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As a part of the Morning Lazziness collection highlighting empowering ladies who’re making a outstanding impression with their concepts, I had the pleasure of interviewing Holly Daniels Christensen.
Holly Daniels Christensen is the Founder and CEO of Dune Jewellery & Co., the world’s main experiential jewellery model that transforms actual sand and pure parts into handcrafted keepsakes. What started at her kitchen desk in 2007 as a artistic solution to seize seaside reminiscences has since advanced into an award-winning, purpose-driven firm with prospects throughout the globe.
In 2010, Holly formally launched Dune Jewellery with a mission to assist folks “reside for the second, then take it with you.” Every design is made by hand in her Norwood, Massachusetts studio, utilizing sand and earth parts from over 5,500 areas worldwide — from iconic seashores to mountain trails, golf programs, and gardens — every carrying a singular private story.
Beneath her management, Dune Jewellery has grown from a one-woman operation right into a thriving, socially aware model celebrated for its artistry, emotional storytelling, and environmental impression. The corporate has donated greater than $250,000 to world and native causes defending folks and the planet.
On this interview, she reveals the mindset shifts, daring strikes, and classes that helped her flip concepts into impactful on-line companies.
From making jewellery at your kitchen desk to working a world model—what impressed you to begin Dune Jewellery, and did you ever think about it might develop this massive?
Dune began at my kitchen desk with a couple of design concepts and sand from my favourite Cape Cod seashores. I started making jewellery for family and friends as a artistic outlet, and their reactions have been unexpectedly emotional – all of a sudden, they may put on their favourite reminiscences and experiences. I beloved seeing their response, and that feeling lit a spark inside me. Folks started bringing me sand and earth parts from everywhere in the world after they returned from their travels, and that gave me the boldness to maneuver ahead. I took my work to native artwork exhibits, listened intently to the suggestions from shoppers, and determined to launch Dune Jewellery as a “actual” enterprise in September of 2010.
Did I think about it might develop this massive? Sure—I all the time believed it may, although dwelling it feels larger than I ever dreamed.
From day one, I noticed a world model that turns lived expertise into heirlooms. We create tangible reminders in a world flooded with digital reminiscences – designs you could maintain, not simply scroll. At this time, we’re partnered with 600 retail companions, powered by a crew of thirty, and anchored by a Sandbank of 5,500+ sands and earth parts. Our promise stays unchanged: we remodel your most significant locations into keepsakes so as to carry your shoreline, your summit, and your story with you every single day.
The center of Dune by no means modified—neighborhood first, tales all the time. And that fact retains us grounded. We’ve captured over one million reminiscences, opened our flagship retailer on the Cape, launched Dune Travels, and Dune Jewellery was named Greatest Vacation spot Jewellery Model by World Traveler journal for 2 consecutive years. However my favourite moments are nonetheless one-to-one: listening to how a necklace made with a childhood seashore or a dad or mum’s backyard turned somebody’s day by day reminder to maintain going.
You’ve had an extremely numerous profession path earlier than founding Dune—from actual property to being a zookeeper. How did these experiences put together you for entrepreneurship?
Truthfully, I’ve by no means taken a straight path to get the place I’m, and I believe that’s been my best power as an entrepreneur. Each chapter of my profession added a unique software to my belt. In actual property, I realized the artwork of negotiation, the hustle it takes to succeed, and the best way to
construct relationships with folks from each stroll of life. As a zookeeper, my days have been characterised by persistence, compassion, and establishing a routine to maintain the animals pleased, secure, and thriving. Even earlier jobs, from waitressing to working in building, demonstrated to me the worth of grit, perseverance, and rolling up my sleeves to get the job finished.
All of those seemingly unrelated experiences taught me resilience and flexibility. They formed the best way I lead right this moment at Dune, balancing creativity with construction, compassion with drive. While you’re an entrepreneur, every single day throws one thing new at you, and I lean on that eclectic background consistently. It jogs my memory that regardless of the problem, I’ve been in unfamiliar territory earlier than, and I do know that I can determine it out.
