How a Jewelry Business is Like Peeling an Onion

by Angela Jones.
(Ginger and Snap)

Even though I went to college to be a nurse, I always wanted my own business.  I had several false starts that I compare to dieting: selling cosmetics, cookware, skincare, color analysis.

I always thought I’d found the solution to my own business desires like the many diet programs I’ve been through.

But I always ended up back at square one in both instances. No business, no pounds lost!

With the birth of our second child came a departure from nursing to be a stay at home mom, eventually homeschooling our daughter.

Well, 13 years later, that daughter has graduated from our homeschool and ironically she is the one who introduced me to jewelry making!

The process of seeking to become a successful jewelry designer reminds me of peeling an onion.

I love using onions in almost any dish I prepare: red onions, green onions, sweet onions, yellow onions, white onions.

Even though I love them I hate peeling them. I mean really, come on, they make me cry!

This is the best way I’ve found to peel an onion (and approach a jewelry business):

1. Rinse the onion first. (Cleanse your mind, embrace fresh ideas.)
2. Hold the onion firmly on a cutting board, cut away the ends careful not to cut too deeply into the onion because you want the root to stay intact so that the onion will stay together and its layers won’t get away from you.  (Firmly put facts about your business desires before you. Cut off the desires to rush into sales without doing the ground work. Don’t cut away too much of your desire and cause yourself to be too fearful to even try.)
3. Cut the onion in half. (Look at your jewelry business as two halves):
   – The half that should speak to what is most important and a priority – type of jewelry you’ll make, materials and suppliers you’ll need, marketing efforts, name of your company, your company aesthetic, online presence and whatever else you deem a true, realistic priority.
   – The half that is not as important and can wait – designing brochures, visiting website after website to see if your jewelry looks good enough, etc.
4. Peel away the thin brown layers of the onion; their purpose is over the moment you decide to use the onion.  (Remove the things – fear, uncertainty, excessive planning, excessive caution – that have served their purpose in the beginning of your jewelry making business. It’s okay to let them go, their purpose is served.)
5. Slice, chop, fry or use the onion raw and enjoy this amazing, versatile ingredient.  (Craft fairs, online presence, trunk shows, boutique presence. These are all ways to share and enjoy the fruits of your labor.  Embrace the journey and enjoy the many ways that you can share your beautiful labor.)

Angela Jones
Ginger and Snap