Life after graduation, and Kendra Scott
Have you ever met a person that was full of knowledge and inspirational? Whether you met them on the street, at the grocery store, or at a conference you just knew you would see things a little bit differently. I have met a couple of great people through school, working, eating alone at a bar, and business conferences. Each one was great for different reasons, and I took away valuable information. Today, though I got the opportunity to meet Kendra Scott. Haven’t heard of her? Look her up. You won’t be disappointed. Without all the work, she is a jewelry designer based out of Austin, TX, and an amazing person.
This afternoon she came and spoke to my school and told us about her story, and how she built her brand. Parts of her story were very personal, and quite emotional at times. You could feel everyone being moved with her vulnerability and willingness to speak openly about such personal details. Kendra's morals and values are admirable and go hand and hand with other advice that has been given by a few others. Her brand is aligned with her core set of values, and its carried throughout every step including who she hires. A large part of what makes Kendra Scott and her company unique is that no philanthropic opportunity is too large or too small. She never says no. Who else can say that? Usually there are a million steps and hoops to jump through to get a donation, and you have to meet a certain criteria. Kendra feels in her heart to help all.
Something as a design student I struggle with is developing me as a brand to sell. I have to sell myself to employers and consumers. Who I am, and what I represent becomes a brand. A question that everyone and anyone asks a student is "What do you want to do when you graduate?" For awhile I did not have to know. The options were endless. Now that I am graduating soon and developing my "brand," I kind of need to get this figured out. I have always said that I did not want to own my company. The thought of doing everything myself seemed overwhelming, and getting financial backing seems impossible. My generic response is always that I want to work for a corporate company that is already established and have a loyal following. I feel my answer is a realistic option, but is it a cop out? Should I be wanting more with my life? These are hard questions to ask yourself, but necessary.
After listening to Kendra Scott, I am reflecting back on everything I have ever wanted to do with my life. Being a designer is a recurring theme, but what I did has always changed. At one time I wanted to focus on females feeling beautiful and working with organizations that help with eating disorders, one time I wanted to give back to organizations regarding drunk driving, and sustainable fashion. There was always some type of reward in helping others or the environment. I have let myself get scared of failing on my own that I now want to work for someone else because it's safe? Maybe I have, but it's not too late to change that and discover what my true calling is. It is possible that going the corporate route is what I am suppose to do, but I need to dig down deep and figure out why. Listening to Kendra's humbling story makes a person realize that good things come from what seems like a failure, or pain. The words that made a difference to her was "You do good." Isn't that why we are here anyways?
The wonderful Kate Nash once sang
"But I won't regret
'Cause you can grow flowers
From where dirt used to be."