That blend is why Dune is equal elements artistry and ops. I can spend a morning naming a group, then dive into stock, P&L, or a manufacturing puzzle by afternoon. The zoo days taught me routine and care; actual property taught me to barter and pay attention. Each present up in how we construct merchandise with coronary heart and a enterprise that may scale.
What was the second you knew Dune Jewellery was now not only a ardour challenge, however a scalable enterprise?
I’ll always remember the second we landed our first vital wholesale order with a nationwide retailer. Up till then, Dune had been my ardour challenge. I used to be handcrafting designs at my kitchen desk, promoting at native craft festivals, and pouring my coronary heart into each single piece. However when that order got here in, it was as if a change had flipped.
It was each exhilarating and terrifying. That single order meant I needed to suppose in a different way about every part from manufacturing and logistics to how we may scale with out shedding the authenticity and private contact that outlined Dune Jewellery from day one. However it additionally validated what I’d felt deep down. Individuals are linked to the thought of capturing reminiscences in jewellery, they usually need extra of it.
That order was the catalyst. It was then that I knew that Dune Jewellery had stepped past my dream. It gave me the braveness to construct one thing scalable and nonetheless true to its roots.
From there, we constructed methods that protected the soul of the model—Sandbank IDs for transparency, handcrafted finishes, and a promise to under-promise and over-deliver. Scaling didn’t imply shedding contact; it meant designing higher guardrails so each piece nonetheless feels prefer it got here from my kitchen desk.
Dune Jewellery is deeply rooted in reminiscence, nature, and place. Why was it necessary to you to construct a model that honors private experiences and the surroundings?
For me, it’s all the time been about connection. We’re the sum of the locations we’ve beloved, the folks we’ve shared them with, and the reminiscences we’ve carried ahead. These experiences form who we’re in such a profound manner, and I needed to create one thing that honors that fact in a tangible, lasting kind.
The ocean, specifically, has all the time been my grounding power. It’s the place I’m going to reset, to replicate, and to dream. Rising up on Cape Cod, I developed such a deep respect for nature, and I couldn’t think about constructing a model that didn’t additionally defend and have fun it.
So after I began Dune, it wasn’t merely about creating jewellery; it was about creating tangible reminders of those unimaginable locations and giving again to make them accessible for generations to come back. For me, it was by no means even a query. It simply felt like the one manner ahead. This dedication to the surroundings and the locations we love is why social impression isn’t only a separate initiative for us, it’s woven into the material of every part we do.
Giving again isn’t an afterthought at Dune—it’s the backbone. From 4ocean cleanups to Mission Blue and SMILEMass, we pair keepsakes with collaborative stewardship. If we’re asking you to hold your favourite locations, we’re equally dedicated to caring for them.
You’re not simply constructing a model—you’re additionally giving again. Are you able to share why environmental and charitable impression is so integral to what you are promoting mannequin?
Giving again is deeply woven into Dune Jewellery’s DNA. Thus far, we’ve donated over $250,000 to causes that defend and uplift each folks and the planet. Our partnership with 4ocean, for instance, straight funds the removing of plastic from the world’s oceans. Each design from that collaboration helps clear our waters. With Mission Blue, we help crucial work to guard marine ecosystems. And thru SMILEMass, we assist make sure that everybody can get pleasure from a seashore day by funding seashore wheelchairs on public shorelines, permitting households of all talents to expertise the enjoyment of the ocean collectively.
Affect additionally exhibits up within the small issues—internet hosting seashore cleanups, writing handwritten notes, shocking prospects with little extras, and selecting supplies thoughtfully. It’s a day by day apply: honoring the locations that encourage us and the individuals who belief us with their tales.
Dune Jewellery has grown to over 600 retail companions and even launched a flagship retailer. What have been some key methods or turning factors that helped you scale?
