304. How the Jewellers Visibility Retreat Helped Vicky Grow Her Jewellery Business

In this week's episode, host Anna Campbell is joined by Vicky Barclay of Silver Snail Jewellery to talk about her journey from a high-pressure university career into jewellery making and business ownership through silver clay. Vicky shares how discovering silver clay during a difficult period in her life gave her a creative outlet, a new direction and eventually a business. What started as a single workshop quickly grew into a passion, and then into a jewellery business built through craft fairs, community and continuous learning. They discuss why silver clay is such an accessible and exciting medium, the realities of building a jewellery business, and the importance of investing in your skills and confidence. Vicky also shares her experience of the Diploma in Silver Metal Clay and how it helped her deepen her knowledge and build confidence in her work. The conversation also explores the importance of visibility in business, and Vicky reflects on her experience of attending the Jewellers Visibility Retreat at Jewellers Academy Brighton, where she developed skills in photography, social media and marketing, and gained clarity on how to grow her business. Key Moments 02:56: Vicky's life before jewellery and the stressful university career that led her to seek a creative outlet 04:37: Discovering silver clay for the first time and the moment it clicked for her 07:04: What silver clay is and why it's such an accessible medium 10:44: Realising silver clay was "her thing" and beginning her jewellery journey 13:35: How Silver Snail Jewellery started and building confidence through craft fairs 17:15: Deciding to leave her university job and focus on her jewellery business 25:24: Why Vicky enrolled on the Diploma in Silver Metal Clay 28:19: What she learned from the Diploma and the value of community 30:13: Vicky's experience of the Jewellers Visibility Retreat 37:19: The biggest lesson from the retreat: why you don't have to do everything yourself   Jewellers Visibility Retreat at Jewellers Academy Brighton https://www.jewellersacademybrighton.com/jewellers-visibility-retreat Diploma in Silver Metal Clay https://www.jewellersacademy.com/diploma-in-silver-metal-clay Silver Snail Jewellery https://silversnailjewellery.co.uk/