How to Overcome Negative Feelings When Starting a Creative Business with Jessica Santander

Welcome back to the She's Crafted to Thrive show. I'm so excited that you ladies are here, and gentlemen too if you're joining in. Um, the guest that we're having on this episode is Jessica, and she is the owner of Project Moment Designs, a jewelry business. And what I love about this episode is that first and foremost, she has so much passion and such a light inside of her about what she's doing and why she's doing it. So I love that. And we recorded this way back earlier on in 2020, like right around COVID hit. Um, so you might hear her reference things that happening in the spring, and that's what she's talking about, her spring collection and things like that. But what I want you to pay attention to is that if you're starting a new business, or if you are starting a new creative business and you struggle with negative thinking, or if you just struggle with negative thinking in general, Jessica really does share the things that works for her and has been working for her. And surprise, she actually ended up being one of my clients. So I am so excited to just share this episode because she literally has been such a bright light of a client for me and she is doing amazing in her business and I'm just so proud of her. I know that sounds like a mama, but like, I'm a coach mama. I'm just so proud of her and I love where she's going in her business. So I can't wait for you guys to tune in and, um, listen to this episode and hear some of the gems she shares about her journey and the things that really inspire her. And not only inspire her, but the struggles that she's had to work through and how she's actually worked through those negative thoughts and feelings. So without further ado, let's hop right on into this episode. Welcome to She's Crafted to Thrive. I'm your host, Nikita Williams, and this show is for all the ladies who are making and creating things that they love. You will hear conversations about the real everyday struggles of juggling life and business while trying to maintain passion and harmony. As women, we have the skill of getting things done, but sometimes we get in our own way. It's here where you'll see that you're not alone. You'll discover that success does not mean perfection. Fear and negative thoughts and challenges are all a part of the journey. And on this podcast, you'll find the inspiration and tools you need to have a life and business Beth Thrives.

I am so excited to have Miss Jessica on the show. She is a boss babe along with, um, so many boss babes we're a part of in Babe Crafted. She's another woman in a circle of network of women that I work with and I connect with online, and she's an amazing designer, and I just, just think she's the sweetest. Her name is Jessica, and I'm not going to say her last name because I will butcher it, so I, I've just, I've just owned that I'm not going to say it right, but welcome, Jessica.

Thank you so much, Nikita. And you know what, I love you for that. As I, I mean, I tell whenever I meet new people, my last name is long. You can say it whatever, however way that makes you feel so happy or so right for your boat. But my full name, my name is Jessica Sands Tander. Um, and I, as Nikita mentioned, I'm a designer. I am a fashion jewelry designer for Project Moment Designs, which is my handmade jewelry business. And we are based in Tampa, Florida. And I am so delighted to be here on your podcast and to keep continuing and growing our community. Nikita, as you mentioned, with BabeCrafted, it's such a gem in and of itself to be able to meet such like-minded women and lift each other up, which is always a good feeling.

Yeah, it really is. I think connecting with, you know, I say connecting like with other women. I just think connecting in general is a really good idea, especially on the entrepreneur journey, especially if you're a solopreneur. You've been doing this. A lot of time we spend a lot of time in our own heads and in our own space, like on paper, making whatever, and it's just us. And so it's really nice when you can bounce off ideas and hear other people's struggles and challenges and all that jazz. So please tell us a little bit about how you got started and a little bit more about you.

