Meet Leander D’Ambrosia | Jewelry Designer & Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Leander D’Ambrosia and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Leander, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I started Leander D’Ambrosia jewelry as a side hustle when I was 22, living in that beautiful youthful delirium where anything is possible and everything seems doable, as long as you’ve got enough grit and sense of adventure.

Fresh out of university, during my days I worked as a bench jeweler in Tucson, Arizona doing repair work and filling their storefront with handmade jewelry. In the evenings I would develop my own designs, stumble my way through DIY product photography and build my own website.

Somewhere along my journey, I was introduced to the idea that it was entirely plausible to reverse engineer your life by figuring out your dream lifestyle you wanted first, then figure out how to make a career around that. With my wanderlust spirit and obsession with travel, I had always resented the widely accepted idea that you had to wait until retirement to live your dream life, unencumbered by other peoples schedules and demands. I was determined to challenge myself and dare to design a life that I didn’t need a vacation from. I wanted a flexible lifestyle that allowed me to be present to raise my future kids and never miss an activity with them. Becoming an entrepreneur was a natural calling for me, and gave me the freedom to build the life I dreamed of for my future and my family.

Twenty-something year old me had had a dream to create an online business, where I could have my little traveling silversmithing workshop in some remote place, likely under a palapa on a beach in Mexico (or something!). All I would need was an internet connection and FedEx. So simple and easy, right?!

When my website sales started to match my wages at my job in Tucson, I knew it was time to build my dream full time, and not someone else’s. My jewelry company became my full time career in 2013 and my creative entrepreneurial journey got serious. As in, this-HAS-to-work-because-there-is-no-plan-B, serious. I worked on my brand tirelessly, obsessively, self teaching and researching my way through it all. I slowly and sustainably grew my business by taking on custom commissions, while designing and selling my ready to wear collections, one order and one customer at a time.

Fast forward 5 years, a husband, two babies and an international move later, we moved from Tucson, AZ to Mexico to live the lifestyle we truly wanted for ourselves. Our little romantic idea of living in a small seaside town off the beaten path in Mexico actually came into fruition. My art business was not only funding our new lifestyle by the sea, but surviving and thriving through all of the rather large business stress tests and logistical challenges that that massive transition took.

Now, thanks to my incredible shipping team in Tucson, they manage inventory and ship orders daily from our Tucson warehouse. Our operations are humble and I make my jewelry in my quaint studio workshop in San Carlos, Mexico – where the beautiful desert meets the calm and abundant Sea of Cortez. Between October and March, you can also find me to shop in person at various curated Art Festivals in the Phoenix and Tucson areas. When the Sonoran desert heat goes full throttle, you can find me across the pond in my motherland Australia with a suitcase full of jewelry. To view my current tour schedule, please visit www.leanderdambrosia.com/events

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Q: Please tell us more about your art:
I make jewelry pieces that are modern and minimalist with a bohemian flair. I design for those who wish to embrace their own uniqueness and dare to create their own one of a kind style. I thoughtfully create Leander D’Ambrosia jewelry with wearability and comfort in mind, for bodies and beauties of all shapes and sizes.

My work is meticulously hand crafted with a variety of premium quality metals and genuine gemstones. I love to use organic shapes and interesting textures to create pieces that will become your new favorites. My LD line is artfully handmade in either solid sterling silver or radiant 18k gold plated over bronze. To achieve the brilliantly gorgeous, durable, high quality finish in my gold plated jewellery, I use an ultra thick, 3 micron layer of 18k gold plating. Both sterling silver and gold plated options are treated with an additional layer of clear anti-tarnish protection for maximum durability and low maintenance. I also work in solid gold by request.

Be adorned in LD jewels that can be worn effortlessly from day to night, on your walk down the aisle or simply accompanying you daily on your life’s journey!

Q: Risk taking: how do you think about risk, what role has taking risks played in your life/career?

Risk taking is definitely a muscle that I have to develop and strengthen constantly as an entrepreneur. When I am deliberating on the next risk I need to take, I remind myself that the scariest part is considering what won’t happen if I don’t take the leap ahead. The only certain way to fail at something 100% is to not even try, so the odds are already stacked in favor of taking the risk and going for it. I would rather take a chance and fail, than have the regret of not even trying. For me, the consequences of NOT taking that risk is what scares me. What do I stand to lose by NOT taking the risk? What is the true cost of standing still? And what happens if the risk pays off, maybe even in ways I never even imagined? That is the fuel that keeps me exhilarated and in love with my business everyday.

Running a business is an infinite stream of micro and macro decisions and ideas, most with a degree of risk attached to each. It can be really easy, albeit self sabotaging, to hyper focus on all the things that could go wrong when confronted with a risk ahead. For me, the trick to building my resilience to risk is to notice when things actually go right. I find when I pay attention to all the times that I took a risk and it actually worked out, I subconsciously put those little wins in my self confidence library. When I’m at a crossroads and need to make a move, I also like to remind myself that I have indeed survived 100% of the really hard things I’ve already done, so there is no logical reason that I won’t survive the next big risk.

