Devoted to small businesses and those who run them

* Please describe the business you operate or service(s) you provide to clients and customers.

I am a writer, painter, and jewelry designer. I make one-of-a-kind and custom jewelry pieces.

* What was the inspiration, or the catalyst for, the creation of your business endeavor?

During college was when I first discovered the "bead store". The girl who worked in there showed me how to make my first necklace. Creating jewelry started out as a hobby at first, but from the urging of friends has turned into a thriving business!

* What steps did you follow to build your business? Are you still in the process of planning your endeavor?

Starting my business was fairly simple being that I work from home. All I had to do was obtain a resale license from the State of California, purchase the materials to create paintings and make jewelry, and design my website. A great deal of the time was spent creating the website and it's still a work in progress.

* Please tell us about the resources you’ve used thus far and would recommend to others (or steer them away from). Take a moment to share your educational background (both academic and work-based) and point out things that have helped or hindered you along the way from that education.

I received my Bachelor's in Psychology from California State University, Chico with a minor in Business. In my last semester of college I decided that I wanted to go into business for myself instead of becoming a psychologist, but I didn't know what kind of business yet. I worked for Wet Seal as a manager at the time, which helped give me the experience of running a business. It was a few years later that I put two and two together to start my own business - my business education and my passion for fashion.