Sara-I’m so excited to be here! i love the vibe of the podcast, and feel like me and your listeners have so much in common, and so excited to share my story. i’m a professional opera singer and an estate fine jewelry curator, and i own https://songbirdsaraantiquejewelry.com i don’t love the word side hustle anymore, because i’ve found there’s no one aspect of my career that’s more important.

Shanna- Tell us a little about the name of your jewelry company!

you are more capable than you realize- podcast

Sara- I wanted a name that spoke to both of my passions and got to the core of who i am and makes me unique, and looking through pieces that inspired me. I found these beautiful art deco ones that featured swallows that were filled with diamonds, and it just clicked! and even my logo depicts that

Shanna- Tell us about your story and what got your started?

Sara- i’ve been obsessed with vintage and antique jewelry for over a decade, and even worked at a bead store and obsessed with different gemstones. And then for my 16th birthday i wanted a diamond ring and specified that i wanted it to be REALLY old. It got me researching everything jewelry related, and became my secret obsession of reading, research, and join forums as a hobby and then pieces started finding me. I always wanted to turn into a business and now that it IS my network of antique wholesalers has opened a whole new world. But it really comes from a deep love and obsession.

Sara- my husband and i are both opera singers, so we travel all over the world, i’m able to make those connections with people and it’s amazing opportunity to see those styles in different parts of the world and i’ve made those professional relationships. The two aspects of my career really compliment each other.

Sara- Antique is 100 years or older and vintage is 20 years or older, and my sweet spot is Art Decor and Edwardian. The things i love are the 1910’s and early 1920’s.

Shanna- Let’s dig into your niche and the divorce rings and how that started?

Sara- I started dating my ex-husband when i was 16, and it was the first relationships we were in and it was unhealthy, but I didn’t know any different. And i heard how relationships are tough, and you have to work at it, so i didn’t realize it was emotionally abusive. I found out he was having an affair, and that’s when i filed for divorce. That was a re-birth moment, it was one of the most painful, but it was the best thing that happened to me. I got through a difficult time, and it was a year where i was working a lot and i was working on an Opera and i found this beautiful ring right from that spot i told you about 1918/1920 and it’s called a dinner ring. With three large diamonds surrounded by smaller, and i missed wearing my engagement ring, i didn’t miss my marriage but i missed my jewelry. So i saw this ring and decided i was going to buy it for myself. It was the first major purchase i made for myself.

i wore it to rehearsal and it SPARKLES! [pictured above on her right hand]- All my cast mates what was on my hand and i said “it’s my divorce ring! do you like it?” I hadn’t thought about it, but that was the first thing out of my mouth, and it was really my joy and purchase and gave my colleagues the permission to celebrate with me. So i shared my story and other women started coming to me wanting that too. So much of the jewelry out there is centered around couples, so my business gave women a place a divorce ring a place where they’re understood what they’re celebrating and celebrate with them.

Shanna- Where did it lead to then, this niche?

Sara- Divorce are may a 1/4 of the business i do, but i have noticed that my customers are women who are buying it for themselves. It used to be jewelry was bestowed and now women are using their own money to buy jewelry, and it’s so meaningful and a way to express yourself. And this antique and vintage jewelry is a way to have something that no one else has.

Shanna- Let’s transition from that to business- how self-perception has changed and what you can accomplish now

Sara- During my marriage, i was told the narrative that i’m creative and he was the practical one- and that led to a lot of control and financial control. I wasn’t a part of the day to day household- i started to believe i wasn’t good with money. On top of that, i was told “you’d be nothing without me..” after a while when you’re told those things from someone who’s supposed to love you, you start. to believe them. When i started this business, i was like “i’m amazing at this!” And just the feeling that i have the power to do this, but i can THRIVE at this, was groundbreaking for me. It was such a confidence booster to be in control of my finances and then start my own business and succeed in it while doing the artistic stuff as well, it was such a healing piece for me.

Shanna- It speaks volumes to how capable you and women are, and i love how you found your passion and took what you love and found a way to make it a business. And will you talk about One Love Foundation?

Sara-i discovered them right out of my marriage, and i had never been in another relationship so i didn’t know the lines/boundaries. i really had to work on myself including therapy and reading and stumbled upon the Foundation and it clearly cut way it labeled healthy vs unhealthy relationships behaviors. And all the sudden, i saw i was in an unhealthy relationship, it was text book emotional abuse but i didn’t know what to call it at the time. So they train people to go into schools and talk to young people about abuse and unhealthy and healthy behaviors. i got trained, and combined it with Opera because so many Operas depict unhealthy relationships. I went to three different schools and 150 students about my story and relationship behaviors and how it pertains to the opera.

Shanna- i truly admire that you took this incredible career and made it even MORE special to help more people and help people in relationships.

Sara- When people are in emotionally abusive relationships you end up thinking it’s your fault and you’re crazy, so it was freeing to an extent. But i felt it was my responsibility to help other people.

Shanna- Absolutely, i felt that way- a way to connect with people in the future when you go through those painful times.

Moving into business- having multiple streams of income and especially important today.

Sara-my wonderful now husband are both professional opera singers, and right now it’s a devastating time for our industry- a lot of gigs have been cancelled and it’s a scary time to be a performer, and i’m so grateful i built this business in the meantime.

There’s a stigma having a side career in the creative world- if you didn’t make ALL your money in that career, it took away from being legitimate. And i’ve had so many passions, and i think of it like pop singers do- you’re building a brand- like JLo she had a perfume, dances, singer, acts and no one says “she’s not a singer if she has these other things” but it’s building a big unified brand so we have more streams of income but also so we’re more interesting artists.

Shanna- we talked about marketing before- i told you, you’re fabulous at it, so what do YOU do to market?

Sara- I’ve had friends in the past ask me for helping on networking/social media/ i’m always flattered but don’t know what to tell them because i don’t think of it as marketing- i like to connect with interesting people. So if you’re authentic with what you’re excited about and seek out people who have that same level, you are drawn to that person and you’re marketing to people who are there for it. And you want to attract your people.

Shanna- Absolutely, you want to attract your people and repel the people who won’t be excited about your brand. How about advice for people feeling stuck?

Sara- Redefine your lines in the sand, and spend some time being honest where that line is and where you wish it was.

Shanna- any advice to those listening to get started!

Sara- right now is a good time to start (businesses) there are no rules about what businesses look like. It opens new opportunities to what might work. Things that don’t work are giving you information that is so vital

Shanna- What does your life look like now?

Sara- i got remarried last June, and like i mentioned we’re both Opera singers, we live in a luxery camper, and we started full time camping living in 2017 we went across the country 4 complete times. We are on a contract as performers so we have 4-12 weeks in locations and now it’s our full time home! Which means we are wherever the other person has to be. We have a map with stickers with every place we haven’t been yet and make a celebration every time we pull into a new state!

i don’t think i had a failed marriage. i had an experience, and i figured out the kind of life i wanted. And as cliche as it sounds, i love my life.

Shanna- Follow Sara online above!

Thank you so much Sara, you are truly a joy, and i can’t wait to meet!

Keep Shining

Shanna Star Magnuson