FIRST THOUGHT: Celebrating Uniqueness
It looks like we are finally past the continuous stream of “Can she have it all?” articles. The truth is, we want all kinds of things, and if you’re like me, that can change from day to day or year to year.
Like snowflakes, women are distinctive, making us dynamite in whatever roles we want to take on. Today, celebrate all the little pieces that make up your unique life. You may not be the next Queen Elizabeth or Queen Latifah, but you’re still headline-worthy.
WOMEN IN NUMBERS: $229.2 Billion
We at On the Dot love a lady-owned business. Who doesn’t? It turns out there are 10 million women-owned businesses in the United States. Almost 90 percent of those businesses are run by only one woman, meaning they have no other employees. I always knew ladies were some of the hardest workers.
In 2012, these women-owned companies generated $229.2 billion in receipts. That’s $47 billion more than the five years before. Cha-ching!
WOMAN TO WATCH: Jessica Herrin, Founder of Stella & Dot
There’s a sparkle in every piece of Stella & Dot jewelry. There’s something pretty dazzling about the woman who started it all too.
This is a story about a mom who turned her in-home business into an empire and wasn’t afraid to share her good fortune with other women. When Jessica Herrin excelled at her former business venture, weddingchannel.com, women would ask her for insight on how to be their own boss, just like her. That gave her an idea to create a jewelry business that allowed women to work for themselves.
She started what was originally called Luxe Jewels out of her living room. After giving birth to her second daughter, Herrin expanded and hosted hundreds of trunk shows and rebranded Luxe Jewels into Stella & Dot.
Herrin nurtured her business to create what it is today. She didn’t take any easy shortcuts. After about five years, the world took notice of her products and big publications like InStyle and The New York Times wrote about Stella & Dot.
People are not only hooked on Stella & Dot’s products, they love the idea of being boss ladies. Here’s how it works: You sign up to be a stylist, host in-person and online trunk shows and receive commission on the accessories you sell. Stella & Dot has about 50,000 stylists in six countries.
This means that women can earn extra income or carve a path toward a profitable career. Herrin says she doesn’t measure Stella & Dot’s success by the company’s revenue; she measures it by the amount of commissions it gives.
After more than a decade since Stella & Dot’s inception, Herrin wrote a book, out just this month, called Find Your Extraordinary, in which she tells her story and explains how characteristics of a successful business can translate into leading an extraordinary life. She continues to achieve success on her own terms, making her boldest dreams come true.
She has also just launched a spin-off jewelry line called Keep Collective. Whew!
At the core of Herrin’s business is a devotion to seeing other women take control of their destiny, just like she has. Carpe diem, sisters!
QUITE THE QUOTE
Cecil Beaton dabbled in many things, from photography to costume design. He said:
“Be daring, be different, be impractical. Be anything that will assert integrity of purpose and imaginative vision against the play-it-safers, the creatures of the commonplace, the slaves of the ordinary.”
That’s all for now. Be sure to share this so more women can have a voice! Thanks for getting ready with us.
To learn more about our conversation, check us out at OnTheDotWoman.com and talk to us @OnTheDotWoman on Twitter and Instagram. We’d love to hear your voice.