Every once in a while, life throws us a curveball that completely transforms our path. Suzanne Dunn's story is a shining example of such a twist of fate, moving from the world of medical professionalism to the craft of jewelry design with an extraordinary mission. Her tale, replete with challenges that range from homelessness to building a brand steeped in empowerment, is the focus of our latest Shine On Success episode, proving that the truest form of resilience comes from within.
Throughout our conversation, Suzanne opens up about the intimate details of her journey, from the confines of living in a basement to the heights of jewelry success. Her ability to infuse personal narratives and a deep sense of empowerment into her jewelry designs is not just the foundation of her business, but also a beacon of hope for anyone chasing a dream. Listeners will be moved by her dedication to her values and her commitment to helping others find their own form of expression through her creations.
To wrap up, Suzanne imparts an inspirational message on the significance of faith and the power of storytelling, especially when channeled through the artisanship of jewelry making. Her vision extends beyond the glittering products she creates, touching the lives of her clients by immortalizing their stories in precious metals and gems. It's an episode that will not only captivate those interested in the transformative journey of an entrepreneur but will also resonate with anyone looking for a spark of motivation to forge their own success story.
Every once in a while, life throws us a curveball that completely transforms our path. Suzanne Dunn's story is a shining example of such a twist of fate, moving from the world of medical professionalism to the craft of jewelry design with an extraordinary mission. Her tale, replete with challenges that range from homelessness to building a brand steeped in empowerment, is the focus of our latest Shine On Success episode, proving that the truest form of resilience comes from within.
Throughout our conversation, Suzanne opens up about the intimate details of her journey, from the confines of living in a basement to the heights of jewelry success. Her ability to infuse personal narratives and a deep sense of empowerment into her jewelry designs is not just the foundation of her business, but also a beacon of hope for anyone chasing a dream. Listeners will be moved by her dedication to her values and her commitment to helping others find their own form of expression through her creations.
To wrap up, Suzanne imparts an inspirational message on the significance of faith and the power of storytelling, especially when channeled through the artisanship of jewelry making. Her vision extends beyond the glittering products she creates, touching the lives of her clients by immortalizing their stories in precious metals and gems. It's an episode that will not only captivate those interested in the transformative journey of an entrepreneur but will also resonate with anyone looking for a spark of motivation to forge their own success story.
Have you ever found a piece of jewelry that spoke to your soul? Imagine finding a piece that not only adorns your body but also tells your unique story. How would that look for you? Well, welcome back to another episode of Shine On Success. I am Dionne Malush, your host, and this is where we illuminate the paths of those who shine bright in their fields. Today, we're thrilled to have Suzanne Dunn, the visionary behind Suzanne Dunn jewelry, a brand that marries luxury with a social conscious born from a profound vision. In Suzanne's remarkable journey from aspiring medical professional to a beacon of hope and empowerment through jewelry design, her story is a testament to the power of faith, perseverance and the art of storytelling through design. Let's dive into how Suzanne's journey and her creations inspire and empower. Welcome, Suzanne, so glad to have you here. How are you doing today?
Suzanne Dunn:
I'm great. Thank you so very much, Dionne. Thank you for having me.
Dionne Malush:
I was so excited when I found out that you were interested in being on here. I was super excited. I love jewelry and I love positivity and they just combining it together is beautiful and it's just remarkable what you're doing. So you transition from a medical career to jewelry design. It's a really bold move, right? That's just complete opposites. What was the pivotal I'm sorry, pivotal moment that led you to pursue your passion for design and storytelling through jewelry?
Suzanne Dunn:
So I was. Actually. I had taken a little time off from medical school and I was working with a clinic, a mental health clinic, and there was an executive assistant there and she and I became close. And one day she came in. She was crying and she said that her daughter, her five-year-old daughter, was in the hospital with an. She had had an asthma episode and she was there by herself because her husband was out of town. So I said oh wow, why are you here? She said, well, because my boss that was the CEO of the clinic she needs me. And I said but you know you already got her ready. She said, yeah, but you know how she is. So I said anyway, let's pack up because you have to get back to the hospital.