Yeah, with pleasure. Well, with my business, I am a baby brand. So we are about to hit our 1 year and 6 month milestone. It's June. Um, Project Moment Designs, we launched in December of 2018, and this is a partnership with me and my mom. She is my rockstar business partner, and I say that because with our company, the main foundation is a story between us as a mother and daughter. And I've always held this special admiration and really deep, deep respect for all that my mom has lived through and how she has really passed that along to me in raising the woman who I am today. And so I've known I wanted to bring this story to life and to be able to resonate that with other women. I just ignored the fact, um, out of fear and out of doubt for many, many years in, um, what has— what's really commonly known as imposter syndrome in terms of who would want to hear what I have experienced, who would care about a product or even more so the story, the value that we want to be bringing to other people's lives. So it wasn't until going through some deep moments that was really challenging my mentality and my health after landing a full-time job in digital marketing. I was extremely excited because it was actually 2 years of trying to get a full-time job after graduating with my master's degree. And so once I got that yes, you know, I thought I would just follow that trajectory of, you know, have that full-time career, work my way up into marketing, and everything will be set as goals, but I knew that I was just kind of lying to myself day in and day out. And it got to the point where I was just completely unhappy, where I was coming home and crying, just venting out my emotions and just feeling lost with myself. Um, and, you know, many, many talks with my family, my parents, my husband, They just said, well, why, why are you making yourself go through this? If this is for us, just for you to show that, you know, you have yourself put together, don't do that. You have our support no matter what. And that was just, you know, the reassurance that really just helped me take that leap of faith and saying, I have the support. There's no one that's doubting me. The only one that's doubting myself is me for so many years. And so even though I admired, I respected my team, it was a wonderful, you know, helping hand that my former boss believed in me, but I knew it was just not my, not my, my calling. It just wasn't my purpose to be sitting in that cubicle where my energy, my attention was just not there. And I knew it both physically, mentally, emotionally. And so I just took that leap of faith. I knew I had to try something new, even if I was just scared out of my mind. And That resulted into many nights of brainstorming of what I wanted to do. And the bottom line was I knew I wanted to create something. I, I love just making things out of my hands, my body, with my emotion. And with fashion, that's also a very strong area in my life that I hold so much admiration in terms of the ways that women, that men can really just express their exuberance of who they are, that really spoke to me. So I wanted to connect the two together with fashion, with creations, and that resulted into a handmade jewelry business where we're very personalized, we're very meaningful to help a woman remind themselves that every day you have what it takes to build that dream empire, even if it's just small, small step forward. But we have what it takes, we have the qualities, and we have this life-giving blessing here and now. So that is what really just brought everything together since day one. And it's a very passionate mission that I and my mother hold so deeply and close to our hearts when we are connecting with new women, when we are sharing our story and the overall mission behind us.

I just love that you're so— I mean, if you can't tell listening to you, you like are so passionate about the just what you're doing and why it connects to you. And I think a lot of women in general, we do what we think we're supposed to do or what we think we're supposed to do or what we allow people to tell us we're supposed to do. And we we put ourselves aside sometimes and just like not allowing some of that creative, the things that we feel like will make us feel good about ourselves and feel happy about ourselves and about the situation. I have totally— when you were talking about being in a cubicle, I have literally had moments where I have called my husband from way back when, when I was working for someone where I've had those same conversations you just said, just like, I cannot sit here any longer. I feel my life being sucked out of me, like, literally. And I've totally felt like that. And I think it's interesting because when I talk to some women, they've had that feeling, but not as strongly as I feel like you just expressed it, because I've expressed it the same way. And some people are like, you know what? I can stay in my job and do a side hustle and transition. And then some people are like me and you, where it's like, no, if I stay here, I'm going to die. I just can't. My whole energy of everything is just, I'm going to crawl up in a ball and just be in a black hole. And I think whatever type of person you are, if you're listening to the show, it's okay to be either one of those people. Like someone's like, yeah, I'm going to do a side hustle and move my way out of this. Or if you're the person that's like, I cannot stay here one more day because it's just, I can't, like just for my mental health and sanity, I can't stay here. And I think that's okay. And I think we hear a lot of people telling you that it's not okay, and I just wanted to be here and say it's okay, it's okay if that's you, either one.

Yeah, exactly. And you know, you have to, you have to give yourself that time to listen. I mean, it doesn't have to be everything in one day. You can just take it day by day, see where that evolves. I mean, maybe it'll be leading to something that you never imagined yourself doing, or leading to a new hobby of yours. It's just something that is self-care ultimately and really make the most out of your life as we all, we all deserve to be happy.

Yeah, exactly. So what I want to talk to you about a little bit that you were mentioning is that so this journey led you to working with your mom. So how so? Like, because, you know, most of us, I mean, I love my mom and she knows this and she has, I have on multiple occasions tried, we continue still to this day trying to work together. How is that working for you and your mom? Because you, like you said, that's the center of your business, right?

