A few weeks ago, Misty Nagan of De Pere posted the sad news to the thousands of customers who follow her business, SilverWear by Misty, on Facebook.
“We made lots of new things for the market tomorrow (The Broadway Farmers Market),” it read. “Stop by to say goodbye … Our last Farmers Market EVER!”
Nagan, who has made quite the name for herself as a silverware artist, is leaving De Pere and her business after 11 successful years. As she hopes to sell her business, Nagan looks back at a career that started in the medical field before her hobby became a business.
A graduate of Bay Port High School, she earned a degree in clinical laboratory science at Marquette University and spent 17 years in a variety of roles in that field. But as she helped her mom sell silverware jewelry at farmers markets, Nagan saw that there was a real demand for the creations.
She said, “I started to help out my mom and it was just crazy. We couldn’t keep up.”
Her mom had learned the craft from her mom, who lives in Arizona. The skill was passed along, and Nagan became a third-generation silverware artist.
She recalls watching her grandmother, now 86 years old, at work.
“Even at her age, she didn’t want to give it up,” Nagan said. “I learned so much from her and my mom. I learned that women can take something they like to do and make it a business and work from home. You have to have drive and a good work ethic; with that you can go out and do it.”
As a single mom, Nagan took this big step in her career seriously and cautiously. She continued to work, first full time and then part time, as she set up a studio in her house. And because she thought she needed to learn more about business, she signed up for a course at Urban Hub in Green Bay.
In that course, she created a business plan and got direction from instructors on a wide variety of topics. She also signed up for an art class at the NWTC Artisan Center.
She said, “My grandmother started on her own with her personal tools and I wanted to make sure that I knew the proper way to do what we were doing. I asked, ‘Is there a different way to do this or a way to be more efficient? How should I stamp? What about soldering?’”
When she felt like she had a good grasp on the artistic process and business, she formed an LLC, and with a cushion of money she had set aside, began to research the show circuit and where she could have the most success.
“I crossed all my t’s and dotted all my i’s. I did more budgeting than I had ever done before because it was all on me. But I knew I was a hard worker; I wanted to take this business to a high level,” she said.
In doing research, she searched for the most popular farmers markets and set a spring/summer schedule. But she also needed income during the off season (January to May) and discovered the vintage show market. That led to a busy schedule that had her traveling throughout the country.
“I love traveling, going to different places, and meeting new people. I loved going to a new show. It uplifted my energy to try new restaurants and talk to people who haven’t seen my jewelry yet and really appreciate it,” she said.
Last year, she did more than 80 shows; most by herself, but several with the help of one of her assistants. The list included many in Wisconsin and others in Indiana, Minnesota, Michigan, Illinois, and Nebraska. Her final show will be “an encore in Arizona” where she will end her tours with her grandmother, Vonnie, the first of the three generations of silverware designers.
“It just feels like perfection,” she said.
Selling at the shows accounted for the highest percentage of gross sales, but Nagan also sold on Etsy, had a flourishing wholesale business, and did hundreds and hundreds of custom orders. Most of those were heirloom pieces. Customers brought in treasured family tableware and Nagan transformed pieces into items like a ring, bracelet, or earrings.
Often, photos of the finished jewelry were posted on social media pages where they generated more sales and the number of followers grew.
“I hired marketing people to design my website and social media pages,” she said. “With that, I had professional photos and headshots — everything was done to create a level of elegance.”
She did some updates on social media, but has found it harder to make time for it as her modeling and acting career is gaining momentum. Much of that is attributed to the same sense of joy that she brought to SilverWear by Misty.
She said, “I have a quirky personality and I make people laugh. I like to inspire people, share a quote, and be a person someone can come to and talk.”
One of those quotes has inspired her due to her lack of experience before starting a business.
“I would tell myself, ‘Everything is figure-out-able,’” Nagan noted. “Education is a tool and you can figure out whatever you need to learn – it is information and power.”
That is something she would recommend to other would-be entrepreneurs. Just as she started slowly and with business classes, in looking back, she says she did it the right way and there isn’t anything she would have done differently. Learning, building up slowly, and doing research are the main components of her successful startup.
Her new career also has a learning curve. Nagan is relocating to Milwaukee where she has already been doing lifestyle modeling, including hand modeling, and has had bit parts on shows like Chicago Med.
“I hit my goals with my business and I’m where I wanted to be,” she commented. “I already have a pretty good modeling and acting resume and have auditions almost daily. I have signed with six different agencies and it is kind of like starting a business all over again. It is a whole new exciting hunt.”
As she makes the move, Nagan hopes that someone will be interested in buying her business (she can be contacted through the website, silverwearbymisty.com). She has everything in place that a new owner, with training, can use to continue the legacy of three generations of artists.
Tina Dettman-Bielefeldt is co-owner of DB Commercial Real Estate in Green Bay and past district director for SCORE, Wisconsin.
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Silverware artist grows successful business, now looking for a buyer
