We were lucky to catch up with Ali Osborne recently and have shared our conversation below.

Ali, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.

Prior to owning & creating a small jewelry business, I was working 4 jobs, spread clear across the board. Deep down I knew my true passion was designing and making jewelry. At the time, I was just creating jewelry as a side hustle, showing up to small local pop ups throughout Santa Cruz County. It’s because of my friends and loyal customers that today I’m where I am with Desert Moon. Their encouragement and validation was what led me to quit all my jobs and solely pursue jewelry making. I strongly felt it was the right thing to do for myself and my family of 5, but there was a part of me that felt it was very risky. I knew I needed to be all in, or it wasn’t going to work. I committed that next year to building up a brand new collection, learning the basics of jewelry making & owning a small business, then taking it to the next level. I knew I needed a solid website to curate my collection properly, it felt risky to invest so much in that one thing, but it was definitely worth it in the end. I launched my website at the most riskiest time ever, one week prior to covid hitting California. I was more nervous than I ever had been. Looking back, I knew if I didn’t launch my website when I did, I honestly don’t know where my business would be today. Desert Moon Design is now in over 35 shops nationwide, which has given me a full time adventure in doing what I absolutely love.

Ali, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Ever since I can remember, I loved working with my hands, creating something out of nothing. I loved the feeling of exploring new tools and making something beautiful out of raw materials.

Years ago, before Desert Moon existed, I was living in Hawaii and beading anklets & necklaces, selling them to the local waterfront shops. I began to fantasize about creating my own business, and from those dreams, Desert Moon was born. Today, you’ll find me working out of my little studio in Santa Cruz, California. And while my business is more established than it was in those early days, I am still the one hand crafting each piece of jewelry with my own two hands. I have evolved into a full time jewelry maker & designer, specializing in minimalistic, modern and bohemian creations. Each design is inspired by its own sense of style, nature, comfort and beauty. A huge continued goal of mine is to create beautiful things for everyone, making it affordable & sustainable.

I knew when I started Desert Moon, that I had to fully commit to it. Which meant putting myself out there everyday, no matter what I got in return. There’s something highly respectful watching someone handle it all in their business, but at the same time knowing when to ask for help and how to delegate. I worked very hard at building up my instagram profile organically, consistently reaching-out to brick and mortars, while committing to becoming part of my town’s community, building relationships with fellow makers, business owners, event coordinators, etc. It’s really paid off and has provided me with such a full heart in so many ways.

One of the most important things I knew I had to accomplish was to create high quality timeless jewelry, plus having excellent customer service. Ever since I was a teenager, I worked in the retail and service industry, which in hindsight, gave me a strong background in customer service. I strive to always make my customers happy, while at the same time, staying true to myself & my work.

I’ve always strived for excellence, being a perfectionist at heart, it is inevitable. I hope that my work is a reflection of that. I hope my fellow customers & friends know me as hard working, generous, creative and kind.

I’m most proud that my business still reflects my own personal style, that I have created this small business from a basic dream and have made it a reality and that every day I go to work, it never actually feels like work. It is a dream to be able to do what I love, while feeling so honored to know that people out there in the world actually get excited to wear Desert Moon.

How did you build your audience on social media?

One of the most important things on social media is to stay authentic and true to yourself, to not go along with what everyone else is doing, but to make sure you know your audience and what will speak to them most. It’s a very tricky job, but I find when I’m the most honest, possibly disclosing some personal aspects of myself, within reason, as well as my work, my audience receives it more than when my heart isn’t in it. People feel your mood & your heart in your words written, more than you know. Finding balance on social media is key, sharing mostly about your work, your progress, hopes and dreams, as well as your personal traits. Sharing your personality, mixed in with your work ethic, etc. People want to know the maker, the business owner, the one behind it all. They want some kind of connection with you, that’s one of social media’s greatest gifts.

Do you sell on your site, or do you use a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc?

I have both a retail and wholesale website that both the public as well as shop owners can place orders. I’m on Faire, which is an exclusive wholesale website set up for brick and mortars to shop directly with the maker. The last few years have been amazing with both. Having a retail website is so nice because I have full control over how I want it to look, I can add new inventory anytime. It feels more exclusive & more “small business” oriented, rather than being on Etsy or Amazon.

Having a wholesale website is amazing and is so easy for brick and mortars to place orders. It’s so much easier than a line sheet or emailing a catalogue to my shop girls.

Desert Moon is also on Faire.com which has helped gain more stockists nationwide. I’ve found this past year most retail shops place most of their orders on Faire. The only downside to Faire is they take a huge percentage of the maker’s profits once a sale takes place. I have major mixed feelings about them, but have chosen to stay with them since it’s ultimately helped me gain more exposure throughout the United States.

Contact Info:

• Website: desertmoondesign.shop
• Instagram: desert_moon_design
• Facebook: Desert Moon Design

Image Credits
Alicia Telfer Hannah Brame Katrina Shaw Aptos Village Creative Vita Collective