Diane Rayzer

I attribute my success to staying authentic and sticking to what I love. When I first started, a marketing consultant told me I should narrow my focus and pick just one type of jewelry to make because I was all over the place. But I decided to keep doing what I loved, making the variety of pieces that spoke to me, because that's what felt right. I've learned that when you're faced with decisions in your business, you just make them the best way you can and stay true to yourself. Even when I create a piece that I love but it doesn't sell, I've learned to repurpose it and create something else that may then sell. The key for me has been remaining authentic to my vision and doing what's best for me, not just following someone else's advice about what I should do.

The best career advice I have ever received is to remain true to myself and consistently align my decisions and actions with my core values and authentic strengths.

The advice I would give to young women entering my industry is to stay persistent and never give up on their goals. Once I achieve a goal, I challenge myself to set a new one and continue growing, learning, and pushing forward.

One of the biggest challenges I face is when I get an idea and make a piece of jewelry that I really like and think will sell, but then it doesn't. You're left wondering what to do with that piece. What I've learned through this challenge is that sometimes you just need to take it, repurpose it, and create something else that may then sell. It's about being flexible and not getting too attached to one vision when the market tells you something different. Another challenge is deciding what kind of jewelry to make and sell, because there are so many directions you can go. For example, I love sterling silver and took a class in it, but those pieces can be quite expensive to sell, so you have to decide what angle you want to go in, and sometimes that can be hard.

Being authentic and sticking to what you love is most important to me. One of my core values is making sure that my customers are happy and that they like what they have, that it makes them feel good. I want them to see that wearing jewelry is an extension of themselves. That's why one of my slogans is 'To accentuate your personal style.' I want my customers to feel good in what they're wearing. Beyond customer satisfaction, I value staying true to myself and doing what's best for me, even when others suggest I should do things differently. I believe in following what speaks to you and what you love, rather than just doing what someone else thinks you should do.