When Kasia Bogdanowicz (Weinberg ’89) retired from her career as a corporate lawyer, she turned to her passion for antique jewelry by founding Blu Dog World, a business specializing in vintage fine jewelry.
Now, her company, which sells jewelry at booths and online and competes in international antique and trunk shows, is opening an independent store location.
Bogdanowicz opened her first jewelry booths in Fort Myers and Naples, Florida, alongside her daughter, Maggie Christensen (Weinberg ’23, Kellogg ’25), and husband, Anders Christensen.
The family’s expansion will include a third location in downtown Naples, where customers will be able to rent jewelry for special occasions.
Since she was a child, Bogdanowicz said she always had a love for antique jewelry. She said her grandmother was a Polish immigrant who arrived in the United States during World War II and traded antique jewelry as a livelihood. Bogdanowicz said her grandmother would gift her jewelry on special occasions, eventually opening her own antique jewelry store in Madison, Wisconsin.
To follow in her grandmother’s footsteps, Bogdanowicz said the new store will also include an antique gallery. The opening will take place exactly 50 years after the opening of her grandmother’s original store.
“(Antique jewelry) is part of Kasia’s DNA,” Anders Christensen said.
Maggie Christensen, who earned a degree from Kellogg’s Master in Management Program, said she thought she was bound for a corporate job.
However, she said she was inspired by her mom’s drive to pursue her passion.
“I’ve always wanted to do something more creative,” Maggie Christensen said.
Despite her success, Bogdanowicz said her path to antique jewelry hasn’t been without hard work and challenges. She holds a certificate from the Gemological Institute of America, taking classes and sitting for exams in gem studies while on maternity leave.
In a business where customers have to trust they are getting their money’s worth, Bogdanowicz said it is important to have a certification that proves one’s ability to verify authentic pieces.
“It’s not without risk, and it’s not without work,” Bogdanowicz said.
Anders Christensen added that work like this is seasonal, which he said can make the jewelry-selling process stressful. He said the hot summer seasons in Florida leave the state without its temporary “snowbird” residents, which he said impacts sales.
“You have to be able to live with the insecurity of not knowing if you’ve made the next sale or if it’s big enough to cover all your expenses,” Anders Christensen said.
Maggie Christensen said the growing popularity of the entrepreneurship concentration at Northwestern, alongside spaces like The Garage, exemplifies students using their creativity for their professional lives.
“I think more and more people are realizing that you can turn your passions and interests into a business,” Maggie Christensen said.
Despite her creative freedom, Bogdanowicz said she still has to be well-versed on the steps to creating a successful business. This means becoming familiar with aspects of entrepreneurship such as permits, regulations and corporate leases.
However, Kasia said not every day feels like work because she is doing what she truly loves.
“If you love your work, you never have to work a day in your life,” Bogdanowicz said. “That’s the old adage, but I totally believe it.”
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