Yeah. I mean, we, every mother-daughter has your moments. Um, but I mean, I'm as a single child, I mean, I don't have any siblings. I am, I'm very close with my parents. I have me personally. I had just, I have a few best friends, close group. So I'm not as a sociable person. I mean, my, fun activities on weekends alongside spending with my husband, just having a nice beach day with my parents. So I mean, I want to say that that also helps a lot in terms of being patient and open ears. But I knew I had to include my mom with this business. And in the beginning, she said, no, this is all yours. You have this drive, you have this passion, and I will just cheer you alongside. I'm like, well, the foundation, this is all because of you. I mean, this is— the light is coming from you. So I mean, we— I knew she had to be a business partner, and she does have her full-time job. So I mean, however way that she's able to provide support, I mean, I open that door open for her. And so she helps me along with production in terms of, you know, any extra bulk orders that we get in for our bracelets. And she finds it therapeutic, so she likes that. So that's a win-win. And also, you know, whenever we are able to have our in-person face-to-face markets and, you know, Indie Fleas, she comes along after work and, you know, it's a fun time altogether where I'm able to share our story and then they can see also the mother behind the brand. And yeah, we slowly, um, getting her more into the video, you know, front face. She is camera shy, but, um, we— it's, it's actually, it's a fun journey. And we actually just got done posting our very first IGTV mother-daughter chat for Mother's Day coming up. So it was fun. It just, you know, asked her a few basic questions and just, you know, um, how they say, you know, break that ice and get her, um, comfortable the way. So she's the support, she's the backbone, and also hands-on production.

That's awesome. Well, I just think it's really nice that you guys are working at it together. I can hear, like, my next question usually is like, who inspires you? But I'm guessing, and I can tell that it's your mom. And from your mom's, like, what specifically about her journey and her life has really inspired you to kind of endeavor into doing what you're doing right now?

Yeah, I mean, definitely you're right on with that, Nikita Williams. Life inspiration has been and will always be my mom. I mean, it's— I always say as a child I had a very bad memory, not recalling, you know, oh, my 5th birthday party, I had this cake of a flavor. I'm— for some reason I have a bad memory and I wish I knew why. But I just always know that, like, I've always been inspired by my mom ever since I was a little girl. The essence that comes from this is because of her journey, as how you had questioned. I mean, there's something very special about my mom's story, and this is because my mom does portray and relates that immigrant story. Coming from Brazil, her home country, she left her home country at 18 years of age, so she was very young, here to the United States. To provide a better future for her family. So at that young of an age, as a teenager still, she always had that mentality of putting others first, in which she, she came from a poor background. And so up until this very day, she's able to provide for her brothers, her sisters, her nieces, nephews, help a few go through college, pay their college tuition. And just at the end of the day, making sure that they have food on the table. And up until this very day, she just, she surprises me. I mean, we went to Brazil earlier this year in the beginning of February, and there was this moment where she saw a homeless man walking by this cafe where we were having breakfast, and she just walked over to him and said, "Here, take this money. I want you to come with me so you can order breakfast." I mean, it's just like that, that humbleness, you know, making sure— she always says, you know, no one, no one deserves to be hungry. No one deserves to put aside their dreams because they cannot afford an education. So it's just, you know, having that, that empathy and that heart for the greater world that has always, always aligned my, my values and my own personal principles in terms of what I want to do and how I am to get there by always having that greater picture.

Well, that's beautiful. Yeah, she sounds like a pretty amazing mom. That's amazing. So, I mean, she's obviously been a part of who you are, like, kind of reflected who you are and what you do. But what makes you guys a little bit different? Because I'm sure there are some differences. Like, what's different between you and your mom? Because I can, you know, we can find inspiration in places, but they can inspire us to be different versions of the people that we are, like, you know, that we're looking at.

Yeah, I love that question. I think you're the first to ask. Most people say, oh, you're so similar, but never ask about how we're different. Um, I would say I'm very much more, even though I'm a risk like, you know, a doer, like a risk person, taking that risk. And if I have an idea, I'm like, oh my God, I just want to try it. Where my mom was like, okay, wait, let's plan things out. Let's see, you know, what we can do if we have what we need. I'm just like, all right, um, I have these pliers, I have this color, let's see what we can do and put it together. Um, and I mean, besides in that area, I'm also very, I would say, a laid-back person. I have like an old soul within me. So in terms of like appreciating everyday moments, I, I just love to stay in and just, you know, have that self-care moment for me. Um, or even just like taking a walk out, just love having that sunset moment. Um, where I know my mom, she's very much of a socialized type of environment. Um, she loves to get together. To their friends. And I'm just like, you know, I like the peace, you know, even though, you know, we're here stuck at home. Um, I still find it peaceful. I like to have that, those moments where I can just, you know, sit back and there's nothing to do, but hey, just, just soak that in. So even I have that weird balance within me. I love taking new initiatives, but I also love just having that stillness.