Suzanne Dunn:
I had no kids at the time and her boss came out and she said may I please speak to you? And she said, of course, as she went in and she came up crying about 10 minutes later. But I said what's going on? And before she could answer her supervisor, her boss came out and had her hand at her hip and she said so what's it going to be your job or your child? And I had never. I didn't even know that was a legal question. I didn't know. I was shocked. So of course, I continue packing like quick, quickly, and I'm just like you, dolly, you have to leave.
Suzanne Dunn:
And she, she looked at me, she started crying and I said I can't leave because my husband would kill me if I lost the job. I said, well, your daughter is five years old and she's in the hospital. And she said I'm so sorry, I can't. And I left that day, dionne, I left crying and I had no kids on my own at the time and I said, god, okay, so I'm heading into this medical field. But I said you have to give me something. I need to do something. I need a business on my own. I cannot, I can't do it. I cannot have anyone put me in that situation. And after three days of praying and fasting because I am a believer he, the answer, came to me and he said jewelry. But the funny thing is that I was in a church that didn't allow me to wear jewelry. No jewelry, no makeup, no pants. I couldn't perm my hair. Yeah.
Dionne Malush:
So that's opposite, right, like it's obviously completely opposite. You seem to pivot right. It's amazing what you're doing, so go ahead and tell me. Tell your story.
Suzanne Dunn:
And so I said jewelry. I said you're going to get me kicked out of church. I'm like no way, no way. But I, you know, in obedience in the words of obedience I went ahead and I ordered some jewelry that I thought I would love. And when it came, I put everything on my kitchen counter and there were hideous, hideous, and I was like what am I gonna do with this? And I started crying out and I'm like God, you told me jewelry. I ordered this as a hideous, I can't do this. And he said you're gonna make it. And that was weird because I've never made a strong like bottle caps and shells. So I'm from Jamaica, so I'm strong bottle caps and shells on string, but nothing ever like jewelry. So I said okay.
Suzanne Dunn:
So I started ordering pieces, I prayed and I ordered these tools. I didn't know how to use it. I would call stores and say so, I have, you know, a crimper. But what crimper be like? What do I use? And people kind of thought I was a little bit strange, because they're like she's ordering these things, she doesn't know how to use them. But I'm like God, you're gonna teach me, you're gonna teach me. And that's basically how my jewelry story started, and a quick story, so I didn't know anything about jewelry to the point that. Do you remember Radio Shack?
Dionne Malush:
Of course. I just asked my husband if Radio Shack was still open.
Suzanne Dunn:
Oh my, goodness, I went to Radio Shack because I had some little wire rings. I know they're called, they're called ring jump rings and I had to close them Cause when I made the jewelry I realized that the pieces would slip off. So I had to find a way to close them. So I went online and I said I needed to solder them. So I didn't know anything about jewelry. I thought I said Radio Shack has solder. I didn't know that there was a difference between jewelry solder and a regular solder for electric circuits.
Suzanne Dunn:
So I went into Radio Shack and the guy's like so what do you need? I said silver solder. He's like what are you making? I said jewelry. He said jewelry. He said are you sure you need solder? I said yes, I need solder. I'm here, I need solder. So he sold me an electric electric solder machine and a reel of solder wire and I went home and I'm trying to put it on sterling silver and it's just not sticking. It keeps falling off. So I went to Home Depot and I got sandpaper. I'm sanding the metal down to see if it will stick.
Dionne Malush:
Oh, my goodness. I had no idea what you were doing Not you know Zero, zero idea.
Suzanne Dunn:
But do you know what, dear hon, for whatever reason, when I was done like botching that whole thing and fixing it up and whatever people loved the jewelry, I didn't ask me like what school did you go to? I'm like what Am I gonna go to?
Dionne Malush:
school. That is so great. How long have you been? How long have you been creating jewelry?
Suzanne Dunn:
That was in 2002 and we're down in 2024. So that's 22 years.
Dionne Malush:
How long have you? You don't live in Jamaica now, right?
Suzanne Dunn:
No, I live in New York now.
Dionne Malush:
Okay, so how long have you been here in America?
