"My mantra for business success: FAIL FAST. FIX FAST. LEARN FAST" with Madeline Fraser,

Gemist is disrupting the jewelry industry and completely changing how you shop for it online. Founded by three-time entrepreneur Madeline Fraser, the site and app are literally giving you the power to design your own ring, offering a 100% customizable experience with options for the cut, setting, metal, stone, band, and size. Through its unique “Try-On” feature, the brand will send you Gemist rings straight to your home at no cost so you can be sure they fit, look, feel, and experience is exactly what you want before buying. Gemist recently launched its first earring collection, and all stones and jewelry are ethically sourced and handcrafted locally in Downtown Los Angeles.

Can you tell our readers about your background?

I’m a three-time direct-to-consumer founder – Gemist is my third start-up. I’m passionate about solving problems through technology in spaces that need refreshes. I never thought I would be an entrepreneur but I fell into it in college when I created my first company, and now I never want to stop.

What inspired you to start your business?

All my businesses started with an idea that came out of a problem I experienced first-hand. With Gemist, I tried to design a custom ring when I was getting engaged. It was a confusing, overwhelming, and very manual experience. There were no digital platforms where I could easily visualize my idea and then see it in person before buying it. I knew this was necessary and would be a huge disruptor for the jewelry space. In my mind, jewelry is one of the most intimate and personal items one can have, so I was shocked that there was no simple and easy way to create custom jewelry. The only option was going in-person to a jeweler. I was hooked and dove in headfirst to start Gemist. 

Where is your business based?

Los Angeles, CA 

How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took?

1: Understand your market and the competition – is your idea really unique and something you can realistically build and get people behind?

2: Create the pitch – this comes from creating your first pitch deck and becomes your business plan.

3: Create the prototype – you’ll most likely need an example of what you’re creating. This is probably something you’ll have to do out of pocket. 

4: Find your team! Start building your team and start surrounding yourself with the people who’ll be able to help you take this to the next level. 

5: Raise funding: Start selling. Get your idea out there and start getting money to get started. 

6: Hit the ground running and move as fast as possible to get to the market. 

What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business?

In no particular order:

1: Die-hard consumers, great reviews, and referrals

2: Digital advertising 

3: Affiliate marketing 

4: Press 

5: Branding and content creation  

What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?

Raising money is one of the hardest things you will ever do, especially as a woman. It’s unfortunate, but it’s true. We are still a big minority in the world of venture funding. You have to remember that it only takes a few people to say yes. You will get 200 “no’s” and one “yes” on most days. You need to stay positive and resilient, it’s a serious rollercoaster. 

How do you stay focused?

Passion. If you don’t have passion, you won’t be able to do this. The work ethic and persistence alone will be too much. You have to give this your all and fight very hard to make it work. You will be challenged every day but it will be worth it because you’re creating something new, something special, and something only you and your team could build. 

How do you differentiate your business from the competition?

We are the first platform where you can design your own jewelry and try it on at home before you buy it. 

What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business?

Marketing is tough – there’s so much smoke and mirrors. It’s very hard to attribute exact ROI to every funnel you test, and then brand awareness changes up the data even more! You will have to try different things to see what works. When things work, you need to expand them and focus on them. The key is to get to a place where you’re seeing a large enough return on spending to get to cash flow positive and then ultimately to profitability. That takes time and is hard to do, but you can do it. It’s a giant puzzle that’s different for every business model. The best strategy is to be agile, smart, and not spend too much too soon. Understand your messaging, your consumer, and have a strong brand voice to get out there. Find the BEST people to help you and you will be ok. 

What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?

Find advisors and mentors who have done this before. If I had had an ego and said I could do any of this alone, I would never ever be on my third startup. Realize that you don’t know that much and find others to inspire and help you. Understand your strengths and weaknesses and surround yourself with a team that complements them. Hire people who are smarter and better than you – never think you’re the best. Be humble, be determined, move straight ahead, and inspire those around you. 

My mantra for business success: FAIL FAST. FIX FAST. LEARN FAST. 

What's your favorite app, blog, and book? Why?

I typically listen to audiobooks in my car on the way to the office. Now that I’m at home, work and home are blended and it feels like I never stop. Books I’ve loved over the years are Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable and The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers. I also LOVE the NPR podcast, How I Built This. I can wholeheartedly relate to those founders’ stories.

What's your favorite business tool or resource? Why?