In a way. That's awesome. Yeah, I love that. It's nice to have a little bit of the yin and the yang. It balances you out. It's funny you said that. My husband and I are very similar in that way. He's like, random thought and run. And I'm like, but wait a minute, let's think about this. Yeah, let's actually work that out. But then in a lot of ways, he's rubbed off on me and I'm similar. I'll be like, Occasionally I might have that moment. It doesn't happen that often, but, um, it's good to have a little bit of both in your life. It helps balance you out, I think, as a person. So in your business, what are some of the things that you've had to either learn or about yourself and about running a business that you've kind of been like, I didn't think I was going to learn this about myself when I started, or like, what are some challenges and fears that you have to overcome?

So far.

Hey ladies, real quick, I'm inviting you to check out sheescraftedinsider.com. It's a place where you can find tools and resources that are designed to help female creatives and entrepreneurs living with a chronic illness build a thriving business. What I love about this shop, you guys, is that there's planners in there about how to create content for your social media on how to create offers and products that really tell your story and captures your audience, and so much more. Bonus points is that there's a membership on there where you can be a part of a community, have one-on-one coaching, and get so many tools to help your business to grow. So if you want to check that out, go to sheescraftedinsider.com, and you get to use the podcast coupon code, um, to get 15% off. That is podcast. Coupon code for 15% off. So I hope to see you guys in there and take advantage of all those resources. Again, that's at sheiscraftedinsider.com. All right, back to the show.

Definitely number one thing is being patient. I, I know this is the type of person I am too, at least in terms of, you know, projects, whether it was for school But now for my business, but I mean, today I want to be in a certain area of the business that's a week from now. Like I, I'm very impatient in that way, wanting to get these goals, wanting to get these plan of actions already implemented. So it's definitely an everyday practice of mine to be patient with myself and just know that I'm doing all that I can. Each and every day and just to be proud of how far I'm at. And it's also, I mean, in lieu with this, in terms of being patient, it's also the fact of not to get too much temptation into comparison. Because at the very, very beginning, I, you know, I'm guilty as charged. You know, I fell to the temptation of comparing where my business is at, my designs to other jewelry. Artists and just admiring them from afar, but letting that get to me personally where I felt disappointed. But, you know, even though I was just very, very new, I just felt disappointed with, you know, let's say my numbers or my growth. And it wasn't until coming across this one book called Girl on Fire by Ikerra. I always butcher her last name, but she's also known as The Champagne Diet, where she had this quote saying, you know what, back then, even now, women are known to, you know, in a way, like, backstab each other, but we're evolving from a community, from a universe where we are seeing women empowering, uplifting each other. But this also means that if you are admiring and comparing yourself to others, just say to yourself that, wow, if she is there, if she can do this, I can also do that too. So that is something that I tell myself every day. If I see that Instagram post, if I see that article in the magazine, I'm saying, you know what, maybe I'll cut that up, I'll put that on my vision board and say, I can do this too because I have drive and I have a commitment. So I mean, to wrap that all up, it's, it's a learning journey to be patient as you are growing your dream. And also while you are admiring others, to admire yourself.

Yeah, I love that. Yeah, I love that. And I love you said a couple of things in there that I think I don't care if you've been in business for a year or 20 years or 50 years, you have to remind yourself of patience and that it is a practice. It's a muscle that we almost have to exercise because it's easy. It's so much easier to try to rush ahead than to allow the time that's needed for growth because we see everyone else doing something that we want to be doing. And then I also love how from that book, in that quote, basically, you can admire other people, but just admire them in a way that uplifts you, not takes away from you. And I think a lot of entrepreneurs in general, we, especially because of social media, I mean, like, it's just a thing. Like, you see this, you know, you see this other coach or this other designer and you're like, oh my gosh, look at how amazing they are. But you have no idea the struggle, the patience, the time, all the work that happened between where you see them now and where they were when you started. Like, you know what I'm saying? Like, it just takes that amount of time and patience. And so understanding if they can do it, you can do it too. I love that. That's a really great reminder. So I appreciate you sharing that with us.

