We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Victoria Sdoukos a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Victoria , thank you so much for joining us. You are such a positive person and it’s something we really admire and so we wanted to start by asking you where you think your optimism comes from?
My strong belief in God is where my optimism comes from. God has given everyone of a unique talent & gift to share in this world. I was always the type of person to try different activities such as playing soccer, basketball, tennis, playing the saxophone, taking ceramics classes, jewelry making classes, etc…. When you expose yourself to a wide range of activities, you give yourself a chance to see where you find the most joy & curiosity to keep perfecting that skillset. Which I believe keeps you happy & optimistic in life. We have to find a purpose to be fulfilled.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
My journey begins with a love for design & making women look their best. I graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts of Fashion Design in 2002. In 2005 I opened a bridal boutique in Chicago’s West Loop neighborhood where I created custom gowns, veils & jewelry for my clients for over 15 years. I’ve been featured on tv, many bridal magazines & even a few covers, which has been very rewarding. Although I loved the hustle & bustle of Chicago, I currently reside in Florida & no longer have my brick and mortar style business. I traded the big city for the beach, which is something new and exciting that has sparked to creativity. Today, my clients can shop my jewelry collection online & still have the ability to do custom pieces with me upon request. Currently I’m working on 3 different divisions for my jewelry line. My focus is bridal, special occasion jewelry & colorful beach inspired pieces. I’m very excited about my latest journey because it gives me the ability to have a better work life balance. I’m a very detail oriented woman & really love working with beautiful crystals, pearls & natural stones to create jewelry that women can enjoy time and time again. My goal is always to provide high quality & unique products to my clients.
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?
Looking back at my journey I believe being optimistic, resilient & creative helped me start & stay on the path of my life vision. There is no magic formula to being in an artistic field that guarantees success, so you really have to be confident in yourself to stay on the path. You also have to stay focused because there are many ups, downs, twists & turns, that can take you of your plan. When you have a solid vision of where you see yourself, you will find a way to make it happen.
To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?
My parents believed in my talents & that is very important as a young person growing up. My Father was always my cheerleader, he saw my love for the arts & my outgoing personality. He always told me I would be somebody someday & I always kept that near and dear to my heart. My Dad passed away when I was 11 years old, so I kept those encouraging words along my journey & up until today. He came to America with a dream he was never able to fulfill, so I’m here to live that dream for him & myself. My Mother has a great eye for details & fashion. Growing up I would watch my Mother & her friends customize their clothing on each other & I would see how happy they would be admiring each other in their latest masterpieces. That always inspired me to make women feel beautiful because I love seeing people happy & look their best. Both parents gave me something unique to run with & that’s why I never give up because I really believe I was created to express my talents in ways to bring joy to others.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.victoriasdoukosjewelry.com & www.vsbridal.com (site when I had my shop)
- Instagram: v.sdoukos & victoria.sdoukos.jewelry
- Linkedin: Victoria Sdoukos