Suzanne Dunn:
So I came in 1997. I try not to calculate that, but yes, but this whole jewelry episode started when I was actually in Florida. It did Back in 2022. That's amazing.
Dionne Malush:
So yeah, in reading through some of your information, I know that you faced some significant challenges on your path to success. Can you share a moment of adversity and how you pushed through to the other side, keeping your vision alive?
Suzanne Dunn:
Okay. So when I moved to New York, I moved with my three children, all under the age of eight, and my third was actually two weeks old when I moved from Florida to Miami and shortly after, my husband followed from Miami and then we went through a separation which led to a divorce. Okay, he was the sole breadwinner at the time. I was a stay-at-home mom and when he left, unfortunately he left. So that meant no kid, nothing, no help, no nothing. And we ended up moving to a basement from a beautiful duplex that we had here in the city and we moved to a basement.
Suzanne Dunn:
And all this time I'm designing, I'm doing my jewelry, I had already gone to the GIA, I was doing online courses, I've gone out to California, I've done all of that and I said I have to launch this business. And I'm thinking but how am I going to launch this business? I'm living in a basement. I wasn't able to take any furniture to the basement because it was an illegal basement. So we're sleeping on mattresses on the floor and I'm like Suzanne, what are you doing? And I'm like I cannot give up this dream. I'm like I've worked too hard and I owe it to my collectors. I call them collectors. I owe it to my collectors to continue with this dream, and I have to do it, like jewelry has now. Jewelry had now become like my thing, my passion.
Dionne Malush:
So were you working another job or you were just doing jewelry?
Suzanne Dunn:
I was working another job. I was substitute teaching at the time.
Dionne Malush:
Wow OK.
Suzanne Dunn:
Substitute teaching. But even so, it wasn't enough to get me into a place in New York, because New York the rent is astronomically high, I'm sure. And so we were sleeping on mattresses on the floor in this basement with no furniture. And that's where I launched my website, suzanne Dunn Jewelry, and I remember the night we launched, I clicked the Go Live button. It was just myself and my kids and we toasted in like 99 cents plastic cups and Martinelli's apple cider, sparkling cider, and that was the beginning of Suzanne Dunn Jewelry, officially.
Suzanne Dunn:
And then, about a year after, still in the basement, there was a flood and we were not allowed to return to that basement because it was so bad. Oh no, we lost a lot of things to that, but I stayed in packing mode. I had packed and I was ready to go because I knew one day God was going to show me to a place and I was going to be able to afford it. But we did lose a lot of things because of the flood and we weren't able to go back to the basement and from there I ended up in a New York City homeless shelter. Oh no, with your kids, with my kids. And how long was your kids' time.
Suzanne Dunn:
So at that time they were 10, 8. And the little one was 6. It was no 11. It was 11, 9, and 6. Wow, and I remember the night we got I dropped them off to school. We left the hotel because we were in a hotel for three days before that happened. So I dropped them off at school, as usual. I didn't say anything to them.
Suzanne Dunn:
I went and I bought some suitcases and went back to the basement and tried to get what I could and I picked them up in the afternoon and I said so, guys, we're going to find a home, we're going to go to some place and it's going to help us to find a home. And the little ones were so excited, and the big one, I told him exactly where we were going and he was not having it because he's like this life, I don't know anything about it, I wasn't raised this way, like this is crazy to me. But he said you know what, mom? I trust you. And I said trust me, but I need to trust God also.
Suzanne Dunn:
And we were there at the processing center and I remember the little ones. They were playing and they were running around and they were having a great time. And I'm saying to God oh my God, I trust you. I said only you, because I've never been in a situation like this before. I have my three kids. They're looking to me for an answer, and I'm looking to you for an answer because I do not have a clue as to what is going to meet me. I had never seen a shelter before. I'd heard horrible stories about them and, dion, I was terrified. But I kept saying, god, you brought me to this place, you brought me to New York, you're going to see me through. And so we got placed in an apartment. And how is the family shelter? It's an apartment building, so we were in an apartment by ourselves and for the first time, I remember when I opened the door, I was shocked because we had been in that basement for almost three years. And when I opened the door, there were beds, two bedrooms, and there were real beds.
