Name: Claudia Montez
Company: Isabelle Grace Jewelry
Position: Owner/Designer
Website: www.isabellegracejewelry.com
Year company was founded: 2007
Family: Marco (my awesome husband), Sofia, 6, and Gabriella, 3, two crazy cats Romeo and Lulu
Tell us about your company (in 50 words or less): Isabelle Grace Jewelry specializes in making simple, beautiful, elegant pieces inspired by the most important things in life. Family, children, love, marriage. We make jewelry that celebrates life. Your life and what you're about. We make jewelry that will be part of your everyday wardrobe and will become a family heirloom.
My a-ha moment (when I knew I had a real idea): I would make things for myself and people would ask where I had gotten it.
Can you offer any tips to other moms out there regarding growing a business or encouraging words for those with a small business?
1. If you are serious about being successful be ready to WORK ALL THE TIME. If you love what you're doing it won't feel like work. Three years into my business I still burn the midnight oil pretty much every single day. I work more now than I ever did in a corporate job because I feel like there is always something I can improve upon.
2. Challenge yourself. I constantly ask myself "why am I doing this?" "how can I do it better or different? This motivates me to keep focused on designing and keeping my line looking fresh and different.
3. Deliver the best customer service possible. I do a lot of business on line so I try to make my interactions with customers via e-mail as friendly as possible. Good customer service + good product = good sales!!
I wake up in the middle of the night thinking about: Owning your own business is stressful and relying on income from that business to provide for your family is even more stressful so I wake up in the middle of the night thinking about "are next month's sales going to be as good as this month's?"
Best thing about being a parent: At 6 and 3, your kids pretty much show you unconditional love. My girls often tell me several times a day that they "love me." I know this won't last forever so I'm savoring every "I love you."
Best thing about owning my own business: Is being your own boss and not stressing out if you're going to be 10 minutes late.
Share one personal or business ambition: Three years ago, with my husband's support, I quit a corporate job to pursue my dream. My goal now is to grow the business to the point that I can support my family so that my husband can quit his job to pursue his dream as well.
Guilty pleasure? Caramel Ice Lattes (with skim milk of course!!) from Dunkin Donuts.
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