Day in the life of
Jewellery Designer – Vanessa Ægirsdóttir
I’m a jewellery designer and textile artist. Because I’m self-employed and I make 100% of my inventory by hand, there is no typical day. I wear every hat imaginable to make a business run smoothly. Aside from the tasks associated with operating a retail boutique, I also am responsible for inventory management of both finished goods and of the materials needed to make them as well as all packaging and shipping materials. I research design trends for each upcoming season which informs my design choices for the months ahead. I’m also managing delivery timelines for everything from packaging and shipping materials and the components used in my designs. The goal is to always have what I need when I need it.
My Typical Day
My typical day in my tiny boutique involves absolutely everything. At 7 am, I check emails over morning coffee (still in pyjamas). I arrive at my store at 10 am; I mop and dust, I organize product, I restock sold items, al. At 11 am, the doors open and I interact with in-person shoppers, order materials for manufacturing & packaging, work with graphic designers to update printed goods, I make the products (everything), I interact with audiences on social media, I photograph items for posting on the website and promoting on social and I manage all of the records that get sent to the bookkeeper.
I spend most of my time interfacing with people and making goods. I make all of my inventory and do so onsite, the lengthy interruptions of dealing with customers do slow me down but without the people who come by the shop, my foot traffic sales would likely disappear. It’s somewhat of a cost of doing business.
Innovation and being nimble is critical. They’re valuable skills in typical self-employment scenarios but they’re the secret sauce for small ventures like mine. My work has been featured in Esquire Mexico and Vogue Japan and that’s not by accident. Dedication and hard work are part of that.
Pros
I get to spend my work day doing my favourite things – making jewellery, weaving, and being creative. I also get to make all of the decisions. I’m not limited by the desires of a board or of investors. I am completely independent and so I have total control.
Cons
The downside to working this way is that all of the risks are on me. If I order the wrong gems or the shipping boxes are too small for my products, there’s no team to hold accountable. All successes are totally mine as are the failures.
But the best part of all of it, failures included is that I learn and get better at what I do. I’ve been self-employed in numerous industries for 27 years and every major mistake has only been made once. In my experience, if you’re taking chances, you’ll make a few mistakes along the way. If you make no mistakes, you’re not taking any risks and also not likely to grow very much. Once the acute nature of mistakes passes (social or financial expenses included), I usually have gratitude for the experience.
I’ve never regretted working for myself. Not once. I have total freedom and I’m a very dedicated and productive worker. No one deserves to benefit from how I work more than me.
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Jewelry Designers
Jewelry Designers typically create wearable pieces of jewelry using various precious metals, gemstones, beads, and other materials. Jewelry Designers may create original pieces for clients or new designs for mass production.
The Artist
