Entrepreneurial Fears

Entrepreneurship is scary.  Even a baby step can come with some hesitations.  For the past year I have been talking about wholesaling my jewelry, and it has gotten to the point where I can't put it off anymore (I mean I can, but it will only remain a pipe dream if I do.)  So I am preparing my newest collection to approach stores, in fear.  There are two major things I am afraid of.  The buyers saying no, and the buyers saying yes.

Confusing right, but it's true.

If the buyer says no, than my ego may immediately tell me to quit, and avoid anymore bruises to my dignity.

If the buyer says yes, than I have huge jewelry orders, and I find out for sure if I can do this, or if I will fall on my face.

Any other noob entrepreneurs facing similar conflicts?

Classically Charming

Look out for something beautiful May 21st!  

May goals

So, I completely skipped March and April on ze blog, but let me tell you...they were busy.  Although I'd complain from time to time, it has all been worth it.  Well, my internship in particular.  I have been learning the ins-and-outs of running a business, an accessories business in particular; how perfect!  I have loved watching the design process, and working with all of Jess's sweet customers.  I'll admit being constantly busy has taken a lot out of me, but my semester ends tomorrow, so the light at the end of the tunnel is twinkling!

This blog is about my goals, so here are some that I plan on working towards:

• Wholesaling: I have been talking about this for a while, and my new collection is almost complete, which means wholesaling must commence!
• Improving and Revamp Pure Bliss:  I used to post so much more, and I really loved it.  I cannot keep up on blogging daily, and I definitely cannot keep up on this blog and the Peerless Charm blog.  I would like to really focus on this one, and hope that it can function as the Peerless Charm blog.

Thanks for reading!

And yet another step towards Pure Bliss

One weakness I have had with Peerless Charm is photo quality.  Previously, all the photos on the shop were taken with my point and shoot.  Some have okay lighting, but others have terrible lighting, and they were all taken with a sheet as the background.  I am not to a point where I can afford to hire a photographer to take my photos for me, but I have taken some (free) steps to improving the quality of my shop.

• I got lucky because Casey and Dani have a really really nice camera, and they are gracious enough to let me use it.
• I had a great idea to hang necklaces, instead of laying them down, that way the fall naturally.  This allows my customers to see what they will look like hanging around their neck.
• I thought of investing in photo shoot paper, or a background to create a more professional look. I remembered I had a white board that I never use, and I cleaned it up.
• I thought about investing in a big light, because the full spectrum light I currently have is too small, but then Casey suggested natural light.

My little free set up looked like this:

Not all that professional, but it was perfect because I could swivel the chair to get the perfect amount of light.

And se were the results:

By getting creative, and finding a way to take professional looking pictures, with items around the house, I am able to improve my shop immensely, without spending any money.  Now I can take the money I would have spend on a real photography, and pour it into a new collection! 

I haven't finished updating all of the pictures, but a little bit at a time I plan to have the whole shop completed soon.

Another step toward Pure Bliss

A couple posts ago, I posted about how much I have to learn.  When I had that realization, I realized I need to do something about it.  My friend Allie seems like she is always getting these great internships, and I admired her for it.  I decided that is what I needed to do (this was last year some time.)  I hadn't begun actively looking for somewhere to intern, but Jess Constable has been someone that I have identified with, since I found her blog in late 2010.  Maybe it was coincidence or maybe I am a master visualizer, but a couple weeks ago Jess posted about her new career goals, and she happened to mention that she wants to take in an intern.  I immediately decided that I had to be that intern.  I then emailed her; perhaps too quickly (I want to be an intern, not a creepy person.) Then...yadda yadda yadda....I start my new internship tomorrow!

I am really excited, and even if I spend the whole internship packaging orders, I plan on absorbing any ounce of knowledge I can!

Italian Day

No, we have not quit our cultural dinners, but there are two that I don't have pictures for.  First there was German Day, and we had German Chicken and Dumplings.  Last week we had Armenian week, and I had unfortunately had to work so I did not participate.  I'm not even too sure what they had.

THIS WEEK ITALIAN WEEK!  Italian food is my favorite, so I was hoping it would not get drawn until my birthday, but alas it was picked for this week.  We had Gnocchi and Italian sausage.  It was amazing, and I am still super full.  

Dani made some AMAZING raw cookies.  They tasted like Girl Scout Cookies! :)  I decided artistic pictures were in order.

Deep thinking

I feel like the more I learn, the more I realize I don't know.  I had this epiphany sometime during this last year.  I would give speeches about all these people that screw things up, because they don't realize how much they don't know.  Then I started hearing Socrates quotes, and thought "what a wise man."

Anyways, applying this to my shop...a little over a year ago I opened my store, and I knew everything I had to do.  Make some jewelry, snap some photos, wait for money to start rolling in.  Looking back, it was like I dove into a super deep pool...butt first.  Since then, I have been flailing around the bottom of the pool, trying to figure out which way is up.  I've gotten hints here and there, but I have no real way of knowing which way is the "right" way.  I don't want to go the wrong way, because then I am swimming away from air.  Today I've realized, I need to pick a direction and go with total confidence.  If I do that there's a chance I'll do it right, and hit the surface, for that glorious gulp of air.  The longer I spend trying to decide which way is right, the longer I am sitting under water...with no air.

So....here I go, swimming towards a new page in my Peerless Charm career.  Let's hope I hit the surface.