With everything going on in the world today, I’m finding it challenging to remain hopeful but, still, worth it to keep trying. When will the pandemic end? What will happen after this huge change? There’s so much uncertainty but what helps me get through each day are positivity reminders, and I’m so glad to have recently come across the jewelry line Fortune & Frame.
Each piece from the collection includes a fortune (like the ones inside fortune cookies) that you can either personalize or choose from. The ones written by the brand’s founder and designer Gretel Going all speak to happiness as something you work hard for, not something you’re just born with. I love this mindset and believe it’s so true that everything is a work in progress—feelings included!
Fortune & Frame has been through several evolutions since its start in 2014. Before lockets, the brand once created brass fortune frames with easels so they could sit on a desk or hang on a wall. Now, the designs can be worn as necklaces, bracelets, and rings, and can be kept closer to you every day.
For my fortune, I chose “Distance only makes the heart grow fonder,” a saying that my friend Brittany mentioned the other day over the phone. Being temporarily away from the city and regular life has been hard but this experience made me more grateful for what I have and the people in my life.
Read on for Gretel’s thoughts on the creative process behind Fortune & Frame!
Are there any fun, behind-the-scenes moments on how you usually come up with your fortunes?
I wish that my process for coming up with fortunes was a little bit more magical, but it’s actually really random. When I first launched the brand, I was going through a transitional period in my life, where I was kind of figuring out myself and life and everything in between. During that phase, I was searching for answers and had opened myself up to hearing them too. A lot of our original fortunes come from that time and that openness.
One thing I’ve realized about our fortunes is that a lot of them are about strength, self-care, healing, and taking control of or designing your life. They cover a lot of ground, but there’s still so much more to cover, especially right now.”
Gretel Going, Founder and Designer of Fortune & Frame
People are looking for hope, encouragement, confidence, reassurance… They’re also looking for basic occasion-based messages, like graduation and Mother’s Day. The list goes on. We’re launching a new website in a couple of weeks and it will feature the fortunes submitted by customers, as well as famous quotes. That will let us expand beyond our original messages and ensure that we hit all the right moments and moods that our customers are looking for.
What’s the best and most challenging part of your job?
Prioritizing what’s most important over what’s most interesting. There are so many things that I want to be doing—designing new pieces and initiatives, for instance—that don’t necessarily provide the highest value for the brand or business at all times. I mean, I can design all I want, but if the business side of the house isn’t selling what we’re creating, then… Until we have a larger team, I have to learn to prioritize things that support sales and other components of the business that keep it going.
Sometimes I catch myself feeling sorry for myself that I can just do what I want, and then simultaneously realize what an entitled attitude that is. Now, when I sit down and look at my to-do list, I try to start with the thing that is the least ‘fun,’ or I know I’ll keep putting it off. Once I complete the un-fun thing, I reward myself with something I’m more interested in. I have to trick myself basically.
What was the process like coming up with the idea to donate face masks to hospital workers?
We work closely with our factory and they sent us a note saying that they were sending us 300 masks to share with our friends and family. My boyfriend Kieran—who is also Fortune & Frame’s COO—looked into it more and asked them for a quote for the KN95 masks that all the hospitals need. When we found out how cheap they were compared to what people have been selling them for here online, we realized that we could afford to buy a few hundred on our own, but a much larger quantity if we did a fundraiser for our customers and others to participate in. We ended up raising enough for nearly 14,000 masks! I think one reason we were able to do this is because a lot of people have felt a little bit lost on how to support their communities. (I know I did.)
What’s the first thing you’re looking forward to doing once quarantine is over?
Having our team back! I’m a bit of a homebody, so I like staying in and creating, decorating, and dreaming. I’m also secretly a bit introverted, so I could live this lifestyle for a very long time. I do miss having our team in the office every day though. I also look forward to being able to go back out in public and not worry that everyone is somehow dangerous to be around (or for them to think that about me!). That’s an eerie and unnatural feeling. I think that seeing people out and about in their daily lives is something that feels really lost to me right now.
5 Quotes on Hope from Fortune & Frame:
Fun fact: The first fortune below was the original one that inspired the brand. “I loved it because I was metaphorically at the bottom of the mountain, and the fortune seemed like it knew something that I didn’t,” says Gretel.
• “There are many paths to the top of the mountain, but only one view.”
• “Get lost in the right direction.”
• “Fear will always be a thing. But don’t let it get in your way.”
• “Don’t make it look easy. The fact is it’s really hard and you’re doing it anyway.”
• “Trust the wait. Enjoy not knowing.”
Read them all here. Hope these bring a bit of joy to your day!
xx,
W
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