Today we’d like to introduce you to Charlene Paksima.
Charlene, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I didn’t always plan on becoming a jewelry designer. It started as a hobby I shared with my mother, something we both enjoyed and bonded over. I absolutely loved making jewelry; but, as a young girl, I never imagined it could become my career. So, I decided to take the traditional path and go to college, where I studied graphic design at UC San Diego.
But after starting my first graphic design job, life took an unexpected turn. My mother was diagnosed with breast cancer and was eventually hospitalized. I spent hours in her hospital room and, to take our minds off of things, I began playing around with wire and semiprecious stones again. My mom loved to watch me create new pieces and, for me, it was just nice to see her smile. Sadly, my beloved mom lost her fight with cancer. After she passed away, I realized that making trend jewelry was something I loved that kept me connected to her.
With this renewed passion, I began selling my jewelry at farmer’s markets and local boutiques. It wasn’t long before I had an L.A. showroom, and my stones, beads and wire started taking over the apartment I shared with my husband. With a ton of trial and error, hard work, and dedication, my hobby had become a legitimate business. As my little company began to grow, my husband decided to leave his job and join me in this new venture, transforming my one-woman workshop into an even stronger husband-and-wife team.
We’ve been designing trend jewelry together since 2005, and it’s been an incredible (and sometimes-frenzied) journey.
We are so proud to say our designs have been sold in more than 400 stores, featured in such magazines as Lucky, InStyle, Elle Girl, InTouch, Glamour, and OK! Magazine, and have been worn by some of Hollywood’s fashionable stars, including Eva Longoria, Hilary Duff, Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, Jessica Simpson, Hayden Panettiere, and Lauren Conrad.
For a long time, trend jewelry was our primary focus. It wasn’t until the birth of our son that I felt drawn to more meaningful everyday staples rather than the latest trends. Today our jewelry designs are hand stamped and custom made with a minimal + modern look and sold on our website (www.leila.com) or our etsy shop (www.etsy.com/shop/leilajewelryshop). Making jewelry that means something to our customers is so important to us. We hand stamp each letter, number and symbol as we craft each piece from beginning to end. I love hearing the stories behind the jewelry we make, each piece is truly special.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
We have definitely had our challenges, mostly with our supply chain/vendors when we were creating trend jewelry. Specifically, having deadlines to meet, product not being up to our standards and having to do finishing work that was supposed to be done. Fortunately, everything is made in house now so we have full control over production, quality and deadlines. That means that my husband and I have had to work 15-hour days during the busy season. Last year I was 9 months pregnant during our holiday rush and I ended up working up until I had our baby Dec 20th. Sacrificing quality or not meeting our customer expectations is not an option for us. We do whatever it takes to get the job done.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Leila – what should we know?
We make a line of minimal + modern jewelry and specialize in hand stamped personalized necklace and bracelets.
We’re most proud of beginning in business for 13 years. Supporting our family of 5 and being able to employee an awesome group of ladies.
What sets us apart is that we care: we care about our quality, we care that our customers have a good experience and are happy with their purchases, and we care about our employees.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
My husband and I both come from entrepreneurial families. Seeing both our families work hard to succeed in business has given us both a strong work ethic. These qualities combined with great customer service has been most important to our success.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.leila.com
- Instagram: @leilajewelry
- Other: www.etsy.com/shop/leilajewelryshop
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