Please
tell us what is a typical business day for you?
It is important to preserve a strong mind in business, in
order to do this you have to train it, just like you would your body. I start
the day with prayer and affirmations as I am a Christian. I then meditate to
keep me calm and grounded and I do a visualisation to focus on success. I exercise afterwards, which helps to keep me
motivated and helps me to cope with stress. I think it is important to keep centred
and remember why you are doing what you do when you start your day, this helps
to put me in a positive frame of mind, ready start my work.
I try to schedule checking emails and social media at
certain times of the day, this way it doesn’t get too distracting. I do a list
of what needs to be done and organise a slot for creating content, managing
social media, product management, photo shoots. I have also started writing a
book about life lessons for younger people, so I organise a slot for that too.
I tick off what I do as I go along but I am also flexible enough to allow for
surprises. At the end of the day I go through what I have achieved that day, I
find it helps with productivity as a sense of accomplishment always feels so
rewarding.
What
made you start the business and how did you get started?
I had an accident, which meant that I was unable to use my
right hand for a long time. I couldn’t even do basic things like washing my
hair and eating and cooking, things we often take for granted. After a long and
frustrating period of physio I managed to gain limited use of my right hand.
Unfortunately, this meant I was no longer able to work at the school, which I
enjoyed. I bought a bracelet to cheer me up and it was very sparkly. I received
many compliments for it, which helped me to feel good about myself again. Later
that evening I started thinking of how I would love to help others feel this
good and this inspired me to start selling jewellery and as I wanted to help
people feel really special I focused on selling jewellery and accessories for
special occasions.
What
would you say has been your greatest accomplishment in the business world to
date?
My greatest accomplishment so far is achieving
the Couple’s Choice award for 2015 and 2016 from WeddingWire, which means we
are recognised for our excellence in quality, service, responsiveness
and professionals, all of which are values we have placed at the heart of our
business.
What has been your biggest challenge in business so
far?
My biggest challenge
is keeping on top of the technology side of things. It is certainly a learning
curve and takes time and patience to learn, test and implement changes.
Technology is always evolving, which is great as it means you are constantly
learning and implementing changes and achieving progress
What are your future plans for the business?
I would like to
continue to offer the best possible service for our customers and this may also
involve featuring guest bloggers to offer advice on specific areas, for
instance from hair stylists, make-up artists, photographers, fashion stylists
and wedding boutiques. This will add value to our customers and provide expert
knowledge that can help them.
If you had to do it all over again, what would
you do differently?
I would try not to
take opinions too heart, especially from those closest, who you assume will
support your new venture. I would stop trying to change their perspective and
just realise that everyone is entitled to their own opinion. If I realised this
sooner I wouldn’t have wasted my time and energy and simply focused on moving
forward with my business. You can’t change people’s perspective.
Why is it so important to inspire young women in
particular to follow their dreams?
I believe it is
important for young women to have instilled in them, the knowledge that they
can do anything they put their hearts and mind to. Having self-belief goes hand
in hand with self-esteem. They need to know that, yes they are worthy, they are
good enough, no matter what others say. They shouldn’t compare themselves to
others. We are all unique and have a message to share. It’s important that young
women have the confidence to share their own message and to let their light
shine.
What advice would you give to somebody who wants to
start a business in your industry?
I would say remind yourself why you are doing this
regularly, this will help you to carry on when you are feeling disheartened.
Keep focused on your vision, regardless how it looks in the beginning. Everyone
has to start from somewhere. Be your own cheerleader and always celebrate your
wins, this is so important. I would also like to say be true to yourself, don’t
compare yourself to others, just be you.
What or who inspires you in business and why?
Denise Duffield-Thomas
has inspired me so much. She is down to earth and has taught me to just get on
with it and don’t wait until you are ready. As I am naturally a self-conscious
person this has really changed my perspective. So now I try not to wait until
the nerves set in and put it off, I just get on with it.
What
is your favourite inspirational quote?
‘Don’t die with your music still inside you’ by Wayne Dyer
Website: https://www.sommersparkle.com
Email : contact@sommersparkle.co.uk
Facebook: https:www.facebook.com/sommersparkle
Twitter: https:/www.twitter.com/sommersparkle
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