We were lucky to catch up with Mark Mound recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Mark with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
I grew up in a family that unfortunately had some tragedy when I was young. My father passed away and my brother and I were raised by my selfless mother who took a low-paying teacher’s aide job so she could work but also spend time with the two of us. While growing up, I saw her and her tireless work ethic, and that rubbed off on me over the years. As I grew older I saw the importance of having a strong work ethic and began challenging myself to strive and be a better person in many ways. I am a person who wants to learn, understand, and better everything that I can, and I bring those things to my business every day. Each day has new and interesting challenges, from which gemstones am I going to use, what settings am I going to feature each stone with, answering messages, packing orders, photographing pieces, and how can I grow more. The gemstone and jewelry industry is so big and so much fun, with new things to learn every day. That feeds my creativity, which further fuels my work ethic.
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?
I got my love of gemstones from my mother and grandmother and had a collection of various stones starting at a young age. As my collection and knowledge grew, I taught myself how to make jewelry and started to make a few pieces for family and friends. One day after I made some pieces for my wife, she stated that I should do this “for real,” actually sell pieces. Initially I laughed (quite hard actually) but then as I thought about it, it seemed to make sense and maybe it would even be fun. The first step was coming up with a name, I didn’t like the sound of using my middle name. I looked over and saw our crazy cat, Oliver, lounging next to me and thought to myself, that’s it! So the name Mark Oliver Gems was born. At this time I was working full time at a small, family-owned company, building and improving analytical equipment, so my new company was a nice side hustle. My goal then, which still stands now, is to provide the best quality gemstones that I can and make them affordable to everyone, on any budget. As the years went on, I got busier and busier and it was hard to keep up as my side hustle turned into a profitable business. When the pandemic hit, my wife and I decided it was the right time for me to leave my full time job and work on my business while taking care of our newborn boy. Being a full time stay at home dad while running a business has definitely been one of the hardest things I have done in my life, but it has allowed me to grow my business in many ways I never thought possible. Today, I handpick and source every single gemstone that I use in jewelry or sell and then use them to make classic and minimalist jewelry designs so the focus stays on the gemstones. I travel to gem shows, trade shows and friends’ houses to pick the best I can find while keeping everything as ethically sourced as possible. Creating new pieces, learning new facts and hearing my customers’ thoughts on my pieces are what keeps the “fire” still going. After 11 awesome years, over 3,000 reviews, weekly new product postings and close to 10,000 pieces in the world, I am so happy I have taken this journey and look forward to where it will go.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
1. Never stop challenging yourself to create new things and don’t fear change or failure. I’ve learned that things have to change and you have to adapt to wherever the markets are stronger. I have had several failures over the years with products that didn’t resonate with people and money spent that was not made back. The way I see it, failures should be looked at as lessons learned rather than complete failures. There also will always be people that do not like your products-bad reviews are inevitable. It’s hard not to see it as a failure, but in reality, it is a learning experience and any feedback is useful, something that can challenge you to see a different perspective and how to improve yourself and your business.
2. Keep learning. The minute you stop learning and teaching yourself new things is the day you become stagnant and irrelevant in the eyes of potential customers. Whether it’s taking classes in school, learning a new technique to create products, a new item that can used for creations or even ways to run or market your business, it all helps your business and you as a person. I have found that running a business has helped me grow as a person in many ways. In every professional field, there is always something new to learn and I suggest that you take every opportunity that you can to expand your knowledge.
3. Have fun! This is your one and only life and if you are taking the leap of running your own business, enjoy ALL of it, from the smallest things to the biggest joys. Celebrate these things too no matter how small, whether it’s a day off, dinner at your favorite restaurant, a weekend getaway or sitting by a fire roasting marshmallows. When I am happy and having fun, I find I am at my best with my creativity and it shows in my work. Yes, there will be tough days, weeks or months, but if you’re doing what you love and want to do, there is no reason not to have fun and enjoy it. Trust me, your customers will notice it in your work if you love what you’re doing and having fun.
Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?
Not enough time during the days and weeks. Being a stay at home parent and raising a wonderful child has been a great experience and I wouldn’t trade it for the world, but having the time to run a successful business has been a struggle. With that being said, kindergarten is right around the corner haha. In all seriousness through, prioritizing your days is what becomes most important with a busy schedule. There are things that can wait a couple of days and some that cannot. Make a list for yourself, whether you write it down or keep it in your head, on what are the highest priorities. The top of the list should be customer service, answering questions, getting orders out and follow ups. The rest gets pieced in as needed and can usually be shuffled. Don’t get dejected when something doesn’t go as planned, it always happens. Look at the broader picture and see where things can move. Running this business, I source stones, design, create, photograph, edit, pack, ship and answer emails, among other things. It adds up to a lot but it’s all doable if I plan, prioritize, organize, and accept that there may be late nights too. If there’s an opportunity, ask for help. Friends and family members may be willing to lend a hand when it’s needed.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.markolivergems.com
- Instagram: @markolivergems
