The Laura Bond team is always expanding. To get a take on what it's like to work for Scotland's leading luxury piercing brand, we sat down with Karina, one of our longest standing team members.
Karina at a Laura Bond piercing pop-up, February 2023
"It’s rewarding working with a team of incredible people who go above and beyond to make women feel amazing."
Why did you apply for a role with Laura?
I was so excited when I saw the job ad pop up for Laura Bond back in 2021. I was fresh out of uni and looking for my next adventure.
It just felt like the perfect fit for me - gorgeous jewellery, a lovely team, and a rapidly growing brand, it all sounded so exciting.
I was absolutely over the moon when I was offered the job. I couldn’t have asked for much more.
What makes it a unique place to work?
No day is ever the same. Because Laura Bond is a small business, I have been involved in every area from packing online orders when I first joined the team as E-Commerce Assistant to organising in-store events and managing our marketing plans today.
It’s also super unique because I work side-by-side directly with Laura our founder everyday. We bounce ideas back and forth all the time so I really feel like I can make big impacts.
It’s rewarding working with a team of incredible people who go above and beyond to make women feel amazing. Providing a space to empower women and make them feel incredible through piercings is so fulfilling.
Karina with founders, Laura and Doug, at a charity ball Laura Bond sponsored, March 2024
How do Laura’s values resonate with you?
I really resonate with our brand values of making people feel good, growing together, and doing things differently.
Making people feel good is fundamental in our marketing strategy and in our experience on the shop floor. Whether that’s sending our subscribers a weekend voucher treat or making a piercing client feel on the top of the world, this is something I (and our team) really strive for.
Having grown with Laura Bond from E-Commerce Assistant to being Senior Marketing Executive today, this easily relates back to our ‘growing together’ value and I’m really excited to continue this journey.
Taking our customers along with our growth is so special too. I love interacting with them, finding out what they're loving and making changes based on that. I'm always going to aim to reward our customers more and more as we grow.
Finally, doing things differently resonates with my creative approach to marketing. Some pillars that I love to refer to when developing Laura Bond’s marketing strategies are: inclusive, joyful, aspirational, approachable, fun, and educational - I think these are what really sets us apart.
What career development opportunities does Laura Bond offer you?
I’ve already seen significant growth during my time at Laura Bond in the three and a half years I’ve been here.
I’ve worked my way up from being an E-Commerce Assistant in 2021 to Senior Marketing Executive today. The progression has been quick which I know would not have been the case at larger organisations.
Laura herself has been a brilliant mentor to me. Whether that’s teaching me her extensive marketing knowledge or connecting me with the right people to learn from, she has really championed my growth and success.
In 2024, I was named one of Retail Jewellers 30 Under 30 Rising Stars for my marketing work with Laura Bond thanks to being nominated by Laura and Doug - such a surreal moment!
Karina's Retail Jeweller 30 Under 30 Award
What are you most excited about for 2025?
Our customers are our number one priority and I always want to make sure they’re being rewarded and being looked after for supporting us.
In light of this, I’m really looking forward to setting up an official Laura Bond loyalty scheme in 2025. We are in the early planning stages at the moment but I think our customers will be so excited about what this has to offer.
Laura and Chloe, our Head of Brand, are currently developing lots of new GORGEOUS jewellery launching which our customers are going to adore - I’m really excited to showcase these to our community.
I’m really excited about my personal growth too. I’m a total sponge for new marketing knowledge so I’m looking forward to learning more through courses and amazing local contacts.
I also recently booked my wedding for 2026 so that will soon be taking over my personal life too in the best way possible (wedding planning is secretly a marketers dream!). Luckily through working at Laura Bond I have met loads of amazing suppliers that I would love to work with.
What does it mean to you to work for a Scottish business?
Working for Scotland’s leading luxury piercing brand is something I’m super proud of.
I love our home-town of Edinburgh too. Its architectural beauty, stylish residents and abundance of beautiful shops and cafes is endlessly inspiring. For someone who grew up in more rural towns in the Highlands of Scotland, it’s a real treat to work here!
There’s a real sense of community in Edinburgh on the small business scene. People love supporting small, local brands and finding items they can’t get anywhere else.
Finally, I feel very lucky having a marketing job in the fashion/jewellery industry in Scotland. Creative jobs can be scarce here in comparison to London, it’s something I’m grateful for on a daily basis.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I see myself continuing to shape Laura Bond’s online presence and making every brand touchpoint an exciting and impactful experience for our customers.
By then too I’d love to have expanded our reach into new markets including the EU and the USA with crafted marketing strategies to match.
Because Laura and Doug gave me such an amazing opportunity out of university, I’m really passionate about nurturing the next generation of marketing talent. So ideally, I’d be mentoring a strong team that’s as enthusiastic about Laura Bond as I am.
Overall, I see myself being deeply invested in making sure our brand remains a leader in the luxury jewellery and piercing space while adapting to whatever new trends come our way.
Karina's fave styles
What advice would you give someone looking to enter a sales/marketing/manager role in Edinburgh / Scotland?
We're currently hiring for a Boutique and Piercing Parlour Manager on our team. If you have the right skillset and are looking for your next adventure, come and join us! You really won’t regret it. Laura Bond is truly a very special place to work.
More generally speaking, build up a network of contacts that you can lean on for support and advice. I’ve found this so helpful, especially when working for a smaller business.
Networking events can be good but I’ve found it more useful just messaging people on LinkedIn asking for a coffee date - 99% of the time they will say yes! I’m proud that this has led to us running some really exciting collaborations with fantastic brands.
Keen to join the Laura Bond team? View our current vacancy below. We can't wait to hear from you.