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Danielle Yuen is a very inspiring nzgirl. She’s a self taught jewellery artist and at 15-years-old, already runs her own business in between school life.
Her creations are fun, individual, one-of-a-kind designs which she sells on her website www.dmcaydesignz.com. We had a chat to Danielle about her jewellery making business to find out what drives her…
1. Where did the inspiration come from for your company? What’s the story behind it? Well I’ve always loved crafting and DIY and I used to try and sell creations when I was younger so when a bead shop opened near home a few years ago, I visited it heaps and taught myself how to make jewellery more professionally. Since I love making jewellery I thought selling jewellery would be a pretty good way to earn some pocket money and to fundraise for upcoming school music trips overseas. DMCAY Designz was born!
2. Tell us a bit about the style of jewellery you make. I make quite a few varieties of jewellery; I don’t really stick to one particular style. I have a few different collections, there’s Rock ‘n Choc which is guitar pick jewellery and polymer clay chocolates; Plastic Perfection which is kitschy cute plastic charm jewellery and then I have the Paua ‘n Pearls, some Asian inspired necklaces and other glass and crystal beaded pieces. There’s quite a difference between the styles, probably because I’m always experimenting with new ideas and I love all of them!
3. You seem to be very talented and driven for such a young age, how did you get to where you are today? I started out by selling to friends and family to earn money to cover my beading addiction costs, then I found TradeMe and discovered the internet was great to sell jewellery and also buy supplies. I found and contacted my first two stockists via the net and started up my website early this year. So the internet has been a really useful resource for me!
4. What's the best thing about your own business? That I don’t have to get a job at a supermarket or anywhere or rely on my parents for cash, I just wait for the orders to come in and work from my bedroom.
5. What advice do you have for others wanting to follow in your footsteps? Research for the best materials before you begin, it saves time afterwards and gives a more consistent overall quality for selling. Then just aim high, research well and follow your dreams!
6. Where do you see yourself in the future and where do you see your jewellery making business going? I really don’t know where I’m going to be in the future, I may go on to study business or design at university, but which area I have no idea. I would love to expand my business to other accessories and maybe even clothing. I definitely want to go international and in the distant future maybe even have a shop selling my creations, supplies and stocking other designers. But that’s quite a way away.
7. Describe yourself in five words. Creative, Quiet, Dreamer, Entrepreneurial, Innovative
8. Who is your most inspirational nzgirl? Basically all the young designers and entrepreneurs who’ve really made it big in NZ and overseas.
9. What are three important lessons you’ve learnt? 1. Look ahead 2. Keep good records of sales and purchases 3. Always do school work before jewellery designing or else it’ll never get done!
10. Where can we get your jewellery from? My Rock ‘n Choc collection is available from www.toggle.co.nz, plus Lady Eve’s Boutique on K-Rd also stocks it. The guitar pick jewellery and my full collections are available from my website www.dmcaydesignz.com and on TradeMe under the username “dmcay”
11. Any advice for nzgirls? Age isn’t a restriction, just go for it!
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jewellery artist and at 15-years-old, already runs her own business in between school life. 
1. Where did the inspiration come from for your company? What’s the story behind it?
6. Where do you see yourself in the future and where do you see your jewellery making business going? 
1. Look ahead