SAMPLING

Recently I thought back to when I was a day away from launching my BeadZbyRoz website & my business was less than 1 year old. How did it really happen?  Making beaded jewelry was a newly discovered hobby after I took a 2 hour beading class. I remember falling instantly in love with the sparkle & glisten of crystal & glass beads & quickly made 25 necklaces for holiday gifts. Then, I couldn’t stop. My hands had a life of their own and I kept beading.

Eventually I whined to a dear friend, “What do I do with all my stuff. I don’t want to stop?”  She said, “sell them”. I hated the idea of selling & preferred giving away things or my services. I guess I had a belief that being altruistic was holier than making money.

DISCOVERY:

So how did I ever get to the point of creating a website?  I didn’t even know how to use a digital camera or navigate on the computer.  What I did know was that I had found my true creative passion. I had tried other crafts but never went too far with them.  When I rediscovered knitting everyone got fabulous winter scarves but never a sweater because all I knew was basic knit/purl & couldn’t follow a pattern.

The exciting aspect of creating a real website was that I wanted to expand my design capability which meant going into NYC to purchase beads, rather than from my local craft stores. That first bead shopping trip was overwhelming & most exciting. I couldn’t imagine what I would do with all the strands of semi-precious stones, crystals, Czech glass, Tibetan beads I bought.  I had gotten carried away by my compulsive shopping gene.

MOVING FORWARD:

Another friend suggested the name of my company, BeadZbyRoZ, all with ZZZZZ. Again, a friend to the rescue & a business card was created.  A few more house parties as my inventory grew & then I came to a full stop.

What was I doing? Did I really want a business which meant marketing, accounting, taxes, craft shows, loading, setting up a tent? The only aspect I knew I loved was the buying & building up my stash, looking at all my beads in boxes & trays on my dining room table, handling the beads & finally, creating beautiful necklaces. I was really stuck. I had more bead strands in my dining room than some stores & my passion was still high for creativity, but was this what I really wanted & was I up to it?

MY ESSENCE:

I decided after soul searching that what I was up to was more than just a hobby. It was a way to make a difference in a very different way than I had ever imagined. The incredible part of my journey is that I have grown in unpredictable ways.  With the help of friends, I learned how to use a camera, download, edit & manage photos. My son, who lives in another state & is a computer engineer & I talk often as he walks me through technology. I have real computer skills now.  My daughter took up the  craft , we sometimes bead together & she helps me in our business. She says my creations remind her of all the pottery shopping trips we took while growing up.

It is clear to me that I wouldn’t have reached the point of launch without the support, expertise & generousity of my friends & family & for that I have much gratitude. Although I often came close to mini breakdowns, I LOVE what I am doing. I didn’t know I had these talents or abilities & now I do know “it is never too late to start again.”