We recently connected with Sara Akihiro and have shared our conversation below.

Sara, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What do you think it takes to be successful?

I have always been someone who is ready to take charge and tackle a problem. I always though that would bring me success in life. I was totally unaware the role that patience and timing plays in success. In May of 2022 at 20 years old I was scrolling on Tik tok and saw permanent jewelry for the first time. I wrote some ideas down, watched some videos, and decided there was a gap in the market and I could jump on it now. I was and am still in school full time and at the time I was a waitress. I decided not to skip a beat and applied for an LLC and all the other things I needed to start my business. I purchased my welder and some starting supplies. I started to feel content with my decisions in my heart but my head knew I had just spent thousands of dollars at the drop of a hat all for a chance. I knew I was going to have to market myself, my vision, and come to terms with what success meant to me. It took months of piloting, dreaming, and honestly waiting to feel like I was doing what I was meant to. I have a passion for people and for making others feel supported, beautiful, and loved. In august I decided that success wasn’t sales but supporting other women in business and highlighting our differences. I decided to host a market vendor event that was just small female owned businesses from the St. Louis area. It was INCREDIBLE! That day with several vendors as young as ten years old I knew I had found success not only in my business but in connecting with other. There’s no formula to success. Success can be a waiting game, it can be a timed moment, it can be the response from those around you. As women in business success shouldn’t be measured or compared it should be supported and valued across the board.

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

Hi friends! My name is Sara I am 21 years old and I own Linked in the Lou. I started this business almost a year ago and launched it in August. We specialize in permanent and custom fitting jewelry as well as other jewelry items. If you haven’t yet dappled in permanent jewelry, I size the chain of your choice to fit your wrist and attach it with a jump ring. I then weld the jump ring shut so you have custom fitted jewelry on with no need to remove it! I host events, attend events, attend parties, and take appointments. You can catch me at vendor markets, bridal shops, pop ups, private parties, bachelorette parties, birthday parties, or really anywhere! I have a passion for connecting with my customers and many times we just sit and chat for hours! My goal is to make you feel as precious as your are and to highlight the boldness of yourself and your life. I am in school full time so life is a whirlwind most days but I am hanging in there! I built my business on my own from the ground up and in a short amount of time it really took off. In my first few months of business I have worked with hundred of clients and put on hundreds of bracelets. It’s been quite crazy to look back on my journey and the short time I’ve been working of this. My goal is to deliver a personable and quality experience, we are a unique brand in the fact that we truly live out a quality guarantee. I care deeply about every client I interact with and I find so much joy in the way you love my business and jewelry!

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

One of the scariest moments is taking the leap and starting your social media account. I remember texting one of my business friends and just saying “so you’re telling me, I just make my profile public and post with a whole two followers?” She of course so graciously replied. “Yep!”
It is scary! Making your business social media is just sink or swim it feels like, but stick with it! I may be younger but I do not understand trends and social media well. The best things I did that contributed to our follower count were giveaways! In one giveaway I gained over 300 followers and this was pivotal for me. It’s very hard to stay on top of social media since it is just me for my business, I could definitely be better at it! I always try to remind myself to also be a positive force on the internet. Interact with other business on Instagram. Comment, respond to, and like businesses to grow your community and to cultivate a positive environment.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

I am the first to admit that I am a personality and a power house, and not always in the best way! I tend to have a one track mind and I will get it done! When I had the idea of my business I sat down with my husband (of less than one month, bless him) and said we have a window, we need to jump on this and get moving. He’s an accountant so of course his reply was that’s great, and how do you plan to fund this dream of yours? And that’s when it all crashed in my head because of course I hadn’t thought of the money at all! He so graciously said “you have dreams and passions all the time and I’m always happy to help, but what makes this different?” I know this was his way of asking how will you stick with this and earn your investment back. After thinking for a day I met with other business owners, made a projected cost plan, set a monthly goal and a timeline for earning back my investment. After he saw that he agreed to invest in my dream as long as I put the work in. Businesses aren’t built just from the money you dump in, it takes drive, confidence, and just walking blind to learn the curves and rough spots of running a business. Don’t forget about your community and loved ones when starting your business, I was not expecting his financial support but it changed everything for me!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Linked.lou
• Facebook: Linked in the lou

Image Credits
Sophie axi Mae photos!