My company logo is a nautilus shell, which I chose as a symbol for growth and to symbolize how we build upon the foundations of past versions of ourselves to form the ever evolving person we are today. The nautilus grows in a perfect spiral outwards, building up its beautiful shell layer by layer. We layer ourselves with jewelry as we grow through our life’s journey, adding pieces to ourselves and to our story along the way. I see taking risks in business through this same expanding, spiraling outwards motion. The risks we take are the momentum that serves to help us build, grow and expand forwards towards better versions of ourselves.

Q: Other than deciding to work for yourself, what was the single most important decision you made that contributed to your success?

The decision everyday to keep on going, and to keep on taking that next step forwards even when it seems daunting. Being self employed, it can be awfully tempting to throw in the towel when you hit a big challenge or you are battling through a tough season in business. When you are the boss, you have to be able to tell yourself to keep going and keep pushing, because there isn’t really anyone else to light that fire under you. It can be a lonely fight being an solopreneur!

Q: What is the most important factor behind your success / the success of your brand?

The one and only reason I have a business is because of my beautiful customers. So naturally the most important factor in succeeding is that I show up everyday for the people who wear my jewelry and inspire me to keep designing. I very intentionally make my customers the center of my motivation, whether it’s designing pieces that I know they’ll resonate with, or tailoring my marketing to make sure I have various modes of communications that they appreciate.

I have dedicated my life to creating wearable art with the hope that my customers feel valuable, confident, one-of-a-kind and infinitely radiant every single day wearing my pieces. I have created Leander D’Ambrosia to be a customer-centric company with my customers as my north star. There’s the old adage that says, people don’t remember what you said, but they will always remember how you made them feel. I always strive to find new ways to bring my customers joy in meaningful, creative ways, which I think has impacted the amount of people who come back to shop with me year after year to add to their LD collections.

Q: Work life balance: how has your balance changed over time? How do you think about the balance?

This has always been such a struggle for me, through all of the various seasons of my life and business. My business has seen me evolve from a 20yr old free spirit, to a wife then to a mother, so the shifting sands of work-life-balance has always been an ebb and flow depending on my season. As a creative with high functioning anxiety tendencies, it’s incredibly easy for me to slip into obsessive work-mode and feel the pull of ‘always needing to be busy on something’. Especially when I am so excited about a new collection, an upcoming photoshoot or in person shopping event that I am planning. I feel as though I am constantly oscillating between healthy hustling and the less healthy version – burnout. The two extremes of the work/life balance spectrum. It is oddly contradictory that my obsessive creative passion can actually lead to debilitating burnout if not managed mindfully, and it can be really hard to slow down for the sake of self care when I am really excited about a project. As in art, work/life balance is always a work in progress for me!

It took me a long time to figure out that having quite rigid boundaries in my schedule ironically allowed me the freedom I originally envisioned when starting my business. For myself and a lot of other creatives, strict time schedules can seem overly restrictive and counterintuitive. After experiencing a pretty extreme bout of emotional and physical fatigue, which led to exhausted burnout in all areas of my life, I was desperate to find a better balance. For the sake of my family, myself and my business. Now, I follow a daily routine that has exercise, meditation, nature, work, family time and rest all built in and promised to me each day. With a well curated schedule I can truly beat that horrible feeling of always having something else more productive that I ‘should’ be doing, which allows me to fully rest and recharge. A good schedule gives you the promise that you will have both productivity and rest each day, which is foundational to sustainable personal and business success. The greatest aspect of my schedule is that my business now gives me the freedom to work when my kids are at school, so that I can be 100% present and have fun with them when we are together. I believe that our time is a form of currency, and having more freedom with our time is the truest form of wealth.

Q: Why did you pursue an artistic or creative career?

As a child, I was always a crafty maker with an entrepreneurial spirit. In high school I made and sold my first pieces of jewelry (cuff bracelets made from torn up painted canvas straps with a sewn on button) and sold them to my friends and family. I had exhibited some of my paintings at local art events and sold a few. These experiences opened my eyes to the fact that a) people wanted what I could make and b) they would pay me for it. I knew that if I could find a way to multiply that, I’d be in business!

Q: Do you have a favorite quote or affirmation? What does it mean to you / what do you like about it?

Oh there are so many that I live by. But stuck on my computer I have a little post-it note that says, “The success you enjoy now is because of the work you did 6 months ago”. I think it is from James Clear’s book ‘Atomic Habits’. This quote helps me think long term and encourages me to think much further past whatever is challenging me at the current moment. It keeps me inspired when I’m in an inspiration lull and it reminds me to be the best I can be for the sake of my future self, and my company. This quote also exemplifies the importance of being persistent, but patient.

