I've been giving it time

Hi everyone! I created this Substack in an effort to share more of my life in a way that feels good moving forward. I have recently been diagnosed with a severe Instagram allergy and I have to treat it with care. Substack felt like a safer space to recover. Listen, I’ve got jokes! I’ve got stories. Let’s dive in….lots to say.

I’ll start by saying that I have never been here this long. By “here” I mean this place of absolute conflict with something I have spent so long doing. At times I felt frozen when I started to think of my next move. I have rebranded, a website was built (might launch one day…might not), and I wrote and I dreamed and I threw my hands up. Lessons were slapping me in the face at a record pace. I felt like the universe was putting me through the automatic car wash. Not the brushless kind if ya know what I mean? I run on instinct. I listen to my body and I listen to my heart. All systems were saying REST. So I did.

Here is the story about how A&A started, why I love it, and why I will never quit even if you don’t see me on Instagram for periods of time. I started Arrow & Anchor 13 years ago with no background in business. My background was in skincare (something I am still deeply passionate about). I was ending a 10 year relationship and this felt like the right thing for me. It was new and I was excited! This business was built on a great need for independence, an outlet for my creativity, and a pure curiosity about all things jewelry. I was 1 of maybe 30 people that showcased a curated collection of jewelry on Instagram and I had no expectations of what this business would become. I dove in, I posted, I did pop-ups, I created a community. It felt organic and special. It was honest. I worked harder on this than I had worked on anything else in my life. I was fearless and nothing was impossible. I burned down that path for years and years without stopping. Without a vision or a goal. I did what felt right when it felt right and created an identity for myself that I am still very proud of. I had a small community of professional relationships (some that have become family) and we were off to the races. I loved the hand-shake/word-of-mouth/trust-based industry that I had the honor of being a part of with no generational history in jewelry.

I knew how important it was to be honest. I knew who to ask questions to if I didn’t have the answers. I knew what it meant to pay my invoices on time. I knew when to ask for a price adjustment and I knew how to say “thank you for your time” when the answer was no. I loved the hustle of the jewelry industry and importance of earning respect. It was old school and I picked it up quickly. To this day, I know that the industry relationships I have are ones that feel just as lucky to work with me as I do working with them. That isn’t something that will ever be lost on me. It means the world.

At the end of 2019, I hit a wall. I started to question absolutely everything about my life. It was almost like everything lined itself up on an inventory list and I have been slowly, painfully, and beautifully making my way through it ever since.

I will assume that 2020 was difficult for everyone. Personally, I was experiencing a burn-out so by the time March 13th showed up - I was ready for the break. For those that don’t know, I live in Nashville, TN. I was born here in 1982 and have lived here the majority of my life with the exception of 10+ years in Annapolis, MD > NYC > and LA. I love it here most of the time but I learned to love it differently in 2020. The community of friends I have here is unbelievable and even that is an understatement. My girlfriends and their partners are my family and we did a damn good job of showing up for each other during that time. With so many unknowns, we were each others constants. I have a lot of good memories.

I lost my father, Bucky Baxter, on May 25th 2020. If you plan on sticking with me on this new path of sharing, you will hear a lot about him here. He was a brilliant musician and an absolute legend. I woke up to a text message from one of his friends that morning that read “Brooke, I am very sad to hear of your Dad. Love, _______”. My father and I hadn’t spoken in 5 years. I didn’t get to say goodbye. At least not in the traditional way of saying goodbye. His passing was not a surprise but the grief that I experienced was life changing and shook me to the core. If you have lost a parent or loved one you know that it never really goes away. Grief hides in places you don’t realize and shows up when you least expect it. Next thing you know you’re talking out loud to a hawk that keeps showing up in your back yard because you think it is your reincarnated father trying to send you a message. I know that I am not alone in saying this but I experience grief every day. In growth there is grief and I am constantly ping pong-ing between a non-linear path of self discovery and the idealized version of who I am…who I was…who I will become…and the freakishly cool child that lives in my heart always. Connecting with all of those parts sometimes feels like a full time job.

