We were lucky to catch up with Alexandria Daniels recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alexandria, appreciate you joining us today. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?

As we know, success looks different for everyone, but I think the one thing it has in common is the need to be resilient, innovative, self disciplined and brave.

Success typically doesn’t happen overnight or by accident so you need mental stamina and determination to make it through the many hurdles that come along the way. A lot of your efforts will come without immediate pay or recognition and that is something you have to get comfortable and patient with.

Most of all it takes facing your fears. For example, as an artist I do a lot of shows and events. Putting myself and my art out there in the public is scary and I’m always needing to push myself to do so. I never know what people may think of my work or who I may encounter and what that interaction will be like. Despite the social anxiety that comes with this, in order to grow I must be willing to connect with the community and create brand awareness.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I must say, I would have never guessed I’d become a jewelry artist. Growing up I was a huge book worm with a deep love for science. Naturally, I followed those interests and studied both psychology and biology in college on a pre-med track of study.

Fast forward, I found myself in an incredibly difficult season of my life. I’d become a new mom (of twins!) and was in the midst of leaving a long term relationship that had become increasingly unhealthy. At this point I was extremely focused on creating a new foundation for myself and most importantly, for my girls.

Due to the vast change and stress I was under, I found myself wanting a source of fun and relaxation. It’d been so long since I had a hobby, so I began to explore ways to express my creativity and relieve stress in a healthy way.

First, I landed on wire wrap jewelry, then eventually stumbled across polymer clay. I had taken ceramics back in high school and originally wanted to start throwing, but of course the pandemic meant studios were not accessible. Polymer clay ended up being perfect since I could do it right at home.

I would spend my day working remotely as a health coach while juggling mom duties. After I put my girls to bed for the night, I’d spend hours watching tutorials and researching jewelry making. I hardly ever missed a night of creating. I began documenting my journey with polymer clay on Instagram as a way to track my progress and keep myself accountable.

People began asking if I sold my earrings. After saying no over and over, I considered going for it and ultimately launched my own website in August of 2021. Boho Haze Clay was officially born! I took my business full time April of 2022 and have not looked back since.

My jewelry is free spirited, ethereal and goddess like. I take pride in creating well crafted pieces, each being one of a kind. I use polymer clay coated in UV resin and utilize stainless steel, sterling silver and 14k gold filled as my metals of choice. My moons are typically my best sellers and all of my designs are lightweight, even the larger statement pairs!

I want potential customers to know that I craft each piece with intention and love. I have a passion for helping others look and feel their very best and I love being a small part of someone’s individual style. I’m so very proud of my tenacity and willingness to learn and challenge myself. I’ve overcome so much to get here and I have so much appreciation for the people that support me.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

The best source of new clients for me hands down has been markets and events. While social media can be very helpful, I’ve found in person connection to be much more effective and valuable. I’m able to connect with my customers and potential customers face to face and even if only briefly, I’m able to get to know them a little and they also get to know me as well which builds trust.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

Since my business began as a hobby, the initial investment in it was rather effortless as I didn’t have much at stake. Once I did decide to take things to the next level, I would simply reinvest all the money I made to purchase more supplies and better materials. This worked extremely well since my business was a side hustle in the start while I was still at my full time job so I was able to reinvest all of the capital.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.bohohazeclay.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/bohohazeclay?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BohoHazeClay?mibextid=LQQJ4d