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Let's get straight to the point.
The business was on FIRE but my soul wasn't. But that's okay, because that's why I'm here doing something I actually enjoy. Maybe i'll set a spark to your soul to do-- or to discontinue-- doing a certain something.
For those of y'all (I've been saying 'y'all' too much recently. Help???) who are like, what the heck is she talking about? I launched my own jewelry business june 2016 in which I created and sold my own bohemian-inspired accessories, hence the name, Bohemian Vibe.
Within the first 6 months, I had over 1,000 followers, a great brand reputation, and lots of orders coming in; I would have my friends help me when I was in the weeds, otherwise, It was me running the whole show.
Buying supplies, creating designs, finding models, taking photos of the models, asking Instagram models if I could send them free jewelry in exchange for a post and a tag, posting photos, responding to orders, creating promotions, communicating with the customers, shipping orders, and dear lord. I even did this while I was abroad in Australia.
I started Boho Vibes in the summer of 2016 which is why I had so much time to dedicate to it and making it flawless. But as school started and the demand for my jewelry continued to grow, it honestly became a chore.
I dreaded checking the Instagram for order notifications and soon after I began dreading making the jewelry. My stepdad suggested to buy wholesale chokers and all, so as a last resort, I did. I tried selling those wholesale products for the last month or so I was actually "in business." But it didn't feel authentic enough for me to continue doing it. What started to be a fun hobby that made me money AND I was good at turned into this huge weight on my back and unfulfilled orders.
Like everything is, It was a major learning experience. Seriously. Making connections with online influencers for barter ads, keeping track of my sales and communicating with customers, building a valuable brand-- those are all some serious skills that sometimes a classroom can't teach you without hands on experience.
What I learned about myself was what I actually liked the best of the whole "bohemian vibe" thing was marketing it. I loved taking photos and getting a brand I handmade out in the public eye. Looking back, I didn't know that until creating my blog. With this, It's the ultimate balance between marketing a brand and providing a "good" that requires a talent I have. Ultimately, it's 100% more manageable. I can put a blog post off for a week but If I put an order off for a week, I'd get a bad reputation and very angry customers, ya feel?
I first thought about taking the Instagram @bohemian_vibes_only and changing it's name to make my blog's Instagram, but it's like my baby....and that's cheating. To make something of good quality and a fresh start I believe it's only right to build from the ground up. So here I am.
And that's the way the cookie crumbles. RIP Bohemian Vibe Jewelry and I'm sorry if I disappointed any of you/if you've been trying to order; I was trying to figure out myself and I think I'm almost there :).
