It all started with verbalizing a need in my community and finding I may have the passion in my heart to develop it.
Having never really been a “diamond” girl, I am absolutely in love with sterling silver, natural gemstone, handcrafted jewelry. Labradorite, turquoise, rainbow moonstone, rose quartz, aquamarine and the long list of other stones amaze me with their natural beauty. Beyond their brilliance, I get excited and can't help but smile at the thought of Toulou’s sterling silver pieces becoming jewelry adored not only by the customer, but also as a legacy passed down from generation to generation. On a personal note, I have many pieces of jewelry from my father —who was a hippy in the 70's and loved Native American turquoise jewelry—and grandmothers that I treasure dearly and wear in remembrance.
Speaking of legacy, I realized that with Toulou, I had an opportunity to launch a project that would become a part of my own personal story. I realized there was more to it than introducing people in my town to a silver jewelry company. On a personal note, there was a significant amount of motivation to develop Toulou to show my children what it means to work hard, to follow a dream and dedicate hours beyond the 9-5 to develop a passion. Entrepreneurship has become a powerful word for which I really didn't know growing up. I want to empower my children to think beyond the ordinary, believe in themselves and work hard at developing it all while knowing they can create it themselves.
After considering many names and admittedly even forming an LLC in another name, it dawned on me to coin this business after the two most important beings in my life—my daughter and son. So, how do I get Toulou from Kate and Jack? Well, their middle names are family legacies in themselves—Kate Louise and Jackson Lewis...see the two Lous there? Hence, Toulou...it has a ring and a very significant meaning.