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

Dalia, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

Over a year ago, I was sitting on the beach feeling a bit lost. I had just moved to Ocean Beach a couple months back and I didn’t know what was next for me. I had been e-comm consulting for a few years and doing some monotonous social media management work. I certainly felt blessed I got to have freedom with the work I did but it felt like work, I needed more, a purpose.

Back to the beach, I was finding moments like these to still be grateful. I looked at the rosy sunset, took a mental picture and closed my eyes. I felt this deep feeling of trust, I remember this moment so well. All I focused on were the crashing waves and the seagulls calling. Suddenly a picture started to paint behind my eyes. It’s a cowrie seashell being splattered by paint. I had subconsciously been thinking of making jewelry for some time but I never felt capable or creative enough to create something. But it was at this very moment, the power of nature gave me a sense of confidence to create my first piece for DAiiA.

I opened my eyes, turned to my fiancé and shared what I had just seen. I trusted this moment. My mission would be to share the spirit of the ocean through jewelry. No matter the season, no matter where you live, no matter who you are, you can carry the spirit of the ocean with you.

Dalia, 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?

Hello nice to cyber meet you! My name is Dalia and I am the owner and designer of an online jewelry shop named DAiiA. I am based out of San Diego (Ocean Beach), CA. My brand’s name came about as a variation of my name. I changed the ii’s to honor my astrological sign Gemini. The double “ii” represent the twin stars in the constellation of Gemini. DAiiA is a mixture of elements from nature and spirituality. Some of my main characters are materials like seashells and pearls and on the other spectrum I mix in my spirituality such as evil eyes and stones/crystals with Metaphysical Properties.

DAiiA is jewelry that also honors the ocean and those who love it. The first piece I created, is a hand-painted shell bracelet which inspired our purpose statement. Legend says cowrie shells represent the goddess of protection connected to the strength & power of the ocean. The colorful hand-painted splatters are a humble reminder that we are but a tiny speckle existing on Mother Earth, yet, we are beautiful & important. Cowrie shells also promote prosperity. The feminine pearl accents are a symbol and reminder that you are perfect because you are you.

My overall message from DAiiA is to spread positivity and self-love.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

It would be hard to speak of a specific moment, I will say, however, owning/starting a business requires resilience! I can’t count how many times I almost gave up because I was impatient. Resilience and patience go hand in hand when starting and running a business. This is not my first business but it is the first I love with all my heart and this fuels me to keep going. I am naturally an adaptable person but nothing could prepare me for the challenges of a business.

My biggest advice is not to linger on the little details. Just do. Do not wait for things to be perfect. Like the branded tissue you think you need to package your products, this will come. Prioritize and execute. This was a challenge I had to over come but honestly NOBODY cares. Nobody will notice the little things, so just do! A business is ever changing so do not think you have to figure it all out when you’re starting out. For example, there was a moment I wanted to order thousands of packaging boxes to “be ready” but then I figured those boxes did not do well on the shipping journey so I completely changed that and glad I didn’t get impatient. Test, test, test. Customer feedback will only make you better even if it seems bad at the moment.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

I started small, like really small. So funding was not something that was a road block when I started. In fact, I started DAiiA as a passion project. Not in my wildest dreams did I think I would still be here today. I had no expectation but to express my artistic freedom. It is the biggest reward to see people love my creations a year and a half later.

As my business grew I will definitely say funding has become and important aspect of my business. As of today, I invest most of my growth back in to the business. So in other words not really paying myself all the time, not yet ;) I truly believe this to be crucial for business growth in the beginning. I do a few other things on the side to pay my bills etc.

My first online business was selling products on Amazon. When I had to close down my business, I learned a few things and one them was that growth happens when you invest back in the business. At that time I was having the time of my life, traveling and most certainly spending all that money. That business remained stagnant for the most part and now I know why.

Today, I am much smarter about where I put my money and owning a business has been a huge lesson to investing and everyday spending.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/Daiia
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/daiia_daiia/?hl=en
• Other: (NEW ACCOUNT) TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@daiia_daiia (OLD ACCOUNT) TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@daiiajewelry

Image Credits
all credits DAiiA