TRUTHS WITH KATE & KOLE FOUNDERS

Founded in 2015 by friends Madalynne Clifton and Sara Spence, Kate & Kole is an Australian-made, female-founded jewellery studio known for its thoughtful, design-led pieces and slow, intentional growth from a side project into a globally recognised brand. 

 1. Kate & Kole began as a side project. What did those early days look like, and what kept you going as it started to grow? 

Sara: It was very small and low risk. We were both working in it as much as we possibly could while working full-time jobs. The first three to five years were really at a minimal scale. I was basically putting pieces together in my sunroom and shipping orders out as I could. We weren’t getting a huge number of orders, so it was quite manageable. As things started to ramp up, that’s when we started to look at what it could be as a real future endeavour. We were 3D printing in New York initially. When we got an order for a ring, we’d place that order with our casting house in New York, and the piece would arrive back to us finished. So we didn’t actually have jewellers in those early years. It was really design-led and outsourced. We started expanding our range, and around 2018 we brought on jewellers, and we were making almost everything in house.

In 2021 to 2022 we grew by about a thousand percent and brought on a team of around fifteen staff. That was a huge year for us, and that’s really when the business became what we’d call fully functioning. 

Maddy: I think in terms of what kept us going was a combination of having each other who we wanted to continually show up for even when things were tough and also finding points of validation through either moments of traction or financial validation. We launched a birthstone collection where we had 12 micro influencers shoot their birth month in their own unique way. That campaign gained a lot of traction and engagement where as when we did a limited edition signet & pendant in collaboration with an artist, that sold out. These moments were small in the scheme of things now but gave us the momentum and motivation to know it was worth continuing to push forward with the business. 

2. You’ve built the brand alongside full lives, careers, family, everything in between. How have you learned to navigate that balance? 

Maddy: Balance feels like a myth some weeks, and some weeks it does feel possible. About a year after transitioning back into the business after having babies at the same time we were feeling very stretched and so we made a conscious decision to start being really protective of our time and clear on what we needed to keep ourselves sane each week. Building moments into our weeks to ensure we are prioritising ourselves has become non-negotiable and allows us to show up better in home and work spaces in a more intentional way. 

Sara: The reality is that it doesn’t feel balanced. It often feels incredibly unbalanced, but we are getting better at identifying the parts of life that are unmissable. That’s both in work and in our families, and it’s something we’re always learning and often getting wrong. Going to New York for ten days, that was an unmissable work thing. A Friday school assembly, that’s an almost unmissable family thing. So it’s identifying what things are the needle movers, both at home and at work. 

3. Growth can feel fast. How have you stayed grounded while building Kate & Kole into what it is today? 

Sara: I do think staying in the business makes you quite grounded. Often we talk about businesses not having real value unless the founders are out of it, but we’re not in that phase yet. For us, being in the business and seeing how it operates, seeing our customers’ pain points, our team’s pain points, the day-to-day operations, and identifying gaps and places where we can increase efficiencies, that’s really where we still see our value. We’ve got such an amazing team now that we’re definitely able to pull ourselves out and have a real top-level view, and enjoy that time as well. But being in the business, being in the studio, working alongside the team, that’s very grounding. 

5. Travel plays such a role in modern life. What are your non-negotiables when packing? 

Maddy: LED mask, a light knit because I’m always cold and packing cubes! I’m not one to pack light unfortunately. I just can’t do it. I need to have options so optimisation is key. I try on outfits before and take photos to reference whilst I’m away. I also try to pack multi use pieces that work with multiple looks and then have a few fun standout pieces. Despite all this I’m always the one with the oversized baggage… 

6. How do you keep your routines simple but still feel like yourselves, especially when you’re on the go? 

Maddy: Have a few easy rituals that you can build into your day anywhere. For me I love starting the day with hot water and lemon and then finding a really good matcha and some morning movement which is usually nothing more extravagant than a morning walk. 

At bedtime doing an LED mask and legs up the wall is an easy simple way to unwind and is so easy to build into my evenings anywhere even after a late event. 

I take a really long time to wind down for bed especially when I’m travelling so I have to really prioritise a wind down routine at night. 

7. What are your go-to beauty essentials, from everyday touch-ups to travel must-haves? 

Maddy: I love beauty and makeup but I have found keeping it really consistent and relying on a minimal amount of quality products is what works best. I use the rationale 6 step products morning and night and my daily makeup is the Chanel Les Beiges water tint, Chanel bronzer, brush my brows and a quick lash curl. If I over complicate it or get experimental it often backfires for me. 

I try to keep daily enzymes on me when travelling too to help with digestion after heavier meals that I’m not used to eating regularly. I love indulging in good food when travelling. 

8. You’ve created a brand that feels personal and considered. How do you protect that as you scale? 

Sara: It’s almost a similar answer to the earlier question, because we’re both still so in the brand. That really helps us keep the tone of voice and aesthetic aligned. If you go back to the very early days of our Instagram, even though it’s ten years old now, our brand voice, which has come from Maddy, feels so considered and so strong, even from day one. We each have real strength in the business individually, and Maddy’s is that really considered, consistent aesthetic that has evolved so naturally and so beautifully. 

It doesn’t feel too trend-driven. It doesn’t feel like we’re trying to make the customer uncomfortable. We’re just our own aesthetic in a way. We don’t mind being pretty or elegant or soft or feminine. We love simplicity, we love minimalism, but we also love an event, we love to have fun. You’re really starting to see us, even now, expressing ourselves in that full creative freedom. 