Of course. And we should use in all areas of our life.

Oh, yeah. Yeah, totally. Totally.

Totally.

So like, how have you found some balance and harmony in your life? I know for you, based on what you just said, that you kind of like are a homebody. You kind of like to be in your space. You like that peace. So in your business though, how have you found the balance of like, okay, I'm starting, I'm trying these new things versus like things that other people may have told you that work for you or worked for them? I think a lot of new entrepreneurs start and they're getting told a lot of information from different gurus and different coaches and friends who've been in business and they're like, oh my gosh, I need to implement all of these things and I don't know what I'm doing. Like, how have you found the balance of finding how to do things your way so far and also taking in that information and trying to fit it into your business?

Yeah, well, first off, I love, love that question, Nikita, and it's so important for all listeners to take away and to see how, you know, they can also apply it to their lives. Um, you know, in the beginning, I would say especially this year, um, you know, I had those goals set already, and, um, a part of those goals was definitely, you know, influenced by others' opinions, um, other women who I look up to as well. So I was like, yes, that sounds so good. It makes sense. Um, let's just move forward with that. And so I would say, I mean, life really has its own way of just grabbing you by the shoulder and just say hello. So unfortunately, you know, with this pandemic, that was life really grabbing me by the shoulders and just shaking me. Where, yes, my first initial reaction was anxiety, was fear, was frustration, and just feeling like the very bottom low with my business. And I was scared. I mean, I was just acting out of fear because I was so focused on these goals and new ideas that I was able to receive from other, from other Boss Ladies as well. But, you know, having that rough moment in the beginning and just stepping back and remembering, you know, the beginning of when I first started this business, like these different resources that I was just so admiring. Yes, like from this one woman that I mentioned to you and also other product coaches where I was like, all right, let's just start from a clean state of mind. So I had no idea what I was going to do moving forward. I knew I had a new collection that I wanted to launch, but for me it did not feel right at the time to introduce such a vivacious and vibrant pieces to my audience, even though, you know, there are, at the time there were still people buying online, but for me that was my first act where I listened to myself. And to really, you know, to sum up the answer to your question is I've, from that day up until now, just learned to listen to myself more. Even though some other, you know, people may say one idea versus another and it'll just be contradictory, like, to what I'm thinking, at the end of the day, you just have to listen to what makes sense to you and where you want to bring your audience next with you. And so what this led for me was starting my very first personalized project, the collaboration with my customers, where beforehand my collections have just been fully developed, introduced by me as a designer. And in the long haul, I knew I wanted to do a co-creation platform and be more collaborative. I just didn't know how and when, or if this would be something that, you know, would even make sense. Sense. But here we are. I launched that as a very fast mini project and my most loyal customers whom I love and just admire, they raved about it. They just appreciated that shared moment between their life and a brand that they look up to, to remind them of a positive moment in the making. Yeah, so taking that experience is just like, well, let's, let's move forward from this. We, we did something new, we learned, and let's move forward. Either continue the same direction or pivot somewhere else. And the bottom line to all this is that you have to, you have to listen to yourself as much as you can to learn just as much as you can from yourself and from the people that you want to provide value for, you know, to make community. So that really has been the new pivot for me, the new direction that I trust in myself as an individual, as a designer, and as a community that I ultimately want to raise together.

