The top 5 Principles I swear by – to run my business (and get what I want)

Happy Tuesday beautiful!

 

June is here, and with that we’ve reached the half-year mark for 2017!

 

With half the year behind me, it’s a good time to reflect a bit (instead of going straight into planning the next 6 months). I use this time to acknowledge things I have secretly NOT been enjoying about VeruDesigns this year, what has worked and what has not worked. And most importantly, whether it’s time to shift something in any significant way before going forward pulled by inertia.

 

While doing so this week, I came to realize that to do this, I kept coming back for answers to the very first 5 principles I used when I started this little venture a few years ago.

Today, I’m sharing these principles with you. Not because I love to write (I sooo wish I’d enjoy it more than I do!), but because I think we’re all in this together. If there is anything that has served me well, chances are they might serve someone else too.

So here it goes:

 

#1 – YOUR WHY & WHAT – Having a clear intention:

This is so obvious, but how can you get what you want, if you don’t know what it is?

Knowing very clearly WHY I do what I do is everything. The more clarity I have on my “why”, the clearer it is to know “what” I really want, and ultimately the easier it is to distinguish between “good” and “great” ideas/opportunities, what to say “yes” and “no” to.

So, what do I want? For VeruDesigns my main intention (my “what”) has been very simple:

To have a self-sustaining avenue for free creative expression, expansion and joy. That’s it.

I come back to this definition over and over again anytime I have to make a decision.

Notice that the “what” that my WHY created, is an “intention” and not a goal. Goals tend to be “outcome driven” (which sometimes I have no control over), whereas “intentions” I can fully OWN. I can take actions with complete commitment to my intentions behind them, and let go of the outcome. To explain how my WHY informs my WHAT (intention), let me clarify what each of these carefully chosen words mean to me.

• Free creative expression and joy: This summarizes my WHY. VeruDesigns happened after years of dedicating myself completely to my academic education and then my corporate career. I was starved from having a fulfilling and FREE creative expression that was mine, and mine alone. Today, it’s much much more than that. It’s a HUGE source of joy (and I’m trying to keep it this way), it’s a community, and it’s one of the ways I continue to expand my spirituality. In other words, without joy and creative freedom, VeruDesigns makes no sense to me. Period.

 

• Self-sustaining: This is the main reason VeruDesigns is a business and not a hobby. I wanted for VeruDesigns to never be a burden in our lives (financial, resource or time-wise), by COMPLETELY paying for itself. This included not just materials, tools, furniture and space, but if possible my time as well. I was NOT looking for another “job”. I already had (and have a fulltime job) as a co-founder of our technology company. NOR did I want my art to ever be under pressure to completely support us . When profits are the priority, we’re susceptible to becoming more mercenaries with our art, and betray our free creative spirit (my WHY!).
  • Note: Let me clarify that if VeruDesigns somehow becomes a business that supports easily our WHOLE life, that would be AWESOME! But only if it doesn’t sacrifice my JOY and free creative expression. See how my priorities work? Joy and freedom are my #1, followed by profits (#2).

One quick example of how powerful this principle has been, took place late last year. After being featured in two big magazines, I began receiving incredibly enticing offers that I could’ve simply not have dreamed of myself. These were opportunities in the fashion world both in Europe and here in the States. They required a shift into a more commercial mindset if I were to move forward. Knowing WHY I do what I do was everything in this decision. Once I was reminded by not only my priorities, but what is non-negotiable, versus what is, I knew right away what I needed to do.

Saying “no” was hard for my ego, but it felt absolutely right.

I guess all I’m saying is: Be clear about your WHY. There are no wrong answers. Your why is YOUR why. If, for example, the bottom line (profit) is your why, that is absolutely right and perfect. The clarity on this WHY will drive your decisions, what you’re willing to do and what you’re NOT willing to do without hesitation.

 

FINAL THOUGHT: Make sure your “why” has nothing to do with “VALIDATION”.

• This is such a common trap among artists. The only person who can validate your work and love it truly, is YOU. The world will see your work with as much (or as little) appreciation that YOU see it. Be your cheerleader. Don’t WAIT for others to do that for you. It will happen eventually, but not because you “finally are doing good work”. But because you finally infused your work with the energetic magnetism of love and appreciation. We’re talking about something invisible. But ask any “successful” artist, and they’ll tell you of this invisible power.

 

#2 – I create what “I” love!

This is an obvious consequence of my WHY. And it has been not just the most freeing decision I could’ve made, but it has brought about the best and most unexpected opportunities for VeruDesigns. This is especially important for me because Art Jewelry has an overlap with fashion. Fashion is strongly driven by trends, public opinion and whatever everyone thinks is popular at the moment. But I know that the moment I begin to buy into the “trend” mentality I’m cutting off my creative wings.

