Why 2020 Might Just Give You the Push You Need: A Jewelry Designer Journey
Monica is the owner and creator of Pretty Perfect Style, a jewelry brand. She talked to MOOI about her love for her journey towards her own business.
When talking to Monica, one can not help but notice her passion and her drive towards her project, and life in general. It’s 7 am in the morning, the sun is barely out and she’s already her best self, glossy hair and jewelry on, with a bright red top and a dazzling smile.
From fashion blogging to Pretty Perfect Style
Monica Warren is the owner and creator of Pretty Perfect Style, a fashionable style brand, focused at the present on jewelry. “In the future, I would love to have a full-on fashion brand, with jewelry, clothing, and other accessories” Monica smiles.
I was the friend that people would take with them shopping, to help them decide what looked good
Monica has already a long history in fashion and styling. “I was always fashionable when I was younger. I was the friend that people would take with them shopping, to help them decide what looked good” she laughs “It was something that was kind of natural to me”.
She tried her hand at everything. She had a wardrobe styling business, did some designing for a while. She did some fashion workshops for women, jewelry on and off for 10 years, wrote a fashion ebook, and was a fashion blogger for years.
“For me, I really started in fashion when I started the blog” Monica reflects. She had a computer desk job at the time, and she soon realized that not having any creative outlet at work was a problem for her. “I had this whole creative side and fashion, and I wasn’t doing anything with it. That was very frustrating to me, so I asked myself, what would I really love to do?”.
At the time, that was Editor in a fashion magazine, and she felt that the blog would get her there. That didn’t happen, but it started the spark in fashion for her. “I think it was a great stepping stone to where I am now. So I started the blog, and I really just fell in love with creating content, creating outfits, helping women feel confident in what they were wearing”.
Bright, bold, and in your face
The jewelry came at about the same time. One fateful summer, she decided to take a jewelry-making class. It was free, and it was just one of those things that she would do. “I fell in love with it right away, and I’ve been making jewelry ever since. Eventually, it turned into all of this, my own brand, which is crazy to me. But it also made me realize how good it is to always use opportunities to find a way to your path”.
Her designs are colorful, bold, and big. “I really wanted something not only unique and different but something that made a statement. That’s why all of my bracelets are bold, big, and kind of in your face, because that’s my personality, and how I like to dress. I always want someone who wears one of my pieces to walk into a room and be asked “where did you get that?!” I want the reaction” Monica smiles. “That’s how I choose my material: big, bold, unique. I want my jewelry to get all kinds of compliments”.
What if you would have done this and killed it?
She realizes that the path she is on is not an easy one, it’s a bit of a juggling act, between her day job ( in design) and her brand. “I’m very committed, it’s a lot of sacrifices. Weekends in, long hours. It takes a lot of discipline, and you really have to be passionate about it, and have faith in your project and in yourself”.
“I naturally have tunnel vision, almost to a fault sometimes. When I set a goal for myself, I’m getting it accomplished, I don’t care what I have to do, I don’t care if I have to work like crazy. Sometimes I work Saturdays from 8 to 8, but in the end, I feel accomplished, and that’s a great feeling”.
You really have to have this “no giving up” spirit. Trust yourself. Doubts are just a building block to your success.
For her, doubts are normal, just part of the learning process. There’s no overnight success, it takes years and commitment. “You really have to have this “no giving up” spirit. Trust yourself. Doubts are just a building block to your success. I would have more regrets not doing something, versus doing it and not succeeding. Because there’s always the thought, what if you would have done this and killed it?”
She is very lucid about the hardships of those who try to build something from the ground up. “They are some things that you are going to do that’s not going to work. Entrepreneurship is never a straight line. Sometimes it’s hard to continue when things don’t go your way, but you have to keep going. Going through the different phases of your business and still showing up, that’s the hardest part”.
But she also sees all the beauty of it. The chance to create something out of nothing. “And also the fact that you get to create your own journey. It’s exciting, the unexpected things that you can get when running a business. The people that you meet, the networking opportunities you’ll have, it’s a really fascinating journey and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. There’s a lack of control in entrepreneurship and I really live for that. I like this idea of being on edge, the anticipation. And the things that you learn, not just about what you are doing, but about yourself. The drive and the passion that you discover. It’s brilliant”.
2020 made into something positive
What if this is the year that could really change your life if you just change your attitude?
For Monica, it’s particularly important to launch her brand now, in 2020, in the midst of everything that happened and is happening. “This has been a really rough year for everyone. There weren't always days where I was super positive. I fell a lot into those this year sucks days. But what if this is the year that could really change your life if you just change your attitude?”
“I really wanted something positive to come from this year. So many things are out of our control, but there are still things that we have within our grasp. What can I do, to take control of my life right now, that is going to give me a positive outcome. And that, for me, is jewelry”.
Further then that, Monica has the firm belief that fashion is relevant now, fashion will help. “People told me that fashion is not the thing to do right now, there are so many more important things going on. And that’s very true. But so many people use fashion as a way to feel better about themselves and just feel a sense of normalcy. Making an effort, it makes you feel like yourself again. Giving you a little bit more confidence. Those little things help, and improve your mood”.
Parting advice
When asked about advice for women following the same path, Monica doesn’t hesitate: “Don’t be afraid to go after what you are passionate about. I think a lot of times, especially because we are women and we are used to taking care of others, it’s easy to find that your dreams and your aspirations are put on the backburner, that they are not a priority, but it is so important. When you find that thing that you are passionate about, it’s so important to go after it. They are going to be some bumps in the road, but it’s always going to be worth it in the end”.
