Today we’d like to introduce you to Marie Nadege Damier.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
My story is more so a story about hope and it started about two years ago. I was working for a manufacturing company as a graphic designer for just a few months. I dreaded going to work questioning whether I picked the right career path, feeling unfulfilled and doubting my skills all in one. During my lunch breaks, I would call my sister venting about how it’s either I got up and quit or they would fire me. The environment was not healthy. But oddly enough, I had this strong gut feeling that if one of those things happened, everything would be ok no matter what. A year before I started working with that company, I planned an Alumni trip to Japan, and it was coming up in a few weeks. The break from reality was much needed and so off I went.
Needless to say, the 2-week vacation was nothing short of amazing, but the minute I came back I got a phone call from work saying, “You don’t have to come into work in the morning. I’m sorry but we are going to have to let you go due to budget cuts.” Now on the outside, I had just renewed a car lease, school loan interests just increased and I was still living at home with my mother depending on each paycheck. But on the inside, I was relieved. Again, that gut feeling was, “everything will be ok.”
Ever since I was a little girl growing up in Miami, FL, I always hoped that one day this dream of moving to the Big Apple, moving out on my own and starting a new business but I never saw a door opening for me to fulfill that dream. Being an introvert and a child of a Caribbean mother also didn’t help either. Doubt would always knock at my door and my mother was the dreamkiller and bubble buster, LOL. Can’t completely blame her though, it’s all out of fear of the unknown because she loves and wants to protect me. Gotta love her right? 🙂
Well, within a 2-month period, I filed for unemployment, the car got repossessed and I had to defer my loans once again. A dear friend of mine, who always knew of my Big Apple dream said, “Hey, this is the perfect time to put yourself out there in NY. You’re still young, not married and no kids so there’s nothing holding you back. Do it now before you regret it. What’s the worst that can happen!” Not thinking much would come out of it, I fixed up my resume and gave it a shot.
A high-school friend of mine, whom I love very much and has become like a sister to me these last few years, had moved to NY several years ago. I realized that if by some miracle I got offered a position, I would need a place to stay. After high-school, life happens and so sometimes it’s hard to keep in touch with friends so I was very hesitant to reach out to her. So after mustering up the courage, I reached out and asked, “If by any miracle I get offered a position in NY, can I stay with you until I can get enough to be on my own?” She said, “Welcome home.”
Around the time of me asking her, it was the holidays and most companies don’t really start hiring around those times especially when it comes to the Graphic Design industry. To put it in perspective, timeline-wise, I had lost my job in October after my Japan trip, about to spend two months unemployed and my resume just started going out like the first of December. Everyone’s in the holiday mode spending time with family, I doubted any company would be hiring let alone call back for an interview. Lo and behold, a few days later, I got a call back from a prospective saying they would like for me to start with the company in two weeks, January 2, 2019. Notice any patterns? We’ll come back to that shortly.
I was SHOCKED! I had two weeks to book a flight and pack my things and go. I didn’t tell anyone but my immediate friends and family that I was moving and I was out.
Has it been a smooth road?
Now at this point, I am in the Big City and my job is literally in the middle of downtown Manhattan. Dream come true right? Well not quite. Fear and doubt starts to creep in and that little girl who used to hope and dream about this place felt alone, scared and with NY traffic, always lost. I had my amazing friend and now roommate to guide me but no family, no circle of friends to call and hang out and the world felt so big.
My first year (2019) in NY was a challenge. Had to get used to the train on a daily basis and the people on it as well. Coming from being born and raised in South Florida was definitely a huge transition. On top of that, I had to find a place on my own. There was no bad blood between my roommate and I at that time but I needed to be in my own space to find out who I was and who I am becoming and so five months after moving, I found a nice quiet studio in Jersey. It’s just one 30 minute train ride away from work and a couple of blocks down from my apartment. I got the best of both worlds in one; city life and quiet home-life. I bet you’re wondering how did my mom deal with all of this right? Well, fun fact, my mom actually got on the same flight I took when I first moved. I will say she didn’t take it too well when I told her I got a job in NY to the point where she didn’t talk to me that first week. She almost dragged me back down to Florida with her for her flight, but on the day of her flight back, she told me, “Just know it is by your choice that you are staying here, not mine. I may not be here with you, but God is.” In some weird way, that scared me but also gave me comfort. That gut feeling came back again, “everything will be ok.”
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Nadege Wood Jewelry – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
Let’s fast forward a little bit, it’s the year 2020, and officially my 2nd year since moving up. Let’s analyze. I’m no longer unemployed, the people at my job have been nothing short of welcoming and the environment is amazing, nothing like how you typically picture NY work environments in movies. I am living on my own in my studio apartment, I’m in the big city like I always wanted but something is missing. Time to check in with that little girl again. What happened to starting my own business?
I am Senior Graphic Design with a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts specializing in Brand Identity, packaging and digital design. Check my website to see some of my work. (www.mariedamier.com) I have always loved what I do for a living so within the time frame of the two years, I sort of fell out of love with it, well at least I thought I did, until one day I revisited an old college project I found while digging through my old stuff. I use to create wood earrings. I showed my friend/sister some of the pieces I had and she fell in love with them and she was like, you should start selling these.
Again, didn’t think much of it and started creating some more pieces for an event she was having as goodies for her guests to take home. The feedback was amazing and so many people were complimenting the pieces. Long story short, it gave me some motivation to actually turn this pastime into an actual brand. Funny thing about it is that it still encompasses everything about being a graphic designer. I am creating a brand identity, creating packaging for the pieces and creating digital graphics for my website and social media. The best part about it is that It made me fall in love with graphic design again and now I feel like that little girl inside is jumping for joy. Life has come full circle. I am proud to announce that my jewelry line is launching Fall 2020. It is called Nadege Wood Jewelry. www.nadegewoodjewelry.com It is a contemporary women’s accessories lifestyle brand. It is inspired by my story of hope and handmade with love. Being hopeful is a characteristic I feel helped me throughout my journey. I have come to realize a few things in my life. Remember the pattern I mentioned earlier that I was hoping you’d see. Well, let me bring it to the forefront. My full name is Marie Nadege Damier. My middle name “Nadege” means hope. When I decided to name my jewelry line, Nadege, it didn’t even know the meaning behind the name, I just thought it very french and elegant. In the beginning, I have always “hoped” of moving to the Big Apple, being on my own and starting a new business and everything has come full circle. Even though there were times where I felt scared, lost and alone, that gut feeling was always there letting me know that “everything will be ok.” Fun fact: my life path number is 2. Do you see the pattern now?
I was unemployed for two months and got the call to start a new job on January 2, 2019. I had two weeks to pack and move to NY and currently, in my 2nd year here in 2020, I am starting my own business.
Once again, my story is not the most amazing story ever written, but it is a story of hope and that’s what my brand stands for. Whether it is within Graphic design or my jewelry line, hope is apparent and is the steady force behind me, my faith and behind the success of my businesses. In the bible, hope “is the confident expectation of what God has promised and its strength is in his faithfulness.” My mission for my jewelry line is to spread hope and make sure everyone knows to Expect God with confidence and cherish your desires with anticipation.
Everything will be ok.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.nadegewoodjewelry.com
- Email: info@nadegewoodjewelry.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nadege_jewelry/
- Other: https://www.mariedamier.com/
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