Hi everyone,

I've decided to put my journey as a small business owner into writing, and I'm starting today with this first blog post.

Our topic today : life and struggles before the jewelry brand, I'm excited to give you a glimpse into my journey.

I'm 35, and I've loved rings and jewelry since I was a teenager. Back then, I especially loved how sparkly Swarovski crystals were, and I used to make rings with Swarovski pearls, like these!

They were my first little handmade business, and honestly, I made pretty good pocket money with it ! 😊 My first customers were family, friends, and their wider circle of acquaintances.

Unfortunately, life often demands conformity, making it difficult to believe in our dreams. Daily insecurities and economic hardships can take their toll. Years went by and I eventually found myself in an office job... The job was fine, and honestly, I was lucky to have it. I had a steady paycheck, which was a huge relief (except for the usual office drama, you know how it goes!). But, waking up every day to do something I didn't enjoy was draining. The idea of doing it for the next forty years was just... crushing. I'd think, 'Forty more years before freedom ?' How depressing is that for someone young?
Like so many people in Switzerland and around the world, I lost my job when COVID struck at the end of 2019. It was awful, of course, but also, in a way, a blessing. I never would have quit on my own, leaving that comfort zone was just too scary. 

In the time since, I insisted and looked for a new office job. But between unemployment, humiliating interviews and a lot of dead-end job searches, I had time to think about myself and what I wanted. I knew office jobs were pointless for me. Eight hours of paperwork felt like a waste of my life. No more. Why not go back to what I loved? I've always had a thing for rings! But this time, it was serious business. 

Fueled by my savings and a leap of faith, I embarked on building this website. Initially, it was just curiosity driving me, I'll admit. But slowly, almost unconsciously, it evolved into something much more serious... I was a total newbie (outside of my crystal Swarovski handmade rings), but I was determined to learn. There were so many things I didn't even know I didn't know! 😊 Though while Shopify offered a wealth of pre-made designs, making it truly 'mine' required patience and effort. Thankfully my brother is also around to help with coding (because yes dear Shopify, you are full of bugs) 😊

And what about the products themselves ? How to bring something different to online shoppers ? My search began for beautiful jewelry designed for women. While I've always lacked the confidence to sell my own handmade rings (and they're likely no longer trendy), I was determined to find unique, empowering, and high-quality pieces. Silver rings, perhaps, but at a price point that wouldn't empty anyone's wallet. After all, as a young woman, I understood the struggle of affording fashionable accessories. And I must tell you, finding unique and quality jewelry proved to be a lengthy search.

To summarize, while passion was essential, I experienced difficulties at each step, website glitches, custom issues, suppliers issues, you name it. It was rough! And I'im still not out of the woods, I'll tell you more about that in the next article ... our first Whakapaïpaï collections 🌟