Meet Bere Diaz Pandit, owner and designer of Sweet1985, she creates handmade cultural inspired jewelry from her San Diego studio. As a self-taught jeweler, she researched jewelry methods and styles from all over the world to create her current collections. Each piece is handmade with love in San Diego; every design hand-carved and casted using the lost wax casting method. Sweet1985 has been featured in magazines such as Vogue, GQ, Elle and many more.

1 | Tell me about your company… What does your company do?

I come from a family of entrepreneurs. I always knew that I wanted to work for myself and make my own hours. Being my own boss would allow me to spend more time with my family and be very flexible. I’ve always been a jewelry junkie and have had bad luck with expensive “costume” jewelry. Jewelry that I loved that later gave me rashes and turned my fingers into the hulk. I created my business with the plan to only use quality metals and still be affordable.

Sweet 1985 Jewels is a jewelry line designed for fashion forward boss babes. Our jewelry design ranges from dainty to huge statement pieces.

2 | How long have you been in business or developing your brand?

I’ve been in business since 2010 ! Starting out I spent lots of money researching and testing lots of materials. Started selling in 2011-2012. We are now in 20+ retailers worldwide. My first step was building my business plan. I planned on being successful. I made sure that all of my goals were on paper. From production to my packaging and my target market. Having this is very important to starting your own business.

3 | What are some challenges you have faced being an entrepreneur?

My big challenge was not having a steady income. I could of easily worked for somebody else and been financially. I decided to work for myself and really PUSH myself to make it. I created my product line sheet sand put myself out there. I started calling and emailing boutiques to introduce my brand. I remember my first call. I was shaky and scared

4 | How much has social media impacted your business?

Social media has been HUGE in my business. I do not have a physical store so my social media platform is my baby. I spend lots of time and planning on it. Our sales are 85% coming from Instagram. So a tip for all of you business owners out there: LOVE YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA ! Treat it like a baby. Don’t snooze on it.

5 | What makes you unique to other professionals in your space?

There are a zillion jewelry lines out in the world. My designs, process and creativity makes Sweet 1985 Jewels unique. My current collection is designed with “cast in place” process, meaning that all of the stones are set in place in the wax process rather than setting the stones in metal. Cast in place means that I have to remake every piece every time we cast. It is truly beautiful as each stone is held together organically.

6 | What advice can you give to your fellow millennial entrepreneurs?

Advice:

A.DON’T Procrastinate, Wake up early: Wake up every day with a Goal.Make your coffee, get dressed (Even when you work from home! Trust me, doing this will make you feel more prepared) + go down your list of to-do’s. Find something that inspires you every day.

B. Manage your time: I set alarm on my phone per task. It is very easy to get distracted as an entrepreneur.When I first started, I’d look at the time and ask myself “, What have I done? Where did time go?” This was a problem I had. I started setting alarms to help myself meet my goals. For example, I spent one hour in the morning to have my coffee and catch up on my emails. Once that hour passed and my alarm would ring, My goal per task is to get everything done in that time frame. Per alarm I get up, stretch, have a snack and get back to the next task.

C. Collaborate: Do your research on your target market and brands/bloggers with similar aesthetic. Growing a business using social media is VERY important. I have approached other business owners and bloggers with a plan to collaborate and cross promote each other. Don’t be scared to put yourself out there. Go to business events and introduce yourself to strangers.

7 | Bossfidence is all about finding your bliss and building your confidence, how did you know that you needed to branch out from your comfort zone?

I am all about the BOSS BABE movement. My jewelry line is here to stay. I wanted to put a face to my jewelry line and to let other girls know that dreams do come true if you work hard for it ! I learned to make jewelry using Youtube !

8 | Who is your biggest influencer or inspiration?

My biggest influencer is my mom. I am a momma’s girl. My mom has been very supportive from the start. She’s helped me finalize a few collections and helped me with production.