Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Lacory Noel. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Lacory thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Do you take vacations? How do you keep things going – any advice for entrepreneurs who feel like they can’t step away from their business for a short vacation?
As human beings, it is essential to take breaks from our daily routines and enjoy the pleasures of life. Vacations have always been an integral part of my life and that of my family. We cherish the time we spend exploring new places, relaxing, and recharging. As a native of a small island in The Bahamas, I am fortunate to be surrounded by natural beauty. However, I never take it for granted, and we always make it a priority to explore our own home to stay grounded and appreciate the beauty around us.
Going on vacation can be challenging, especially when you are self-employed or running a business. It means being away from your source of income, which can be daunting. To combat this issue, I plan well in advance the period I would like to take off and schedule all my sales, meetings, and other commitments around it. This way, I can rest assured that everything will be taken care of while I am away and that I won’t feel overwhelmed when I return.
As a business owner, it is easy to forget to take breaks from time to time because we love what we do. However, it is crucial to remember that we should not wait until something we love becomes something we hate. Taking time off to relax, recharge, and enjoy the little things in life is essential. It helps us stay grounded, happy, and productive. So, I always make it a point to plan vacations in advance and take time to appreciate the beauty of life.
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 family has always had a natural talent for creativity, which we inherited from my father who is a skilled carpenter. He instilled in us a love for crafting and encouraged my sisters and me to express our creative talents with our hands. Whenever we had some free time, my father would spend hours creating a new woodwork piece, and I would either sew or crochet. We loved to experiment with different materials and techniques, and this helped us develop our artistic skills. During the COVID-19 pandemic, when we had more downtime than usual, we decided to expand our craft skills into jewelry making. We spent countless hours researching and experimenting with different styles and techniques, trying to create unique and beautiful pieces. It was a challenging and rewarding experience that brought us closer together as a family and helped us cope with the difficult times.
In January of 2022, my family and I discussed the idea of starting a business and became serious about it in June of the same year. When my younger sister Kaleah joined us, she suggested the name “Nature’s Design” for the company, which has stuck ever since. We are still a home-based business that has been growing steadily. To continue to be creative and come up with new designs for our projects, we decided to use the natural resources around us to make jewelry. This idea has proven to be awesome and successful.
We sell customized retail jewelry, including earrings, rings, necklaces, and more. Additionally, we offer wholesale items for resale. Our store is located in the lively village of Fox Hill, which serves as an inspiration for some of our designs. We believe that creativity is key to producing exceptional jewelry and being outdoors is one of our greatest inspirations. As a beach lover, I was inspired to create our popular “Seashell Collection” – a unique line of jewelry that allows you to keep the beach with you at all times, while still looking stylish and fashionable. Similarly, our yard is filled with vibrant Bougainvilleas, which inspired my dad and me to create our signature “Bougainvillea Collection.” This collection features a variety of pieces that incorporate the beauty and color of Bougainvilleas, making them a perfect addition to any jewelry collection.
We hope to get more recognition for our brand while staying unique to who we are. We also want to attend and possibly host our own pop-up event to showcase our and other talent that is here in The Bahamas. We just love to share what brings us joy with others and I hope that eventually our collections will be well known, and we can come up with new “out of the box” ideas to one day have a storefront displaying our products ourselves.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
Growing up in a family of entrepreneurs, I had the privilege of witnessing my parents taking risks in their business ventures. They were driven by their goals and worked hard with determination to achieve them. My sister and I were always well taken care of and never lacked anything. We traveled the world and had many enriching experiences. As a child, I thought my family had everything figured out. It’s only now, as an adult, that I appreciate the fearlessness of my parents. I understand that not all of their ideas were successful, but they kept trying until they got it right.
As a new business, we face numerous challenges, much like any other business. One of the primary challenges we face is finding the necessary resources to create and promote our brand, especially during these tough economic times. Another challenge is ensuring consistent sales and finding vendor partners to showcase our new designs and pieces. Although we have established our presence locally, our ultimate goal is to expand our brand globally. To achieve this goal, we know that our jewelry must stand out from the competition and have a unique voice and vision that resonates with our customers. That’s why we occasionally take a break to reset and allow nature to inspire us. And so far, nature has never let us down!
Also, we have been fortunate enough to have our designs featured in several local pop-up events. These events have provided us with a platform to showcase our designs and receive feedback from our customers. We are thrilled to see the love and admiration people have for our designs, and it inspires us to continue creating unique and beautiful pieces. Despite the success we have had so far, our most memorable and encouraging experience has been with a local vendor, Craft Cottage. They not only purchased many pieces from our “Bougainvillea Collection” but also displayed them prominently in their store. This not only gave us exposure but also boosted our confidence in our craft. Our passion for our culture and love for our craft drives us to create unique and beautiful designs. We find so much joy when we are able to share our love of our home and craft with others. It is our desire to eventually widen our reach to an international customer base, bringing a piece of our culture to homes worldwide.
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
Social media is a dynamic and constantly evolving platform that can be both exciting and challenging for small business owners. As a small brand, we have seen steady growth on our social media platforms since we started, but we are always striving to do better. In order to build our audience, we had to rely on a combination of different tactics.
One of the most effective ways to build a brand is through word of mouth and face-to-face interactions. We participated in market pop-ups and other events where we could meet potential customers in person. This allowed us to showcase our products and services and build a personal connection with our audience.
Another important strategy we used was ad boosters on various social media platforms. The boosters helped us get our name out there and reach a wider audience. We were able to track our catalog and see which products or services were resonating with our customers. This allowed us to refine our marketing strategy and focus on what was working.
However, building a loyal clientele takes time and patience. As a small business owner, it’s important to remember that success doesn’t happen overnight. During slower months, we took the time to come up with new strategies to meet people and attract customers. We set aside time to plan our marketing goals and refine our approach. By staying focused and dedicated, we were able to build a strong brand and loyal customer base.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/naturesdesign242?igshid=NzZlODBkYWE4Ng%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/naturesdesign242?mibextid=kFxxJD
- Other: TikTok- https://www.tiktok.com/@naturesdesign242?_t=8hLyZyd6Pfp&_r=1 WhatsApp- Follow this link to view our catalog on WhatsApp: https://wa.me/c/12428021037