Meet Sarah Nidek-Eberle | Medusas Stones (Lapidary) & Chicks That Rock (guided rock hunts)

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sarah Nidek-Eberle and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sarah, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Science and creativity have always been my outlet and I wanted to find my niche, this was a 10 yearlong dream in the making. As a female I was undermined most of my life and I wanted to do what brought ME joy. I believed in myself and my product and wanted to share it with others. I wanted to get paid to do what I loved on my terms being just myself. I have decades of knowledge about Geology since my undergraduate is in Biology/Secondary Education. I trusted the Universe and knew this direction is where I was to go.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.

I’ve collected rocks since I was a little girl and wanted to live by the ocean so a career choice as a science teacher/adjunct professor in Florida came naturally. I spent close to a decade in Florida Education. i have my Masters Degree in Education and loved it but I’ve never fit into a box. The early 2000’s was not an easy time for most women in the workplace, I was a competitive surfer driving a non traditional 2000 Yellow Jeep Wrangler. The challenges of constantly being persecuted for what I drove, how I looked (and I’m as privileged as they come), not being taken seriously as a women in a field full of men, being constantly harassed. My spirit needed a break and that’s when another door opened. I made a bold career jump to being fully commissions in sales/marketing in Orlando. That was needed to get me out of my little bubble, meet people, and travel which is what my soul needed.
Along came my husband, 3 amazing children and a big move back to Ohio so my priorities shifted for that young season of motherhood.
I needed to do something that brought me joy after neglecting myself for roughly a decade. Creativity fuels me and I craved some independence on my own terms.
I became engulfed with studying the shorelines of Lake Michigan, Lake Erie and Lake Huron finding and identifying rocks. I browsed the rock shops in Traverse City MI and knew I wanted to learn Lapidary. I learned the trade and purchased my own Cab King which has 6 polishing wheels and saw. My dream became my reality in my 40’s so I encourage anyone to never give up.
I have two focuses, rock hounding and repurposing. I’m fascinated by geology and being grounded in nature so often times I’m drawn to certain stones. Lots of them have healing properties which is amazing. I then take them home, cut and polish each one pouring my joy into them creating beautiful pieces of Jewelry.
Something I’m very proud of is that each piece is one of a kind.
The addition of repurposed materials came from my love of Jeeps, passed down from my Dad.
My father was an employee at Toledo Machining which is a parts plant of Jeep. He has owned 3 Jeeps. when I heard about “Fordite” I wondered if I could get my hands on some “Jeepite”. This is layers of overspray buildup that lands on the surrounding surfaces. These chunks of paint overspray are hacked off and thrown away. I was instantly in love with the paint swirls and how unique the material was. Not to mention all the bright Jeep colors, Firecraker Red is what I wanted. What better retirement gift for my Daddy than a “Jeepite” Keychain.
Being able to connect with the Jeep community, matching Jewelry and combining my love of lapidary with Jeeps is so much fun.
I learned to believe in my art and not be afraid to take a chance and be the first one to ever do something.
I also use Cadillac Ranch Fordite which is a chunk of graffiti overspray from the Cadillacs buried along route 66 in Armarillo TX. A spray painting tourist attraction since the 1970’s. Rather than those chunks get thrown away they turn into psychedelic black light glowing pieces of art.
I started out as SNE_Creations and have turned into Medusas Stones.
Guided rock hunting tours coming soon with Chicks That Rock.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I love the beauty of Lake Erie so visiting Luna Pier to look for some rock treasures would be at the top of my list of fun things to do. Ice Skating at the Ribbon in downtown Toledo and having a drink and some food at Tony Packos. In the summer Centennial Quarry in Sylvania has amazing crystal clear water, floats, a water slide and zipline. At night it turns into a concert venue hosting many famous artists and bands.
The historic Maumee River where the war of 1812 took place has many trails and parks that I would visit. Sidecut Metropark being my childhood favorite. Kayaking the Maumee is a great fun activity.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Shout out to Radek and Justin of ScentWick Candles. I’m SO grateful for their kindness and dedication to their business. I love having them to look up to and am so proud of how much they have grown. love you guys!

Website: http://sne-creations.myshopify.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/medusasstoness?igsh=MWpseXB6bmJrYzVzNQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SNEscreations?mibextid=dGKdO6

Other: I’m in the process of switching my name from SNE_creations to Medusas Stones so if you see both names that’s why. insta is @medusasstoness