Go Solo Interview

I recently did an interview with Go Solo for their Entrepreneurial Stories. You can read the interview here. Here’s a sneak peak:

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in jewellery but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Alicia Agarrabeitia, Founder of AA Goldsmith, located in New Westminster, BC, Canada.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

I am a goldsmith and jewellery designer, but some people call me the "jewellery magician." I specialize in melting down old, unworn jewellery and turning it into something new! Every jewellery box is a treasure chest for me! I also create one-of-a-kind jewellery collections that I sell on my website. The hardest part about making jewellery, is having to sell it!

Tell us about yourself

When I'm not making jewellery, you can find me drinking coffee, reading books, being my neighbourhood's self-appointed cat and flower photographer, hoarding gems and stationary, and building lego sports cars for my five-year-old.

I grew up in the jewellery business (my dad is a goldsmith), and I truly love what I do! My biggest motivation (other than paying the bills) is seeing the joy on people's faces when I turn jewellery they really didn't like into something they love!

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I'm most proud of my resilience! I am always learning, and if something doesn't work out, I take the learning lesson and move on. Thanks to my curiosity and resilience, I have a growing and thriving business, which means I ALWAYS have work, and that is a huge accomplishment coming from days when I used to have to hold a part-time job to pay the bills.

Read the rest of the interview here.

Want to work with me this year?

It is NEVER too early to get your order in! Seriously! I am currently taking appointments for end of February and suggest getting in touch as soon as possible if you would like custom work or if you would like to order for a special event this year.

Here are some deadlines to keep in mind!

Mother’s Day: order between now and deadline of April 8th.

Graduations: order between now and deadline of May 13th.

Father’s Day: order between now and deadline of May 13th.

Wedding Bands: order at least two months ahead of wedding.

Christmas Deadlines

SHIPPING

Last year there were shipping delays. This year, they are predicting even bigger delays.

To make sure orders arrive in time, the last day to ship both nationally and internationally is December 1st and shipping costs will be more than usual.

After December 1st, there are NO GUARANTEES and shipping WILL COST MORE.

These aren’t just my rules! You will find that most people are in the same boat! So please, please get your orders in early if you intend to support my business over Christmas.

CUSTOM ORDER DEADLINES

The last day to place custom orders for fine jewellery is November 15th. Why? A piece that normally takes 3 weeks to make, may take an extra week or two because of how busy everyone is during this time of year.

The last day to place orders for sterling silver jewellery is December 1st. Why is this later than fine jewellery? Because sterling silver jewellery is less complicated. If you want a complicated silver piece, I might not be able to get it done in time. So please don’t wait last minute to ask!

After those days I may still be taking orders but whether I can get your request done in time will depend on what you want made or how many other orders I have. I already have 6 Christmas (that were placed by mid-October).

Questions?! Don’t hesitate to ask!

10 year jewellery anniversary

Happy jewellery anniversary to me!

It’s been 10 years since I left my publishing career to start making jewellery and boy does it feel like time really does fly! Thank for your being here and supporting me on this journey!

Here are 10 things I’ve learned about switching careers and running my own business:

  1. I used to constantly wish I had started making jewellery sooner but I’ve come to realize that wasn’t what I was meant to do. After highschool, I thought about following in my dad’s footsteps and becoming a jeweller but I didn’t. I often think about how much farther along in my jewellery career I would be if I had started ten years sooner. I would be celebrating 20 years in the industry now! But my life wasn’t meant to be that way and I love a lot of the experiences I had in my publishing career days so I’m happy things worked out the way they did.

  2. I used to put a lot of pressure on myself to be as good as my dad but I’ve realized that his skill level is something that took him a long time to learn and as such might take me a long time to learn!

  3. Adding to that, I may never be as good as my dad. That used to really make me stress about not starting my jewellery career sooner. I felt like I wasted ten good years. But here’s the thing, I don’t have to be as good as my dad! I can be good in my own way!