Q: What’s the most difficult decision you’ve ever had to make?

The hardest decisions I have to make are in curating my own collections in the design phase. For every 1 design that everyone gets to see, I always have at least 10 more equally great designs that I could have been released into the wild. It is a huge investment to bring a new style to launch, so unfortunately not everything good ever gets to see the light of day! It’s hard to decide which designs to put into production and which designs to bench. It is very hard to curate my own collections in order to create a cohesive assortment of jewelry to offer, but it’s a necessary kind of restraint. When I started my business, my designs were all over the place, ranging widely in style, sizing, materials and vibe. Nothing really matched or made sense stylistically. When I started to refine my collections and design pieces that could be replicated, pieces that paired well with others and pieces that told a story stylistically, my brand just started to make sense and be more appealing to my customers.

Q: What do you want your legacy to be? What do you want people to remember about you?

I hope that I live my life in an inspiring way for my kids, and perhaps for others too, to prove that you really can live the life you’ve always dreamed of, on your own terms. In today’s society, it can seem revolutionary to dare to live life a little differently to the status quo. I hope that my legacy inspires others to take a leap of faith and go for their dreams, even if it’s scary and looks different to what everyone else is doing.

When we think of our elders or people dear to us, we see in our minds their hands decorated with their favorite rings. Or we visualize their faces, framed by the necklace chain they wear everyday or their favorite earrings. Their jewelry often becomes the most treasured and sentimental keepsakes when our loved ones pass. It is my utmost honor to think that my jewelry designs will become heirlooms and symbols of their love and cherished memories. I hope that my creative legacy will be in literal heirlooms, that my designs will live on and be a part of people’s stories for eternity.

Q: What’s one thing about your industry that outsiders are probably unaware of?

I think those memes that show ‘what my customers think I do all day’ versus ‘what I actually do all day’ are hilariously on point. People are shocked to hear that I spend what feels like 90% of my time on my computer. I think people tend to envision a working artist’s life to be full of late mornings, coffee dates to daydream and uninterrupted, blissful hours on end of pure creative genius in the studio. For me, that couldn’t be further from the truth! Being a working artist takes an enormous amount of unglamourous and sometimes unexciting admin work, emails, marketing, pitching and planning. So much so that the actual time spent creating the art is minimal in comparison!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
From October through March an impressive amount of talented artists from all over the country and the world flock to Arizona to exhibit in a traveling tour of juried Art Festivals throughout the state. Art Festival season in Arizona is a truly special cultural tradition that gives so many artists a professional platform to launch their art careers, connect with art enthusiasts and build a community for creatives. Each time I exhibit at one of these Arizona Art Festivals, I am in awe at the pure talent and I am incredibly inspired by being surrounded by so many hard working, professional artists. During these mild weather months, there is an Art Festival on pretty much every weekend, somewhere in Arizona! To view my upcoming tour schedule, please visit www.leanderdambrosia.com/events and RSVP to the events you are interested in.

When I am traveling through Arizona during Art Festival season I love to explore the natural beauty found just outside of the city centers. The mountain ranges in Arizona are truly stunning and offer a fun departure from the lower valley climate. In winter time, it’s exhilarating to leave the warm sun behind for a day and climb a mountain until you reach the snow! Desert oases in the form of natural springs and creeks in the desert are also incredibly special to find and enjoy. After living in Arizona for 10 years, finding a natural source of water would feel like a spiritual journey for me, as balm against the dry desert warmth.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I am so blessed to have parents that encouraged my creative pursuits in my childhood. I keenly observed the people around me who used their artistic talents to build their careers, which became lessons that I am endlessly grateful for. I watched my architect dad design the skyline of my hometown in Australia, I got to shadow my celebrity photographer uncle in LA and I got to see the behind the scenes of how another uncle grew his successful business from the ground up. Coming from a family of creatives with careers in their fields, I learned from a very young age that artistic people are highly valued and essential players in society. It wasn’t until I got to my university years that I started to hear the term ‘starving artist’ and that ‘you’ll never make a living in the arts’. At 5 years old, I had already determined that I was going to be an artist when I grew up, so I had a point to prove!

There are so many great people out their who, through their own creative works, have given me the support, inspiration and community that fuels me as an entrepreneur. Some favorite books that I have digested over the past few years include Atomic Habits by James Clear, Worthy by Jamie Kern Lima and The Desired Brand Effect by Tracy Matthews.

Website: https://www.leanderdambrosia.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leander_dambrosia

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leanderdambrosiawearables

Image Credits
Photography: Pablo Garcia
(Brunette) Model: Valeria Cacheux
(Blonde) Model: Leander D’Ambrosia