The beads, the wire, the calloused fingers. The pliers, the rulers, the multiple Etsy orders. The recklessness, the fearlessness, the naivety. 21 years old, about to embark on an adventure that I never could have dreamed would lead me to here, today, right now.

 

 

Jewellery making became a 'hobby' of mine, you could say, from the tender age of 13 years old. My Mum was driving me to school one day when I was in grade 8 and she saw a sign that read 'Beading Workshop'. This school, might I add, was the school I would later get suspended from for drinking alcohol in the morning, in the senior girl's bathroom, and rocking up to English 1st period drunk. My Mum has always been the kind of Mother that has encouraged my sister and me to try anything and everything, from gymnastics, singing, drama, art, learning new languages and modelling, to travelling when we were young overseas alone. Mum knew being pushed outside of her comfort zone as a young adult shaped her into the woman she is today. So, she told me that I should do this 2-hour beading workshop on a Saturday morning, in what looked like a dilapidated shack, and I said "Okay, why not!".

 

 

That day I made the most hideous pair of earrings and a necklace, of which I chose burnished metal out of everything. My Mum and my sister said they were beautiful and proudly wore those pieces. Little did I know that because my Mum encouraged me to do that workshop, a small hobby I grew to love throughout high school as a creative outlet, would become a nearly decade-long career in design and jewellery craftsmanship. It would also unleash new passions that I did not know I even held within, passions in the space of business development, digital marketing, branding, product-to-market fit, and so much more.

- Your dreams will not wait for someone else to tell you that you can do them. As Elizabeth Gilbert says in her book 'Big Magic', creative ideas flow to us and must be honoured and snapped up, as otherwise, they will flow onto the next person.

 

- Never say never, simple. Every single time I have made a bold declaration about something, the universe always sends me down that path and my mind is always changed once I have experienced whatever it is I said I NEVER would do.

 

- Yes it's scary, embrace it and deal with it! No one wants to hear about how you WANT to do something but it's too scary so you never will. Either do it or stop talking about it.

 

- It's hard work and it is so worth it! Social media can make owning a business look like a life of fancy cars, designer bags and days at the beach. Sure, once you get the business to a certain point you may enjoy those things, however, it takes a lot of hard work to not only GET 'there' but also to SUSTAIN a business's success and build upon it.

 

- What you have to offer matters, but only if you believe it does.

 

 

So YCL (an acronym for Your Core Light), my first baby, I honour you today. The soul, the empire, the entity you have grown into. I feel honoured to be one of now many, at the helm steering you along your path, letting you guide us along the way. Thank you to each and every human who has supported us along this journey. Every like, comment or view on social media, every kind word, every website visit, every order, and email is seen and is so appreciated.

 

I have a quote card on my computer in my office, that has been there for so many years the blue-tac is starting to crack, from my friend Jasmine Dowling that reads: you're the reason I get to do what I love.