Dionne Malush:
How long were you at the shelter?
Suzanne Dunn:
No well, I was at the shelter for eight months, but I was in the basement for three years.
Suzanne Dunn:
Okay, so three years in the basement Eight months in the shelter and the day I went to the shelter, the morning I went to the shelter, I couldn't stop doing the work. That's because I had seen excuse me, I had seen God work in amazing ways. I opened that door, the representative opened the door and I saw two bedrooms and the bedrooms had beds, there were lots of drawers, there were dressers, there was furniture. It was an apartment. And at that point the Holy Spirit said to me the place where you were was more like a shelter. That was the scary part. This is actually better and it was ironic, because people have always, you know, you hear about shelters and you're like it couldn't be a good place. But this place was clean, the building was new. I mean, deon, I couldn't have asked for better. And I said this is only you, God. And I remember putting my kids to bed and they said Mom, we're on beds.
Dionne Malush:
That is so amazing.
Suzanne Dunn:
On beds. And my biggest lesson there was the following morning, when I woke up, my six-year-old said to me, mommy, it's snowing. And I said, okay, and when he looked, he's like Mom, but we can see the snow. It's coming from the sky. It's clean snow, because from the basement your eye level is low, so you're just seeing the snow after people have stepped in and the car.
Suzanne Dunn:
So it's dirty snow and he's like Mom, this is clean snow and I can see it from the sky. And he's like the windows the windows are so big and he's like I can see it. And he sat there for about an hour. He's like you know, thank you God. And that's when I jumped out of bed and I'm like you know what this is, this is it. This is this is where we are temporarily, but this does not define us. This is not going to keep. We're not going to stay here, and I just kept going and I kept going and I kept teaching and kept building the business. And in that shelter, in those eight months, is where I came up with my second collection, montreux, which is now on the website.
Dionne Malush:
So tell us about the jewelry collection, Tell us how you got there and what you're doing now. And you know, I know you love women and empowering women, and you're an empowered woman yourself. Watching what you went through, hearing what you went through, you know it's, it's, you are the American dream.
Suzanne Dunn:
Thank you, um gosh, the jewelry, the jewelry means so much. It means so much to me, um, and it means so much to my collectors, because there are two collections, the finished collections right now it's Gears of Life and Montreux. And Gears of Life, all the collections are, all my pieces are in 18 karat gold and sterling silver. Um, an 18 karat gold. I chose because I also see them as heirloom collections, because if I'm telling stories, I need these stories to last Um, and so I create all my pieces in 18 karat gold. And there's also the sterling silver option.
Suzanne Dunn:
Um and the Gears of Life collection. That was my first one and that was just just from my journey, and I said that there are certain gears that you have to have in life, and for me it's faith, love. You have to believe in yourself, you have to dream big and you just have to be inspired, you have to know just to keep going, and so the dream, the five gears, um, are presented in the Gears of Life collection. Then you have Montreux, um, blessed faith and love, because those are words that I know that not only did they take me through my journey, but they have taken many people through their journeys.
Suzanne Dunn:
Um, and then, on the other side of the business, there is the custom, the custom jewelry side, and that side is where I really tell my collector stories. Um, they come into me and I, you know, I ask them to bring in pictures that mean something to them, Candles, anything that makes them feel really good. And then I create a mood that makes them feel really good, and then I create a mood board from that. Okay, um, and then I create their piece, but depending on whatever event they'd like to celebrate or who they'd like to give it to. And then, once all the pieces are done, once a piece is done, they're presented with a book and that book tells the story of the piece, from sketch all the way to the finished piece.
Dionne Malush:
That is incredible, what a great idea and it's like such a spiritual journey for you, I feel. I feel that just in targeting to you, so on that note, can you walk us through the creative process and how you infuse your faith and inspiration into each piece?
Suzanne Dunn:
So, before I start any collection, before I start any custom piece, the first thing I do is pray Because, um, I know that my designs come from God and this whole thing is completely based on God. So, like, I pray and um, and then, if it's a finished piece, I envision, like what it is that I would like to finish, meaning that I created it's not a custom piece. So I then think about what it is that I would like to say, and then I'll visit museums because I love museums. Um, I'll walk around New York City because I get so much inspiration from there, I'll go, you know yeah, I bet that is such a fun thing to do.
