Aran – owner, designer, photographer, shipping manager, CEO, web designer...
If you've purchased a piece from Aide-mémoire, Aran has had a hand in process, whether that be in the design, production, shipping, or another of her many roles as the business owner.
What does a normal workday look like for you?
Aran: As soon as I wake up in the morning, I make a cup of tea and start working from home. Sometimes that means photographing finished pieces, editing photographs, answering emails, ordering materials. Usually around noon, I run errands then go into the studio. Once there, I meet with Alaina and June to talk about what's going on. Then I work on designs, meet with customers, meet with vendors, and do all the million and one random things that are part of running a business. Some days I'll work as late as 11:00pm, and some days I'll stop as early as 3:00pm. It just depends on my to do list and if I'm feeling inspired. If I'm feeling inspired, I love working late after everyone is gone.
What do you listen to while you work?
Depends on my mood. I go through NPR phases, audiobook phases, music phases, and podcast phases. I also like to play the beginning of Stephen Colbert, The Daily Show and Seth Meyers every day. It's usually on in the background, then I typically turn it off when they get to the guests. I just like to hear them make fun of the news.
Favorite snack while you work?
Chocolate for sure! Then I like to have a banana with almond butter at 4:00pm (aka banana break).
What got you interested in working with jewelry?
I started in metals making larger scale functional work and sculptural work. But it's always been my dream to make a living selling things I create. When I was doing the Core Fellowship Program at Penland School of Crafts I realized that jewelry was easier to sell than lamps and belt buckles. Plus I love collecting jewelry and really appreciate the way that jewelry becomes imbued with meaning and memories, so I transitioned from big metal to small metal.
Do you have a personal favorite piece of jewelry?
Oh my gosh, so many. Too many to pick just one. I have a large collection of unique earrings that I buy from different artists when I travel, or I'm at a jewelry show, or craft school. I go through phases where I'll wear one pair everyday for a while then switch it up. No, I guess I'm too mercurial to have a favorite piece.
Do you have a particular favorite Aide-mémoire project that you’ve worked on?
I think all the ones where we get to work with family heirloom diamonds are my favorite. I just love hearing the stories about where the diamonds came from, checking them out under the microscope to see their unique cuts and characteristics, then giving them new life so that they will be worn everyday again. That's why I love making wedding bands – they are worn every day.
What do you like most about working for/owning a small business?
I love the flexibility and the ability to be self-directed. I'm a very driven person, and I always struggled in jobs where I wasn't given enough freedom to utilize my abilities. I like how each day is a little different and I can follow my passions. I'm also not a morning person, which is why I don't usually leave the house until noon-ish. 12-8pm is when I'm at my peak. I need mornings to myself. I will start working earlier, but I just need alone time while my brain to gets up to speed.
Alaina – customer service & studio coordinator
If you call or email the shop, there's a good chance it's Alaina you're talking with. Alaina is the studio coordinator, our customer service super star, and occasional hand model.
What does a normal workday look like for you?
Alaina: A big cup of coffee to start my day once I get in to the studio while I sort through the emails that have come in. Depending on what my inbox looks like, after that I’ll work on projects, put together estimates, do some photography, ship orders… Every day is a different combination of activities, and I really like that.
What do you listen to while you work?
It depends on my mood and what I’m doing! I don’t listen to anything if I’m writing emails (can’t focus), but if I’m working on photography or shipping orders, I’ll listen to music or sometimes a podcast (though I put earbuds in and forget to turn any music on a lot of the time).
Favorite snack while you work?
Pretzels and/or a cup of mint-y green tea in the afternoon. I’m so terrible about starting a cup of tea and promptly forgetting it in the kitchen that June got me a tea-timer as a holiday gift last year. I still forget my tea, just a little bit less frequently.
What got you interested in working with jewelry?
I took a material science class in high school where we spent two weeks carving our own wax model for a ring, which was then cast and finished. Several years later, I melted that piece down and recast it as something else, but I've been crazy about the process ever since then. There's something about creating an object, an actual thing with my hands that is so insanely gratifying to me.
I also love and really appreciate the heirloom aspect of jewelry, that it’s something that’s worn and cared for and passed down, and all of the sentimentality behind it. I don't own any pieces of heirloom jewelry, but it's something I hope to be able to pass on someday.
Do you have a personal favorite piece of jewelry?
I’m quite partial to my engagement ring, but, besides that, I think that my favorite piece changes on a regular basis. Right now, my favorite piece that I wear daily is my 2mm Bump Ring, which has a little champagne diamond set in it.
Do you have a particular favorite Aide-mémoire project that you’ve worked on?
There’s so many that I could never choose—I think part of it, for me, is that some of my favorite projects/pieces are also tied up in remembering just how lovely the couple or customer was to work with—but a couple of standouts are this customized Ancient Band, a project we did back in 2017 where we re-set a number of heirloom diamonds from a customer's mother's wedding band set into eleven new pieces of jewelry (!!) to pass on to her family members, and this sapphire engagement ring.
What do you like most about working for a small business?
I love how closely I get to work with our customers! It makes my day—everyone’s day, really—to receive an email from a customer with pictures of them wearing their ring and to know that I had a hand in making that happen.
June – bench jeweler
If you order a piece of jewelry from us, it’s likely that June will work on it.
What does a normal workday look like for you?
June: First thing is a giant cup of decaf coffee! Then looking through and sorting my projects for the day. Some days I work on wedding bands all day, but the exciting days are when there’s lots of stone setting for me to do!
