::lesson numero uno::

command what you are worth. after talking with some fellow business people, i learned that I was pricing my stuff WAY to low. i was barely covering my costs in the name of keeping it extremely affordable. i tried really hard to keep my profits low to keep affordability high totally neglecting the fact that my pieces are unique, eco-friendly, and most of them completely one of a kind. ex: my heavy cuff-i should have said in my description, sterling silver inlaid with blood, sweat, and tears. there is no way i'll ever be able to make that the same way again. maybe something with the same concept but nothing close to that. in a day and age where people are paying over 200 dollars for the same pair of cookie cutter jeans, 400 plus for iphones and other pdas, and in a market where gold hit 1000 dollars per troy ounce, i feel like i now priced my pieces accordingly, hopefully something for everyone. command what you are worth.

::i heart etsy.com::

i've stumbled across etsy.com a place for those to sell handmade goods. love love this site!

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5683101

::to plunge or not to plunge::

id celebrates her first birthday this july. its almost a year later and i still haven't fully taken the plunge (i.e taking out a massive loan and devoting 23 hrs a day to watching id grow) for a whole year now, i've been thinking of anything and everything to distract me from my real passion (personal training, applying to law school, etc) what a contradiction from my first blog. when it gets down to it, i know i am just as scared as everyone else to really take the plunge, and why should i be? with big risk comes big reward, right? i keep thinking if i have a part time job i'll have more money to help me really pursue my passion or at least something extra to put in my bank account when this doesn't work out. (did i just say that?!)  what really ended up happening, was me stressing out so much about working for a company whose business model i detested, that I literally started having heart palpitations. Who knew at 25, I'd be diagnosed with having mitral valve prolapse with palpitations brought on by stress!!

i'll be 26 in a few weeks. i have no boyfriend. no dog. no huge responsibilities. my family and friends have done nothing but support and encourage me. so why am i still sitting on the idea of taking out a loan? it's clear that i can't work for others and its time to be my own boss. my uncle did it over 29 years ago when he co-founded boston acoustics. he is an example of big risk-big reward. stay tuned...i will make a decision about diving  in head first by my 26th birthday, May 20th.

::officially official::

it's official. just to reiterate my point that you do not need some overpriced lawyer, i received notice that my application for my trademark has been approved and will be published in the Official Gazette next week. see, you can do this yourself!!!

this is my proof of being a badass.