MONDAY, FEBRUARY 04, 2008Interview: Jewellery Design from Rachel Mielke's Western Canadian Perspective
Regina-based jewellery designer and entrepreneur Rachel Mielke came to Toronto to participate in the TFI’s annual Guilty Pleasures Brunch and Sale at the Drake Hotel, so I wanted to discuss her experiences as a Western Canadian fashion business owner.
Rachel studied Business Administration and specialized in Marketing at the University of Regina and following graduation, she worked for Women Entrepreneurs of Saskatchewan, where she gained valuable experience that led her to start her own company, Hillberg & Berk.
Hillberg & Berk began in 2005 and sells higher-end accessories to Western Canadian retailers. The spring 2008 collection was inspired by Rachel’s recent trip to Bali and uses semi-precious stones, sterling and Bali silver, and 18-K gold, along with natural organic elements. Now the company has two employees and Rachel’s goal is to expand through Eastern Canada.
As a designer from a smaller Canadian city, Rachel receives tons of support and people want to see local businesses succeed. She says there are many job and entrepreneurial programs and resources available to young people that are underutilized, so she encourages new designers to seek out such programs. Her former office would be a good place to start, especially if you live in Saskatchewan. Rachel also enjoys her central location since it provides easy travel access to all areas of the country.
On the other hand, a city such as Regina does not have a huge fashion community so she isn’t as involved in the fashion community as she wishes. Given this limitation, Rachel found that she had to reach out to other locations for assistance. That’s why she joined the TFI. In a smaller city, it’s difficult to research stores and hot locations in other cities, so she found the TFI resources to be helpful.
I thought that Rachel used her TFI membership to full potential by coming to Toronto for the TFI Press Breakfast in the Fall and by returning this weekend for Guilty Pleasures. When I asked about experiencing the TFI in the fall for the first time, Rachel said, “The TFI is awesome!” and thinks the membership price is reasonable. She was particularly impressed with the Promostyl book in the Resource Centre, which she never would have been able to get access to in Regina. She hasn’t found any place similar in Western Canada. When asked about her Press Breakfast experience, she said it was great; where else are you going to meet the high profile press? Did the experience meet her expectations?
Rachel admits that it seemed as though some journalists were networking amongst themselves during the event, but she did make some excellent contacts. For instance, www.sweetspot.ca profiled Hillberg & Berk and Tara Spencer-Nairn, an actress from Corner Gas, took note of Hillberg & Berk jewellery. (As an aside, I’d like to give Tara Spencer-Nairn a little shout-out because she’s a wonderful supporter of Canadian design. She’s at many shows and events and knows her designers. We appreciate your support, Tara!)
I was curious about Rachel’s expectations for Guilty Pleasures and she was honest in saying that she didn’t quite know what to expect, but was looking forward to making contacts and create brand awareness. Since she didn’t have too much demographic information for the event, she couldn’t predict sales projections.
It sounded as though Rachel had a lot of experience with trade shows, but it turns out that she prefers other sales methods. If you are mid-range designer looking to sell in Western Canada, she recommends that you check out the Alberta Gift Show and Alberta By Hand.
What other advice can she give you? She has so many words of wisdom:
* Definitely create a business plan.
* Make sure to start with your ethical and moral convictions; don’t do this for the money because you won’t make it for a few years. It takes a lot to get through the first years.
* Put money and energy into your business for it to grow.
* Keep your part-time job when you’re starting out.
* Get involved in community events; provide donations because it not only provides excellent PR, but it helps establish credibility, goodwill, and support.
Finally, what has been Rachel’s biggest lesson learned as the owner of Hillberg & Berk? She says it’s important to take advantage of every opportunity. Constantly promote yourself, exploit all opportunities, don’t be shy and don’t be discouraged by disappointment.
Are you now ready to expand your Western-based business to Eastern Canada or your Eastern-based business to Western Canada? We have a country filled with fantastic designers and I can’t wait to see Hillberg & Berk in more Toronto stores.
A BIT ABOUT MYSELF
Following a career change, I started a business, BoastToastie Design & Production, but unfortunately, it didn't last (check out the archives for the story!). In this diary, I discuss the ups and downs of starting a company, how to balance a possibly risky endeavour with earning a living, and I interview local designers for their advice. I love to hear from readers, so feel free to e-mail me.