  4. My style is evolving and that is ok! Sometimes I wish I had a more pronounced jewellery style but I think my lack thereof is what has taught me what I know and what has helped me succeed. Because I haven’t stuck to a certain style, I can do and learn more!

  5. Although we learn through trial and error, it’s also ok to ask for help. Why spend 50 hours doing something when you could cut down that down to 20 hours simply be asking for help?!

  6. It’s ok to admit to people when you have no idea what you are doing. I used to be scared to tell people I didn’t know how to make what they wanted because it made me feel and sound like an amateur. But here’s the thing, a) there are people who specialize in certain aspects of jewellery making which means it’s actually smarter for me to contract them out as it saves me time and money, b) it actually gives customers peace of mind knowing that you’re bringing another expert on board , and c) it’s crazy to think that everyone can do everything!

  7. You can’t let peoples scarcity mindset get you down! I used to get really bummed when I tried making friends with other jewellers but they weren’t interested at all. Like why don’t they like me?! WHO CARES! The way they react to me is their problem, not mine.

  8. Which leads me to: GROWTH MINDSET! It really is the only way to succeed in business. I’ve gotten farther along in my jewellery career being positive, building relationships, and helping others than thinking I should keep everything I learn to myself because there isn’t enough pie to go around.

  9. Never take your peers for granted! This might seem obvious but over the years I have seen many people ask my dad for favours but then not return them. I have also seen how often people help my dad because he does people favours but more importantly, respects their time and pays them on time.

  10. Don’t forget to work ON your business! Sometimes we get so busy working in our businesses that we forget to work ON them. Working IN your business means getting the actual work done. Working ON your business means working on backend tasks like marketing, education, etc. You can only grow your business so much by working IN it. At some point you need to work ON it to successfully manage growth. As an entrepreneur, sometimes you might be embarrassed that you let certain aspects of your business go so long without managing them. It’s ok! You were working and getting the job done! But eventually those backend tasks have to get done and you can ask for help. Furthermore, don’t be surprised if those backend tasks need to be revisited every couple of years. When your style changes, maybe your website will too, etc. It’s all part of the entrepreneurs journey!

Do you have any important business tips/wisdom to add for anyone starting or resetting a business?

Christmas Shipping Deadlines

Hello friends! Christmas is just around the corner and I wanted to remind everyone of some VERY important Christmas shipping deadlines:

Last day to place custom orders for Christmas that will be picked-up: December 1

Last day to have your online international order shipped: December 1

Last day to have your online Canada order shipped: December 4

Last day for New Westminster pick-up: December 23

New Westminster showroom is open by appointment only

Gift cards are available! Can be used online/in person

If I forgot something, please feel free to ask!

I'm not sure what Christmas will look like for you this year but if you choose to support my small business or any others, we thank you times a million!

GREEN WEDDING IDEAS

I was recently included in an article outlining green wedding ideas. The italicized copy below is an excerpt from the article and contains a reference to yours truly.

With growing awareness of the environmental effects of excess waste and pollution, it’s no wonder that many of us are pursuing a more sustainable way of living. Naturally, this lifestyle transformation has begun to carry over to weddings as well, and many eco-conscious couples are looking for new and unique ways to make their celebration of love a little more green.

As an added bonus, going green helps you stick to your budget by trimming out excessive waste, which we think is good karma for keeping the earth clean. Here are a few ideas on how to save both the earth and your pocketbook from succumbing to the real cost of weddings.

Jewellery

As we all know, mining ores and precious stones such as gold and diamonds often results in major environmental devastation. Conscious couples are choosing to opt out altogether, hiring local artisans to design one-of-a-kind pieces using metals and gems recycled from old jewellery. These include hair pieces, necklaces, bracelets and, of course, wedding bands. Not only does this help solve the issue of unnecessary suffering caused by mining, but it also helps to support the local art community and economy.

Ethical Jewellery Designer: Alicia Agarrabeitia

Read the article by Kendra Coupland on the Real Weddings website here.