Suzanne Dunn:
It is, it is. And then I start picking um things, whether it be lines, gear, shapes, sounds, smells, um, and then I allow that to leave me. If it's a custom piece, then I allow the person's story to lead me. I allow things that he or she likes, things that he or she might have said in passing and didn't realize I was making a connection to it. But because I want my pieces not to be just trendy, but I want them to be pieces that tell stories, I want them, as you wear my piece, I want you to understand and I want you to believe in yourself and I want you to really understand that every single thing that you face, every challenge that you face, god has already given you everything already inside you to face that and to be victorious. And so sometimes we need a reminder to remind you that you're loved, or remind you that you're blessed, or remind you that, remind you to laugh, remind you to be yourself. And that's where a lot of my expressions, all my expressions, so you have two collections right now, right?
Dionne Malush:
So is there a third on the horizon? There is, and then pretty don't want to tell yet what it is, but it's going to be a secret.
Suzanne Dunn:
I don't want to give it away too much, but it does have something to do with circuits and a radio shack.
Dionne Malush:
Oh, my goodness, are you kidding me? Radio shack, that's so funny I can't even believe. I thought about it the other day and you said that on here, because I used to go there all the time. Radio shack was a big deal when it was here, so I'm excited to see what that looks like and I will definitely share your link with everyone in our all of my everyone. I know I'm going to show this fits everything that I believe in, and so tell me that. So, as an entrepreneur, how do you market your jewelry business? How did you get to where you are today? Marketing wise?
Suzanne Dunn:
A lot of trial and error. A lot of trial and error, a lot of, because for a long time I was like one man show. You know, I did everything, and so I marketed by word of mouth. I went to trade shows, I would network, I did little ads on, you know, google or Facebook from time to time, until finally I hired a marketing specialist and she is now handling my marketing. Thank God, because I'm learning to delegate.
Dionne Malush:
Isn't it amazing how that feels when you delegate?
Suzanne Dunn:
things. Yes, it is, it is, and it's funny because, even so, I'm now. My sterling silver mantra pieces are now being sold on Walmartcom. And they reached out to me and I don't know like how, and they said they were a little bit. You know, the lines that they had for finding jewelry were very simple, you know, very solitary, solitary necklaces, but they wanted something with a little bit of a designer flair and I was the first designer who who they decided to go with and I didn't apply and I have no idea how that came up and I'm not sure where they phoned me. They couldn't tell me.
Dionne Malush:
I'm known Walmartcom also marketing work right, it's all work, and with faith behind you, you can't. I mean having faith. That's the biggest thing that I'm hearing from you today. So I can't wait to see your new collection, and I'm going to. I just I can't wait to share this with everyone because you are inspiration to me.
Dionne Malush:
You're talking like Napoleon Hill thinking girl rich. You're talking and you and you haven't really fully read the book yet and you're living that life, you believe and you have a goals and you're just amazing. So what advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs who face obstacles in pursuing their dreams, especially in any creative field like you're in, because you know there's a lot of competition out there, right?
Suzanne Dunn:
A lot, yeah, a lot. But when it comes to any, any industry, especially the creative industries, you have to know yourself. You have to. You can't just go into it, um, hoping and praying, like you really have to know what you want. And you have to understand that, although you may know what you want, you may not always have the resources that you need initially. But if you have that drive and if you really have that faith and if you have that grit, that's what we call the you know, the New York City grit.
Dionne Malush:
Yeah, and Pittsburgh too, just so you know, there you go, okay.
Suzanne Dunn:
All right, well, to just keep going. It's going to happen. It's going to happen and one day the doors are going to open. But you cannot and it sounds so cliche, but it's so true Like you really can't give up and you have to understand that.
