What's the most common mistake for small business owners when they're just starting out, and how can they fix it? 

One of the biggest mistakes new business owners make is focusing on selling before they’ve built trust. It’s tempting to launch a product and immediately chase sales, but people connect with brands long before they make a purchase. 

From day one, we prioritized telling our story, collecting customer email addresses and asking for reviews. Those may seem like small details early on, but they’re the foundation of a business that can grow over time. We also spent countless hours listening to podcasts, researching and learning from others before launching. Our advice is to start before everything feels perfect, but commit to learning continuously. There are more resources available today than ever before, and the businesses that succeed are the ones that keep improving as they go. 

How do you take a category like jewelry that is a "want" more than a "need” and create the desire to buy? And how do you cultivate repeat customers? 

Jewelry is rarely a necessity. It’s something people choose because of how it makes them feel. We believe the goal isn’t simply to create desire. It’s to create connection. The jewelry has to be beautiful, but it also has to mean something. 

We never release anything we wouldn’t proudly wear ourselves. From there, we focus on sharing the story behind our brand and creating a buying experience that feels personal from beginning to end. Every piece is handcrafted, carefully packaged and accompanied by a handwritten note because those details matter. 

For us, repeat customers are the greatest compliment. They don’t come back because they need another bracelet. They come back because they trust the quality, appreciate the craftsmanship and feel connected to the people behind the brand. That’s something no marketing campaign can replace. 

What's one thing small retailers or business owners can do in the near-term to improve customer service? 

If there’s one thing a small business can do this week, it’s to respond quickly and look for ways to say yes. Great customer service isn’t complicated. It’s about making people feel heard and genuinely cared for. 

We try to answer emails or DMs as quickly as possible, accommodate custom requests whenever we can and go the extra mile when something needs to be repaired or resized. One recent example was a customer in Australia who needed a pair of earrings for a special event on very short notice. We made them the same day and shipped them immediately, so they arrived in time. Moments like that build trust and create lasting relationships. 

We’ve found that customers remember how you made them feel long after they’ve received their order. If you consistently exceed expectations, they’ll come back, and they’ll happily recommend you to friends and family. 

In your opinion, what are the best brands doing right today? 

The best brands today understand that they’re not just selling a product, they’re building a relationship. They invest in beautiful, authentic visuals, tell a consistent story and create an experience that feels personal across every customer touchpoint. 

As a small business, we’ve learned that authenticity is one of our biggest advantages. We may not have the marketing budget of a large company, but we can personally connect with our customers, respond quickly and share the real people and process behind the brand. We’re constantly inspired by the creativity we see from other independent brands, and it reminds us to keep learning, experimenting and finding new ways to tell our own story.

(Image courtesy David and Marketa Lim)