Meet Amber Collier

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Amber Collier. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Amber below.

Amber, thank you so much for joining us today. Let’s jump right into something we’re really interested in hearing about from you – being the only one in the room. So many of us find ourselves as the only woman in the room, the only immigrant or the only artist in the room, etc. Can you talk to us about how you have learned to be effective and successful in situations where you are the only one in the room like you?

I think a lot of people suffer from feeling very small in a room full of people who do not look like them. That feeling of anxiety can be very daunting and quite frankly intimidating. I personally have learned over the years that most of us, if not all of us are trying to fit in somewhere in life at every interval of our existence, young and mature. We all are seeking to be seen, heard, appreciated and accepted and that is what has helped me to become successful and effective in rooms where I am the only person that looks like me. Life has essentially taught me that we are all seeking equivalency and reciprocity, and this has allowed me to become more comfortable and confident in my own skin. I can now take pride walking into a room and being the one who gets stares and whispers because I know I look unique and I love that about myself. Moreover, I know I possess the qualities to effectively communicate with anyone I come into contact with. I am also aware of what I can bring to the table in an environment that I have intentionally put myself in. Being an African-American woman with a very close-cut haircut and tattoos (all over my body including my face), I will always stand out in a crowd regardless of where I am. I think the most important part of this story is self-acceptance, self-awareness and self-love. If you are not in a space to love yourself unconditionally and be unapologetic about how you show up, you will never feel aligned with any community no matter the shape or size.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

To be short and simple, I am an unconventional woman of color who has thrived in the spaces of the artistic expression industry for more than 15 years. For as long as I can remember, I have always been a misfit/rebel in a society that wants to me to conform and be “normal”, whatever that may be. Since I was a little girl, I have always loved fashion, jewelry and makeup. I was always playing with dolls, dressing up Barbies and playing with those infamous fake makeup sets that came but with the pink plastic heels and plastic jewels and pearls. I am the everyday urban girly girl. That part of me still exists til this day but with a modern cosmic twist.

With that being said, I have found myself now in the midst of balancing my life with a little of normalcy and a lot of creation. Aside from my normal 9-5 career as a Project Coordinator, I am also a gemologist and herbalist. I have been working with the nature elementals since I was young, but I started taking myself seriously when I had a “spiritual awakening” of some sorts back in 2017. At that time, I was working at Norstrom as a makeup artist for the brand Chanel and I had to have an emergency removal of my gallbladder. After I healed from that surgery, something miraculous happened to my soul and I always say jokingly, “I think that doctor turned on my chakras!” This is what jump started my journey into my “rediscovery of self” and I took a deeper dive into the awesomeness of mother nature and how she has provided everything we need to heal ourselves, right at our fingertips.

Currently, I am in the process of rebranding my jewelry business, but I have recently relaunched my tarot services and I am working on my herbal tincture line called COCOBLEND. I plan to eventually add in holistic body care products and candles within the next year. For now, you can find my products at local pop-up shops throughout the Phoenix Metropolitan area. Once the weather breaks, I plan to get back into my element which is being amongst the community connecting with like minds and helping people to heal themselves with crystals and herbs.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

The three most important qualities/skills that have been the most impactful on my journey are being a risk taker, being comfortable with letting go and always being open to reinvention. In order to develop these skills early on in your journey, you must always stay in the energy of that of a child. What I mean by this is always be CURIOUS and willing to LEARN and be COACHABLE. The world itself programs us to think that once we hit 18 years old, we are adults (we think we know everything by then, right?), but science says our brains are not even fully developed until the age of 26. But even after 26, we must be aware that the world is forever changing and growing and because of this, another trait we must embody is being ADAPTABLE. Staying too set in something may cause you to miss out on a blessing that was universally sent for you to win. Also, I always say, “Stay open to receive so that new opportunities can easily find you.” As a final word, we cannot predict the future, so always stay present and enjoy life as it is happening in the now.

Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?

A particular challenge that I am facing now as an entrepreneur is staying committed to my craft and staying open to miracles. Funny thing is that I am naturally a risk taker, but as an artist, “I am sensitive about my craft!” When business is going well and I am staying busy it’s easy to continue to show up for yourself everyday but it’s the slower periods that have you questioning all of the money, time and energy that you have invested into your business aka your baby. The only thing constant in this lifetime is in fact change and evolution. So, I must stay adaptable with the economic times and of course this includes business trends as well. I know that eventually all of my hard work will pay off in the end. The hard part is of course, waiting on your turn.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.amber-the-jeweler-boutique.square,site
• Instagram: @amber,thejewelerboutique
• Youtube: Divine Chakras