Sondr London
I’m so excited to share our very first interview with the one and only Sondr London.
A big (huge!) favourite of mine, I’ve absolutely loved watching this brand grow. The brand oozes an effortlessly cool aesthetic and there’s such a depth to each and every piece in terms of story, textures and tones. It’s a brand to watch and this is their founder’s story so far.
Meet Sondr London . . .
I’m Shamim but most people call me Sham and I’m the one girl band that runs Sondr London!
Sondr is a demi-fine jewellery brand inspired by the idea that everyone has a story worth telling. I create made-to-order jewellery which I describe as modern talismans as they’re created in London’s Hatton Garden using age-old techniques.
Having trained and worked as a chartered accountant for several years, I really needed a creative outlet (not in abundant supply as an accountant!). I started creating jewellery on the side of my day job and so Sondr London was born. Drawing inspiration from vintage and ancient styles and the idea that nothing in life is perfect, I love creating textured, worn looking pieces that people can cherish for years to come.
So from accountant to jewellery, how did you get started?
Researching how to make jewellery. Given I’m an accountant, I didn’t have the foggiest idea what lost wax casting was or what was involved in creating jewellery!
And steps 2, 3, 4, 5 ….?
So, after researching how I go about making the type of jewellery I loved, I had to find someone who would help me bring my idea to life. Seeing as I’m not jewellery trained at all, I fired off emails to a couple of places I found on Google and off I went to my first appointment with a jeweller. Once I had my first necklace made, it suddenly became very real and the rest started to take form.
Being on a budget, I did a lot of things myself. The logo, the branding, the website, and the packaging. The only thing I didn’t trust myself to do was the photography. Many people have said one of the most important things to invest in is really good product photography and that was where I was going to let myself splash out. I’m such a perfectionist so having my product portrayed in the way that I wanted was so important to me.
“the immense satisfaction you get seeing an idea turn into something beautiful and real”
What was your favourite and least favourite part of the pre-launch process?
Favourite was definitely the immense satisfaction you get seeing an idea turn into something beautiful and real. I just couldn’t stop smiling at the fact that I was wearing something that I had designed. It’s such a cool feeling!
Least favourite definitely has to be the worrying about money and knowing if what you were doing was right. Given I didn’t have the ability to make my product myself, I spent a lot on creating my pieces. It’s extremely stressful wondering if you’ll ever make it back. It’s also really worrying when you’re not well familiar with the trade or industry, to know if you’re being taken advantage of with costs etc.
Is there anything from your first year that you would do differently next time around?
Many things! I have made so many mistakes. That’s ok though, it’s to be expected. I’d join groups that have a community of founders earlier so that I can ask questions on things I’m unsure of and avoid costly mistakes. I’d do a lot more research and shopping around to bring costs down. When you’re working full time, it’s easy to treat things as a hobby and so not be as strict on your budgets as you should be.
From the idea to launch, how long did the process take?
About 9 months to create my first collection and launch.
What’s the one thing you wish you'd known when you started out?
How it’s basically 99% marketing and 1% everything else! I was desperate for that creative outlet and I only really imagined the creating part when I thought of my own business. It sounds silly but I didn’t really think about what came after and the immense amount of time you then go on to spend on getting exposure!
With no prior experience in the jewellery industry, how did you go about educating yourself on the jewellery industry, finding suppliers and the process of getting a piece made?
Google was my best friend! I quickly understood that lost wax casting was the method of creating jewellery that I wanted as someone who loves textured, vintage looking pieces. I googled the process, I joined forums to ask questions where I was struggling to understand certain things, I googled suppliers and for jewellers to work with and of course Hatton Garden being the beating heart of the jewellery trade in London, I went and walked around to see what was about. There were times where I’ve been completely at my wits end because I had everyone telling me different things for a question I’ve asked so it has been really tricky. But there have also been really lovely people who run their own brands who I’ve messaged on Instagram and met up with in real life who have also shared their knowledge.
“it’s basically 99% marketing and 1% everything else”
What was one of the biggest challenges during your first year?
Not just during my first year, just generally there are so many things that come under the branch of gaining exposure – influencers, traditional media, stockists, blogs etc. it’s incredibly hard to know which to focus on for the biggest impact. Securing traditional press coverage is something I’ve found the most challenging.
Another ongoing challenge continues to be wondering what I should be focussing on. There’s no roadmap for launching your business and different things work for different people so it’s been hard figuring out where to allocate my time!
“there’s no roadmap for launching your business and different things work for different people”
And what’s been the highlight of your first year?
Being used in a photoshoot that was published in L’Officiel Ukraine and having my brand name there besides Bottega Veneta! That’s quite surreal.
What’s one of your biggest challenge(s) when it comes to balancing a full-time job and Sondr?
Not being able to do enough in the couple of hours after you get home from work to really make an impact and the guilt if you feel too exhausted to do much. You then begin to start comparing yourself to others, others who might be doing this full time and begin feeling really bad about the progress you’ve made! It’s hard but I try not to put too much pressure on myself and where I ‘should’ be. Everyone has their own pace.
What’s a benefit of a full time job and having Sondr on the side?
Having the safety of a monthly salary that I can invest into Sondr. It definitely helps to not worry about having to make x number of sales to pay the bills and grow it slowly until it does!
Day-to-day, how do you manage running Sondr alongside your full time job / what would your top tip be?
Making to-do lists and getting through what I can slowly but surely. Also outsourcing where I can afford to.
“it’s so lovely to hear why people have bought from you and how much they love their jewellery. It just makes it all so worthwhile”
What's been the best investment you've made for your business?
Great photography, it really makes a difference when people visit your page and you’re trying to get the attention of journalists and stylists etc.
What’s the app you can’t live without?
Probably Instagram at this stage, it’s where I focus a lot of my efforts in attracting customers!
What do you enjoy most when it comes to your business?
Working with new and interesting people that I would never get a chance to in my day job! I never had any role models in creative industries growing up, if I had, my choices might have been different but I really enjoy working with amazing photographers, stylists and other creatives and seeing how they bring their visions to life.
Also receiving amazing feedback from customers and talking to them about why they bought my pieces (to mark a special moment etc). It’s SO lovely to hear why people have bought from you and how much they love their jewellery. It just makes it all so worthwhile.
And what’s the least favourite part of your business/what do you least like doing as part of having your own business?
Social media is a time-consuming beast that I’d like to outsource when possible. I find it’s so easy to get caught in toxic habits (comparing yourself to others etc.) that at times I really feel I need a break from the platform but don’t really have that luxury.
“it’s hard but I try not to put too much pressure on myself and where I “should” be. Everyone has their own pace”
Follow Sondr London on Instagram @sondrlondon or browse their beautiful website at www.sondrlondon.com.