Suzanne Dunn:
I had so many people who told me you're crazy. You know you're going through divorce. You don't know anything about jewelry. Um, even before I got married, you didn't know anything about jewelry. You're going to Radio Shack, you're. What are you doing? Um? But you have to know what you believe, because even when I was faced with the church, they put me out. They, they did they. They stripped me of every title I had, um, and they said I had to leave because they found out that I was making jewelry. So you have to believe in yourself. Not everybody is going to, and you know what I've heard some people say. Well, you know people around me don't. God told me to do this, but people are. Nobody else believes. When I said God into them, he told you. So it's not for them to believe in you. Who cares if they believe or not?
Dionne Malush:
I'm sure what they think right.
Suzanne Dunn:
Yeah.
Dionne Malush:
At this point, especially in my mid-50s, I just don't care anymore.
Suzanne Dunn:
No, no. If you know you're on the right path and this is something that God has led you to, or even if you can't say, well, god led me to it, but this is something that you believe in, you just keep going. You keep going and be true to yourself. You're true to yourself. Things are not. You may not always market the way other people market. You may not have the resources other people have access to, but if you are true to yourself and true to others around you and you walk with integrity, then it happens. It happens.
Dionne Malush:
So I know that part of your mission is to empower women who have overcome adversity right, because you've been through more than many women have, and can you share more about the initiatives that Suzanne Dunne-Jewelry has in place to support your mission?
Suzanne Dunn:
So right now we are. So what I'm doing? With shelters a few shelters here in New York. I have been going back and just giving back simple toiletries, because while I was there I realized that I was always blessed to have more than enough. But I realized that those things are big needs Feminine products, feminine hygiene products we take for granted, diapers for kids, like things that we take for granted. I realized that it's actually very difficult to get a hold of. So right now, monthly, I do go back to shelters and we do give women who are in need and for kids.
Suzanne Dunn:
And also we are now in the middle of creating the last part of creating a training program for women who have gone through adversity, whether it be through shelters. We're actually I'm not going to call any names right now, but we're partnering with an organization that's going to help us to source women or locate women who would like to learn more about the jewelry industry, and we'll be training them at Suzanne Dunne-Jewelry and then, from there, hiring them. If they choose to move on to their communities, then they can, but at least they would have a trade, something that they can call their own, because I've realized that sometimes people just need a second chance. They just need somebody who's willing to take a chance on them and to give them that skill, and not to judge them based on their past or their coming from where they live. So that's what we're doing.
Dionne Malush:
Perfectly said. There's gonna be a lot of amazing jewelry coming out, with you at the helm of teaching them. That's amazing, and I'm so excited to have gotten to know you a little bit today. So what message do you wanna leave with our listeners today?
Suzanne Dunn:
How faith, how faith, how faith, and be resilient. Don't take no for an answer. It's very cliche, we've heard that before, but I can't stress it enough. You have to know what you have been called to do and you have to stick with it. Never don't give up. Don't give up. Have faith and know what God has called you to do and know that he has much, much greater for you. And regardless of what situation that you're in right now, whether you're in a basement, a shelter, a mansion, a six-figure job, whatever, wherever you are, understand that that's just where you are now. It doesn't define you as a person. So if you're in an adverse situation, don't take it upon yourself and say, well, this is who I am, this is who I was created to be. That's just a bump in the road and that's where you are.
Dionne Malush:
Don't live in it. We're right. Don't live in mine, you, and that makes a lot of sense. So if our listeners wanna reach out to you, what's the best way for them to do that?
Suzanne Dunn:
So they can reach out to me easiest on Instagram and I'm at Suzanne done jewelry that's S-U-Z-A-N-N-E-D-U-N-N jewelry. They can also reach out to me on the website and then, through the website and Instagram, they can book if they'd like to do a consultation. They can book a consultation and we can take it from there, or they can simply say hi.
Dionne Malush:
Great and thank you so much for being on here today. So, and thank you to our audience for tuning in We've just had a heartening conversation with Suzanne Dunn, whose journey and work reminds us of the extraordinary things we're capable of achieving with faith, perseverance and a commitment to making a difference. Remember, every piece of jewelry tells a story, and Suzanne's designs are here to narrate yours. Don't forget to connect with us on social media to continue the conversation and share your own stories of success and resilience. Until next time, keep shining bright.