I have fallen down the rabbit hole. Somehow, I ended up in Alibaba.com. There, hundreds of thousands of jewelry manufacturers tout their wares. I see a silver cuff bracelet, not unlike the one Argentina, one of the talented artists who produces my jewelry designs, just spent an entire day and a half working on.
The made in china one sells for $10.
This is definitely not a good place for me to be.
Tonight, I will lie awake wondering if it will ever be possible to make a living off of doing what I love. I ask myself if maybe, it is time to accept the fact that this is simply not going to work. There are factories out their making the same thing I make, for a tenth of the cost. There are brands out there investing millions of dollars in marketing. Maybe, dreams don’t always come true. Maybe it’s time to listen to my family and get a corporate job.
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However, tomorrow I’ll get a Facebook message from a woman who just got engaged. She loved the custom made engagement ring I developed, in secret, with her now fiancé. Can we make the matching bands? I’ll get an invitation to baptism of one of my artisans. And I’ll remember why I do this. I’ll remember what it is that my business really makes, something that the thousands of mass production factories do not. We make futures brighter.
Karly, our Administrative Assistant, was born with a rare spinal disease that makes walking nearly impossible. Her brother used to carry her on his back for two miles in order to get to school. She will be graduating with a business degree this year.
Lorraine, our Production Manager, was placed in an orphanage by her drug addicted parents. By the time she was 22, she was raising four children. This year, she will be finishing construction on her family’s new home.
Silvie, our Finance Manager, is the first woman in her family to go to college. She just had a beautiful baby boy.
It has been over 10 years since I started my socially driven small business. In that time, we’ve employed over half a dozen women. Every one of them has since gone to high school and is now either in college or a college graduate. Their children are in school. Their families are fed.
I’ll admit, there have been moments where I have thought about how much easier, not to mention cheaper, it would be to have some factory in Asia private label my designs. But then I would never be able to custom make those wedding bands. I wouldn’t be able to guarantee that the people making my jewelry are treated well and paid a living wage. I would no longer be a part of their lives, I would no longer attend their birthday parties, and graduations, and housewarming parties.
So I’ll keep pushing through the doubt, the fear, and the insecurity. I try not to think about the massive factories and corporate giants that are also out there, selling jewelry. I somehow muster up some faith, hoping that there are other people out there who care the way I do.
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People who are willing to pay a little extra for something that’s unique, something that’s fair trade, and something that will make a positive impact.