, uh I wouldn't be able to do it without him. You know, needed person because so he is very good at uh hiring, recruiting, building, putting together a system. And the combination of us two together doing this is is yeah, it but yeah, just you know, finding the right people, um allowing um training time. Sometimes people, you know, move to other positions. Uh you just kind of roll with it, as you know, in business. That's you know, that's that's that's how it is.

TIffany Woolley 41:43

So as you know, the brand is evolving, and obviously you are the face, the founder, the creator, and social media is a huge part of that, I'm sure. Yeah. But do you align yourself with brand ambassador? I mean, are you you even considering that route? Is that part of the future?

Katia Rudnick 42:01

We you know, we we work with a few influencers. Um, but there's really uh a couple that I like to work with because as you can see in the last especially year there's been so much change in the social platform. It's crazy, you know, and I'm not even talking about AI. I mean that's a whole nother thing. That's a whole other thing, you know? So what I find and and there's so much, it's it's it's it's it's filled with so much, and it's overwhelming too, you know. And again, like can you compete with others? It's it's crazy. And also part of the reason why we are uh stepping into the retail space is because it's uh now it it the the Facebook matter in general and other platforms are so much more challenging than they were a couple of years ago. You know the cost of acquisition is very different than it was before. Yeah, you know, because of a lot of different reasons. So and for me, the most important thing is brand exposure. Right. Because 50% of our sales come from repeat customers. Of course. So once people come in, a product speaks for itself. Yeah, they love the product, they're most likely gonna become repeat customers, they're gonna come back and buy more. But to get that first person in the door, which means they have to learn about us. How do you do that now? You know?

Scott Woolley 43:39

The educating us back.

Katia Rudnick 43:40

You have to f like no if you don't if you if they don't see you, they won't know you. Right. How do you get in front of their face? The cost of marketing on those platforms is very different than it was a few years ago.

TIffany Woolley 43:52

So I didn't realize that part.

Katia Rudnick 43:53

Well, yeah, of course. Because it's not that, you know, how do you how do you learn how does brand become more famous? Either that or some uh maybe a celebrity, you know, sharing it with their following.

TIffany Woolley 44:08

Um so yeah, I think And was that helpful in the beginning for you, the the influencer route or yeah, and it still is.

Katia Rudnick 44:16

You know, I have a couple of um, you know, I have one strong influencer that uh um I have worked with for many years, and I think the reason that we continue working together is because she built a very organic following raw. She's like a real deal kind of woman. And that's how my jewelry is. Right. You know, and she the way she taught she uh her customer, her followers trust her. And so it's not just an empty, here's a pretty necklace, or like you can feel it. Yeah, you know, you can feel um uh how your product is being presented. And for mine, it's really important that whoever presenting it is uh presenting it similar as I do, yeah, you know, and expresses how what it really is. So if if it's an influencer that is pitching 10 different products a day, how do you stand out and work? No.

Oxidized Finish And Design DNA

TIffany Woolley 45:15

Because they're selling, you know, gummies, anything, you know, anything and everything.

Katia Rudnick 45:21

Yeah, exactly. You know what I mean? Yes, and there's so much of that now, which is like such a whole nother process. It's a cool yeah, it's a very we're living through interesting times. It's true.

Scott Woolley 45:33

Do you do you advertise a lot? So that's how it's on social or do you do print or we don't do print.

Katia Rudnick 45:41

We do yeah, social uh events basically mostly it's been you know uh uh Matter um Instagram has been our isn't that just amazing, really, at the same time.

TIffany Woolley 45:53

Yeah.

Katia Rudnick 45:53

I mean and so I'm looking forward to this kiosk.

TIffany Woolley 45:56

Uh actually tell us that's obviously the next phase. You're gonna do kiosk. The kiosk, yeah.

Katia Rudnick 46:02

You know, we've been thinking about uh opening a store. We've been talking about it last year, uh but I'm really and it was a little bit of an overwhelming thought for me because it's like a big deal. And then there was the opportunity came with Simon Mall in Boca Town Center where they offered us a spot in um Nordstrom Wing. Okay. Uh and um yeah, so we uh open our April 1st is uh where we'll start. So it's it's it's a little crazy right now. You're h you're hiring new people to empower them and meeting with a um designer uh we're building the kiosk, you know.

TIffany Woolley 46:45

So I was I was gonna say, what is that process even look like? Because you're like, where do you start? Right. You know? And is it a kiosk like a cart or is it a kiosk like a counter?

Katia Rudnick 46:56

It's a kiosk like 10 by 10 kiosk. So it was like, you know, first you start looking for inspirations, and it still has to come from me, just like my junior, it was like I can't just hire someone, make it like it has to be something that feels right to me. I'm not uh a space designer or uh, you know, uh it was but but I do like I do know what I like or don't like.

Scott Woolley 47:22

Is it a kiosk that you're in the middle of it and the counters surround you?

