Life & Work with Atiya Dickerson

Today we’d like to introduce you to Atiya Dickerson.

Hi Atiya, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I launched my business last summer, in June. I decided to sell charm bracelets after scrolling on Instagram and coming across profiles of younger women, who seemed to have found a way to make an extra income selling them.

My husband’s job was unsteady due to the pandemic, and I’m a nurse, so there was plenty of work of course, but I just didn’t have it in me to give more than the 3 shifts a week, I was already working. So I started making bracelets with no real rhyme or reason behind them. I love anything with inspirational and motivational quotes.

One day, I was looking at some inspirational jewelry online, and I just found it to be boring. So, I decided I would start making colorful bracelets with positive words, scriptures, and messages geared toward African-American women.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
No, it hasn’t been smooth at all. First of all, at the time I decided to start this online business, I was just starting to become familiar with Instagram. I knew nothing about algorithms and hashtags.

I knew absolutely nothing about marketing and target audiences. I just thought I’d post pics of products, put a caption urging people to buy them, and the sales would roll in. That’s not how it went at all lol. I had to have my 23-year-old son help me in the beginning. I just wasn’t aware of how much time and effort it takes to market on social media.

It’s almost a crash course in psychology lol. Secondly, setting up a website was quite a learning experience, but thank God for Shopify!

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a full-time registered nurse, but I make inspirational and motivational charm bracelets.

I am proud of the voice I’ve found throughout this process, although my audience is small. I try to use my business’s social media platforms to encourage and inspire.

Sometimes I have no idea what to say, but then I’ll look at one of my bracelets, and end up writing nearly an entire essay on self-love, but then I realize this is social media (low attention spans), so I cut it back a bit… a lot actually lol.

We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
My favorite childhood memory is not having to pay bills lol. Other than that, it would be going to the skating rink with friends and chasing boys around the rink… because they were the reason I went anyway lol.

My childhood was in the 80s, so it was AWESOME!

Contact Info:

• Email: lovepeaceandcharms@gmail.com
• Website: lovepeaceandcharms.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/lovepeaceandcharms?utm_medium=copy_link
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/105130231797618/