Read Part I of this interview here.

What’s the hardest thing about starting your own business?

Honestly, the hardest thing for me in starting my own business is the fact that I’m such an introverted person. Approaching people is so necessary for my work, and it’s so difficult trying to make connections to get myself out there and known. Another problem is that I’m not comfortable talking about myself (wouldn’t know it to read this interview, but I’m really trying to get over this problem). I always figured my pieces would speak for themselves, but as I recently told someone, I know people respond better to stories, so I intend to start building stories around my designs both on the website and in the catalog I’m developing.

It also doesn’t help that I moved less than a year ago to a state where I knew a grand total of two people when I got here.

As far as telling stories around your designs, were you inspired by Seth Godin’s book, All Marketers are Liars, or this article he wrote for Fortune?

Sadly enough, while I have heard repeatedly of Seth Godin, I have yet to read very much of his work. The desire to build stories around my work actually comes from my education/museum background where stories are often used to keep a student or visitor’s attention long enough to teach them something about the object in question. It’s pretty much my favorite part of exhibit design, and I thought it had great application in my web business.

How hard/easy is the transition from a 9 to 5 job to running your own business? How do you balance time between the two? Do you find time to work on your jewelry everyday?

I think I still suffer from the mindset I had as a college student where I can take or leave the job scene - I rarely take a job thinking, “This is it! This is going to be my job for the rest of my life.” A part of me always thinks, “I can leave this place any time I want.”

And it’s so hard to find work situations outside of teaching where I feel comfortable working, and it’s difficult finding teaching positions due to my background. I’ve also always had some kind of business brewing, so I guess I really don’t think much about it because it feels so familiar to me. I keep the three jobs as a safety net to make sure ends meet each month, but you better believe I have exit strategies in mind for all of them as I grow my business. I strongly suspect I will never completely give up teaching, though.

I don’t necessarily work on my business everyday, and I don’t create jewelry as often as I’d like right now. I work on things as I can, late in the evenings, as I’m running from job to job, or on the weekends. I do have one day that is dedicated to working on tasks relating to the business, which lately has mostly been occupied either working on the website or the catalog. Last weekend, I took a day to write a sidebar for an upcoming book on blogging, and this next week will be occupied with making some pieces that will be part of the prize support for a local contest.

What’s your long term vision for Rebecca Thomas Designs?

I’m a bit of an optimist. I’d like to actually grow things so that Rebecca Thomas Designs actually becomes an umbrella for a set of businesses that address many of my interests. Because of how my blogging activity is set up, I’ve already got something of a head start on it. In time, the jewelry aspect will become its own business called JewelryNiche. The other three blogs I currently write will then come under Rebecca Thomas Designs and become their own businesses (In case you’re interested, CareerNiche, DesignNiche and EducationNiche). I’d really like to build a multiple-income-stream business that allows me to do the things I enjoy on my own terms.

As for the jewelry business specifically, I have an entire category dedicated to my plans on EverNote! I am considering new jewelry projects, the aforementioned technique and project sheets, as well as some other goodies.

Do you have any advice for someone who is trying make their own living and get away from a traditional 9 to 5 job?

It’s been said a million times by people much more experienced than me, but the best advice out there is to make sure when you escape that you move to do something you love. It’s not enough to just know a business or do it well. If you don’t love the work, then you won’t be happy on your own and you’ll find it difficult to become motivated and stay motivated.

Thank you, Rebecca, for your time!