Taking a leap & starting a business in your 40's with Melissa Trafford-Jones

The Founder Hub

Known as the Queen of Diamonds, Melissa Trafford-Jones decided, in her forties, to embark on a huge career change. Previously an advertising and marketing guru, Melissa stepped into the unknown, upskilled and became an expert in the field of sustainably grown diamonds and gemstones. Launching Deltora Diamonds in 2020, Melissa’s mission is to make diamonds accessible to all women through the curation and creation of laboratory-grown diamonds that are as exquisite as they are ethical. In just 18 months of business, Deltora Diamonds expanded globally into the USA, Dubai and New Zealand.

Living by the values of trust, deliverability and authenticity, Melissa shares with us her secrets to success when jumping into a new field and dominating that space. Competitor analysis and benchmarking are just a couple of her top tips! She also reveals what lead her to take the plunge, back herself and propel herself into launching her own company.

We discuss the importance of building your business’ mission first and why you should never get clients on discounting. Melissa underlines the importance of both strategy and timing, and how important it is to listen to customer reviews.

A big part of Melissa’s journey has been inviting others in and she reveals why receiving and actioning honest feedback is key when you’re first starting out. She also shares the tools she uses to keep herself sane and her business wheels in motion.

You are going to love this chat - it’s packed with actionable insights. Melissa encourages us to back ourselves, block out the noise and take that leap of faith, regardless of our age.

LINKS:

Connect with Melissa Trafford-Jones:

Website: https://deltoradiamonds.com/

Instagram: @deltoradiamonds

LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/in/melissa-trafford-jones-94491521

Connect with Alana and Sonia:

Website: https://www.myfounderhub.com/

Instagram: @myfounderhub

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