flourish and thrive academy

#258 Birthday Episode – Change Your Story with Jason Ayers

By Tracy Matthews / June 30, 2020

Happy Birthday to Flourish & Thrive Academy! 8 years ago Robin and I committed to demystifying the jewelry industry and helping designers find their spark and build businesses that support their creativity. Since then, F&TA has undergone a…

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#256 Core Values and How to Position Your Brand to Align with Them

By Tracy Matthews / June 16, 2020

I want to do something a little different this week… 2020 has been a year of reflection and change for me, and I hope it has been for you, too.  So I decided to reevaluate and get real…

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#255 From Burnout to Business Bliss with Jennifer Dawes

By Tracy Matthews / June 2, 2020

What happens when you’re doing the thing you’re supposed to love but the stress of it is taking a toll on your personal life? Business burnout is no joke! Sometimes you may even want to give up. But…

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#252 The Fine Jewelry Virtual Trunk Show That Brought in 39K in 2 Hours with Shehana Kimiangatau

By Tracy Matthews / May 12, 2020

Many designers feel weird about selling right now, but now is the time for online businesses to grow in a major way. People are cooped up at home and are shopping online more than ever.  With so many…

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Bonus Episode #2: Your Jewelry and Product Business in the Face of Uncertainty

By Tracy Matthews / March 19, 2020

Are you freaking out a little bit? Don’t worry, the voice of reason is here! I’m talking about Jason R. Ayers, of course. In Part 1 we talked about what you can do to protect your mindset and…

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#240 How to Polarize to Magnetize Through Your Branding with Re Perez

By Tracy Matthews / February 25, 2020

Jewelry designers are a kooky lot. We know how to embrace the weird that makes us unique in a world that would often rather stifle it. My friend Re Perez is someone who knows a thing or two…

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#236 Celebrating Our Students’ Successes

By Tracy Matthews / January 28, 2020

Building a business takes courage. I’ve seen designers try to do the same thing over and over again expecting something to change because they’re afraid of what might happen if they try something new. The monotony is familiar…

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#221 The Mindset of Strategic Growth with Jess Gebauer and Mary Ann Saville

By Tracy Matthews / October 15, 2019

Running a business is a full-time job. There’s so much to keep track of, and it takes serious focus to stay on top of everything. Now imagine running TWO! Introducing, Mary Ann Saville… Mary Ann owns two different…

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#219 Top 10 Takeaways of Our SOS Live Retreat (Success Stories with Designers)

By Tracy Matthews / October 1, 2019

I am just beaming today, m’dear!  My team and I just wrapped up our quarterly SOS Live Retreat in NYC… and it was incredible! When I was just getting started in business, it was mastermind sessions with peers…

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#217 How One Designer Increased Her Sales by 47% After the Tragic Loss of Her Mother with Twyla Dill

By Tracy Matthews / September 17, 2019

I am constantly blown away by the resilience and creativity from the designers in our community. Twyla Dill is one radiant example. While living in Turkey, Twyla learned how to make Oya, a delicate lace crocheted from thread.…

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