What 2020 taught me about running a small business

Let me give you a little back story…

In February of 2019 I was spending most of my time home with an infant, tired, in desperate need of motivation to go to the gym. In retrospect, I was still feeling the effects of post partum depression yet couldn’t see through the haze of new mom life. For so long, I had my identity in my career. My blog, my interior design business, my books, my online business…It was who I was. It was my “thing”. To be quite honest, it gave me my confidence and purpose.

So when I had my little baby and all of that went to the wayside, part of me felt a bit displaced. And after several months of being a stay at home mama…I needed a return to me.

I knew I couldn’t go blazing back into interior design, I needed to do something that was a little bit more slow paced and something to where I wasn’t beholden to the schedule of other people. I needed something completely free. I had always felt a calling to launch an e-commerce site and sell things I love, online. It began with ritual candles, feng shui tools & sun-catchers…all things to raise the vibration in your home.

As I was creating things at home, I began playing around with making crystal jewelry and one magical evening a woman bought a stack of bracelets right off of my wrist. I knew I was onto something…

March 1st 2019, Love Ashlina Jewelry was born.

The moment when I put up my jewelry for sale in my online store, there was a feeling inside of me I can’t quite explain. I felt such a connection to the jewelry that I was making and with every bracelet, my confidence was coming back to me. I had a renewed sense of purpose, focus and alignment. I was fortunate enough to have an incredibly successful launch of my crystal jewelry line, far beyond what I had thought going in. I attribute much of that success to not letting fear of what others think get in the way and fully allowing my passion to fuel my drive. If I could give any advice to someone starting a small business, it would be to GO ALL IN, FULL SPEED AHEAD. The last thing you should do is think, especially if you tend to be an over-thinker. Just go for it.

MY BIGGEST LESSON…

Always trust your gut. Last December, I experienced a lull in my business. What is usually the busiest time of year for retail/product based businesses for me was really slow. Instead of powering through the lull, I decided to put the jewelry business on hold. I didn’t really take it that seriously because I almost looked at it like a “mom hobby”. Part of me doubted the jewelry making was enough of a career. So, I switched gears and put my efforts in to building a real estate career. It felt like more of a natural progression from interior design and I saw it as more of a serious and stable career.

However, the week I started real estate, the country shut down.

Never doubt yourself or your dreams. I was fortunate enough to get on a super successful team at a great firm but my beginning months in real estate we exhausting! I was working more than 40 hour weeks and while it was very glamorous and exciting, I got very little time with my boys, not to mention time for myself. I remember writing in my journal one morning while doing my Miracle Morning routine and this inspiration came over me. I thought to myself “why not put up all my jewelry inventory for sale” and just see what happens. That very first week I put my jewelry back up for sale, I tripled the income I was making at that time in real estate. I felt like it was a sign from the universe that building and growing a jewelry business could actually be a viable business.

I was reminded that so often we get caught up in what we “think” we should be doing or what other people might expect us to do. However, that should NEVER be our guiding light. I started a blog in 2008 when nobody even knew what it was and made a career path out of it. I started an interior design business from nothing in New York City and made a thriving career out of it. Why on earth would I ever doubt that I couldn’t flourish in ANY kind of business I wanted to create. NEVER EVER UNDERESTIMATE OR DOUBT YOURSELF OR YOUR DREAMS!

Pivoting in business is key. As we got deeper into 2020 and the quarantine, I noticed a huge spike in online shopping. E-commerce sales were over 700 billion dollars last year and growing at a rate of 129% year over year. The growth in online retail businesses had an incredible boost, anyone who is willing to pivot their business to online is sure to thrive in 2021 and beyond. I’ve been in the online space for over 12 years and I have learned the secrets to growing a brand and a business only. I teach the EXACT process I use when I launch a product or start a new business. To learn more: Check out my business courses here.

WHAT I KNOW FOR SURE…

You are your brand. It used to be that you would hire a sales rep to get out there and promote your brand or business but in todays world, you are your best sales person. People are attracted to the art of you. So the more you are tuned into living your brand, the more successful you will be. The more you share your story behind your brand and your business, the more of a loyal tribe and following you will have. These days, people are craving connection and craving the kind of connection that leads to a lasting relationship. Building your personal brand helps you communicate yourself and your business in a way that connects. I wrote an e-book about my personal brand formula I have used over the past decade in business. Feel free to download it here.

A peek at my table at a local pop up shop. I absolutely love being front and center of my brand and business.

Entrepreneurship is for everyone. Gone are the days that a successful business person is some top executive in a suit. Now there are children with thriving youtube channels, college kids with successful start ups, housewives with multiple streams of income and teens with bustling social media channels. Massive success is truly available for anyone who really wants to create something for themselves. We have to get out of our own way and dare to dream bigger! Anything is possible!

I wrote this post to help inspire anyone who is in the middle of launching, building or growing their own small business. Feel free to leave a comment below so we can discuss more. Also, I love to talk about this topic on my podcast, Blissfully Ambitious. Listen to an episode here:

6 reasons why I love Mexico...

