We were lucky to catch up with Sue-Ling Li recently and have shared our conversation below.
Sue-Ling , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?
To be successful, I think it takes dedication, luck, and positivity. Starting a small business can be discouraging and daunting. You’re constantly asking yourself questions like, how do I find customers, how do I sustain a business, how far can this go, will it be worth it? My business started as a creative outlet, which I picked up during the pandemic shutdown. I was able to dedicate a lot of time to honing my skills, watching and learning from other small business owners, and understanding what it takes to be a maker and small business owner.
When I first started, I was only selling on Etsy to mostly friends and family. Five months into starting Blue Moon Aquarius I had the opportunity to participate in an in-person pop-up market. I was really scared to participate because it felt like I was putting myself out there in a way that I wasn’t used to. To my surprise, I sold double what I expected! It boosted my confidence, and I felt like if I continued at it I could make it a viable business. I feel like I got lucky because during the pandemic there was a huge emphasis on supporting small businesses and artists, which I am so grateful for.
From there, I decided to stick it out to see how far I could go. Though this growth has been amazing, I do still have a lot of discouraging moments. If I’m honest, I find that I compare myself to other makers and small business owners often, have slow sales months, and sometimes struggle creatively, which makes me doubt the progress I’ve made. I know that owning and operating a small business is full of ups and downs. I constantly remind myself that the downs don’t necessarily mean I am failing and that success doesn’t happen overnight. I try my best to stay positive and just learn from my successes and mistakes and most of all give myself grace. Everyone has their own meaning of success. Above all, it’s important to understand what works best for you and your business in order to feel fulfilled in one way or another. For me it simply means being able to support myself (and my dog) while having full autonomy over my life and work.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
My name is Sue-Ling and I am the owner and maker behind Blue Moon Aquarius, a jewelry brand based in Washington, DC. I started Blue Moon Aquarius in 2020 during the pandemic shut down. I knew I wanted to be a business owner and always had a love for jewelry, but I never imagined I’d be making it myself! I started working with polymer clay as a creative outlet. Prior to working with polymer clay, I had experience doing pottery, but the two materials are completely different. I learned how to work with polymer clay by watching youtube videos to learn tips and tricks on how to work with the material. As you can imagine, I found that working with new materials and tools took a lot of time and practice before I felt comfortable exploring more creativity in my designs. Since so many people ended up picking up polymer clay during this time, a lot of us were using the same tools and templates. I wanted to make my work unique and something that represented my personal style. In the beginning I struggled to articulate and visualize this, but the more I reflected on elements of the jewelry and clothes I already own, I began to see a pattern and I slowly started to develop my brand. In my work, you’ll find a lot of geometric shapes and gold. Lots of negative space, mismatching, and balance. I also spend a lot of time working on a color palette for each collection, which entails anywhere from days to weeks of color mixing variations of the same custom colors. At the same time, I’m already starting to think about the design elements for each piece I’m creating colors for. During my design stage, I create prototypes, rework them, remake various versions, and I spend a lot of time just staring at the pieces. I love when clients compliment my colors because so much time goes into it.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
Before starting BMA, I was working in restaurants for years while I figured out what my next career move was. I knew I wanted to start a business, but I didn’t know where to start – then the pandemic hit.
During the shutdown, I was out of work for months and I felt so lost in my life and career. I realized I had to really pivot, and after I made the decision to not return to my job, I figured I’d try selling the polymer earrings I created to make some money. It started with small Etsy sales to mostly friends and family. Then the holiday season was approaching and someone reached out to me to do a holiday pop-up market. I had previous experience working pop-up markets for a local artist, but the thought of doing one on my own was daunting. After seeing the positive reactions to my work, it felt like the best decision I ever made. I felt optimistic and motivated to keep going. I’m grateful to my sisters who helped me make the pivot to a full blown business. They encouraged and supported me participating in this market which kickstarted the move from side hustle to small business. It was like a lightbulb turned on and I finally felt like I found my path. I’m lucky I was able to turn a bad situation into something good. I felt this was the best time to try out something new.
Creating this business helped boost my self confidence and belief in myself. It is so gratifying to know that I am self-sufficient. I feel lucky to be able to do this full time. I sometimes feel silly not believing in myself sooner. Pivoting and trying new things is always a little scary, but after doing this I feel anything is possible.
Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?
I do a lot of pop-ups. I like doing in-person sales because it allows me to see the faces of those who buy my work. I try to take note of and recognize repeat clients and sometimes strike up a conversation with them. This brings an aspect of personal connection and community. I appreciate that these people are supporting me, and I think they appreciate the connection being made between the maker and the customer. I may not remember every name and face, but I try to! Whether it’s in person or online, if I see a person who’s purchased many times before, I will sometimes offer a small discount or throw in a free-bee as a token of appreciation for their support.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.bluemoonaquarius.com
- Instagram: @bluemoonaquarius
- Facebook: @shopbluemoonaquarius
Image Credits
Joshua Graves photo credit to first personal photo