TIffany Woolley 47:27

So people can try on and look and you have mirror and like all of that. Yeah.

Katia Rudnick 47:32

Yeah, and I I so I've been kind of going back and forth, and I'm like so excited about what it's starting to look like. We're pretty much the okay. It's like I I'm like happier than so you're having to design your kiosk.

Scott Woolley 47:49

Yeah, the colors, what it's like. And then you've got a buy a or or get a POS system, cash register.

Katia Rudnick 47:54

Yeah, yeah, everything. And you know, and that design uh has to be approved by them all. Right. Because it has to be aesthetically uh into the standards, you can't just do whatever. So it's been really, really interesting, yeah. And I'm excited because that is going to so many times people message me and they're like, Do you have a physical store?

Speaker 4 48:15

Yeah.

Creative Process And Collections

Katia Rudnick 48:15

I said we don't have a store, we have a studio, you can pick up your order there if you're local, but it's not a place where you can come and try things on, only online. This is gonna be our first official location where people will be able to come in and feel in touch and and try things on.

TIffany Woolley 48:33

And so will you when you like roll out the kiosk, I mean will you have like an event re associated with that? Yeah.

Katia Rudnick 48:41

Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I again, it's like a lot happening.

Scott Woolley 48:45

You see yourself working it in there? Yeah.

Katia Rudnick 48:49

I'm gonna have to. In the beginning, yeah, to figure it out, you know.

Scott Woolley 48:52

Uh the biggest thing I think, because I've been in the retail business and having lots of grocery stores, micro stores, is the personality behind or the person that's there. To engage the consumer. Yes. That engagement. It's everything. Yeah. That's like you said, about 50% repeat customers. Yeah. The right engagement. The right engagement is everything. Yeah.

TIffany Woolley 49:15

Have any of your girls shown an interest in jumping on board with the city? A little bit.

Katia Rudnick 49:20

Yeah, a little bit here and there, you know. And uh are they still living here? I have uh one twin daughter that lives in New York. Okay. She's been there for five years. Uh one lives here, who's actually working with me right now. Oh, wonderful. And then uh youngest daughter is uh in college and FSU. And who knows where the paths are going to go. You know, obviously it'd be really cool to continue to come, you know, and and make it a family business, but it's not something you want to be forced in, you know. No, it's understood. And I I'd rather almost them get an experience out there and then come in.

TIffany Woolley 50:00

Something that from that, you know, in the beginning of our conversation that I feel like I want to sh get out because it's like it's so crazy to me that you came from, you know, the communist background where like all feeling almost is kind of they don't want you to talk about it, and your creativity's pretty much forced or stuck in a box. And like how your life came full circle and where your creativity and your drive and your American dream.

Scott Woolley 50:34

And then you start a business like this at 40 years old.

Katia Rudnick 50:37

Right. And and and and uh that is again, you know, the this country is so amazing.

TIffany Woolley 50:45

So amazing.

Katia Rudnick 50:46

Because an opportun like who would think about this? And where else can you do this? I know.

Scott Woolley 50:52

Um But you can tell listening to you, you're not going to work every day. You're going to on an adventure every day, you're enjoying what you're doing.

Katia Rudnick 50:59

I'm I'm I'm enjoying what I'm doing. Uh obviously, as a business owner, which is which is there's it's it's it's it's work because there's daily, but but uh but I think if you're not loving, if you're not passionate about what you do, then it's not fun. Yeah, yeah. You have to love what you're doing.

Scott Woolley 51:18

I think your success is gonna continue to grow and grow and grow because of that.

Katia Rudnick 51:21

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for saying that.

TIffany Woolley 51:24

Well, definitely, and I just feel like you know, any challenges you do come across, you use those as things to propel you just to continue that growth.

Scott Woolley 51:34

Well, just all of her sayings on the jewelry are motivating every day.

Education, Scarcity, And Releases

Katia Rudnick 51:38

Yeah, you know, the challenges are gonna happen. Yes, it's it's it's it's do we value the problem attention or do we give the solution attention? Love that. Absolutely. So, and that is really that's the mindset that will make the difference in your life experience. Correct. You know, it's it's and we all need daily reminders. Daily reminders, how do we want to look at things? Yeah, right? As uh um Wayne Darius said, uh, change the way you look at things and the things you look at change. Right. Oh, wow, that I know that's it. That's it. It's so simple. You can be miserable or you can be uh grateful and happy and blessed.

TIffany Woolley 52:19

I know, why don't we do it? In the same situation, I know why do we complicate it so much, right?

Katia Rudnick 52:24

We do it, we sure do. We're good at that. We're so good at it. We're like, you know what? I just want to concentrate on that problem. And and then everything is just you know, and until we get hit in the head, we're like, okay, you know what? It it's I think it's enough. I need to make a change. Yes, it's just it's it's we're humans. That's how we also grow and expand because it's it's a necessary part of it.

TIffany Woolley 52:51

So you mentioned yoga was obviously a pivotal point and all of that. Is that something that you continue to you know rely on or uh yes, yeah.