It wasn’t one massive leap; it was a collection of intentional decisions and lots of consistency. I all the time inform my crew {that a} model is constructed within the particulars. We stayed true to our model story, all the time main with the emotional connection our designs create. That authenticity constructed belief with each retailers and prospects.
Commerce exhibits have been one other turning level. They pushed us out of our consolation zone and opened the door to wholesale partnerships we by no means may have reached in any other case. On the identical time, social media supplied a manner for us to talk straight with our prospects, hear their tales in real-time, and construct a neighborhood round reminiscence and place.
And naturally, opening our flagship retailer was a milestone. It gave us the prospect to bodily convey the model to life, permitting folks to step into the world of Dune. It’s not solely a house for our designs but in addition a take a look at market the place we are able to experiment, pay attention, and evolve. Every of those steps was about saying “sure” to alternatives that scared me somewhat, then leaning into them with resilience and coronary heart.
Each the flagship Dune Jewellery retailer and The Cove Boutique turned our dwelling labs—internet hosting occasions, trunk exhibits, courses, and suggestions loops that sharpen product-market match. We paired that with constant model tempo on-line—emails, blogs, Lives—and acquired regular, values-led progress relatively than one-time spikes.
What impressed the launch of your different ventures—Mi Tesoro, &Earth, The Cove, and Dune Travels? How do you resolve when it’s time to develop into one thing new?
For me, enlargement has all the time been a stability of information and instinct. I pay attention intently to what our neighborhood is asking for, however I additionally take note of that spark inside me that claims, “that is value constructing”.
Mi Tesoro, for instance, was born from prospects craving jewellery they may reside in, items that have been waterproof, sweatproof, endlessly wearable, but nonetheless carried a way of luxurious.
&Earth grew out of my ardour for sustainability and the accountability I really feel as a maker to create with intention, utilizing supplies and processes that respect the planet.
The Cove, our boutique in entrance of the Dune studio, is greater than only a retail area; it’s a neighborhood hub. It permits us to check new concepts, host courses, and join face-to-face with individuals who share our ardour for the story behind what we create. That interplay is invaluable; it retains us rooted in why we do that.
And Dune Travels got here from my very own deep love of exploration and creating experiences with the neighborhood we’ve created. I’ve all the time believed reminiscences are life’s best treasures, so the thought of curating experiences the place folks may create new reminiscences in new locations felt like a pure extension of what we already do with jewellery.
We pressure-test each new concept the identical manner: Does it deepen connection, serve our neighborhood, and honor place? If the reply is sure, we pilot it small—typically at our flagship retailer or by means of a social collaboration with our companions—then scale thoughtfully.
You left dwelling at 15 and taught your self jewellery design. What stored you going throughout the early days when issues have been unsure?
Sheer willpower, grit, and a perception that there needed to be one thing extra to life. I didn’t have a security web, so I realized to create one for myself. Each small win fueled the following step. And truthfully, the enjoyment folks expressed after they obtained a Dune design stored me motivated – it bolstered the “why”.
One early ‘win’ I nonetheless smile about: an area artwork honest the place a buyer cried pleased tears over a necklace made with sand from her dad’s favourite seashore. That second paid me in objective, reminding me that I wasn’t simply promoting jewellery; I used to be serving to folks maintain on to what issues.
Constructing a multimillion-dollar firm as a girl in a aggressive trade takes braveness. What have been among the hardest challenges you confronted as a feminine founder—and the way did you overcome them?
One of many hardest elements was being underestimated. I can’t let you know what number of occasions I walked right into a room filled with males and felt like I needed to show myself twice over simply to be taken critically. It was irritating, however I realized to let their doubt gas me. As an alternative of shrinking again, I doubled down. I stayed centered, constructed a strong crew, and created outcomes that couldn’t be ignored.