I think that's really a great point that you brought out because I think as entrepreneurs, we just tend to, we tend to kind of gravitate to doing what everyone else is doing, even though in our gut, we know like, that's not how I want to do it, but we think because, well, they did it and it worked for them, man, I should do it that way. And what's interesting is that when you really look, like, if you take time to really almost delve deep into the people that you admire that are ahead of where you think you want to be, you'll learn that they did it differently than the people that they thought they wanted to follow. So they found their way of doing their spin on whatever it is that is kind of the common thing that everyone's doing. And they found a way that works for them that they felt connected to. And you can always tell when someone is not connected to something that they're doing. Like, you can always tell because then it feels like, oh, I've heard this before. Oh, I've seen this before. Versus it being like, I've never seen this from her. This is different. This feels really different because it's coming in fruition because of how you bring it about, how you feel about it. And in order for that to happen, it's a really good point that you mentioned. You have to know where your audience is, who your audience is, and then what about you, you want to put into this. And I think for you just being starting this out in the last year and a half, that takes a lot. It takes a long time for creatives to get to that point. I've heard people who've been doing this for a very long time that they don't know how to extract information that they need in order to grow, but also to keep them in it. Like, you know what I'm saying? Like, how to keep themselves a part of the thing that they need to grow. And so it's really nice to hear that that's something that you've identified and that that's something that you're like, I'm going to move forward because now you have proof that, hey, I'm the magic sauce to this stuff. Right? Right. Like, oh, wow. I didn't have to do it like, you know, all these other ways. I just added this. This is sooner than someone else would have done it. Maybe, you know, you never know, but it's your, your journey and your lane and your audience. And so there's no identical person. There's no identical audience. So nobody— and half the times I tell people all the time, everybody's trying to figure it out anyway. So there's no right or wrong way to grow your audience in a lot of ways, you know what I'm saying? Like, just find what works that you feel comfortable with. And I love that you are saying that that's a way that you found to kind of overcome some of the fears and try to move forward and just do what you feel like you're good at.

Yeah. And Nikita, like, I loved how you said that in terms of we never know everything. I mean, we're never going to know everything. It's an entire learning journey. And just for some of us, it takes longer you know, in different areas, whether in terms of, you know, building up your audience or finding that golden way to share your story. But it's just each new experience brings along a new, a new light for you to shine in your own way. And that's how you share. We are all so different, and that's just the beauty of it. Let that, let that difference shine and own it. That's what we have to do.

Yeah, I love that. Yeah. So I'm going to ask some different questions now, more like fun. So what is your favorite pastime? What is the one thing that you miss right now that you're stuck at home? Like, I am stuck at home. What's one thing that you wish that you could just do right this second?

Honestly, the beach. I know there's so many people that say that, but I'm with you though.

I'm so with you.

I'm so with you. Physically, I was telling my husband the other night, like, this week I feel drained, so drained. And I really honestly believe that it's because my skin, my, my mentality, like, I just have not been able to soak up the sun. And it's so therapeutic just to be out in the sunshine and just let yourself just receive that warmth energy just rushing through your body. And you can feel it. I miss that. And that's, you know, as soon as we can, I'm just going to spend the entire morning until dusk just at that beach and just— it's going to be like a refueling experience, you know?

Yeah, I'm totally with you. We, um, so we were in Florida and now we're back in Georgia, and then the pandemic happened. And then I was like— I was just telling my husband a couple of weeks ago, I was like, I need like a month vacation at the beach at this point. Like a month, not a day, a month. I just need to go somewhere where I see the water, I feel the sand under my feet. I miss that so much. Like, I miss water. I miss like seeing bodies of water. Like, I just miss it. So I'm totally, totally with you. Okay, so what is your favorite food right now?

My favorite food right now. Well, we— I'm a sweet tooth person, so it has to relate to dessert. And we— I usually go to, you know, Cheesecake or local dessert shops around here in Tampa, but we've been actually— my husband and I have been making some good at-home desserts. So we're using brownies, different types of brownies mixed with Nutella and salted caramel Ben Jerry's ice cream. But it's just having that warm and cold sensation with salt and sweet that Oh my gosh, that makes the week better.

Yeah, totally. Yes. Yeah, we've been on a sweet tooth kick too. I'm not really a sweet tooth person, but I've been making cookies and we've been eating ice cream. I'm like, we are going to be big as houses by the time this is all over.

Sure. Yeah, a lot of people are on the same boat. What else is there to do? I mean, you got to use your hands.

Yeah.

Smell good with all the sweetness.

Yeah.

So what is, um, who is one person like in your, like in the business world of things that you would love to like meet in person?

