Coffee with Vivian
Next on the Zeal: a coffee chat with my dear friend Vivian. If you’re one of the lucky few, you may have swiped a pair of the Vivian earrings when Clemaeve first launched. Here I introduce the inspiration behind the now sold-out design. Vivian has been an incredible support in the creation and growth of Clemaeve. If you ask me what my perfect weekend consists of, brunch and vintage shopping with her are at the top of my list. She’s truly one of the sweetest, kindest, and most selfless gals I know. Grab your favorite cup of coffee and enjoy getting to know Vivian!
Location: I am a recent Portland, OR transplant coming over from Seattle, WA. I’ve been in the PNW for the last 6 years
Hometown: Honolulu, HI
Go-to coffee: Oat milk latte
Favorite coffee spot: Never Coffee in Portland, OR
Must-have accessory: Earrings! I have 9 ear piercings (and counting…). My favorites are from Maria Tash and Wwake.
Three things you never leave the house without: Hand sanitizer, Baggu tote, and hand lotion (I love Aesop!)
Currently listening to: I listen to a lot of podcasts during work. The two I’ve been listening to a lot are NPR News Now and Scam Goddess.
Favorite weekend activity: Starting off my day with meditation and Yin yoga and trying new restaurants
Three words to describe yourself: Attentive, empathetic, kind
Tell me about your professional journey.
My background is in fashion retail merchandising and marketing. I was a designer sales associate right out of college. Shortly after that stint, I moved to Seattle and became an e-commerce product coordinator at Nordstrom. For the last few years, I’ve been working in assortment planning where I buy accessories like hats, belts, scarves, and cold weather gear. Assortment planning (or buy planning) basically deals with the dollar side of buying. For example, after my buyers make the product selections for the season, I decide how much product to buy and where to put each brand based on our open-to-buy plan (purchasing budget). I utilize historical sales performance and fashion forecast data to determine the right products to stock at the right time, by showing how much inventory is needed.
Can you share how you set your own personal goals, hold yourself accountable, and continue to grow?
I’ve been goal-oriented from a young age and have always motivated myself by setting hard timelines to get things done. I always had to be “productive.” However, during the COVID quarantine I learned that it was okay to slow down. It’s more important to move intentionally and grow at my own pace.
I have an amazing support system who I get to share my goals with. They check in with me and help keep me accountable. They celebrate every win with me and cheer me on when I need extra motivation.
Accountability buddies are essential for me. It really helps me get things done and work on accomplishing my goals. Do you have any tips on ways you hold yourself accountable whether for work or personal goals?
This will sound cheesy, but try writing down your goal, mantra, or affirmation—whatever you’d like to call it! Put it somewhere you can see it every day and repeat it to yourself. I put mine on the cover page of my planner. There’s something about writing down your goal that makes it feel tangible.
Where do you find inspiration and what keeps you inspired?
I find inspiration in creative individuals who believe in their own journey. Reading also keeps me inspired. I try to set aside 30 minutes to read each day. If I don’t have time, I try to spend at least 10 minutes reading an article online on something I’ve been curious about. There are so many email newsletters you can subscribe to. It’s a great way to learn something new and gather different perspectives.
I love following you on Good Reads and seeing what you’re reading. You have a diverse literary palette and I love adding your recommendations to my reading list. Let’s talk about fashion. It’s something that’s ingrained in our society nowadays. What values do you feel are important in the world of fashion?
As a product merchandiser and consumer, understanding the circular economy is important. It’s more than recycling material. From the beginning, designers need to think about how their products are sourced, if the materials come from safe and renewable origins, and what the end-of-life of the product will look like. Can it be reused, safely composted, or recycled?
Inclusivity is a hot topic in fashion as well. It touches on more than the body positivity movement. We’re talking body shape, race, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, gender identity, and more. I’m very lucky to work for a company that advocates this for their customers and employees. My team at work is focused on showcasing and partnering with brands that can bring beautiful and unique products to fill the white space in diversity, inclusion, and belonging in fashion.
Those are such big and important concepts I hope we can all keep in mind, even in our daily lives. As a business, it may not be the easiest to achieve to its fullest, but it’s important to be aware of our impact on our audiences and the environment. How do you think small businesses can be mindful of running their business in an ethical way?
I think it goes back to the designer and their design elements, but also educating customers about how repurposing, reusing, and recycling ties in with your offerings. I appreciate how you as a designer lead by example through repurposing existing jewelry in your collection or giving vintage pieces new life.
Thank you! I’ve always loved collecting vintage jewelry from my grandparents and great aunts. I think it makes any piece more special when it has that history tied with it. Aside from vintage shopping, which we both love to do, what are a few of your favorite small businesses that you like to support?
Norae Ceramics (Honolulu) for dishware and pots. Hey Love (Honolulu) for jewelry. Bas Bookshop (Honolulu). And, of course, Clemaeve 💗
I love those small businesses. I have so many pairs of earrings from Hey Love. For the many amazing small business owners out there, what is your number one piece of advice you would share with them?
Be intentional in your execution and stay connected with your customers and community.
What about a favorite piece of advice that you’ve been given?
My partner of 10 years always reminds me to focus on what I can control.
Lastly, what is the greatest piece of advice you could give someone?
If it feels right, go for it. The only validation you need is from yourself.
As fun as social media is, it’s trained us to fixate on the likes and engagement —oftentimes from complete strangers. This kind of mindset bleeds into other parts of our life where we are constantly looking for validation from other people in everything we do. My hope for myself and others is to take a step back from that and do things because it makes us happy.
