I grew up in Armenia. Did my masters in accounting and finance in French University and I am currently working as tax accountant in Los Angeles, California. Growing up, my role models were my parents, who always worked very hard and provided me and my brothers with great avenues for higher education. My Dad would always say: “whatever you choose to do, make sure you love it”. My Mom taught me to be there for family and for the community no matter how busy your work schedule may get. One of my other role models is Oprah Winfrey. She pursues her passions through hard work and perseverance and has managed to use social media to inspire millions of people.
Do your eyes light up when you share your product with other people? Can you still continue doing this, even when you are tired?
When I first moved from Armenia to the United States in 2010, I was pursuing a purpose broader than my daily work as an accountant—one that would make an impact on my community both back home and in my new country of residence. I was born in Estonia, lived in Armenia, did my senior year in high school in Minnesota as an exchange student, graduated from the French University in Armenia, while studying accounting in French language. I was always surrounded by different cultures and enjoyed the diversity of each country and their art. When I finally settled in California, USA, I started looking for something that was more important than myself.
Celebrating uniqueness
An avid collector of one-of-a-kind jewelry and accessories, I was familiar with the joy brought on by the sourcing of unique pieces carefully crafted by master artisans who imbued a sense of tradition and cultural heritage in each of their pieces. So I started wondering if there are others around the world who would feel the same sense of pride and expanded the search for other talented craftsmen and women committed to creating high-quality works of wearable art.
I have my side job and give life to Miray. I work with different artists and communication is key. No matter what business you choose to do, at the end of the day, it is all about HUMAN INTERACTIONS. I can’t stress that enough. Human interactions are vital, even today, with so many online platforms and and social media.
Getting started
I did a small market research before deciding to pursue my passion of representing talented artists and creating a platform for artists to sell their jewelry and accessories. Once I had a feel of which products sell better than others, I started doing pop up shops. I love pop up shops, as it allows me to interact with people and see the excitement on their faces, when they see a rare find.
Fear is only an imagination
Lucy Simonyan
Facing challenges
During FFC workshop in LA, I realized that business is like having a baby. It is a responsibility for a long time. The initial challenge was impatience. I was anxious to setup the website, inventory, sales channels, and get connections. But once I realized that this is a long, beautiful road with its ups and downs, challenges and rewards, I learnt to cherish every moment and be patient with the journey.
Entrepreneurship is definitely tough and takes a lot of energy. But again, it comes to the most important question: do you love what you do? Do your eyes light up when you share your product with other people? Can you still continue doing this, even when you are tired? If you answer Yes, then this is your passion and this is what lights you up and gives fire to your soul.
Original article:
I’m Armenian living in America and this is how I bootstrap my side business