PART OF THE PROCESS

Written by Sammy Noelle

We found ourselves walking through the center of Liberty Station on a Thursday afternoon in November of 2022. With the long grassy lawns and fountain to our right, we looked left toward the row of green doors contrasting the salmon-colored, historic buildings. Eventually, as we came to an opening in the architecture, we saw the double doors of brand new permanent jewelry storefront, Fuze Jewelry.

We entered into a stunningly minimal, yet lifegiving space. To our right was a gorgeously neutral lounge set up, with a pop of floral color, to our left were cabinets and columns, exquisitely decorated in the large minimal space. And straight ahead of us, behind the main counter, was the woman who made that magical environment come to life in a mere six weeks - Millan Andreoli Kononitz.

Millan greeted us with a smile and waved goodbye to her husband (a major helping hand in bringing this Fuze space to life) as he headed out the doors to grab a coffee during our interview. We quickly and effortlessly stepped into photoshoot mode. Millan, being an absolute natural in front of the camera, carried herself around the space as we documented the process. Once our creating came to a close, we sat down in the rounded cream chairs in the lounge area.

We quickly discovered that Millan was an east coast gal, hailing from a small farm town in Western Massachusetts, and had moved to San Diego just over three years ago. When we asked why she made the move out to Southern California, she answered without hesitation, “Like, mainly weather.” We nodded in complete understanding.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, Millan and her love for dainty jewelry were looking for a permanent jeweler in the area, but couldn’t find anyone. She nonchalantly expresses the moment she figured she’d give it a try. “I was like, ‘You know what? This is the coolest thing ever. I want to do it, even if it’s just for myself.’” So, she bought herself a welding machine and learned the art of fuzing.

The beginning of Fuze was composed of a lot of pop-ups and outdoor markets, and eventually Millan reached out to Sea Hive Station, an indoor/outdoor hub providing space for local artists and vendors in Liberty Station, and ended up getting a spot in the jewelry section. Starting with working three to four days a week, Millan soon realized that there wasn’t enough space for her to consistently cater to the large groups of people who would come in to get fuzed. Fast forward a year, and she is now operating out of her very own storefront.

We mentioned how wild her progress as a business owner has been in such a short amount of time, and Millan led with gratitude, “I feel like all the hard work I put into it I get back tenfold.” She continued on to say, “I’m always up for a challenge. I feel like I was always told growing up, ‘You can do whatever you want to do,’ and I fully, confidently believe that.” With a healthy dose of self-awareness and understanding, Millan wrapped up her thought, “And I feel like I know my limit. I know what I can do, I know what I can learn, and then there’s a point where someone else is going to be better at this. And I’ll collab.”

With confidence in her strengths and the knowledge of her limits, Millan built a team to help her continue the growth that Fuze has already showcased. She hired two employees to help with fuzing so that she could focus on the other areas of the business, such as the previously mentioned art piece of an environment. Millan expressed how so many of her past jobs lacked a quality in their environment and made it clear that was a significant factor in her passion for a beautiful workspace that encourages a vibrancy of life.

“I remember, I think I was in sixth grade, and we were at the dinner table. My mom and my stepdad were talking about all of their coworkers, and one night I said, ‘I know everything about everyone you work with and it’s annoying. If you hate your job so much, then leave. Like, stop complaining and do something about it.’” And because of that, both her mom and stepdad went on to start their own businesses and have been doing so ever since.

If that story doesn’t bring the clarity that Millan was made to do exactly what she’s doing, we don’t know what will.

Millan shared with us how anxiety has been a struggle in her life, and how, in the past, her workspace would be one that amplified her already present anxiety. So, she made it a mission of hers to mitigate the anxiety at work for herself and her employees, and in turn, carry a freedom and peace into the other areas of their lives. “I couldn’t be where I am without the help of my team. So, I want to show that appreciation on a daily basis.”

In the early stages of Fuze really taking off, Millan had a pivotal moment in her career path while she was balancing her start-up with freelance graphic design and selling vintage clothes. “I was like, ‘Okay. What if I just fully gave this my all? Let’s see what happens.’ And I’m so grateful. I know I’m never going to work for anyone else again.”

Millan continued to express the refreshment that working for herself has brought to her. “It’s so freeing. I feel like my life is more my choice. Work is fun.”

As we dug a bit deeper into the roots of Millan’s entrepreneurial spirit, or as she referred to, her “origin story”, she shared how she grew up in a home where both parents were their own bosses. And actually, she deserves some credit for that becoming their reality.

The more and more we learned about Millan’s story, it became evident that everything from her randomly doing social media management for a jewelry company to her freelancing in graphic design, her interest in minimalistic jewelry to her drive to do what she wants and not look back, have all been puzzle pieces to bring her to the full picture that is her present everyday life. In the words of Millan, “I feel like I’m in line with where I’m supposed to be.”

“I want it to be personal,” Millan stated as we asked about what was ahead for Fuze. With piercings and styling right around the corner, she also wants to expand the brand to personalized jewelry experiences. Millan expressed that no matter the money spent, she wants everyone to leave Fuze Jewelry having had a luxurious experience that made them feel special and significant.

When we asked how that care for her clients and employees shows in her personal life, Millan brought a unique perspective to the table. “With the pandemic, people give less fucks, in a good way. And I see so many more individual styles appearing. I feel like there are so many genres of fashion and styling and self-expression now. That’s something I really care about. I feel like there are so many ways you can express yourself, and jewelry is one of them.” Millan summed up her own connection to this observation of the world around her, “It came as I grew more confident in myself, and figuring out who I am as a person, and how I’m always growing and changing.”

Through Fuze Jewelry, Millan has made capturing memories and expressing one’s self approachable in the form of a delicate piece of jewelry you’ll have forever.

As we closed out our time together, Millan left us with a few words of wisdom. “Life is really short, so just do it. Just try it. What’s the worst that’s going to happen? You’re going to be exactly where you are.” Millan expands just briefly as she leaves us with this:

Follow Millan & Fuze Jewelry

Millan’s Instagram | @millanonitz

Fuze Jewelry’s Instagram | @fuzejewelry

Fuze Jewelry’s Website | www.fuze-jewelry.com wherever