My mentors and advisors. They know me, know what I’m dealing with, and will advise me much more than any tool/resource.

Who is your business role model? Why?

My mother. She created two huge women’s cancer foundations including Stand Up To Cancer all while battling breast cancer for 17 years. My life is a cakewalk compared to what she went through.

How do you balance work and life?

I never take myself too seriously and I laugh a lot. My family is awesome and supports me unconditionally, so they make it easy because I work a lot. My mantra for work/life balance is “enjoy the journey”. If you are in this for the end result, you’ll never get there. Have fun and enjoy this crazy ride!!

What’s your favorite way to decompress?

Taking a bath and having a glass of rosé is my favorite thing to do. 

What do you have planned for the next six months?

Keep growing, keep pushing, and get through this crazy time.

How can our readers connect with you?

Instagram @madfraser and @gemistco

"Just begin--time passes by too quickly and now is the best of times to pursue one’s passion and allow that to lead to a new journey" with Jessica Santander

Jessica Santander is a lover of life whose hardship with listening to her heart led her to take a grand leap of faith in the most unthought moment. After landing her first full-time job in the Digital Marketing field, she found herself feeling disconnected and lost and grew a fascination with what can be from the idea of creating her own path. This idea kept tapping into her heart and led to her lifelong project of what is called Project Moment Designs. 

Can you tell our readers about your background?

My name is Jessica Santander and I’m the Founder and Designer of Project Moment Designs, which is my handmade jewelry business based out of Tampa, FL. I’m originally from Rochester, NY, but had lived most of my teenage and young adult life in Delaware. Growing up, I was fascinated with film and theatre, and was pursuing a career in acting (I was able to work alongside with Mark Walhberg in The Happening) throughout my early teenage years.

I also had a blazing passion for international cultures and aesthetics/ways of life, so I decided to complete my Bachelor’s Degree in International Business and Marketing from the University of Delaware. Post-graduation, I had spent a few years navigating the fashion and beauty industry at Sephora and still felt yearning energy to continue my education within the fields of Marketing- as I grew an admiration with brands that were breaking the status quo and creating sensory experiences with consumers. This decision led me to move to Tampa, FL where I obtained my Master’s in Marketing. It was during my studies at the University of Tampa that my growing fascination with brand marketing eventually brought me to re-visit my utmost life passion—the grand window of opportunity to create my own business and lead with a differentiated brand voice.

What inspired you to start your business? 

I’ve always known what ignites that blazing passion within my heart—and that has been the vivacious beauty and difference cultivated found in the fashion industry. After completing my Master's Degree in Marketing, I came across a mentally and emotionally difficult roadblock where I was receiving closed doors for almost two years trying to find a job. Though I was fortunate enough to land a job in Digital Marketing, I still felt incomplete and lost with myself as I knew this was not what I wanted to do with my life.

After many moments of feeling sorry for myself, I made the leap of faith to just go for the unthinkable and make my own path. The entrepreneurial spirit of creating with no boundaries and, from such creations, making a difference in the world just feels right to my heart-it’s like no other sensation experienced. 

Where is your business based? 

My jewelry business is located in Tampa, FL, but as we are an e-commerce company, we are sharing our mission of empowering women all across the world. 

How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took?

I started my business out of my living room, working diligently each night after coming home from work on building up my Shopify website to be as user-friendly and eye-catching at first sight. This did require me to invest in a digital camera for my product photos, but other than that, I’ve self-taught myself the ins and outs of growing my eCommerce platform. The beginning stages of launching one’s website and online presence is most definitely an exciting one as you get to see your vision come to life. Hard work certainly pays off when passion leads the way.

 What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business?

As the social media nerd that I am, I took a deep dive into Instagram and started engaging with bloggers, friends, family members, and basically the network of my network to get the word-of-mouth going for my business. In addition to utilizing the social aspect of social media, attending local markets and trunk shows to connect with new customers personally has been a growing foundation to continuously raise awareness for my jewelry business.

What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?

My biggest challenges thus far have been expanding my online reach as my business is primarily e-commerce, and therefore, there’s that extra roadblock when trying to establish a personal connection to new website visitors. Though this is a daily challenge of mine, I’ve heavily invested in showing up for my brand online through social media and email marketing- engaging with my audience through videos to bring them closer to our business and experience our overall brand voice. 

How do you stay focused?

Every day I remind myself what my mission and purpose are, and this alone drives me to do all I can in nurturing my business on that very day. I pour my passion and love into what I do and I believe this shall be seen and also appreciated day by day.