This lady, Cara Elderwood, I think. I always, I don't know how to say her last name, but she, oh my gosh, I don't know how I found out about her, maybe through like Instagram ad or something. But Cara, she has her own podcast, which is The Champagne Diet. She is a best-selling author. She also is a life coach, and she is just one of those women that anything that comes out will just really impact you, light up that flame within you, and just unleash your inner queen. She is so uplifting, and I mean, I just love listening to her. I feel— I just feel good, you know, at the end of the day. I just feel so good listening from her, and feeling proud of myself. You know, she wants you to celebrate your everyday life and make the most of it. And I would just— I would love to meet her one day and just be like, you are like the inner queen that I would love to unleash within me. And you've been such an inspiration to my confidence journey, you know, just building that confidence day in and day out, no matter how hard the struggle is. Because she also has had one heck of a struggle in her lifetime. So it's just that admiration where she is able to relate to so many women on so many levels.

What was her name again?

Yeah, she's on Instagram and all over media called the Champagne Diet.

Okay. I've heard of that. I've heard of the Champagne Diet, but I don't think I know what her full name is either. I'll have to link that in the show notes for everybody to check it out. So what's what's cool and new that's happening with Project Moment Designs? Like, what is your new collection? How can we find it? And all that jazz.

Yeah, I'm always so excited to share along. So we had finally released our spring and summer collection called Paints of Joy. And this just got released a couple weeks ago. But it is our grand collection for 2020. And it has such an uplifting story behind it where each piece together is to bring out our exuberant joy and to paint our joyful moments as how we envision it today, today, and in this new beginning that we have from all of what has happened. So it's a very personalized collection. And from this, we are also having some mini collections that are going to be rolling in. And I do want to share that it is going to be a very co-creative project that I just love sharing with everyone.

That's so amazing. So when you say, and this could be totally me, like, because I haven't actually heard this phrasing, what is, when you say co-creative, what do you mean by that?

So it's going to be, you know, bringing you guys along in the creation process and having your vision also come out in the end result. So it's having however way that you want to describe and express your soul, your dreams, the being that you are. We're going to allow and bring that into the making of symbols, of colors with our jewelry. So it's going to be a very, like, you know, a collaborative project that's going to be forever from us, Project Moment Designs.

Well, I'm so excited about it. You— I have seen some of the collection and I love the Happy, I think it's called the Happy bracelet because it is truly like you see it and you can't help but smile. Like, it's such a cute, like, it's a really nice, like, womanly, girly, like, it just kind of takes you back to like, you know, it's just a really pretty bracelet. And you have lots of beautiful pieces. But that's the one that every time I think of you, that's the one that I actually envision. I'm like, oh,— that one's cute, I can't wait to get that one. So yeah, I think it's, um, I think if you guys go check out the website, beautiful, beautiful collection, um, and I can't wait to see what other things come from this.

Thank you so much, Nikita, and you have really just described exactly how we are as a brand. Now, yes, we're very whimsical, we're very feminine, but through this we're also wanting to just let you take that out to one step further and just be as fully feminine as you are, as bold, as courageous, and just be your own star in the making. So thank you so much for that.

Well, you know, you, you made it possible. So tell us how we can find you on Instagram, Facebook, website, all that jazz.

Yeah. So we are all together. You can find us online at projectmomentdesigns.com. That's also for Facebook, Instagram, Project Moment Designs. And Pinterest as well.

That's exciting. That's exciting. Well, thank you so much for being on the show and thanks for taking the time to share your passion and your journey. And I think everybody who's listening, especially if you're thinking of starting because of this whole change with COVID-19 and everything that's going on, you might be thinking of starting something new or you might have been thrown into a situation when you have to start something new, that if you do start something new, make sure that it kind of connects, it connects to you. It's something you're passionate about because people will buy and work with you and share and tell their friends and family because you are bringing your own personal excitement and passion to it, as Jessica is doing here. So thanks again.

Thank you so much, Nikita. And, you know, it was an honor to be here with you, and I look forward to continuing on with our dream-building empire.

All right, ladies, that's a wrap for this episode of She's Crafted to Thrive. Thank you so much for joining me. Please share with your friends and be sure to like and subscribe and leave us a review on iTunes. In the meantime, check us out at sheescrafted.com to check out the show notes for all the goodies and things that we talked about, and there'll be links there for you guys. So in the meantime, just remember, you are crafted to thrive.