One other key piece was neighborhood and mentorship. Within the early levels, I signed up for SCORE Boston which is a mentorship program funded by the Small Enterprise Administration. Rick Clean, my mentor, has helped and guided me since 2012. And simply as necessary, I sought out alternatives to mentor others developing behind me. That alternate of help is highly effective. It creates a ripple impact that reminds us we don’t should climb the mountain alone.
Inside Dune, that exhibits up as ladies main at each stage, versatile insurance policies that honor actual life, and a tradition of “educate what you’ve realized.” Exterior, it’s sharing the mic, opening doorways, and ensuring the following founder has a neater path than I did.
Your e book Happiness Is available in Waves displays your core values. What impressed you to write down it, and what message do you hope ladies take away from it?
I wrote it as a sensible, one-page-at-a-time reset for our busy lives – a day by day pause that helps you quiet the noise, refocus on what issues, and transfer ahead with readability. Happiness Is available in Waves is a small ritual you may maintain in your desk and use in sixty seconds.
What I hope ladies take away is straightforward: you may be formidable and type to your self; relaxation is a method, not a failure; progress is constructed from small, repeatable decisions; and your path by no means has to match anybody else’s. Outline success in your phrases, defend your vitality, and construct a life that feels pretty much as good because it seems to be.
The ocean runs by means of each web page as a result of it’s how I reset. It’s easy, day by day knowledge: step exterior, breathe salt air, take heed to waves, and select the following proper factor.
Keep tuned for my subsequent e book, Saltwater, Seashells, & Sunshine, arriving in 2026—a yr of day by day affirmations and meditations designed to maintain you grounded, glowing, and linked to the ocean.
What function does creativity play in your day by day life and management? Do you continue to design or contribute hands-on to product improvement?
Creativity is my heartbeat. I collaborate with our design crew, assist title collections, and infrequently begin the imaginative and prescient for brand spanking new launches. However I additionally apply creativity to problem-solving, advertising and marketing, and team-building. It’s not nearly aesthetics – it’s a mindset.
I’m within the studio typically—reviewing prototypes, refining stones and inlays, shaping narratives like Infinite Summer time, Masterpiece, and our Icon items. Naming is a favourite half; it’s the place story meets kind. And I block “suppose time” on my calendar so the effectively by no means runs dry.
What’s one second in your journey that also offers you goosebumps whenever you look again?
The day our crew packed their luggage and flew to Alaska for our first retailer activation in Ketchikan. Watching prospects work together with our designs in particular person, in a spot full of pure marvel, introduced the model full circle. I’ll always remember the pleasure I felt in that second.
That very same feeling hits once we hit milestones—our fifteenth anniversary; the Founder’s Ring made with wooden from my kitchen desk; or accepting the World Traveler journal award, Greatest Vacation spot Jewellery Model, for 2 years in a row. They’re all reminders {that a} scrappy concept can develop right into a neighborhood in case you deal with folks and locations with respect.
In the event you may give one piece of recommendation to ladies who’re simply getting began—particularly these constructing from the bottom up—what would it not be?
Begin earlier than you’re prepared. You don’t want an ideal plan, simply the braveness to start. Belief your instincts, search help, and know that missteps are a part of the method. Don’t anticipate permission—construct your dream in your phrases.
Get sensible, too: observe money weekly, discover a mentor (SCORE modified my life), and take a look at rapidly at small scale—pop-ups, trunk exhibits, or a easy touchdown web page. Momentum beats perfection each time.
Do you’ve gotten a mantra or private philosophy that you just reside and lead by?
“Progress over perfection.” Progress comes from doing, studying, and evolving—not from ready for every part to be good.
And my north star for Dune: Dwell for the second, then take it with you. It’s how we design, how we lead, and the way I hope our neighborhood strikes by means of the world.
Lastly, how can our readers additional comply with your work on-line?
HDC: You will discover me on Instagram and comply with our manufacturers @dunejewelry and @themitesoro. It’s also possible to go to dunejewelry.com and mitesorojewelry.com to see our newest collections and tales. I’d love to attach!
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