Bound & Wired grew from Laura Frank Olson wanting to learn how to make dreamcatchers to offering beautiful jewelry to help promote positivity. “The company is for everyone and built on self-expression and self-love. We can do custom orders to help people express themselves,” she says.
After watching videos to learn about the craft, Frank Olson challenged herself to design wire-wrapped jewelry. She incorporates ethically sourced crystals from South Dakota, where most don’t have holes drilled through them. “I wanted to start with the hardest possible so the rest would come easier,” she says. It took her four months of trial and error to create products that she was proud of.
As the owner of a small business, Frank Olson has no investors and develops all of her designs herself. She also wears all of the styles prior to offering them for sale to ensure durability and quality.
Bound & Wired bracelets are unique because each crystal is a little bit different. The stretchy bands ensure anyone can wear them. Frank Olson hosts donation drives where she gathers beads people no longer want for children to use. These activities encourage children to practice their creativity by crafting their own bracelets. It is a great way for them to feel accomplished and gives them the opportunity to display their work proudly.
Always eager to try something new, Frank Olson has branched out to crafting suncatchers and seed bead fringe earrings. “One pair can take up to five hours [to create] because it is sort of like sewing,” she says. The end product is worth it because she loves figuring out the puzzle and learning new skills.
Frank Olson is grateful Downtown Brookings provides an opportunity for people to get fresh air in the upbeat environment of the Brookings Farmers Market, which is open 9 a.m. to noon each Saturday from May through October. With “hundreds of people walking around,” she gets to interact with so many potential customers, which is why she decided to become a part of the market after discovering it through social media.
When she first attended the market, it consisted of only produce. Now it has expanded to include coffee, honey, candles, soap, bread, jams, dog accessories and so much more. Frank Olson is most looking forward to visiting with even more people this season and for them to see her new products.
As a full-time employee and mom of three, Frank Olson sets deadlines to ensure she has enough inventory for the Farmers Market. Her friend, Amy Yost of Pierre, South Dakota, helps her stay organized and tracks logistics to ensure the business’s success by managing the inventory and keeping the spreadsheets up to date.
Frank Olson and Yost first met while working for Aramark at South Dakota State University, but their friendship developed over conversations about spirituality. They stayed in contact and developed Bound & Wired into what it is today. Yost attends the market periodically, and Frank Olson also receives help from her eldest daughter, Codi, who attends every Saturday with her mom.
Stop by the Brookings Farmers Market to meet the people behind Bound & Wired and explore what products they have to offer!
