If you’ve been here for a while, you know that CMD is powered by four women: myself (Colleen here, hi!), Ary, Sam and Kelsey. Our team is the heartbeat of this whole operation. Together, we collaborate daily across three states to bring CMD jewelry to life. We design, fabricate, test, refine, photograph, write, code, market and ship every single piece ourselves. No big corporate structure. Just four women (and one shop dog) intentionally and thoughtfully moving in sync.

It’s easy to say “woman-owned.” It’s more meaningful to pause and remember that every woman-owned business begins with a little girl who had the curiosity, creativity, stubbornness and imagination to make her dreams come true. Probably a little bit of fearless chaos, too.

International Women’s Day isn’t just about celebrating success. It’s about honoring the journey: the girlhood, the awkward phases, the risks taken, the pivots made, the moments we doubted ourselves and kept going anyway.

What It Means to Be Woman-Owned

Being woman-owned and operated means leading with empathy and clarity, supporting each other through seasons of growth, balancing creativity with logistics, creating a high-trust environment and wearing more hats than feels reasonable some days. We make jewelry that feels like armor because we know firsthand what it takes to move through the world as women building something from the ground up.

It also means we root for other women. Loudly.

The Women Who Support CMD

Another truth is that CMD exists in large part because of you. The women who walk into The CMD Shop & Studio during Open Hours, attend our Pop-Ups and book appointments. The women who stack rings to mark milestones. The women who send us kind emails and thoughtful DMs (they make our day), talk us up to their friends and family, thoughtfully gift CMD to their loved ones, envision custom projects in CMD’s signature aesthetic, recycle heirlooms and trust us with their stories.

We are endlessly inspired by the women in this community. Style is powerful, but women’s resilience, humor, ambition, tenderness and drive are the real magic. The truth is, the least interesting thing about our customers is how beautiful they are. And that’s saying something.

From Then to Now

Scroll from those childhood snapshots to the photo of us together at the 20th Anniversary Party at CMD Headquarters in Asbury Park.

Four grown women. Four distinct strengths and skill sets. One shared mission. There’s something grounding about seeing the arc from playground slides and school portraits to production studios and champagne toasts. It’s a reminder that none of this was inevitable. It was built.

Here’s to Strong Women

Here’s to the little girls we once were and the women we’ve become. Here’s to the women building businesses, raising families, changing careers, healing old patterns, learning new skills, chasing big ideas and doing brave things every single day.

Here’s to being the kind of women who compliment strangers, collaborate instead of compete and create room at the table. And here’s to you, for supporting four women (and one girl dog) who still believe deeply in making things by hand, doing things with heart and cheering other women on along the way.

Happy International Women’s Day!

With gratitude,
The CMD Team
(Colleen, Ary, Sam & Kelsey)

Come See What We’re Building

There are plenty of ways to connect with us beyond the screen. Visit us during Open Hours or an upcoming Pop-Up, stop by The CMD Shop & Studio in Asbury Park, or book an appointment to spend some more focused time with us.

If you’ve been considering a custom or Reconstruction project, want to give inherited jewelry a new life, need some help building your signature stack, or simply want to try everything on in person, we’d love to see you.

© Colleen Mauer Designs. All rights reserved.
Published: March 3, 2026
Updated: August 26, 2026