How do you differentiate your business from the competition?

My business is grounded on a foundation that’s always evolving with my clients’ journey. As our mission is to empower women to celebrate their moments of self-growth, changes in life and renewed beginnings, we bring this to life by handmaking our jewelry designs and color story to speak to a new moment/experience that resonates to the hearts of a dream-building woman. 

What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business? 

Balancing both consistent content and video marketing with all my platforms has been a valuable marketing strategy that further supports our brand’s mission and aesthetic. Such two aspects of marketing bring to life our brand’s story and touch the sensory experiences of our customers.

What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?

Just begin—time passes by too quickly and now is the best of times to pursue one’s passion and allow that to lead to a new journey. No one has all the answers and we’re all learning by doing—believe in your potential and in what you want to begin.

What's your favorite app, blog, and book? Why 

My favorite app is my iTunes podcast as I’m a huge fan of many, many podcasts covering all topics. From running a business to unleashing one’s own inner goddess, I start my day usually listening to one full episode. As for books, I find myself leaning towards resources that nurture a healthy mindset and lifestyle such as Girl Code by Cara Alwill.

What's your favorite business tool or resource? Why?

My favorite business tool is my current email marketing platform, MailChimp, as there are numerous features to fully customize not only your templates but also email sequences to resonate with one’s own audience. I appreciate its flexibility in such areas as I’m able to always go back and re-adjust my campaigns to current events, promos, website updates…etc.

Who is your business role model? Why?

My business role model is Cara Alwill as I profoundly appreciate her journey and how hard she’s worked to get to where she is today. Cara is such an inspirational role model helping many women all across the world celebrate themselves and their greatest dreams. She helps me remind myself that anything we set our hearts to, and with a resilient mindset, can happen.

What is your beauty routine? What are some of your favorite products?

I’m such a skincare junkie at heart and have gone through many skincare lines to get to the point where my acne is under control, while also combatting against the signs of skin fatigue. Recently, I’ve been loving the am and pm products from Beauty Bio as it’s a female-founded company that is completely transparent with its honest ingredients. 

 How do you balance work and life?

I honestly take each day to be just one day at a time with a mini to-do list of the 2-3 must-do action items for that day. I, also, make sure to dedicate a full hour of self-care workouts to get my body moving every day.

What’s your favorite way to decompress? 

I absolutely love slipping into my comfy PJs and enjoying a warm bowl of oatmeal with no screen distractions. This helps to alleviate my mind and feel calm with where I am and what I am doing.

What do you have planned for the next six months? 

Prior to COVID-19 occurring, I had a full month focused on planning the launch of my Spring/Summer collection, along with setting up an on-campus brand ambassador program with a local university. Now that our entire lives have been shaken up, I’ve taken a pause to discover ways to further be of service to my customers with our products. This reflection has led to many exciting ideas lined up heading into the summer and fall that has a glistening focus on more personalization offerings.

How can our readers connect with you?

All readers can connect with me directly via our website, Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest.

Q&A with Designer & Entrepreneur, AJ Woodruff

A.J. Woodruff is the designer and co-owner of Respect The Chief, an independent jewelry line that celebrates the beauty in individuality. She graduated from the University of Southern California with a degree in Fine Arts and Communications Design and received a secondary degree in Fashion Design from Parsons The New School for Design in New York City.

A.J. worked professionally within the advertising and fashion industry for over a decade before branching out to design her own jewelry collection.  She resides in the Southern California Desert where design remains a integral part of her life and career.   

Can you tell our readers about your background?

I graduated from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles with a degree in Fine Arts and a minor in Communications Design.  I was originally recruited for engineering, but since early childhood, I have had a strong interest in Art.  Upon graduation, I moved to New York where I worked for advertising agencies while attending Parsons the New School for Design where I received a secondary degree in Fashion Design.  I worked in fashion for nearly a decade before switching to jewelry design.  I consider myself a multidisciplinary designer, and I really enjoy all facets of the design industry.  

What inspired you to start your business?

Timing had a huge influence on the start of Respect The Chief.  At the time, I had been working professionally as a fashion designer for many years and really wanted a new challenge, but I didn't really want to leave the design world completely.  I have always had an interest in jewelry design, and at the same time, my partner decided to learn silversmithing to create a gift for me.  With his new found skills, and my interest in jewelry design, the stars just kind of aligned, and we joined forces to create our business.  

