INTERVIEW WITH JEWELLERY BRAND JAYDAH
How old are you?
“31”
Where do you originally come from?
“I’m from a mixed heritage. My father is Palestinian/Italian and my mother is English”
Where were you brought up?
“I grew up on the island of Tenerife where I was born, so I’m of Spanish/English nationality”
Did you go to university, if so what did you study?
“Yes I came over from Tenerife aged 19 and I studied at London Metropolitan University for BA Hons Theatre & Film Studies”
Why have you called your
brand JAYDAH?
“I’ve always liked the name Jade and been attracted to the stone and its meaning, “Precious Gem”. The name JAYDAH is derived from that, I think the reason behind it is, I’d like all ladies to feel like Precious Gems when wearing our jewellery”
Describe JAYDAH in 3 words.
“Statement, refreshing, fabulous!”
How long have you been trading?
“I launched the website on the 2nd of August 2012”
What is your role within the company?
“I’m the Director/Founder and I do everything at the moment! From buying ourcollections, designing the website, marketing, etc…”
5 year plan?
“I would love JAYDAH to be recognised as a creditable online retailer within the UK; a place where everyone goes to, knowing that they will be sure to find jewellery which is current, fresh and true to trends! Like the Asos of jewellery! They are extremely successful and have a fantastic team, it would be a dream come true to get the business running at their level!”
Winter fashion must haves for jewellery?
“Statement collar necklaces, Cuffs Cocktail rings, optical prints, chunky precious/semi precious stones. Black is back next season so something black and leather will be a huge hit! Leather accessories!”
Your inspiration for creating JAYDAH?
“I’ve always wanted to own a business, since I was a little girl! Once I took my mum’s pearls out of the cupboard and tried to sell them to neighbours with a make-do stall outside my house! Before JAYDAH I tried other avenues, for example as my background is in events, Wedding Planning, but my heart was not in it, so the ideas never developed. In business you have to be passionate about what you do or sell, because if that’s lacking, it’s going to become a chore rather than something rewarding! I have always been a huge fan of jewellery, so I followed my heart and went for it. This time it feels right”
How do you find juggling between being a mum of 2, and trying to run a business?
Any tips for women with children trying to create something for themselves?
“I’m not going to say “it’s a piece of cake” because it isn’t. Even at this early stage of the business life is hard, but I try to find the right balance, so that my family life isn’t affected. I tend to do a lot of work in the evenings when the girls are asleep. During the week they are in childcare for a few hours so I use that time to focus. I think it can be easy to lose track and be overwhelmed when you are trying to follow a dream. When you have a huge responsibility of being there for your family, my tip to other mums is – don’t lose focus, be realistic with your targets and don’t be too hard on yourselves because you are already doing great in just being mums… But if you have dreams, pursue them! Everything is possible if you are determined, committed and invest your hard work ”
http://www.jaydah.co.uk @J_A_Y_D_A_H
