Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in jewelry but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Patti Moloney, CEO of Dimples Personalized Jewelry, located in Uxbridge, ON, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Dimples help you capture life's remarkable moments in jewelry personalized with your loved one's fingerprints, hand & footprints, pet paw prints, or handwriting. Keep your loved ones forever close in custom jewelry that captures your story. Our customers are sentimental yet fashionable and appreciate fine quality jewelry and beautiful design. They purchase online from all over the globe. Our jewelry is handcrafted in small-town Ontario by talented designers and goldsmiths.
Tell us about yourself
Originally, I was an elementary special education teacher with a Master's degree in Counselling Psychology. I said goodbye to summers off, pension, and benefits to embarking on an entrepreneurial adventure with my husband and business partner, Jeffrey Ross, a talented designer, and goldsmith. We started with a small jewelry gallery in a historical building in small town Ontario, then developed a brand of jewelry that we sold wholesale to stores across Canada and ultimately transitioned to e-commerce. Sharing dreams and goals with my husband, we enjoy working as business partners growing our enterprise together. On a daily basis, I am inspired and motivated by communications with our customers. We have the best customers! They are kind and thoughtful. We love when they share with us the meaning behind the jewelry we help them create.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Balancing growing a business and raising a family at the same time is my biggest accomplishment. I was pregnant with my second child when I became a business owner. I have three children, and the oldest is in his mid-teens as I write this. Starting a business is much like having a child. In the early stages, it requires much of you and is exhausting and overwhelming. You never feel fully capable. You encounter every emotion imaginable as you grow together, constantly learning. Experiencing this both at work and at home simultaneously was most challenging. Seeing my business through its childhood and adolescence while raising a young family was an ambitious and admirable feat. One that I consider a great accomplishment.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Persevering through challenges, recognizing when something works and doesn't work, and learning to pivot your business in order to achieve success are the most difficult aspects of being a business owner. Having someone outside of your company who isn't mired in the weeds like you may become, someone who can see the big picture and always has your best interest in mind, is important. However, listening to their constructive criticism objectively is very difficult. As challenging as it is, it is critical to success.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Find a mentor who is further ahead in business than you are. This person must believe in you and what you are working toward. They must have your best interests in mind, be your biggest champion, and also offer honesty. You must be able to accept and learn from their constructive feedback without taking offense. As you grow, your mentors will change.
- Consider pursuing your business venture part-time while you remain gainfully employed elsewhere. This will reduce the pressure for you to make a full income from a fledgling business and allow you to retain earnings in the business and grow. Once it generates enough revenue, make a move to running the business full-time.
- Commit to thriving in all areas of life. It's easy to become consumed with your business and let your relationships and/or health suffer. While 'balance' might not be realistic, recognize when you need to take care of yourself or attend to other aspects of your life. Take the time and commit to the activities that maintain positive mental and physical health, relationships, and overall well-being.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://dimplescharms.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dimplescharms
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dimplescharms/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patti-moloney-32839985/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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