Irina Kharina: The Power of Flexibility; How I Was Able To Pivot To A New Exciting Opportunity Because Of The Pandemic

Focus on the process, not the result. It makes sense to focus on sales, especially when you are first starting out. You start seeing every person who shows interest in your service as a potential client. When no sales comes out of it, you view it as a failure on your part, because you did not achieve your ideal final result. Instead, I recommend focusing on the experience that you provide for your customers. Just because they don’t buy from you right away does not mean that they won’t work with you in the future, or even refer you to their friends and family.

The COVID19 pandemic has disrupted all of our lives. But sometimes disruptions can be times of opportunity. Many people’s livelihoods have been hurt by the pandemic. But some saw this as an opportune time to take their lives in a new direction.

As a part of this series called “How I Was Able To Pivot To A New Exciting Opportunity Because Of The Pandemic”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Irina Kharina.

Irina Kharina is a GIA certified gemologist and a luxury jewelry concierge who takes pride in working with ethically sourced diamonds and gemstones. As the founder of Tsarina Gems, she is a millennial female entrepreneur who started her business during the pandemic after spending 12 years in the gemstone and jewelry industry. Irina now provides 1:1 private consultations on luxury custom jewelry to clients all over the world. Irina has lived in 5 different countries and is currently based in Toronto, Canada.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we start, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood backstory?

I’d love to!

I am originally from Russia. When I was 11, my parents came across an opportunity for my brother and I to receive British education. As they were not able to immigrate to England with us, my brother and I joined a private boarding school in a small town in Gloucestershire, while they moved to Prague, Czech Republic.

I hardly spoke any English but was excited for this new adventure. I previously visited England and loved it! At school, my days were filled with studying as well as extracurricular activities like playing field hockey and going on various school trips. I also enjoyed art and learning Spanish. A few years later I ended up moving to another boarding school and completing my BA at the University of Birmingham.

Growing up, I spent Christmas, Easter and summer holidays in Prague and traveling around Europe, which I am very grateful for. Thanks to my parents I was able to see many different countries and cultures from a young age.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

I love this quote by Paulo Coelho from his book, The Alchemist: “When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.” I read this wonderful book when I was at university. At times I found it hard to believe these words, especially when things didn’t go my way or life pushed me in a completely different direction from where I wanted to go. What I now realise is that certain “setbacks” were actually pushing me in the direction I was always meant to go.

Is there a particular book, podcast, or film that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?

I really enjoy a podcast called “How I built this” with Guy Raz who interviews guests from some of the world’s best known companies.

I loved his episode with Bobbi Brown (Bobbi Brown Cosmetics).

She talked about building her empire through a series of “chance meetings” and seizing opportunities. I feel like I can relate to being in the right place at the right time. I also found it inspiring that she became known as an expert in the beauty industry as well as a make up artist. Being recognised as an expert in my field is important to me.

Let’s now shift to the main part of our discussion. Can you tell our readers about your career experience before the Pandemic began?

Of course!

I fell into the diamond, gemstone and jewelry industry by complete chance in 2009. A successful interview for an admin position turned out to be a spot at a Canadian diamond wholesale company.

Working with diamonds everyday, it did not take long for me to realise I wanted to learn more about them. I decided to take the next step and begin my journey of becoming a gemologist (a diamond and gemstone expert). Three years later and several trips to the New York and Carlsbad campuses, where I participated in hands-on training, I received my Graduate Gemologist diploma from the Gemological Institute of America. The most reputable gemmology school in the world.

By 2020 I spent 11 years working in different areas of the diamond, gemstone and jewelry industry. My experience includes both, selling and buying positions, mainly in head office and wholesale settings.

What did you do to pivot as a result of the Pandemic?

After spending over a decade working in the gemstone and jewelry industry I saw an obvious gap in the market. When we think of custom jewelry, our mind often goes to engagement rings or gifts for milestone anniversaries.

It made me think, what about successful, self-sufficient women who are looking to invest in themselves and celebrate their work or personal wins by buying their own bling? I wanted to connect with these amazing women and help them create one-of-a-kind pieces of jewelry they would be excited and proud to wear.

I saw an exciting opportunity to leave my job in the midst of the pandemic and follow my dreams of starting my own business. As a diamond/gemstone expert I was able to pivot and become a personal jewelry concierge and provide private 1:1 consultations on custom jewelry.

Can you tell us about the specific “Aha moment” that gave you the idea to start this new path?

Last year, when I was working from home during a lockdown here in Toronto, I realised that I didn’t need to be working for someone else and be going to a 9–5 office job to follow my passion of helping clients achieve their jewelry dreams. As an entrepreneur I can provide private consultations to clients all over the world from the comfort of my own home via Zoom.

