How would you describe yourself?
I am a 25 year old, bubbly and girly entrepreneur who has two real passions in life! My jewellery business, which I have dreamed of starting since I was about 5 years old, and helping other young entrepreneurs to reach for their dreams too. I live in Hertfordshire in the UK and have two cats called Blossom Ruby Sapphire, and Merlin Casper Picasso. I love anything sparkly and would describe myself as bubbly, determined and passionate!
What do you consider to be your greatest strengths and weaknesses?
My greatest strengths are definitely designing and making intricate jewellery, and also listening to what my customers want. I build fantastic rapport with my customers, and go out to take every opportunity in life that I can… I don’t wait for luck to come to me. My weaknesses would probably be sticking to the ‘task in hand’ *laughs*… I have so many ideas floating around my head at any one given time, sometimes I find it hard to focus on just one thing J
What’s one of the hardest decisions you’ve ever had to make?
I really don’t know! I guess you face difficult decisions in business and life all the time- nothing is ever a smooth ride. I think it’s quite common for people to face the hard decision of leaving a day job to move into self employment, but for me, a normal day job was never an option- I always knew I wanted my own business.
What do you see yourself doing five years from now? Ten years from now?
Probably the same thing but on a much bigger scale! I’m moving into my second year of business now, so its time to scale up.
What piece of advice would you give to young people today?
I get asked this question a lot- My honest advice would be to never, ever, give up your dream. If you are passionate about something, and determined enough to succeed, then you will! It is also good to find a niche in the market and make yourself stand out from other businesses around you.
Setting up a business is not easy, and can be a very lonely path, so I would advise anyone starting up in business to surround yourself with like minded people- whether it be friends, family, or a networking group who you can talk to on a regular basis and throw some ideas around with- but this is very important, especially to help you stay ‘sane’! Loneliness for me was a big problem at the beginning of my career… all of my friends were out having fun and travelling around the world, while I was sitting at home trying to start a business, but I am lucky now to have the right support network around me, and have met some great new people who are similar to me!
Hold on to your dreams, and if you have a good idea, run like the wind with it and do everything you can to make it work!
And lastly, Here is a little thing to think about- If people don’t know you are there, how are you going to succeed? .. Tell everyone and anyone about your business! The more people who know, the better!
Do you have a role model? If any who & why?
There are lots of people in life who I think are inspirational- everyone has different qualities. For me, people who want to succeed in life but are still down to earth and lovely people mean a lot in my life. I really look up to J K Rowling who wrote Harry Potter as she was a single mother who made her dreams turn into a HUGE reality. I also love Hilary Devey, the new Dragon as she is a very caring, independent and strong woman who never gave up when things went wrong. I also love my celebrity customers Suzi Perry and Dawn Porter, who are great role models to anyone, not just business people!
What/who inspired you to choose the career path you’ve chosen?
That’s a tough one! I’ve just always wanted to be my own boss and make jewellery under my own name… I just knew from my childhood. My parents have always encouraged me to live my dreams though. I even have a big tattoo on my wrist that says ‘Dreamer’… I’ll never give up on my dreams!
What has been your most memorable achievement?
Being shortlisted for ‘entrepreneur of the year 2012’ by the Women of the Future awards, in association with SHELL. That was a great moment!
Do you think there is a gap in the market for Alyssa Smith Jewellery goods?
Yes! Most designers take inspiration from organic forms and nature, but for me, inspiration works differently. I am inspired by trends like ‘social media’. In fact, I have a whole jewellery collection based around social media. It is called ‘social butterfly’ and consists of necklaces saying ‘Tweet Me’, ‘Follow Me’ and the well known hash tag symbol ‘#’. This collection is a fabulous seller, and I actually had help from celebrity journalist ‘Dawn Porter’ to come up with these designs!
I always try to listen to what my customers want as opposed to what ‘I’ want… So I would probably say that my customers inspire me most for my new collections, as well as for my bespoke items!
Do check out my website if you would like to have a look at my collections – www.alyssasmith.co.uk and of course, follow me on Twitter if you are on there! @AlyssaJewellery
Who are the team members at Alyssa Smith Jewellery?
Just me currently!
What are your plans for 2012 (personal & professional.)?
Erm… To carry on as I am now I guess! I’d also like a nice long holiday this year too… somewhere exotic hopefully!
Did you go to university? If so what did you study/
I went to the University of Hertfordshire and studied Applied Arts with Marketing. I specialised in jewellery design.
Do you think young people should go to university?
Not always. Only if they feel it will further their career. There are lots of other options out there for people who want to start businesses, university isn’t always the answer these days… But on the other hand, it is still a great asset and can help students in a big way. I think this answer depends on the individual in question!
