We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kristine Vila a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Kristine, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?
I would say yes, mainly because of the freedom I have to make my own schedule and put my family first. Of course my business is super important to me and helps me be able to provide however, I wanted to have a career that gives me freedom to be able to take care of my little girls (2 and 3 years old at the moment) and watch them grow. My dream was to be able to stay home with my girls and watch them hit their milestones. It brings me so much joy!
After I had my first child I went back to my regular job as a case manager for children that had psychiatric needs, and after being back for a month I just felt it in my heart that I wanted to be at home with my little girl. I felt at peace with that decision and my husband did as well. It was so hard to quit that job. I dealt with little children that truly needed help. I was the only case manager that spoke Spanish therefore, most my clients were hispanic. I loved helping the Hispanic community. There is such a need in the Spanish community that it truly was really hard to leave, but I know being with my children was important for me. I still think about that job and my caseload I had and think about what would life be like if I stayed, however life is so much more enjoyable right now. I’d still love to help out and would love to be a mentor for children in need. That would be more into the future though.
However, after I put my notice in I was scared because now my husband was the sole provider. I’ve always been a creative person, making scrapbooks, cards, and sewing a little, very little and I thought what can I do to bring some sort of income while being home. A friend of mine blessed me with a pair of clay earrings and I thought to myself I feel like this is something I can do. So I researched about polymer clay, what it was made out of, how to create a pair of earrings, and I tested it out. I made earrings for six months and would send it to family and friends to see their thoughts. I quickly figured out what type of clay to use, which ones would break, how to bake them- there was a lot of trial and error. Then I began the selling process and opened my business, Aviella Creations, once I felt like they were well made. It has taken off! I have been thriving with my business since October 1, 2020. It has been an adventure but I wouldn’t change it.
Kristine, 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! My name is Kristine. I am the creator behind Aviella Creations. I create polymer clay jewelry (earrings, rings, and barrettes), I sew my headbands (hoping to make more sewing projects), and run everything behind the scenes. It can be draining but wouldn’t change it! I love what I do. I find a lot of joy in what I make and I hope you can see that. I am a momma of two amazing girls and a wife to an amazing husband- who is a fascinating hip hop artist/producer. Before creating accessories/sewing I was a case manager with a non-profit organization that helped obtain services for children that have mental illnesses. Meaning I was their advocate in school, psychiatric appointments, and helped connect clients to food pantries. It was/is a passion of mine for a season but after having children I found the desire of wanting to be home with my girls and raising them. I wanted to see them hit their milestones and the thought of having them in daycare and the possibility not seeing them take their first step broke me. My husband and I made the decision for me to be a stay at home mother and I was able to connect with my creative side. I needed to figure out a way I can bring in a little bit of money to help with groceries and diapers. I found the medium of clay earrings after a friend bought me a pair and I thought to myself I feel like this is something I can make. So I then research on how to make them, what type of clay to use, how to bake them, etc. After six month of trial and error I sent earrings to friends and family to test out. Once I felt they were good enough I opened an Etsy store and began my selling endeavor. After I felt like I was somewhat established I felt I was ready to begin pop-ups, then opened up my own website and I have been thriving since. I can say that this has been an exciting journey. I love every moment. Having the flexibility of being home with my girls and creating a business has been so rewarding. Being able to buy diapers and groceries and relieving the stress for my husband makes me happy. It truly is the small things!
Every clay jeweler has their own style. I love to create everything, learning new techniques, figuring out trends, and making pop-culture earrings, I especially love making florals out of clay. Florals are really intricate to make and take a while but the end results are beautiful, in my opinion. Do I know my style? No. I love creating and honestly I do not think I want to be put in just one bubble. My goal is to love what I do and I have achieved that.
I am proud of the leap of faith leaving my job and making this my career. It was scary but I couldn’t be prouder! I also want to be a role model for my girls and show them they can achieve whatever makes them happy! They are my pride and joy which is why I named my business after them. I combined their name ( Avianna/Carmella) and created Aviella.
Additionally, I want new customers/existing customers to know that I love creating special pieces for them. I love seeing the way they style, or if they are wanting custom orders, I love seeing what I can create with what they describe. I love being challenged in creating something new. I love seeing customers happy with what I make. It truly warms my heart.
I work hard at what I do and have to be creative with my time. I work mainly Tuesday and Thursday and once the kids go to sleep I work until about 11/12 at night. It can be hard to jungle but I have an amazing support system that constantly encourages me to push hard, especially my husband.
How’d you think through whether to sell directly on your own site or through a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc.
I started off by selling on Etsy. After about a year or so I decided that I want my own website due to increasing fees on Etsy.
Etsy
Pro’s- It helped me get myself out there. I enjoyed seeing people from different places buying my earrings and styling with them. It was very encouraging. They help with traffic to your page.
Con’s- The fees. I had to increase prices because of the fees that I had on there instead of my website.
Website
Pro’s- You have your own freedom with your website. You get to design it and write what you’d like.
Con’s- I’m not sure if you would consider this but it takes a lot to create a website. A lot of thought along with time, however, when you have it done it’s done!
Can you open up about how you funded your business?
My husband invested a lot into my business. Since he was the one working at that time we saved up and bought things little by little. Once I began making sells I put the money I made from it back into the business. I’ve been blessed that I’ve been able to put back into my business and have some for necessities.
Contact Info:
- Website: Aviellacreations.com
- Instagram: AviellaCreations
- Facebook: Aviellacreations
Image Credits
Hector Lopez