Katia Rudnick 53:02

I mean exercising for me has been major part. Yoga I I practice still once or twice a week. And it's also I I actually was saying in my recent post how working out is uh is a is is is another form of meditation because when you're working out hard, you can't think about stuff that you shouldn't be thinking about, which is obvious that's the most that's the the the most important thing about meditation is how do you turn your monkey brain off, you know? So the when so when I uh I I love lifting weights, you know. I uh often throw in some videos about that. I l uh because for me uh lifting heavy weights, I've done some bodybuilding competitions, did some CrossFit and yoga, and all of that has been tremendous. And like when you add that to everything else, uh I think it's it's it's it's a magical touch that can be so helpful that a lot of people don't even realize because when you're physically strong, you're mentally uh even stronger. You know? Yeah, so it you're meditating, uh you're turning your brain off, you're allowing yourself to receive what you need to receive, and at the same time you maintaining your temple. Yeah. That's that's so yoga, yes, lifting heavy weights, yes. Um even on the days when you don't want to.

TIffany Woolley 54:45

So have you taken on it? I mean, obviously you're an influencer for your brand and your lifestyle, which is the brand. Do you dabble in the influencing as well?

Social Shifts And Retail Strategy

Katia Rudnick 54:54

Or is that something a little bit, and I'm open to it, you know. I think like sometimes I will make a post and I'll call it things I like. That has nothing to do with my product, but I'll uh, you know, it might be a shirt uh or it might be a lipstick that I love that I've been using for years. Right. And I'll post it not gatekeeping, and and my customers love it, you know? Yeah, I'm sure. Sometimes they and they ask, they ask us. I'm sure uh where did you get this, where did you get that, because they kind of they like my whole relaxed look, you know? And and by the way, we also do, we have a small apparel line, which you remind me of. We uh early, uh maybe three years ago, I uh bought uh a shirt that I really liked. It was a white buttoned-down shirt, and I started using it in a lot of my videos because it provided such a clean canvas for my jewelry. And I was making so many videos with it, and people would ask me, Where'd you buy it? Where'd you buy it? And the beginning I was like, I bought it in this company, and I was constantly sending the link to this company, and then I was telling I was you know telling my husband, like everyone was asking, he's like, we need to create our own, you know, let's do it. Canvas, and so that's how the Gara shirt was born. Uh in the garage. Uh from from this. So we we found the vendor, went through the whole process back and forth testing it out, finding the right fabric, finding the right uh cut. And uh we have and all and and scarves. I love wearing scarves. So it's actually funny because our gutter shirts are always on the number three most sold items. We're jewelry company. Right. But the sh but the shirts that the gutter shirts Well that makes sense because it's they love the look. Yeah. So our shirts and the scarves, a lot of customers they kind of like love that whole thing. Because that's like that's how I do it. You know, I don't leave the house without one of my scarves. Like I put it in my back. Right. It's uh it's like my like a blanket security blanket. It's my security. And I we call them just breathe, also. Like you the way I sell it is that scarf is a beautiful accessory, but you hold on to it when you need to get grounded during the day.

TIffany Woolley 57:21

Yes.

Katia Rudnick 57:22

Um, the same as the goddess shirt. You feel like a goddess when you wear it. So there's similar approach as the jewelry uh to so uh would I, you know, are there more apparel or other wellness items that can come into this brand? Absolutely. You're you're but I'm very picky.

TIffany Woolley 57:42

You're evolving, but selective.

Katia Rudnick 57:44

Selective, very, yeah, yeah.

TIffany Woolley 57:46

I don't just like and will those be available at the kiosk as well?

Katia Rudnick 57:51

Probably not in the beginning. Okay, you know, but maybe you know, we'll have to prove this first uh store and then work out all your kinks. Work out the kings, yeah. And then I think uh once it's proven, then we'll go. You'll just keep going.

TIffany Woolley 58:07

Yeah. Well, thank you. Thank you so much for joining us on the iDesign Lab today.

Katia Rudnick 58:14

Repeat what your website so people website is KatiDesigns.com. And your Instagram is Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, also Kati Designs. Yeah, you can Google. Uh we have over 10,000 five-star reviews. Our reviews are like love letters. Oh, is that wonderful? Yeah, we have we so you can Google our reviews, you can see our verified uh buyers' reviews on our website. We're a real deal.

TIffany Woolley 58:40

Wow, what a beautiful testament, too. Thank you.

Katia Rudnick 58:42

Thanks for being aware.

TIffany Woolley 58:44

Thank you, guys.

Katia Rudnick 58:44

It made this really enjoyable.

TIffany Woolley 58:47

Thank you. Thank you for tuning in to the iDesign Lab Podcast. Have a great day.

Voice Over 58:54

iDesign Labs Podcast is an SW group production in association with the five star and TW Interiors. To learn more about iDesign Lab or TW Interiors, please visit TWInteriors.com.