Where is your business based?

 The concept for Respect The Chief started in New York City, but the company was really born and raised in Palm Springs located in the California Desert.  This location has really allowed us to be inspired by nature and take the time to focus on the business. 

How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took?

We took an unusual route to starting our business.  We started out selling jewelry prior to really establishing our brand.  We had no website, no logo, and no direct vision, but we wanted to first overcome the challenge of making some money to see if all the other steps would even be worth it.  Luckily, we did make a profit the first month we were in business.  If we hadn't, there is a good chance we may have quit right then. 

What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business?

Although social media is great, I have found that the best way to raise awareness for my business is to physically be present.  Although we currently operate as a web-based business, our customer really responds to our product as well as our story when they meet us in person. This means being present for markets, fairs, fleas, and pop-us as well as connecting with other stores.  The personal connection is still an important aspect in business in order to gain trust and long lasting relationships.  

What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?

Time and money have been and will probably always be the biggest challenges in entrepreneurship, and the two never seem to go hand-in-hand. In order to overcome this challenge, maintaining balance and being flexible is really important.  Being able to cut back and look at cost saving measures is a skill that I quickly developed, but being able to ask for help may be the most crucial and beneficial skill in business when there isn't enough time to do everything on my own.   

How do you stay focused?

It is very easy for me to become distracted with new ideas and new projects as my business grows, but deviating too far from the plan can sometimes be a hinderance to reaching goals. 

The best way for me to stay focused is to plan out my goals as well as the steps I need to take to reach those goals.  This allows me to look at new opportunities and realistically determine whether they will be beneficial to my short and long term goals. 

How do you differentiate your business from the competition?

When I started designing jewelry, I was a bit frustrated with the available styling on the market.  Trends tend to take over the fashion industry very quickly and a lot of products start to look the same. 

Going into design and production our goal was to create a style that was not just different from what was available, but also something that I genuinely loved.  Simply creating a style that is different sets us apart from the masses and the people who like our jewelry genuinely love the designs and aren't just looking for a different version of something they've already seen a hundred times.  

 What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business?

There are so many new and technological ways to market a business these days from social media, internet ads, working with bloggers/influencers and much more, but I have found that the best way to market my business has been to go the old fashioned way speaking directly with store owners, other jewelers, and the customers. 

My goal is to create a presence for our business not just online but in real life and sometimes that means letting go of email, picking up the phone, and meeting with people in person to get the word out about our brand. 

What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?

My best advice for aspiring entrepreneurs is to work extremely hard and to remember that business growth takes time.  Don't be too hard on yourself, and be open to adjusting yourself, adjusting your business, and adjusting yourself again. 

What's your favorite app, blog, and book? Why?

App - Instagram because I'm a glutton for beauty!

Blog - Messy Nessy Chic because that site is like opening up a treasure chest everyday.  There is so much odd, unique, and interesting information there.

Book - This Book Will Change Your Life / This Book Will Change Your Life Again because they give you daily challenges to step out of your comfort zone and just have fun with life.  It reminds me not to take life too seriously. I recommend you to buy it and try it!

What's your favorite business tool or resource? Why?

Other people are the best resource. 

Although every business is different, someone out there has had similar challenges and has also found solutions to similar problems.  I am not afraid to connect with other people in my industry and ask questions.  

Additionally, free sources like Google and Youtube can be a lifesaver.  The answer to nearly any question you will ever have can be found between the two.  

 Who is your business role model? Why?

My mother!  It seems like such a cliche answer, but my mom is truly a boss lady, and she has long been a business owner.  She has gone through the ups and downs of entrepreneurship and without her experience, I probably would not have as much confidence in trying out a business of my own.  She works really hard and gives me a realistic image of the work and effort needed to create and maintain a successful business.  

What do you have planned for the next six months?

I have a lot planned for the next six months!  We will be keeping busy with our own pop-up store located in Palm Springs.  This is a great opportunity for locals and visitors to connect with us personally and view the jewelry firsthand.  We will be designing and producing more one-of-a-kind pieces where customers will have to opportunity to purchase items that no one else will have. 

We will also be participating in a separate pop-up in Venice Beach, CA where we will focus more on marketing and reaching new customers in a larger market.  

How can our readers connect with you?

Readers can connect with us through our website at www.respecthechief.com where we provide updates on what we are up to and where we can be found outside of the world wide web. 

Readers can also visit our instagram @respectthechief  I read every comment and love connecting with customers.