Jennifer DeMoro
Hi and welcome to the second interview in our Fab Over 40 series. This month's guest is the lovely Jennifer DeMoro, a Jewellery Designer committed to celebrating the special moments in every woman's life and helping them feel more beautiful. I first met Jennifer when she was my client and right from the start I was impressed with her commitment to showing up and making her dreams come true. Smart and savvy, Jennifer is truly Fab Over 40. Enjoy this interview and look out for a special offer for all of you at the end.
(A quick note for you all: As a Brit I spell it Jewellery and as an American Jenn spells it Jewelry so I have used Jenn's spelling throughout the interview to keep it simple.)
What do you most love about your life?
What I love most about my life right now is having the freedom to follow my passions and to pursue my dream of becoming a jewelry designer. This was something that I have always dreamed about so the fact that I am living this is truly amazing. I love the little life my husband, my son and I have carved out for ourselves. My husband and I share an amazingly loving connection and my little boy shows me the true meaning of happiness everyday.
You are mum to a gorgeous little boy as well as a Jewelry Designer. As a mum myself I know how hard it can be to create time and space for our passions, can you share some of your top tips for finding time to still pursue your creative passions?
Well, I am certainly no expert but I really think it comes down to your mindset and not getting overwhelmed when things don’t “go” your way, especially when dealing with a toddler. Along with this, I think my past profession as a teacher has helped since you are never truly done with lessons and you are always needing to reteach lessons throughout the year.
With that said, I do try to plan out my days and really utilize my time when my son attends preschool. And I cannot deny that this is a game changer for those two days in particular! I can get a lot done!
For the other part of the week when we are together, it’s all about carving out those small periods of time to get things done. I think as moms we learn how to do this very well. Of course, right now his naps allows me a bit more time for larger projects, whether it is finishing up on orders, following up on designs or working on my business. I know this will be coming to an end soon so I am sure I will be in need of a new approach soon.
Tell us more about your work as a Jewelry Designer and why you do it.
I fell in love with jewelry as a young girl playing in my mom’s jewelry box. She had such beautiful pieces that she inherited from her mother and aunt and I loved every one of them. I can recall spending hours dressing up and wearing each piece of jewelry and feeling so stylish and beautiful. This is the feeling that I want to share with other women today and one of the main reasons I design and create jewelry. It can tell a beautiful story of one’s life.
My work as a jewelry designer varies from day to day. Some days are spent designing and the other days are spent working on my business, whether that is social media, keeping track of inventory, sourcing materials or fulfilling orders. Each day is completely different and challenging.
What unexpected hurdles or challenges have you had to overcome in your business and how did you do that?
Admittedly I have had a few challenges and hurdles as a business owner. One of the most surprising ones is procrastination. After being a teacher for so long I was used to following a schedule that wasn’t my “own”; so when I was faced with creating my own agenda for my business I found it to be a real challenge. And I still do! One way that I overcome this is to plan, plan, plan. I sit down on Sunday every week and go through my calendar and add in all of the plans and appointments I need to complete for that week. This includes even the smallest of items. I find by doing this it keeps me accountable and on track.
What is your favourite piece of Jewelry and why?
I have two. The first is my engagement ring, which is a beautiful princess cut solitaire diamond. The diamond itself is so clear and flawless that I find myself just staring at it during the day and daydreaming of the day he proposed to me on the beach.
And the second is a beautiful set of birthstone bangles that my great aunt had made for herself back in the 1940’s. I love the charm and elegance and the uniqueness of these bangles. I have not seen anything like them before and I always get compliments when I wear them out.
What change would you most like to see in the world?
For people to be more open-minded and accepting of others. When you think about it, it’s really such a simple concept and I believe it would change the world if we could all practice this mindset.
What's the one thing you wish you'd really understood when you were younger?
Trust your gut…it tells the truth! I can recall several points in my life when my gut was so clearly telling me to do one thing or go in one direction and I chose not to listen. In retrospect, I know the path I chose was one that led me to the life I have now and I have learned so much on the journey. Nowadays, I am so much more in tune with my intuition and trust it to help me make decisions in life.
how do you feel that you've grown and developed since turning 40?
I honestly feel like my life really began at 40 and that I have done more in this short amount of time than I did in my previous decades. From marrying my best friend, to giving birth to my son and following my passions and desires…all of this has happened during the last few years. I think most of this comes from my mindset because I have not viewed 40 as being“old”. Not only do I feel and treat myself better, but value myself so much more than I ever did when I was younger.
what's the best piece of advice you've ever been given?
I have a few words of advice that I like to give out to my friends and family and which I apply to my life as well. The first being, “Let it go” - I guess I can blame this one on my son’s obsession with Frozen a few years back. But really when I think about it, it really does apply to so many things in one’s life.
Another favorite is from Marie Forleo. She always says, “Everything is figureoutable” and I just love this. It’s so true and optimistic.
And finally, my last favorite piece of advice comes from author, Jeannette Walls in her book, The Glass Castle.
“Things usually work out in the end."
"What if they don't?"
"That just means you haven't come to the end yet.”
And lastly, what's next for you?
I am excited for my new collection to be released in the near future. It’s been a few months in the making and so I feel like I am giving birth (again)! Stay tuned!
Special Offer From Jennifer
Jennifer has very generously offered all Salon members a 20% discount on her Jewelry. Head over to her site to see the beautiful designs she has and don't forget to use the code LovingLife20 at checkout.
Connect with Jennifer
You can connect with Jennifer via her website, her Instagram feed and her Facebook page.
