Rachel O’Mahony is a passionate jewelry designer and the founder of WedLock, a luxury designer jewelry brand based in New Jersey. Growing up in a family who has designed and manufactured wedding wear for a lot of fashion stores in London, Rachel witnessed the behind-the-scenes of the fashion world, especially the wedding and festivity-related market. She inherited her love for creativity and translated it into designing and crafting jewelry.
After completing her BA in Jewelry Design from the University of Art’s London she decided to fulfill her childhood dream of working in the luxury jewelry industry. While she was planning to kick start her own business at the tender age of 24 she met her boyfriend and moved to New Jersey. He encouraged and helped her to set up her own designer jewelry brand, WedLock in the competitive market of America. In the last eight years, Rachel has opened a store in New Jersey and another store in London.
With an eye for detail and perfection, Rachel’s specialty is in custom wedding jewelry. Today, WedLock works toward its mission of creating one-of-a-kind experiences through luxury yet affordable jewelry pieces for the needs of a modern woman.
Thanks for joining us! Let’s start with getting to know who Rachel O’Mahony is. And what are you doing these days?
Thanks for having me. I am Rachel O’Mahony, an artist at heart. I was born and brought up in London. I was always passionate about designing and experimenting with colors. From a very young age, I knew I would grow up to be a designer. I founded my designer jewelry brand WedLock at a young age. Today I own two luxury stores, one in New Jersey and another in London.
With an eye for detail and perfection, my specialty is in custom wedding jewelry. I am working towards my mission of creating one-of-a-kind experiences through luxury yet affordable jewelry pieces for the needs of a modern woman.
What made you decide to become an entrepreneur?
After completing my BA in Jewelry Design from the University of Art’s London I decided to fulfill my childhood dream of working in the luxury jewelry industry. While I was planning to kick start my own business in my mid-20s, I met my boyfriend, and moved to New Jersey. He encouraged and helped me to set up my designer jewelry brand, WedLock in the competitive market of America. In the last eight years, I have opened a store in New Jersey and another in London. My entrepreneurial journey has been a smooth and enjoyable one.
What would you say are the top 3 skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur, and why?
I believe the three skills that are vital in creating a successful trajectory as an entrepreneur are: 1. Solution-based or service-based expertise that the market needs. Like I have to offer something unparalleled to attract the audience.
- Wisdom and the ability to connect with your ideal client at the right time makes all the difference.
- Growth mindset is also mandatory to become a successful entrepreneur. You need to believe that you can make anything big with your conviction and hard work and should know what path to take to reach your goal.
You sound quite passionate about your work; why? Is there a story behind it?
Growing up in a family who has designed and manufactured wedding wear for a lot of fashion stores in London, I witnessed the behind-the-scenes of the fashion world, especially the wedding and festivity-related market. I can safely claim that I have inherited my love for creativity and translated it into designing and crafting jewelry.
How do you separate WedLock from your competitors?
I believe that my willingness to work hard is the only thing that separates WedLock from its competitors. I don’t mind working all day and night to meet a deadline. I believe persistence has led to my brand this amazing success, and I’m determined to work with even more enthusiasm because there is a long journey ahead.
What was the biggest problem you encountered launching your jewelry store and how did you overcome it?
When I started off, we used separate systems to manage our store inventory, online orders, and manufacturing units. That resulted in an incomplete view of total inventory across trade channels, and because of that, we encountered the problem of having stock-outs, and overstock issues. There were significant disruptions in supply chain management that made us rethink our strategies to meet customer demands. In order to solve that issue, we started planning our inventory and logistics in a streamlined manner.
How do you stay driven and motivated to keep going in your business?
My husband is my biggest strength and my driving force. He motivates me when I feel low or think of giving up in the middle of a crisis. He helps me keep things and thoughts organized and stay focused on my goals.
What’s the best part of your job?
Seeing my clients satisfied with the jewelry pieces I designed for them is the best part of my job. When my clients share their feedback and tell me how much I have contributed to making their wedding memories more perishable, I feel immensely happy.
What is your definition of success?
When you feel happy and content after a long struggling journey, instead of feeling exhausted, this is the purest form of success for me.
Thank you so much for this truly amazing interview!
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