What do you listen to while you work?
Lots and lots of podcasts, audiobooks and music.
Favorite snack while you work?
Decaf in the morning and cup after cup of genmaicha tea in the afternoon!
What got you interested in working with jewelry?
The permanence of it, I think. I got really interested in rings and their meanings and values, and I love how something so small and so convenient can be treasured and passed down through generations. Since I’d been thinking so much about rings, I took a beginning ring making class and I’ve been hooked ever since.
Do you have a personal favorite piece of jewelry?
I’d have to say my grandmothers wedding band. A rose gold ring that said in relief all the way around “from Nat to Muriel 1934”. I believe the set (his said “from Muriel to Nat 1934” cost them only $13. I’ve been bugging my mom for years to lend it to me so I could have it molded and cast one for myself, but she recently lost it before I could. Still getting over that one. (June recently re-created that ring as a gift for her mother. You can see it and read more about it here.)
Do you have a particular favorite Aide-mémoire project that you’ve worked on?
Still thinking about that salt and pepper rose cut diamond in the 6 prong setting, that giant pink sapphire from a few weeks ago (droooooool). Oh, and that red wine colored sapphire was so beautiful, and of course the customer owned green/yellow/blue oval sapphire that I set this week. I’ll never forget that one. I keep videos of them all on my phone so I can re-visit. Also that three stone prong setting with the 3 blue sapphires!
What do you like most about working for a small business?
I love that everything Aide-Memoire makes is ethically sourced and eco friendly. I love that it’s woman owned and goes out of its way to cater to a diverse customer base. And of course the relaxed non corporate vibe.
June at work behind the bench.
Alexa – social media
Alexa is the voice of our Instagram and handles a lot of the behind the scenes social media and photo editing.
What does a normal workday look like for you?
Alexa: My ideal morning includes a glass of water, working out, then journaling with coffee. Working from home allows great flexibility which I love but I’ve learned I need to set a routine for myself in order to stay focused. At Aide-mémoire, I spend most of my time editing photos, updating our Etsy page and website, as well as help manage our social media accounts. My role in enhancing our presence online through product photography and community engagement has taught me so much about running a business that I hadn’t known prior to joining the team. One thing about working for a small, creative business is that no work day is exactly the same, which always keeps the work exciting.
What do you listen to while you work?
I listen to a lot of podcasts, especially ones relating to creativity, tarot, and world events. Other times, I prefer islander reggae + feel-good indie music.
Favorite snack while you work?
Flaming Hot Cheetos with lime! *pro-tip: eat with chopsticks so your fingers don’t turn orange!
What got you interested in working with jewelry?
I am a ceramic artist + potter (See Alexa's pottery here), so I hoped that working for a jewelry studio would be complementary to my research in creating meaningful, functional, and sustainable artwork- which was 110% the case! Also, my background is in interior architecture, and I like to think that jewelry and clothing are the body’s architecture. They help elevate the everyday human experience and allow you to effortlessly express yourself and the stories they tell.
Do you have a personal favorite piece of jewelry?
My silver ring with a bezel-set amethyst! It was a wedding gift from my husband’s grandmother, who is one of the most sincere & kind people I’ve ever met. She lives in Uruguay, where amethyst grows in abundance. It reminds me of the beautiful country, of her, my partner…oh, and it’s also my birthstone!
Do you have a particular favorite Aide-mémoire project that you’ve worked on?
TOO many beautiful product photos to choose! I can't pick a favorite project, but one of my favorite aspects of each and every piece created in our studio is made of 100% recycled metals.
What do you like most about working for a small business?
I really look up to Aran as a small-business mentor in the way she honors environmentalism, diversity, community, and inclusivity and effortlessly implements her values into the way she runs her business. It’s been so inspiring to me to see how a business can be run in a really thoughtful way, working closely with and for the community. I also just really love being part of a small team of creative & kind people who makes work not feel like "work" at all.
Mikko - website & graphic design
Mikko does a lot of the writing for the website and graphic design among other things.
What does a normal workday look like for you?
On a typical workday, I'll spend some quality time with my animals, then forage my kitchen for a patchwork of breakfast. I'll block out a dedicated chunk of time either in the morning or evening so that I can focus on Aide-Mémoire projects like writing product descriptions or crafting marketing materials.
What do you listen to while you work?
If I'm writing, I enjoy a low level of background "music" - like bird songs from the yard or my cat's snoring.
For design oriented projects, I might put on a Podcast or listen to the KEXP Pacific Notions playlist.
Favorite snack while you work?
Giant bucket of cheese popcorn
What got you interested in working with jewelry?
Reading about the history of jewelry is fascinating. For me, that's what peaks my jewelry curiosity.
Do you have a personal favorite piece of jewelry?
Many years ago, my daily commute involved walking past an antique jewelry store. One day, I noticed a very delicate, charming gold ring encircled by a chain of flowers in the window. I had never seen anything like it. This ring called out to me every day - until the day I made it my own. This is my favorite piece of jewelry.
Do you have a particular favorite Aide-mémoire project that you’ve worked on?
I've been having fun writing the descriptions for our jewelry listings. Expressing the personality of a ring or necklace is a great way to keep my brain engaged and energized! It makes me happy to hear customers say they enjoy reading them :)
What do you like most about working for a small business?
Working for a small business feels fulfilling. You really get to know the company you're working for, and what it stands for. That makes me feel good.
Soldering our Small Padlock Pendant.
Stone setting work a customized Basket Solitaire Engagement Ring.