Daily Inspiration: Meet Xanath Guzmán-Small

Today we’d like to introduce you to Xanath Guzmán-Small.

Hi Xanath, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself
Hey, I’m Xanath and I’m the creator of Bow+Hoop Jewelry! I work as an Event Manager at a nonprofit during the day and the rest of my time is dedicated to making my small business. I have always loved making jewelry and creating art and I knew it was only a matter of time until I started some kind of business of my own.

Bow+Hoop unofficially started in August 2019. I started out just making pieces for myself and close friends and family. Then the shop officially opened in June 2020! Now Bow+Hoop can be found on Etsy, Instagram, and several shops in the Phoenix area and beyond.

Bow+Hoop focuses on simple, everyday jewelry pieces with the occasional statement piece. My jewelry is made with high-quality metals and stones and each piece is handmade by me. This includes all of the wire wrapping, soldering, assembly, and stone setting!

All of the pieces truly represent me and it’s been so fun to share that with everyone. The Bow+Hoop name was inspired by my two dogs, Bowman and Hooper. As a huge animal lover, I always knew I wanted to use my business to create positive change. Because of this, a portion of sales are donated to animal shelters and rescues to help animals in need!

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Overall, I feel as though my journey has been fun and exciting, with a few bumps and learning curves. Owning a business really is a wild ride! One minute you are confident in what you are doing, and the next minute you need to learn five new skills in order to get things done.

There are two specific struggles that come to mind. First, figuring out how to be a legit business. There are so many licenses, permits, and whatnot that you need in order to really be considered a legal business. It was a struggle for me to figure that out on my own. It definitely took a lot of research, emails, and YouTube videos! The second struggle was/is dealing with imposter syndrome.

This is a huge thing that so many creatives and small business owners experience. It’s when you doubt your abilities and feel like you don’t belong. It’s especially tough when you start to compare your journey to others. The biggest thing that has helped me with this is just focusing on doing what I love and making art that I’m really proud of. Also, it helps to have a great support system for other small businesses!

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a jewelry designer and creator that focuses on simple, everyday jewelry pieces with the occasional statement piece. My jewelry is made with high-quality silver and gold pieces and a gorgeous variety of stones. What makes this jewelry special is that each piece was designed and handmade by me. This includes all of the wire wrapping, soldering, assembly, and stone setting!

Since I use high-quality materials, Bow+Hoop pieces can be worn every day! They won’t fade or turn your skin green, which is always a bonus. They also can be worn in the water! I have been wearing my little hoops for two and a half years and they still look as great as they did on the day input them in. It’s important to me that my customers get quality jewelry that they absolutely love.

One thing I am really proud of is that a portion of each sale is donated to animal rescues and shelters to help animals in need. As a huge animal lover, I always knew I wanted to use my business to create positive change. Animal welfare has always been close to my heart (I literally love all animals!) and I love that I can combine two things that I am so passionate about.

It was a really proud moment when I was able to add this important aspect to my business.

Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
Risk has always been something that has scared me. I tend to be a very cautious person and failing is never something I wanted to experience. Honestly, the risk is something that held me back for so long from starting this business.

For me, it was the financial risk of starting a business that made me nervous. I would get really excited about the idea of starting a jewelry business, but then the idea of figuring out finances and taxes was so scary! Every time I would research it, I would get confused and didn’t know where to go to ask questions. Then I would just decide it was too much and forgot about starting a business.

Eventually, I decided just to jump in and start my business! This kind of forced me in a way to take that risk and to really jump in and figure everything out because now I’m invested and have customers counting on me. And I’m SO glad I took that risk! My business is growing every day and I have learned so much about running a business over the last few years.

Looking back at my life, every time I’ve pushed myself out of my comfort zone and taken risks, something amazing has always come out of it. So don’t be afraid of risk, embrace it! Because you never know what could be on the other side.

Contact Info:

• Email: bowhoop.jewelry@gmail.com
• Website: https://lnk.bio/hAUz
• Instagram: @bow.and.hoop.
• Facebook: Facebook.com/bow.and.hoop
• Other: www.Etsy.com/shop/bowandhoop