From Passion to Profit: How Rie Catangay Built a Permanent Jewelry Business — and Is Teaching Others to Do the Same.

The founder of Charmed by Rie has trained over 100 students across multiple states, helping creatives turn their skills into real income.

There’s a moment in every creative’s journey where passion stops being a hobby and starts becoming something more. For Rie Catangay, that moment arrived with a pair of pliers, a spool of gold-filled chain, and the realization that the thing she loved could also be the thing that set her free.

Rie is the founder of Charmed by Rie, a brand centered around permanent jewelry, beauty, and hands-on education for aspiring artists. What started as a passion for beauty and craftsmanship has grown into a full business, one where she not only creates stunning pieces, but also teaches others how to build their own income streams through the art of permanent jewelry.

To date, she has trained over 100 students and traveled across multiple states, bringing her workshops to communities hungry for both a creative outlet and a real business opportunity.

The Rise of Permanent Jewelry

Permanent jewelry — delicate chains and bracelets welded directly onto the wearer without a clasp — has exploded in popularity over the past few years. It’s intimate, intentional, and increasingly in demand. Unlike a piece you can lose in a drawer, permanent jewelry is a commitment, a memory, a conversation starter.

Rie recognized the wave early. She saw not just a trend, but a genuine gap in the market: a service that was personal, portable, and — critically — teachable. The barrier to entry is accessible, but the craft demands enough skill that trained artists can truly differentiate themselves.

“This isn’t just a jewelry trend. It’s a business opportunity that fits into someone’s life. You can do pop-ups on weekends, set up at events, travel, and take your business with you. That kind of freedom is what people are looking for right now.”

Building the Brand

Charmed by Rie sits at the intersection of beauty, artistry, and entrepreneurship education. Her brand reflects her core philosophy: that a creative skill, paired with the right knowledge and community, can become a sustainable livelihood.

Through her trainings, courses, and pop-up events, she’s built a reputation not just as an artist but as an educator and mentor. Students come to learn the technical craft   and also how to price their services, market themselves, find clients, and navigate the early chaos of building a business from scratch.

The community she’s cultivated around Charmed by Rie is one of its most powerful assets. In a field that could feel competitive, Rie has fostered a culture of abundance  the belief that there is more than enough room for every artist who wants to build something of their own.

What It Really Takes to Monetize a Creative Skill

Rie is candid about the realities of turning creativity into income. It’s not just about being talented — plenty of talented people never make a dollar from their craft. What separates those who build a business from those who keep a hobby is treating the business side with the same seriousness as the creative side.

That means learning how to price for profit, not just to cover materials. It means showing up consistently   at pop-ups, on social media, and in your community. It means being uncomfortable, putting yourself out there, and saying yes before you feel fully ready.

“Most people undercharge because they don’t believe in the value of what they’ve created. But once you see a client light up when they get their bracelet, once you understand the experience you’re providing ,  it shifts everything. You start to see yourself as a business owner, not just an artist.”

Teaching Across State Lines

One of the most striking aspects of Rie’s journey is her willingness to take her education on the road. Rather than waiting for students to come to her, she has traveled across multiple states, meeting aspiring artists in their own cities. Her traveling workshops blend skill-building with business mentorship — students leave not just knowing how to use a welder, but understanding how to set up a pop-up, attract customers, and start generating revenue almost immediately.

For many of her students, Rie’s training is the first time someone has told them — seriously, concretely — that their creative instincts can translate into financial freedom.

The Bigger Vision

What becomes clear in talking with Rie is that Charmed by Rie is a vehicle for something larger: the belief that creative people deserve to be taken seriously as business owners. Every student she trains is proof of that. Every successful pop-up makes the case.

She’s not just teaching permanent jewelry. She’s teaching confidence, strategy, and self-belief. She’s building a network of empowered artists who are no longer waiting for permission to turn their passion into a paycheck.

For anyone sitting on a creative skill they’ve been told is “just a hobby,”  Rie Catangay’s story is a compelling reason to reconsider.

About me:

I am currently a Master Facilitator for The Elliott Group in addition to being on the board of advisors for our Cultural Transformation Department in ELLIOTT ARMY.

With over 14 years of client service experience and have held substantial leadership roles in the automotive industry. I’m also an accredited coach, a writer, a speaker, and a triathlon finisher. To contact me for engagements, you can reach me at [email protected].