Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Andria Lecidor. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Andria, thanks for joining us today. Looking back on your career, have you ever worked with a great leader or boss? We’d love to hear about the experience and what you think made them such a great leader.
I think some of the best work experiences for me has been when I had a really good supervisor who become a mentor to me along the way. My first job out of college was very intimidating because it was for a noteworthy company that produced award winning products. I was easily overwhelmed by the magnitude of it all but my supervisor was very good at noticing situations that would make me uncomfortable and ease me into new tasks and responsibilities. She also took the time to teach me more about the industry which made me more confident in my position. After expressing my desire to learn more aspects of our industry she convinced our supervisor to talk to the owners of the company to sponsor me to go back to school and further my education which would help me excel and move further along my career. Having her backing and support help me complete that degree which became a huge asset for me career wise. I am forever grateful for her taking me under her wing even when I know I made a lot of mistakes a long the way.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?
When I was younger I would always keep myself busy with hobbies like drawing, sewing and photography. Who would of thought that me just doodling away in my notebook, sewing dresses for my dolls or snapping pictures of anyone and everyone around me would lead me down the path that I am on right now. With all the projects I chose to work on I try to focus on ideas and themes that are genuine to me and I think it reflects in my work and that’s why people gravitate to me. There’s always going to be a couple hurdles in the way especially when you are trying to do things that are not part of the social norm but it is very gratifying when I release a blog or social media post and I get positive feedback from my followers. I think one thing I learned through out the years is that you shouldn’t wait for approval or acceptance for any idea or project you are passionate about. Before deciding to enter the jewelry industry or starting my blog, I shared these ideas with others and so many people tried to deterred me for various reasons. At the end of the day if you are driven, determined and persistent all your visions can become a reality.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
My parent prioritized raising well mannered children especially since I grew up in a household full of girls. Some of the ideals like “not speaking unless you are spoken too” or no back talking to elders or people of authority” were engrained in me up until adulthood. It wasn’t until I started working professionally that I noticed people who spoke up more and offered more suggestions made it further in their careers. For me it was hard to break out of these habits because speaking up in a professional setting could mean questioning your superior’s decisions or speaking up to share opinions that you know will be more beneficial to your team even though they may go against current policies. Then I came to the realization that I was chosen to be in that position because people want and value my insight. Once I started getting more comfortable expressing my thoughts I noticed that I was trusted to carry out more projects and given more freedom to take initiative with my work.
Have you ever had to pivot?
Many of us have experienced being furloughed and/or officially becoming laid-off as a result of Covid-19. I spent many nights laying in my bed thinking, “Is this the end for me?” I had my dream job. A job where I went home at the end of most days and called my eldest sister and had to give her all the details of the day’s events. Spilling the tea on new projects I had started and all the exciting things that I learned and did in the office. I had a job I was proud of; unlike most college graduates, I was actually working in the field I got my degree in. So when the world froze and I was unemployed I thought I would be the end of my career in the fashion industry. It wasn’t until I met a women who needed help running her small business and then I realized there are a bunch of small business owners who need help in some aspect of their business. I began freelancing for multiple businesses, offer all the talents I had. I loved the feeling of using my hobbies like photography, styling and graphic design combined with my professional skill to becoming a large asset to small companies.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: drizzle_pizzle