Wendy Brandes Jewelry Blog

Never Is the Next New Thing

Recommended Reading/Listening

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I can’t do the lighthearted Throwback Thursday post I was planning in light of this week’s rash of killings of black men by police officers. Instead, I’ll share these links. I may add more later.

This is a good moment to mention that several times in recent months, people who are in my industry have wrinkled their noses at me and advised me to stay away from “breaking news” on my blog. Make it all about the jewelry, they said.  Here’s my belated answer to them: No.

This blog was started because of a business and it still primarily serves a business purpose, but, at the same time, that business is me and I am that business. My blog and jewelry designs are inherently personal. People have always urged me to tone myself down at work, be more of a “yes man.” But I didn’t care much about that when I worked at the Wall Street Journal or People magazine or Lehman Brothers, and I care a lot less now. I know that I’m a niche market, not Walmart, so I don’t need to appeal to everyone. If you enjoy my niche, I am thankful every day for your support. (I mean it. I think of it all the time.) If you don’t enjoy what I do, read something else. Buy another designer’s jewelry! Just don’t give me that tired “Can I give you a piece of advice?” line. My answer is … No.

UPDATED JULY 8 TO ADD: In light of last night’s tragic killing of Dallas police officers by a sniper, this 2014 quote from Jon Stewart has been recirculating on social media. I agree with it wholeheartedly.

jonstewart

Click for source.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. I am heartsick today and I wanted to make sure you knew how much I appreciated this collection of links. Thank you very much for this post and for turning a deaf ear to that bad advice to stay away from issues that are important to you (and to your readers).

    • Thank you for your support <3
      I'm going to add to the links ... but right now I'm glued to the screen as the events in Dallas unfold. I'm horrified.

  2. Thanks for these links, Wendy.
    As the only American in my Pilates class (and in every other sphere of my life, actually), I was besieged with questions about what on earth was going on in America. Dallas hadn’t happened at that hour yesterday, and they hadn’t even yet heard about Philando Castile–they were wondering about Alton Sterling. “How could they just shoot him like that?”
    I could not explain.

  3. I like what you do, if I did not I would not be here. People need to open a new window soemtimes and see something different. You are that window.

  4. You have a business that is filled with your heart. It is a huge part of why it is successful. Please don’t tone that down. And thank you for reminding us that we hate mansplaining and whitesplaining is just as awful.

    • In the past couple of years, I’ve been especially struck by the fact that some really good, good men I know — great men who have always helped women professionally — just don’t have certain experiences I have had, like walking into a meeting and being the only woman there and feeling like I don’t belong. Now I feel hyper-aware that the same thing applies in other situations and that even people who mean well can be oblivious to someone else’s intense discomfort.

  5. Great stuff! Jewelry is personal and should have personality. The designer and the product are inextricably linked. That makes it authentic and attractive.

  8. I came to your blog before I was a customer of your jewelry business. I keep coming back here because it’s not only about your business. You’ve made me think and laugh. You educate and entertain and you do it from a personal place. All that makes for one of the best blogs out there, IMHO. You’s gots to be you! And we appreciate it more than you know.