We were lucky to catch up with Daniele Klien recently and have shared our conversation below.
Daniele, we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?
I was naturally born as a shy person. I always had inner confidence in my abilities but struggled with self expression. I was born in Georgetown, Guyana, where I resided up until my teen years. When my family migrated to New York City, I was exposed to University life at 16 years old where I studied Finance – a field that does now allow for you to be the quiet one in the room if you want to succeed. I would credit my college experience, followed by my years in Corporate America, with helping me not just to develop, but to proudly express my confidence and self-esteem. While I may have been born shy, I was also born with an inner desire to be the best, and in order to do so, I found I needed to find and use my voice.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
My 20+ years of experience are in the field of Corporate Insurance and Risk Management. I enjoy doing what I do, because in order to be successful, my role requires me to examine all current and potential areas of risk exposure, and develop various tools to minimize, mitigate, or manage that risk.
During the Covid-19 Pandemic, I tapped into a passion I have had since I was a child – creative arts and design. Just as many others were, I was looking for a form of self-care during that period. For me, I found it in making beaded bracelets at night when my two young children were asleep and my husband and I had time to relax. Through gifting those beaded bracelets to family members and friends and taking their feedback to heart, I realized that I was actually good at what I did. Shortly thereafter, my brand Anne X Joseph (named after my children) was born and registered in the US.
In just over 3 year years, Anne X Joseph has grown into a globally recognized brand, with editorials featured in multiple high fashion magazines, offering handcrafted, demi-fine jewelry and accessories. Our pieces are made in small batches, using the best quality materials. We strongly believe in the advancement of sustainable fashion, and hope to do our small part in reducing the carbon footprint attributed to the fashion industry.
On a personal level, philanthropy through giving back to underserved communities, has always been a priority of mine, and I have incorporated this into one of the core principles of my business. Every year, we create two campaigns from which proceeds are donated to Autism Acceptance & Inclusion efforts (in April), and Breast Cancer Support and Awareness (in October). Details these efforts, and ways in which others can donate outside of our campaigns can be found on our website.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
- Tapping into an area that gives you joy and ignites passion in you – If you are considering starting a business, your product or service should be something that you enjoy creating or providing. This way, it feels less like “work” and more like taking something you are passionate about seriously, earning an income while doing so.
- Aligning yourself with a like-minded mentor who has experience in your field. Especially during those formative years, it is important to have someone you can rely on for what may be much needed guidance.
- Understanding the financial aspects of starting and running a business. With my corporate background, that part was not as difficult for me as some who may be starting a business with no knowledge of the financial workings. Even with my background, I am always open to learning, and I recently completed the Women’s Entrepreneurship Program offered by Cornell University. It was very informative, and great for networking. I would encourage any entrepreneur, new or seasoned, to seek out continuing education courses such as these, as the knowledge gained is invaluable.
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
You may have seen the phrase “women supporting women” thrown around quite a bit on social media and other platforms. What I have come to realize is that it is rare to actually see that phrase play out in business.
Due to my husband’s expat assignment, my family and I have been based in Ghana, West Africa for a year and a half now. What I quickly realized is that there is an incredible pool of untapped creative talent here, however, they do not get the exposure their amazing products deserve.
In my short time here, I have collaborated with 4 women owned clothing, jewelry and accessories brands, working together to create collaborative pieces, and using my platform to bring awareness of their product offerings to my mostly US and UK based clients.
In my opinion, collaborating in this way, where there is no financial requirement on their end, and it costs me nothing to give their products greater exposure, is the embodiment of the phrase “women supporting women.”
I am always open to new collaborations, as long as the individuals / businesses I am partnering with share the same work ethic, customer service levels, and commitment to sustainable production.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.annexjoseph.com
- Instagram: @annexjoseph
Image Credits
Duke Quarshie