Anytime I’ve followed my creative impulses, especially when I created something despite not having seen anything like it before, the pay off has been fantastic. Examples are my “shoe-earring” collection. These are miniature shoes that were exact replicas of designer shoes that I love. These got the attention of Clover Canyon in Los Angeles, which started a super fun collaboration with them, and brought me exposure to their social media fans and subscribers! Another great example was my very first “flower-inspired” necklace. If you’ve seen my work, you know these are pretty bold. True statement pieces made for a very specific kind of woman. Anyway, when West Elm saw them in one of my early blog posts, they invited me to have them as part of their summer installation. (It actually turned into way-more than that, but still….it was very cool!).

West Elm Brooklyn

 

West Elm Philadelphia

 

Anthropologie

#3 – Inspiration may come from ANYWHERE! (Except other jewelry)

I’ve spoken (and blogged) about this before. Inspiration and creativity go hand-in-hand and happen simultaneously (at least for me). You can’t help it!

Once you see or feel something you love, as an artist it triggers an idea for creation with an energy of desire. But as much as you want to make it your own, it has (of course!) elements of what inspired it! Why would I look at the amazing jewelry works of so many of my talented peers, knowing that they will very likely trigger a creative desire? Why? Why, when there is a WHOLE WORLD of other things, places, situations that can inspire me as well. So yes. I don’t look at other jewelry. This doesn’t guarantee that all my works look absolutely 100% different than anything else (after all, I believe that all artists are accessing the same energetic universe of thoughts and ideas), but the bottom line is, it FEELS good to me. Which is all that matters really. I have absolutely no judgement whatsoever on any of the amazing jewelry artist that find inspiration in other jewelry. If it feels good, it’s going to be unique in their very own way.

My favorite sources of inspiration? Nature, flowers, architecture (big one!), ceramics, fabrics and textiles (for colors and textures).

#4 – Marketing can be much more than sales. It’s an opportunity for expression and kindness.

This is such a BIG subject. I could write a whole post on marketing alone.

Today, I’ll just focus on just one of the definitions it has for my business, which is that marketing is among other things, the “process of sharing your work” with the world. When you sell your work, you’re effectively sharing and revealing a part of yourself to the world.

Looking at it this way, it becomes much more beautiful than plain cold marketing. You get to choose HOW to share your creations. You choose the LANGUAGE. And the language itself can become an opportunity of self-expression. I sometimes use words to share (sell) my work, and very often I use photography and video. Both of which are creative outlets in their own right.

However to do this well, you have to be willing to reveal parts of yourself. You cannot “share” (or sell) something that is not real and true (without loosing your customer forever). This is where I found my joy in marketing. It is an opportunity to reveal true parts of myself, that invite the best of me and will (hopefully!) ignite the best in others.

Take this blog post as an example. This is a “verbal” version of my marketing. And yet there is NOTHING fake about it. Nothing untrue. I’m revealing 5 very important and personal principles of my business, and in doing so, maybe someone will find an answer they’ve been looking for. At the same time, I’m continuing to reveal more and more the energy that created my art jewelry, the intention, the love, and this is how normally I connect with the eventual owner (buyer) of my pieces. Makes sense?

 

#5 – You can only do your best. And your best is ALWAYS enough.

… At least in my books.

As a small business, you have limited resources (money and/or time). So, to me what matters is, that I do my absolute best with what I got. A few examples include:

• The buying experience: Besides trying to make my art the best it can be, I try to make the buying experience a memorable one. My packaging is a big part of that. It’s beautiful and customized for each of my one-of-a-kind pieces. I include personalized notes and reveal briefly the story behind the jewelry piece (for nothing comes out of thin air!).
• Customer Service: This is a big one. I always respond to all inquiries within 24-hours or less. Most times within a few hours. To the best of my ability, my assistant and I will do everything we can to accommodate an emergency or unusual situation. But I’m very straightforward yet kind (it makes me feel good). My business has clear boundaries, so that I’m not put into uncomfortable positions too often.
• Guarantee: My art is made of clay. Clay is much like porcelain. It’s an art medium, but it is not the most durable one. My customers know that. But they are buying ART, not just jewelry. Having said that, I want to do anything I can to ease any hesitation they have before purchasing something. My 100% guarantee is one of those things. If a jewelry piece is damaged after some major impact, I guarantee its full restoration or replacement with an equal or more beautiful piece.

Now sometimes, none of these things will seem enough for a potential customer. But I can only do my best, and if my best is not acceptable, that’s ok. It means they are not meant to own my art. And that is enough. For me.

 

Now it’s your turn. I would LOVE to read what principle(s) you use for how you run your business or operate as an artist, or how you live your life! Also, let me know if any of my principles have triggered any thoughts or feedback. I’d love to learn from you!

Stay well, stay happy and stay healthy. See you in a few weeks!