Sophia Giordano

INFORMATIONAL INTERVIEW

Kcor Jewelry – Drita Rosin

I chose the jewelry design industry because I have an eye for both colors and patterns, and was interested in learning

more about what goes on

behind making the

actual jewelry.

Question 1: How did you get started in this career?A: “I started my career based on a random question I asked when I was standing at the reception desk of my friend’s hair salon. I noticed they were selling some inexpensive bracelets and I made a comment about them to the receptionist. She told me the bracelets were definitely inexpensive but that they flew out the door. I told her that they were so simply made that even I could make them. She answered me by saying, “if you make them, we will sell them.” And that was the first time I considered making jewelry. 7 months later I created my first collection and was in my first two stores, that same salon, as well as a new boutique in Aspen.”

Question 2: What does your typical day look like?A: “My typical work day of creating my jewelry normally starts off with me cleaning my house and going for a hike or bike ride up smuggler depending on the season. On my way up the mountain I get inspired for the next piece of jewelry I am going to make, and after that I sit down in my office and start making whatever jewelry I feel like. If I’m not making jewelry, I am doing some ordering components or invoicing, but mostly I am making jewelry.”

Question 3: What do you like best (and least) about your career?

A: “I love the creative aspect of my career as a form of expression but I very much dislike the invoicing aspect of it.”

“Each one of my pieces

Has a uniqueness to it”

Question 4: Have you learned anything about your job that you weren’t taught in school?

A: “I learned that if I followed my passion and interest I could be successful. School taught me the basics but I was never taught to follow my passion.”

Question 5: If you had to name five or six skills that make people successful in this field what would they be?

A: “ 1. Work hard

2. Love what you do

3. Know when to walk away when you aren’t feeling creative in a moment

4. Stay organized

5. Look for inspiration everywhere & study trends.”

Question 6: How are those skills put to use?A: “Well most of those skills just come from within, but staying organized means keeping track of all my invoices and having a great system to do so. Also keeping track of all of the stores who sell my jewelry on consignment is a part of it. As far as studying trends, I comb through websites and see what colors are hot right now, then I create pieces incorporating those color schemes.”

Question 7: As a boss what do you think is your biggest responsibility?

“Making sure that I am able to get all of my jewelry done in time for my clients. Making jewelry can be very time consuming”

Question 8: Would you say that a specific personality type (social and gregarious, analytical and quiet, etc.) is better suited for this profession?

A: “Obviously a creative personality is what works with what I do. Very often I meet people who tell me they could never do what I do and if they are a business person or have a certain skill, I always say the same thing back to them. It was my creative side that led me to my career.”

Question 9: How can you succeed in this career field?

A: “If you are talented and a hard worker you will rise to the top. Even if you are talented, you still need to hustle to get your pieces seen and into stores. That takes a lot of footwork and effort.”

Question 10:If you were to ever leave this field to go a step up, what field would you want to go into?

A: “I would want to go into fashion design. I think that fashion design takes a lot of visioning and creativity in different aspects than making jewelry does. Fashion design is a much more time consuming although it can very intriguing and fun to play around with fabrics and patterns to create an outfit”

Question 11: What would your next step be? Where can you go from here?

A: “To keep getting into more stores and I could start hiring workers to help me produce my pieces in a faster manner. However my jewelry is one of a kind and I like that each piece is created by me and their isn’t another piece like it.”

Question 12: Who are your biggest customers?

A: “My biggest customers are wealthy women who love jewelry. I have a couple of customers who are obsessed with jewelry and have at least 30 or more of my pieces. It’s awesome.”

Question 13: What inspires you?A: “My inspiration comes from my love of fashion. I have always loved dressing up and looking fashionable and creating jewelry is a fun way to dress up an outfit and take it to another level. I love the sparkle a diamond pendant can give a neck or the way a bead can change the entire look of an outfit. But I am always inspired by the way jewelry can change an outfit or make a woman feel.”