We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Annette Hernandez a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Annette, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Naming anything – including a business – is so hard. Right? What’s the story behind how you came up with the name of your brand?

This is actually a very fundamental question to me; honestly, I believe it is essential for anyone opening a business. I think it’s the seed that creates the roots of differentiation. A unique company name sets any business apart from its competitors within any market. It also creates memorability and solidifies the brand’s identity. Demior is a word I derived from “demure,” with some modifications. The word “demure” refers to a reserved, modest, and shy demeanor, usually associated with women. The suffix “-ior” denotes high or superior quality or performance. Therefore, “Demior” means a superior or high quality of being demure.
For me, “Demior” is very personal, but also very relatable. Being yourself, your true inner-self, and learning to express it is truly hard in society today. As someone who grew up super shy and reserved (I’ve outgrown that!) but also crazy creative, I always felt I lacked assertiveness. I had to learn the freedom of expression and be okay with sharing my creativity with others. I still am, to be honest. The idea of “Demior” (demure) means just that. Expressing yourself in the highest quality possible with grace, subtlety, and loads of self-confidence and honestly just honoring the true inner-self through the ongoing process of self-discovery.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

This has been the longest unchartered but most fantastic road ever. Let’s start with being the girl to finish my academic classwork so I could ask for a hall pass for art class. It’s all I ever knew and have loved through my whole existence. As a young pre-mom adult, I worked in television (Univision & Telemundo Broadcasting) as a model/backup singer and stuntwoman. I typically worked my entire life doing something creative. I’m also a gym rat, word geek, and husband-proclaimed book hoarder.

I am now a wife, mother, and homemaker. I homeschool my two young boys, and being a stay-at-home mother brought me to create Demior Collectives. It is a way for me to stay creative, spend time with my family, and be in tune with my thrive for personal growth and success.
I’m naturally a sketch/painting artist, but Demior grew out of being proactive at time management and understanding what I realistically had time for as a mother. My love for creating didn’t want to give up on that side of me.

I at Demior create unique jewelry that embodies both elegance and femininity. Each piece I meticulously handcraft using mixed media like resin, hand-painted polymer clay, and beautiful natural botanicals adorned with various semi-precious stones such as rose quartz, AAA freshwater pearls, turquoise, and many more. To enhance my work, I incorporate 18K gold-plated and 18K gold-filled findings, Czech glass, cubic zirconia, faceted glass, and zircon gems to provide a touch of sophistication. And, by blending these materials, I strive to capture the essence of beauty and promote a sense of empowerment in those who use them. What sets me apart from the competition is my tenacious need for originality and fearless creative spurts of doing precisely the opposite of everyone else. It’s the best way to express your authenticity. And. It’s a collective because I intend to start creating artwork and home decor in the near future, but defining my brand is my number one priority, so that will evolve as I see fit within its due time.

I am super proud of how far my business has come. I am truly grateful at the amount of love my business has received until now and I’m also really happy to be a apart of a beautiful community of amazing creatives and artist. It’s truly inspiring and greatly humbling. I’ve made many beautiful and graceful friends, from clients to artists to makers… Something women definitely need to learn grow, evolve, and inspire. Honestly the only way I’d like to keep living my life.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

When I was first trying to figure out who this creative mother was going to be outside of homelife, I actually took up learning to tattoo, which stemmed from the fact that I’m naturally a sketch artist. I took the lessons, practiced the skills, and even got my licenses to tattoo and do permanent makeup. Two years in I realized my end goals never aligned with this career. I also realized that it also didn’t align with me as a whole. Many other reasons are personal, but I knew that that choice wasn’t the right one. The point is that sometimes pivots are the right thing to do for the sake of true success. They say a bad businessman or woman is the one who doesn’t know when to shut down a failing business. I was failing at not being me and sticking with the true blueprint of what I wanted as an outcome. So, I let it go. And, honestly, I’m not going to lie. It was hard, but I did it, and it’s been the best decision ever because Demior Collectives was born.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

I genuinely believe the source of new clients is word of mouth through quality products and stellar customer service. Sometimes, new businesses need to get that. Quality customer service plays an essential role in generating positive word-of-mouth referrals, creating repeat business, enhancing brand reputation, gaining a competitive advantage, and building customer loyalty. Quality customer service experiences encourage satisfied customers to share their positive interactions with others, leading to valuable word-of-mouth marketing that attracts new potential clients. By consistently delivering high-quality service and products, businesses retain existing customers and create a loyal customer base contributing to repeat business. A strong brand reputation is built on the foundation of quality customer service, as customers trust and recommend known companies for their exceptional service.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.demiorco.etsy.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/demiorco