It’s been over 3 months since I’ve written a blog post and I honestly don’t even know how that happened or where the time has gone. For over 10 years of my life I wrote a blog post almost every single morning. It not only has been part of my profession but it’s been a way of life for me. Blogging is one of my greatest loves. I’m going to put a little bit more focus here on the blog and I would love to know if you are still reading blogs..leave me a comment and let me know.

A few weeks ago, I celebrated my 40th birthday…yes the big 4-0 ( January8th ). I had always had a lot of anticipation for the big “over the hill” birthday, I always imagined I’d have a huge bash with all of my family and friends. As my birthday approached, I felt a little disappointed because Covid certainly gave the world a big change of plans and my 40th birthday dreams were dashed. So, while I couldn’t necessarily have a huge gathering, I did some research on traveling safely during the quarantine. Traveling is one of my greatest loves. Especially when travel involves a beach, I swear I always have a spiritually connected experience.

When in doubt, Mexico. I was fortunate enough to plan a getaway to a small little Mexican island with two girlfriends. This was the mom break we needed from our families and little ones. We traveled to a small island off of the coast of Cancun called Isla Mujeres, the island of Women. It was always known as the sanctuary & home of the Goddess Ixchel. The Mayan Goddess of love, fertility, healing & the moon. Women would come from all over and bring little statues of women to place on the island and as an offering to the goddess so that they would be blessed with lasting love & healthy pregnancies. 💕When the Spanish conquerors discovered the island in 1517 they found hundreds of tiny little statues of women on the beaches and so named the island...Isla Mujeres. We totally gushed over the history of the island.

REASONS WHY I LOVE MEXICO

One. My love affair with Mexico started when I was a young girl. I can’t really remember the first time I ever went to Mexico but most of my family is actually from Mexico. When I was young, we would take road trips to visit family and the first time I ate my first meal in Mexico, I was absolutely hooked.

Two. Each town is so unique. My favorite place to visit in Mexico is Tulum, I also love Cabo, Playa Del Carmen, Acapulco and Mexico City. For this trip, however, we wanted to try something different. We were craving low-key, laid back and super authentic. Isla Mujeres was perfect for us. I have to say, I was totally impressed by the safety measures. Everyone wore masks, they kept socially distanced and hotel capacities were completely to a minimum. Our experience at our hotel was so nice, we felt like the hotel was our private villa, because of the lack of guests, we got the royal treatment. We split our time between two hotels Izla Hotel + Privilege Aluxes. (I prefer PA because of the proximity to the better beach and shopping).

Three. I am obsessed with Mexican fashion & street style. The bright colors, the layers and the symbolism. I live for the roses, flowers and skulls. This trip actually inspired me so much. I had forgotten how much I truly love bright colors and pastels. The beautiful pinks, soft sky blue and sea greens all mixed together were absolutely mesmerizing. Just when I needed it, Mexico provided me with a TON of inspiration. I so needed a jolt of something different, something magical and unique. I wore my crystal bracelets EVERYWHERE! I got so many compliments on them, the colors and the vibe of stacked and layered bracelets. Very boho glam.

Four. The sun + the water. I have a spiritual experience every time I get into the ocean water in Mexico, its like my inner Moana comes alive. Being a mom of a toddler requires a lot of focus and attention. The second I got into the ocean water, I felt my body just melt into the sand. It’s hard to get that experience at home. My routine on a Mexican beach vacation is pretty much always the same.

Wake up: drink a bottle of water, coffee and green juice ( or some sort of healthy smoothie). I also like to do some form of body movement, yoga stretches are a go to. I need to feel like I did something good for my body.

Mid Morning: I like to smother sunscreen all over my face and wear a big hat to cover my skin and hair. These things have to stay looking youthful, especially as I age. I swear by this sunscreen every single day. It has a tint that goes with any skin tone and always makes me glow, plus its SPF 50+! Obsessed. I’m also big on sunscreen on my lips, I’m actually looking for a new one, any recs, please let me know.

Afternoon: Cocktail time. I love a good mimosa with grapefruit juice or a cocktail with cucumber. I also love to break out a good book. This trip, I brought the book Untamed by Glennon Doyle. I am contemplating grabbing a kindle however, having a hardcover book to carry in my bag was not my favorite thing.

Late day: I love a good trip to the spa. After a day in the hot sun, Aloe Vera and eucalyptus oils in the shower is my favorite experience.

Five. The food. I love a well thought out dish with interesting ingredients you wouldn’t think of putting together. Mexico does that so well. The peppers, the spices, the veggies, the freshest of fish. I absolutely love it all!

Five. Golden Hour. There aren’t many things more relaxing than a gorgeous ocean sunset. When the sun begins to go down and that dusk sets in, it is as if there is magic in the air. The way light shimmers on the water is majestic. The sunsets we experienced inspired me to design a stack of bracelets in that soft color palate. Again, when you travel you always get to experience new bursts in inspiration.

Six. The music. One of the evenings in town, we were having dinner and we were entertained by a guitarist who played the most gorgeous acoustic guitar. We were absolutely mesmerized by the music. We could have stayed all night listening to the sounds of the Spanish guitar, enjoying wine and gazing at the twinkling lights shimmering on the town.

More things I loved about our trip to Isla Mujeres:

Fresh coconut water on the beach….

Colorful interiors + art…

Have you ever been to Mexico? Where do you like to go and why? Tell me in the comments below.