We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Allison Gordon. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Allison below.

Hi Allison, thanks for joining us today. Risking taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.

I had a moment where I kind of “re-thought” my life. I was unhappy with the road I was on and wanted to be on was a sacrifice and was very stressful for my personal life. I remember my fiancé and I taking a vacation to the Smokey Mountains, and I was sitting in the beautiful mountains by the river. I thought to myself, “I don’t want to go back to my stressful life back at home.” It was then that I realized I was on a path I didn’t want to be on. I wanted to take control of my life and do what I wanted to do. Spending more time with my kids, because, let’s face it, we aren’t here forever, was very important to me. I think it was a big risk to stop pursuing my degree and start my own business. I wanted to find something I was passionate about, have fun doing it, and be able to be my own boss, all while being home with my family. In the end, I am so much happier now, and that, to me, is so important. Starting my own jewelry brand seemed intimidating at first, but I found motivation through my children. I wanted to show them they could do whatever they put their mind to. And that is why I started Honey & Glow Jewelry: my passion for jewelry and my love for my family.

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.

My name is Allison and I am a 28 year old mother and first generation business owner in my family. I have a passion for jewelry, gemstones, and art. I love all things that are beautiful & unique. I express a lot of my personality through my jewelry and fashion. When I first decided that I wanted to start my own business I had to think about what it was that I really enjoyed doing. I’ve always loved fashion, dressing up, and gemstones. I started collecting gemstones when I was a young girl. I became infatuated with their uniqueness and the metaphysical properties. I used to sleep with amethyst under my pillow as a kid.
I also remember struggling trying to find nice jewelry that would last and was in my price range. I always had trouble filling up my jewelry box because all of the jewelry I got ended up breaking or tarnishing faster than I could wear them. I realized this was a problem many of my friends and family had as well. The only nice jewelry we had were engagement rings or the family heirlooms that were.
This is something I want to create with Honey & Glow. I want to only sell jewelry that is durable and tarnish-free without hurting anyone’s wallet. Also, educating people about gemstones and what I’ve learned about jewelry is something I love to do.
Sourcing ethically attained gemstones is important to me. If it’s causing issues with our planet then it’s just not worth it to me.
I want people to know every piece of jewelry that I get goes through a process of “testing” before it’s sold on my website. I wear a sample from each collection and make sure it holds up to my standards before being sold.
I want people to know that I am a normal person when they see my brand on social media. When it comes to Honey & Glow, I take it very seriously, and I have so many big plans that I can’t wait to share!
I just know there are people out there that love the same style of jewelry that I love as well.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

When I decided I wanted to start my business I didn’t want the fact that I didn’t have a lot of money, turn me away from starting. I did not come from a lot of money and at the time I was actually struggling hard with my financial situation. I threw the negative mindset of away immediately. I remember watching an interview with Kitten Co founder, Maya Portorreal. Her story was a lot like mine, and it really motivated me to keep going. I made a list and figured out how much my startup costs would be. I remember re-writing that list so many times – trying to perfect everything. I saved up for a few months and used my income tax return for the start up.
I built my business off of a very small budget, and I think that itself is incredible. I could have spent that money on many other things that I “needed”, but I remembered how much I really wanted my own jewelry business. You never know what you are capable of until you take that first leap.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Life as a jewelry business owner and a mother of three is very hard at times. I think all stay at home mothers have a very strenuous and mentally exhausting job. I have to pivot between spending enough time marketing & managing my business and also taking care of my three children. One minute I am making peanut butter & jelly sandwiches – the next minute I am doing a full jewelry photo shoot, making sure there is no peanut butter on my hands or the jewelry itself. Or being in the school pick-up-line, taking pictures in my car of jewelry while I wait. I try so hard to balance everything. Being a business owner means there are no set times you are at work. It’s basically the same as being a stay-at-home mom, you are on the clock 24/7. I love it so much & I love my job.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.honeyandglowjewelry.com
• Instagram: @honeyandglowco
• Facebook: Honey & Glow Jewelry
• TikTok: @honeyandglow