Maddy: That’s really beautiful what Sar said and to extend on that I think it’s the obsession with the brand and the way it is represented is what has protected us as we scale. No detail is too small for us to oversee and some people argue it’s a bad use of our time but I think that obsession with every detail and ensuring it aligns with the brand and who we are is what keeps the integrity of Kate & Kole intact. 

9. At CEE CLEAR, we started with the intention to be transparent and show up as we are. How do you both approach authenticity, in business and in life? 

Maddy: I think at first, especially as a woman and mum you think you need to really keep it together in all facets of life but it’s just not possible. I feel like I have learnt in the last few years it’s way more sustainable and comforting to be open about how hard and consuming it can all be. I think now it’s all about being as authentic as possible, having really open conversations with our team when things are hard, being intentional with giving our customers understanding around pricing changes and processes and continuing to show the beauty of our studio and brand on social media in a way that they can meaningfully connect with. Sara and I love being a part of our community events and connecting with our customers face to face as much as possible which I think really humanises who Kate & Kole is - a real extension of us. 

Sara: I love this question, because our industry, and lots of industries to be honest, are really opaque, and a lot of it gets hidden behind the scenes. The making videos were a real groundbreaking content moment for us, where we showed the people making the jewellery. We see a lot of that now, which is lovely, because owning that making process and showing people that we’re still relying on an art form, a craft, is really amazing. Yes, we lean on technology to assist us in some areas, but at the end of the day, our jewellery is a craftsperson’s work. 

Talking about traceability when it comes to recycled metals, Maddy and I have chosen to use recycled metals and lab-grown diamonds because we know that tracing mined sources is incredibly difficult in an industry that doesn’t support that. Using 100 percent recycled silver and gold, and lab-grown diamonds, is a way we’ve made those conversations easier to navigate. We really do lean on transparency and wanting to be open and honest with our customers as much as we possibly can. 

10. Has your relationship with “showing up” changed over time as founders? 

Sara: Yes, it definitely has. In the beginning, we were in the studio a lot, because that’s where the brand was. We were just working from Newcastle. As we’ve started to work around Australia in terms of residencies, and in New York with our pop-up, that draws us to those areas. So Maddy and I are both in the business in a different way now. We’re still in the office a lot, but I’m sure the team notices we are a little bit absent as well. Our focus has shifted a little bit, and that feels quite energising. I hope our team feels that we really trust them. That’s definitely the goal we have in terms of how we want them to feel. 

11. What’s the one thing you wish you knew before starting a brand? 

Sara: There could have been a few tools that would have helped us scale the business we grew into very quickly. If we’d been using them from the beginning, it might have been a little more straightforward. Sometimes you have to try a few different things, and that makes sense. But I think there could be some better frameworks around the types of businesses, especially starting now, that would be a really good guide of what you need to do to operate. 

I’ve seen a lot of content, especially on Instagram, about “here’s your perfect tech stack”, and I’m like, gosh, I wish I’d had that when we were beginning. It was so much trial and error. A lot of stuff you really had to discover on your own, and be willing to invest a lot of time, and sometimes money, in finding the right tools that worked for you. Now, with the way business has evolved and how things are recommended to people, there’s just so much more information. That would have been super handy. 

12. What advice would you give to someone building something of their own, while navigating a full, busy life? 

Maddy: Just start, and accept that everything won’t be perfect. I’m such a perfectionist and can get so caught up in little details that I can be a hindrance to myself sometimes. Sar has an amazing way of just pressing go and in trying to emulate that I have seen that the momentum from just doing it is what will keep you moving forward rather than being stuck in the overwhelming space of looking at it all before you begin. 

Sara: Creating your team, both at work and at home, and having really open and real conversations about the toll it takes on you individually and on your family. Being as open and transparent about that as possible is essential. The more you take on, the more you need to have a support system. Doing this any other way is incredibly difficult, and I do think it, in one way or another, breaks you. 

QUICK FIRE 

Carry-on or checked? 

Sara: Checked. Many checked bags. 

Maddy: Checked in always. Even for a weekend stay. I’m on my way to Melbourne for a 2 day residency as I’m answering these and had to pay for oversized checked in luggage, so that’s where I’m at. 

Early flight or late departure? 

Sara: Late. We did a 2am flight back from New York, which was actually great. Late at night is good. 

Maddy: Later departure. It’s nice to have the day to get prepped and excited and then by the time you arrive at the airport you’re ready for an airport wine - the most fun kind! 

Your most-worn piece right now? 

Sara: I’m wearing them today! My favourite pair of pants I’ve bought in ages. They’re a slimmer fit Venroy pair. 

Maddy: WNDSY black blazer. It’s a perfect boxy oversized fit which I love and so easy to elevate a dressed up look over a slip or casual look over jeans and a tee. 

Beauty essential you never travel without? 

Sara: Either an LED mask if I have space, or the Dermalogica Multi-Active Toner spray. 

Maddy: LED mask and tatcha lip balm. 

A place that always inspires you? 

Sara: New York. We’ve just been there, and it’s an absolutely energising place. 

Maddy: NY. The way that city cured my burnout. So invigorating so much to do and the energy of the city just keeps you feeling like anything is possible. 

A travel hack you swear by? 

Sara: Lots of face masks in your carry-on, and spritzing. So much spritzing. Also noise-cancelling headphones. Even just wearing them without music makes it so much quieter on planes. 

Maddy: Getting in a morning walk outside daily if you can. Will help with jet lag, instantly makes you feel more energised and you’ll spot a bunch of places you want to come back to.