And Here We Are

If you’ve gotten this far you might be thinking, what’s the point and what does this have to do with A&A? There’s a voice in my head going OFF like an NFL football coach as I have been typing out this entire Substack post that says something like “whoa whoa whoa keep it to yourself Baxter. Your followers are only interested in jewelry. Keep it cool. Keep it light. Play the game!”. Well, that’s what I’ve been doing on Instagram for years. Very little personal information, some basic captions, a story sale here and there. To be completely honest, it’s not really me. It started to feel so inauthentic that I had to stop posting all together. I needed to recreate what felt authentic to me. I have lived a LIFE! The amount of people that have told me to write a book has to be more than I can even sit here and count on both hands. Who I am is big. What I hope to share is even bigger. I have depth, I’m funny, I’m smart, I have great taste, and I absolutely cannot pretend to play the Instagram game for one more day of this life without it impacting me negatively. There is much more to the girl with the anchor finger tattoo (which had nothing to do with my brand btw). I have bad taste in tattoos…more on that later. I named my business in a time when everything was _____ & _____. Wit & Wisdom, Edgar & Ivy, Olive & Twig. You get it. An Anchor can keep your ship from floating off into the abyss or (even worse) washing up on shore sideways. An Arrow can keep you moving towards the target. Somewhere in those descriptions is where I land. I am Arrow & Anchor and much like my bad tattoos, maybe the name will circle back around and become a branding trend. I won’t hold my breath. I also won’t change it.

SO with all of this said, here is what I know :

I LOVE finding jewelry that I think is special - If you have ever come to see me in person you know that I love to connect. If I could meet everyone that has purchased from me over the years, I would. Talking life and jewelry is my thing and I remember everyone…sometimes not by their face but I will remember them by their jewelry. I recognize every piece I have owned and sold in the 13 years that I have been doing this. I remember every exchange and usually some fun facts about that person. It’s the best part of this job and I hope to do this more in the future.

I LOVE helping people curate their jewelry collections - I have clients that have come to me with an empty jewelry box over a decade ago and that thing is full of pieces that I have carefully picked out for them. Those clients have become very important people in my life and if I haven’t said it enough - THANK YOU for choosing me to be a part of your jewelry story. It means the world and I am excited to continue helping you find those special pieces.

I LOVE creating custom jewelry - The process is amazing, exciting, and I have so many beautiful stories to share about the pieces I have created. The jewelers that we work with are the best in the biz and there isn’t a piece that I have created that I wouldn’t proudly wear every day.

I LOVE guiding clients in making smart watch investments - I have been working with rare and special time pieces for the last decade. It is something I do mostly off of Instagram but I care about it and enjoy doing it as much as I enjoy the jewelry world. It’s a boys club but I belong and I know my shit.

I LOVE Old Cut Diamonds - In a world of green washing and false sustainability claims, the best thing you can do with your money and for the environment is purchase Antique Diamonds. They hold life. They sparkle BIG!! My issue with Lab Grown Diamonds is for another post. I feel strongly against buying them and I am happy to explain why.

Instagram is an important part of my brand.  Without it, I wouldn’t be where I am today…but it isn’t everything and it isn’t a reliable platform for me to be vulnerable on moving forward. In order for A&A to grow, it has to feel authentic to me and that is my goal. That is my promise (mostly to myself). In the next few weeks I will be doing a SUMMER SALE of inventory. This is to make room for a smaller, more curated collection and to open up the time and space to focus on custom projects and my future.

I would love to open up discussions with any brand or individual that is feeling like they need a transformation. A tune up. An oil change? It has taken me a long time to get to this place and there is still a lot of unknown. Without diving deep into why the world feels chaotic and unstable right now, I am hoping to create more of a community here. I have a lot to share. If you ask any of my friends, I am a well of valuable information. If you’ve seen me in person (humble brag) I look a solid decade younger than I am. I write all of my friends skin care plans. Look, I’m basically a secret influencer - ok? Last week I taught my Moms friend that if you keep avocado pits in your freshly made guacamole bowl…it will last longer and not turn brown. Ya know, things like that ;) I know all the best products, kitchen condiments, and home goods. I know the coolest cars and most everything about why they are cool and great. I have an inherited knowledge of music and sound that my Dad passed down. I believe it is a part of my DNA. I have done “the work” as people like to say. I hope you choose to stick with me. I hope you know how special I feel knowing you made it to the end of this post and if you subscribed to this Substack I promise you that it is $5 WELL SPENT. There will be tears, there will be laughs, and there WILL BE GOLD!

I appreciate any and all feedback, comments, and support!

With so much love,

Brooke Baxter