We recently connected with Daniele Klien and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Daniele, so great to have you on the platform. There’s so much we want to ask you, but let’s start with the topic of self-care. Do you do anything for self-care and if so, do you think it’s had a meaningful impact on your effectiveness?
Prior to the Covid-19 Pandemic, self-care, for me, came in the form of activities like spa days and mini vacations.
Like many other entrepreneurs I’ve come to know in recent years, with the restrictions the lockdown placed on such activities, I had to find a way, within the confines of my home, to find the level of relaxation that a self-care activity typically brings.
I’ve mentioned in a few interviews that my educational background is in Finance, with my 20+ year career being in Corporate Insurance and Risk Management.
To this day, I am passionate about my career, however, I was born with a natural inclination toward the arts and design. While working from home during the pandemic, I began toying with the idea of learning to make handcrafted jewelry as a way to unwind after my children went to bed and my husband and I would sit with a glass of wine to watch a movie or a show.
What started as a self taught hobby very quickly turned into a small business. The process of designing new pieces, testing our various hardware, and bringing those pieces to life has continued to bring me joy for the 4 years since I got started. My brand, Anne X Joseph, has grown tremendously in 4 short years, offering worldwide shipping via my website, as well as in-store retail presence in a few stores in New York City.
As long as the process of jewelry making continues to bring me joy, and the supportive climate for sustainable, handcrafted jewelry continues to grow, this will remain my number one form of self care, which in turn keeps the business successful.
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 what Anne X Joseph has been up to since we last connected?
2024 got off to an exciting start for the brand. We were accepted into two new well respected retail stores in New York City, and previewed our current collection at our very first New York Fashion Week presentation in February.
I continue to take pride in the fact that I am allowed the flexibility and have the talent to own my process from start to finish. From designing each of my handcrafted pieces, to sourcing the raw hardware and gems from my trusted, US-based sources to make each piece in my home office, and shipping them out to customers. The reception my pieces received at my first NYFW presentation motivated me to keep owning my process with pride, pushing the boundaries with my handcrafted designs, all while continuing to use what have come to be the expected elements in most of my pieces: gold and rhodium filled or plated chains and hardware, freshwater pearls, and Swarovski crystals.
In the past year, I have added a small offering of curated pieces, carefully selected from trusted sources, which complement my handcrafted pieces.
Above all, client satisfaction is a top priority of mine, so I work my hardest to ensure that I am creating and delivering quality pieces to my customers, with impeccable customer service. Without happy clients, many of whom are repeat buyers, there would be no business, so I strive to show each customer my appreciation for their support in the quality of product and service I deliver.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
The 3 skills that have been the most impactful in my entrepreneurial journey to date and which I would recommend to anyone considering starting a business in this space are:
– Understanding the importance of value for money as a consumer, making sure my clients see and appreciate the value in each piece they purchase;
– Listening to my customers to understand market demand, enabling me to create pieces using my preferred hardware and techniques, while making designs that are diverse enough where most individuals or stores visiting my website can find pieces that “speak” to them
– Accepting the fact that not all designs or collections will be equally successful, and learning in the process, while I continue to grow.
How would you describe your ideal client?
My ideal client is someone who is confident in their personal style, knows enough about Demi-fine jewelry to understand the value of my collection offerings, and appreciates the thought, dedication, passion, and care that goes into each piece when it is designed and handcrafted in-house.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.annexjoseph.com
- Instagram: @annexjoseph
- Other: Email: contact@annexjoseph.com
Image Credits
Duque Quarshie Abby Thompson Martin Abraham