Thanks to modern technology, I can source ethically sourced gemstones, work with CAD designers, jewelers, setters, polishers, gemstone suppliers and fellow gemologists to curate unique, high end pieces of jewelry from home or anywhere in the world.

How are things going with this new initiative?

Things are going well and there is still a lot of work to be done!

I am building my business and a steady list of clients, many of whom I met through referrals.

I am especially honoured to work with women who are not afraid to spend their hard-earned money on themselves and treat themselves to a unique and luxurious experience of creating a piece of custom jewelry.

I love creating fun and educational content on my Blog and Instagram page where I also interview other female entrepreneurs in different industries, including personal stylists, photographers and life coaches.

Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

My parents have always encouraged me to strive for more and think outside the box.

Thanks to them, I realised that starting from the bottom and spending a lifetime working your way up, climbing the corporate ladder was not the only way to become successful. At a time when some thought it was a crazy idea to leave a steady job in the midst of a pandemic, my family and my boyfriend supported my decision to start my own business, and for that I am truly grateful.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started in this new direction?

Yes, I was recently sourcing gemstones for a project and while I was at the wholesaler’s office, I saw an incredible gem which made me think of a previous client. Although she was not actively looking for a new piece of jewelry, I knew she would absolutely love it. I shared photos and a video of it with her and she fell in love with it.

She mentioned how grateful she was that I thought of her and that I paid attention to her likes and dislikes even after our original “transaction” was completed.

I focus on building authentic relationships with my clients, and they appreciate that. It also makes what I do more enjoyable. It’s like when you see something at a store and think of a specific friend because it’s so “them”.

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me before I started leading my organization” and why? Please share a story or example for each.

1. Focus on the process, not the result. It makes sense to focus on sales, especially when you are first starting out. You start seeing every person who shows interest in your service as a potential client. When no sales comes out of it, you view it as a failure on your part, because you did not achieve your ideal final result. Instead, I recommend focusing on the experience that you provide for your customers. Just because they don’t buy from you right away does not mean that they won’t work with you in the future, or even refer you to their friends and family.

2. Just start. By waiting for the perfect timing and for all the stars to align you are stalling your own progress. You don’t have to have the perfect website, the perfect office, or even the perfect product to start your entrepreneurial journey. I curate high end pieces of jewelry worth thousands of dollars literally from my living room in Toronto! It is also my Zoom meeting room as well as my photography studio. I also receive clients here, which creates a relaxing atmosphere where you can enjoy a cup of tea or a glass of bubbly while selecting your perfect ring, necklace or earrings.

3. Don’t compare yourself to others. Every employer I ever worked for ran their business differently and I learnt something from each one. It is ok to see what others in your field are doing for reference or inspirational purposes, however they should not become the main influence behind what you are doing in your business. I personally pick and choose how to run my business to provide the best service for my clients.

4. Keep an open mind and be flexible. When I started my own business I only wanted to work with natural stones. I now see that synthetic or man-made diamonds are gaining a lot of popularity and there is a lot of demand for them. I still primarily specialise in natural diamonds and gemstones, however if my client has their mind set on a lab-created diamond, I am happy to source one for them from a reputable supplier.

5. It’s ok to slow down. Running my own business is a 24/7 job. Working with busy clients all over the world means I have to be available for calls and follow ups on different time zones, be it in Toronto, London, Prague or Moscow. I am, however, learning to set boundaries and slow down. It is ok to message a client on a Friday and let them know that I will be in touch on Monday without feeling guilty taking the weekend off.

So many of us have become anxious from the dramatic jolts of the news cycle. Can you share the strategies that you have used to optimize your mental wellness during this stressful period?

Honestly, I stopped watching the news. It wasn’t a strategic move, but I noticed such a change to my everyday mental state when I stopped following hourly updates on Covid numbers etc.

I have also been enjoying taking the time to prepare and enjoy my meals, away from my computer. I highly recommend it.

You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?

Thank you.

My movement would be to stop the hustle culture.

We shouldn’t be proud of working 12-hour days and constantly keeping up with work emails. Having no work-life balance really doesn’t have to be “part of the job” and overworking is not a sustainable lifestyle.

We as a society really do need to address this issue. That includes employers, employees and entrepreneurs.

Is there a person in the world whom you would love to have lunch with, and why? Maybe we can tag them and see what happens!

I would love to meet Katerina Perez, a jewelry aficionado and journalist well-known in our industry. She has worked with some incredible jewelers and designers from all over the world.

I am sure she has fascinating stories to tell!

How can our readers follow you online?

I invite readers to connect with me on Instagram @TsarinaGems for lifestyle and educational content or via LinkedIn.

For my weekly Blog and Ready-to-Wear collection please visit my website at www.TsarinaGems.com.

Thank you so much for sharing these important insights. We wish you continued success and good health!

Thank you!