FEATURED STORY FROM THE Best of BG – 2016 ISSUE
Coyote Beads:
Hobby of Designing Jewelry Turns into Full-Time Passion
“I was designing and selling jewelry and it became not only a hobby but more my interest in life. What I wanted to do was pursue my dream and open up my own shop,” she said.
Where did Coyote Beads get its unique name? “It came to me in a dream actually. I didn’t have a name for my store and the space I was subleasing was decorated in Southwest, and the tiles on the floor came from Mexico and had paw prints on them. The owner of the yoga studio was told they were paw prints from Coyotes. I went to bed and had the store on my mind, I woke up the next day and it just seemed appropriate,” she said.
In addition, Coyote Beads offers a variety of classes. “In the beginners class you could easily come in and make something in less than two hours. I do a lot of more simple classes like teaching people how to string, and knotting. I also have a couple of other teachers that do loom work and work with seed beads. We also have an instructor that teaches mosaic.
The store offers classes for birthday parties for young children or even just for a girl’s night out.
“I really learn a lot from my customers. A lot of them become my friends. I’ve met a lot of really nice people in this business. I like dealing with people in person and having a retail shop in down town Bowling Green, it’s a very good location; it’s all about customer service,” she said.
The atmosphere is another plus that comes along with the store. “I feel it’s relaxing in here. People can step into the store and maybe be a little overwhelmed as well because there’s a lot going on in here but I always want peoplto feel like they stepped in the
Southwest, they come in and see the colors on the walls. We want to make sure everyone walking through the door had a good experience,” said Walterbach.
Each year Walterbach travels to Tucson, Ariz. to bring the best to her store. “I rarely buy things online. If its just supplies that I’m out of I order but I hand select all of the beads and natural stones at the gem and mineral show. I know I’m getting great quality for my customers.”