Today we’d like to introduce you to Alexandra Nova.
Alexandra, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve had a passion for fashion and writing, but it was something I never really chose to express or pursue in my younger years. Instead, I chose to study hard and put myself through college. Like most millennials, I thought college would be my route to success. A few months after I graduated college, I landed a job at a Wealth Management firm and I could not be happier. I graduated with a degree in Criminal Justice and had no experience in accounting but how hard could it be right? Wrong! I absolutely hated that job. After 5 months with the company, I started looking for outlets to minimize the misery, I felt working that 9-5. Eventually, I decided to create a fashion blog. On this blog, I would share my fashion tips and weekly outfit posts with my followers. While building my website, I decided that I needed to find a way to monetize the site, so that I could quit my job.
I didn’t have the money or space to invest in something big at the moment, so I decided I would sell jewelry. My mom had built a pretty successful business selling jewelry, I figured I’d follow in her footsteps. Accessories are the cherry on top of any outfit, so I figured it would be fun to have a jewelry line curated by me. At the time, when I started chokers were the biggest trend, so I went with that. A full-on boutique connected to my blog specializing in chokers! The first months of business were unreal! I didn’t expect to make so much money just from the chokers. You better believe I quit my job! But then business slowed down and I kinda gave up on the “side hustle” and pursued my blogging career.
Fast forward 3-4 months after basically giving up on being an entrepreneur, I decided I would rebrand my shop and start selling different types of jewelry and that’s when everything really started to take off!
Has it been a smooth road?
It definitely hasn’t been an easy journey. One of my biggest struggles has been branding and growing a customer base. Most of my customers are directed to my site from Instagram. With social media being so big in our culture, we are bombarded with thousands of images daily. I had to figure out ways to capture people’s attention, while also creating an aesthetic for my brand, so that it’s recognizable just by the images I post.
If I could give any advice to other women starting their journey it would be to keep going! There will be other people/businesses doing or selling similar things as you. Find ways to distinguish your brand from the next one. There is room for all of us to make it.
We’d love to hear more about LayersOf.com.
I specialize in goldfilled and fine jewelry. I’m known for my simple but detailed layering necklaces and statement pieces.
As a brand, I am most proud of all the growth I’ve had in the last year. When I first rebranded in the middle of 2017, I had about 400 followers and a very short customer list. One year later, I’ve sold over 3,000 pieces of jewelry and recently hit 10k followers on Instagram! I am also proud to be able to work on my brand full time and to be able to dedicate all of my time to building my own dreams.
Something that sets me apart from others is my attention to detail and customer service. I value my customers and supporters so much because if not for them I would not be where I am today. I want them all to have amazing experiences shopping, and to feel fashionable wearing my pieces.
Do you recommend any apps, books or podcasts that have been helpful to you?
There are many books and podcasts that help me do my best at life, a few of my favorites which have offered me so much guidance and motivation are:
Business Books:
The Magic of Thinking Big
Rich Dad Poor Dad
Think and Grow Rich
Spiritual Books:
The Untethered Soul
Conversations with God
Podcasts:
The Side Hustle Show
Oprah’s Super Soul Conversations
Contact Info:
- Website: layersof.com/shop
- Email: info@layersof.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/layersof.shop
Image Credit:
Models: Chenara Lam, Natasha Ortiz, Photographer: Johmarie F.
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