ARLINGTON, Texas—Going from accounting to custom jewelry may not sound like the traditional career path, but for local entrepreneur Alisha Zachary, it was just the creative turn her career needed.
Zachary shares Goldilinks with her daughter, Sara. Working together allows them to blend two different perspectives, something Zachary said leads to the creation of many ideas.
A creative collaboration
“It’s really fun to have someone to bounce ideas off of,” Zachary said. “A lot of unique and creative ideas come from that.”
When Zachary graduated from high school, she had no idea what her future would hold. She went back to college when she was around 30 years old and later worked as a corporate accountant before learning about permanent jewelry and doing it on the side. Permanent jewelry is custom-fitted and welded together so that the user can wear it continuously.
“I’ve always had a creative side to me that was not being fulfilled doing accounting,” Zachary said.
Still, Zachary said that the skills she used as an accountant have been particularly useful in her business—located at 380 E. Front St., Suite 140—as it helps her measure the cost of the material, make sure her pricing is appropriate and analyze cash flow, among other things.
Permanent jewelry sparked business concept
Zachary always had the idea of opening a boutique in mind, but she did not feel like clothing spoke to her. She had always loved jewelry, but it was after hearing about permanent jewelry that she decided what her business was supposed to be.
“I dove in headfirst with permanent jewelry,” Zachary said. “I taught myself everything I could figure out about permanent jewelry.”
Her daughter, Sara, helped her with the creative aspect, for instance giving the business a logo and brand personality.
Goldilinks started in a Fort Worth studio, where it stayed for two years. After getting burglarized, Zachary made the decision to move her business to downtown Arlington.
“It was very heartbreaking for us,” Zachary said. “A lot of crying and being very decisive in the moment.”
Building connections with clients
Zachary said that making permanent jewelry is a very special moment for individuals that are celebrating bonds or special moments. Sharing those experiences and connecting with clients helped them overcome the struggles that came from all the changes.
“Even with the devastation of what had happened, the joy outweighed that,” Zachary said.
Zachary said it has been tough in this new space with economic pressures, rising cost of material and reestablishing their image.
Compared to the typical jewelry store, Goldilinks is a vibrant, maximalist space with a lot of color. Zachary said that giving the space personality correlates with permanent jewelry, as it also expresses the personality of the person wearing it.
Zachary encourages aspiring entrepreneurs to build their brand and to set themselves apart from others.
“Just do it,” Zachary said. “Don’t let yourself live with the regret of if you could have done it or not.”
