Sarenzo Beads

First, a few basics

Sarah Elliot from Virginia, USA. Jewelry Designer for 7 years

What’s your story? What do you do and how did it start? How long have you been doing what you do?

Me and my then fiancé lived in a really small town there wasn’t much to do. We went to the Wal Mart one day, we went over to the craft section and said look we’re gonna have to find something to do at the house or else we’re gonna go insane. So we started going and we grabbed all the puzzles, we grabbed all the coloring books, we grabbed the crayons. And then we just decided while we were there we saw all these beads and we started digging up all these beads and everything. We went home and one night we had a date night and we just started making things.

It just started out like that like – something we were doing just because we were so bored. And it was something that we really liked doing and found that we could make really pretty things. And then we started going online and looking at different designs and doing online classes. It started out something from “Oh, my goodness, we’re so bored!” today it’s something that is like we love really being creative.

We do a lot of custom orders because it’s easy, different designs schemes. It was something that started out of boredom that has really tapped that creative site and turned into something we really enjoy.

What is an important part of your business or creative process?

I think just thinking outside of the box has really been helpful for me. You might find me at Lowe’s or Home Depot or you might find me in the flower store or anywhere. I’m always looking at different of things and shapes. You can find the oddest things and make it into something really pretty. A lot of time I just like to go into stores I think I’ll never find anything in. I’ll walk up and down the aisles and pick up little things and think if I was to use it how would I use it? Just from walking up and down aisles. Also working with different people and different cultures; and different color combinations.

Where else do you find your inspiration and motivation?

A lot of times I just go online and I look at different colors. Or I’ll look and pictures and magazines or books and it’ll spark something in my mind, like I should use that color. I’ll look at something and go “Oh, that’s pretty but it would be cool if it had this.” I get inspired by a little bit of everything and a little bit of everyone. I could be watching TV and see somebody with something on and be inspired by them.

Often people will call me and say “Sarah I have this shirt;” I’ll say take a picture and send it to me and that might spark something new. A lot of times it’s custom for them but it’s me nonetheless.

What is the work you’re most proud of?

I don’t think I have one piece I’m most proud of. My newest items are the headbands. I recently came up with idea when one night I went to go pull my babies’ clothes out for the next day. I walked in her room and accidentally crushed her new headbands. I knew she would be so mad at me so I said, “Okay, I have to figure out a something because whatever outfit she wears tomorrow she’s gonna want to wear headbands.” So I went in the room and I had to figure out something. I said I’m just gonna make one headband. But by the morning time I had eight different ones and when my little girl saw them she wanted to wear all of them! A couple of days later I decided I wanted to do a color series and so as of right now I have around 12 available. I’m definitely in the stores looking for new beads and colors so I can come up with other designs. It’s my new project.

What are you working on currently?

One of the other things I’m currently working on are for my friends who have Sisterlocs and regular dreds or locs. I’ve been working on a lot of dred jewels in a lot of different sizes. They’ll be the newest things and I’m really excited about them. I just recently cut off all my hair and it’s really a good feeling to get a lot of support and love around this. I don’t want to be exclusive to the natural hair community, but I definitely want to create more and more.

How do you get the word about about your hustle?

I just opened my ArtFire shop in November or December and I just moved to Virginia last July. In Massachusetts I kinda had a fanbase. Everyone knew my trunk was going to be filled. So, it was a lot easier and I did a lot of business in Massachusetts. Coming to Virginia and going online has definitely been a new venture for me. It’s definitely been a trial and error venture for me.

I started out with Etsy and they’re really big and a lot of people go to that site, but since there are, a million other jewelry makers, it wasn’t the market for me. I started ArtFire at the very beginning and I got a lot of publicity with ArtFire very early on. So I think that my ArtFire has taken off only because I was there almost at the beginning when it started to becoming popular. It’s definitely been working out for me. I just opened up a Facebook page; I opened up a MySpace page, so I’m learning all the new technology to get the word out there.

Are there any people or organizations you look up to? Why?

I look up to Oprah and Obama, for obvious reasons. Both of them came from nothing and able to persevere to get where they would like to be. An organization that’s really close to my heart is Autism Speaks. I have six year old son who has autism so it’s something that’s very near and dear to me. I try to fill out their surveys and give them as much information as I can to help with their studies.

What are some resources you’ve found invaluable to your work?

I personally like Fire Mountain Gems and my second favorite is Auntie’s Beads. Both of them have really good tutorials on how to do things and I point them out to others who ask me questions. As far as business and money issues, a lot of times I just do a Google search and I talk to other online merchants.

What is your dream project? Where do you plan on going with your business/hustle?

My dream project would be to make a piece of jewelry that would make any red carpet. Or to be on any TV show, even if it’s just one piece. I would be very happy. I think right now, it’s definitely a very simple dream to have someone say “I’m wearing a Sarah Elliot original.”

What are two or three things you find difficult on your path to your dreams? How do you deal with these challenges?

I think it’s really challenging for me to take really good pictures and price things online. Me and my camera, sometimes we’re friends and sometimes we’re not. If there were a really good article on it that would help. My friend, Mimi [of Tomoka’s Twists] suggested I take pictures in the bathroom and they come out 100x better. Why that is, I don’t know! If I had known this I would have tried it months ago. Because of the way something is photographed it may not be living up to it’s potential, but I’m trying!

How has this so-called recession affected the way you conduct business?

I think you have to have a lot of money to feel the recession right now. I and my husband and my children are basic, simple people. Since my kids are still young, we don’t have to buy a lot of those big ticket items or technology. We love to color and do puzzles and those little things are still not that expensive now. Overall I think that for me, I really haven’t been to badly affected by it.

How has your dedication to your hustle affected your personal life (family, friends, school, relationships, faith, etc.)

For me because I’m so into family, my daughter, son and husband help out sometimes. Sometimes after dinner, we’ll sit around make things with beads together. The recession hasn’t really affected that much. I have a cousin who buys every single paycheck; so family has been very supportive of any and everything I want to do. We’re definitely a very close knit family. They actually love to be able to sit down and work with me; it’s brought us a lot closer, if anything.

What is something you know now that you wish you’d known before?

I think it would be a lot easier now if I had started on the Internet seven years ago. Being in Massachusetts and having that fanbase it became that if anyone saw me, they bought something. And I think it would have been a lot different if they also had the option of going on the internet. Now that I’m gone, people ask, but they’re not really buying en masse when I was there. In some ways, I guess they miss that customer service – that one on one attention that they got. Definitely if I would have started online I wouldn’t have felt like I had to start all over. Coming from a way big city (Boston) to a very, very small town makes a lot of difference. Going online was the only option I had, but if I had started that way in the beginning, I would have been a lot better off right now.

Many people are trying to reach and achieve their dreams. What is something you’ve learned on your path that you would share with anyone just starting out?

Set small goals for yourself and set small goals businesswise that aren’t going to really hurt your overall business. Some people want to go into business and think they don’t have the money for it. When I started out, this was a $20 a week habit. That’s the way I started out and still, to this day, I still restrict my weekly spending. I don’t go over that $20. That little bit will accumulate. If you could see all the stuff I have in my so-called craft room! It’s all just building from a little bit here and a little bit there. One day you’re gonna get there to the place you want to be. Did I think, 20 years ago, that I’d have a room full of beads? Never! And now I have so much stuff I don’t even know what to do with all of it.