S1:E11 - Gigi Simmons is In The Studio With Calamity Jane
In The Studio with Calamity Jane is a show highlighting the incredible women of Las Vegas!
This episode features Gigi Simmons, with Gigi's Rockin' Jewels.
Gigi operates her business with a purpose, and a Higher Purpose too. She loves supporting her team and helping them all be successful.
You have to hear her demonstrate how her father pronounced her favorite curse word!
If you're an amazing woman in Las Vegas (or know one), fill out the form for a chance to be In the Studio with Calamity Jane!
Transcript:
Hello, welcome to another episode of In The Studio With Calamity Jane. My name is Jodi, also known as Calamity Jane.
Our purpose with this series is to take an amazing woman from Las Vegas and give her the spotlight for a moment.
Joining me today is Gigi Simmons, with Gigi's Rockin' Jewels. Welcome to the show, Gigi..
[Gigi]: Thank you so much for having me.
Tell us a little bit about Gigi's Rockin' Jewels.
Gigi's Rockin' Jewels was born from a business that I started with probably about 10 years ago, Premier Designs high fashion jewelry. And Premiere Designs is just an awesome company and I'm an independent jewelry consultant with them. And that's how Gigi's Rockin' Jewels was started. it's just an awesome company.
You know, we really focus on empowering women, and we're built on Biblical principles of really honoring God and just really building relationships with everyone we come in contact with, and enriching their lives.
How did you come to start in this field?
Well I was living in the Chicago area at the time. I met a young lady, Diane Durking, and she asked me could she come to Chicago, cause I was vising friends in Michigan, to have a jewelry show. And I said, of course. So she came and I invited 15 of my friends, they showed up. And seven of them scheduled a show with her. And so when I found out that Diane makes 50 percent of everything that she sells, I became a jeweler that night.
The income is great. But I really like the idea of being able to build relationships with women and it's about empowering, you know. Empowering women through the art of accessorizing. And also empowering women to make extra income. So it's really about empowerment and building relationships.
What do you feel makes you successful?
What makes me successful is that I feel that I'm operating in my purpose. I feel that everyone has a purpose. And with me and Premier Designs, and Gigi's Rockin' Jewels, then I am operating my purpose, because I have a team of 13 amazing women that I have built relationships with over the years, they're on my team. And I feel that I'm able to really pour into their lives and empower them.
It's just an amazing opportunity to really have a passion for something and be able to do it. And then also be fulfilling my purpose. So fulfilling my purpose is what makes me successful. It's really not about the income, even though income is great.
But I just feel that because I'm fulfilling my purpose, the blessing is the income. So it's just passion, and just doing something that I love. Getting to, being able to play in jewelry all day, I mean come on, seriously. It's great.
What one piece of advice would you give to a new entrepreneur who's just starting out?
The one piece of advice I'd give to them first of all, is to do something that you're passionate about. Because when you're passionate about something, it's not about working. You are passionate about it.
And then I would also encourage them to remember their why. Why did you get into this business? Because we know that when you're an entrepreneur, that it's not always going to be smooth sailing. But when those rocky times come, and you go back to your why, then that's going to motivate you to keep going and you're operating in your passion. So you've got to remember that why.
And now, the famous questionnaire that was asked for 26 years by the great Bernard Pivot and made famous on In The Actors Studio:
What is your favorite word?
I would have to say that my favorite word is empowerment. Because I am all about empowering women. Empowering people, because I feel that when you look at that word empowerment, then it is a motivation to move forward and do what it is that makes you happy. So empowerment.
What is your least favorite word?
My least favorite word is "I can't". I feel that when you have a determination and drive, you don't have to try and you don't have to say can't, you just do it. So that would be my least favorite word, Can't.
What turns you on creatively, emotionally, or spiritually?
What turns me on has a real spiritual component to it. Like I said before, I believe in operating in my purpose, so when I am operating in my purpose, I'm motivated, I'm determined, and I just have that drive. So I would say that just operating in my purpose is really what turns me on. It just really makes me happy.
What turns you off?
The one thing that really turns me off is negativity and negative people. It drains my energy. It just puts me in just this dark place. And I really cannot stand negativity and negative people. And the way that I try to turn that around is when I run into negative people, I try to turn what they're saying that's negative into a positive. That is really a pet peeve of mine.
[Jodi] : Do you have an example that you could speak to on that?
So recently, I had a friend who was having some issues at work. And a group of us had talked to her and given her some really, really sound good advice. So she went in, she spoke with her supervisor, and her supervisor was handling the situation but she just continued to be negative.
She kept saying, well I know they're not going to do anything. I know this and I know that. And I told her, don't put that negative energy out there. You have to stop putting that negative energy out there, and you have to put that positive energy out there.
To me, what you speak is what you get. If you speak negative, you're going to get negative. If you speak positive, then that positive energy is gonna come back and can change the whole situation.
What is your favorite curse word?
Well I try really hard not to curse. But I would have to say that my favorite curse word is "shit". And the reason it is my favorite curse word is because it brings back very fond memories of my father because he had such a unique way of saying that word. And every time I hear it, I think of him and it makes me smile.
[Jodi]: Can you give an example of how he said it?
Yeah. Oh my gosh, this is so funny. He'd say "sheeeeeeeeit". <laughter> It just really just makes me smile every time I think of him, because he passed away recently.
What sound or noise do you love?
I love the sound of laughter. We have so many things that bring you down nowadays. You know there's so much craziness going on, so much sadness, especially in my professional field of work as a social worker. But the thing that really makes me feel good is laughter.
I love to hear people laugh in groups. It just makes me feel uplifted. So to me, just laughter can turn the whole situation around.
What sound or noise do you hate?
Oh my gosh, I hate the sound of fingernails on a chalkboard. It just makes me cringe. You know, it does something to my teeth and everything. So I just can't stand that noise.
What profession, other than your own, would you like to attempt?
When I was younger, I always wanted to be a professional model. And someone told me that I was too short. So I just threw it out the window. Of course, I know better now. But I'm older, so. But I do get to do that as I model my jewelry. But I would love to be a professional model.
What profession would you not like to do, like ever?
I would never want to be in a profession that took someone's life. For instance, I would never want to be in a profession that had to do with capital punishment because to me it's just not something I believe in. And I am just, really I believe in life. So I would never want to be in a profession that took someone's life.
If Heaven exists what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates?
Well I know that Heaven exists, so when I arrive at the pearly gates, I want Him to say "Good job. You may enter."
[Jodi]: Thanks for being on the show today, Gigi.
[Gigi]: It's been such a pleasure. And thank you so much for having me.
Thank you for watching! Join us for the next edition of In the Studio with Calamity Jane, where we put another amazing woman from Las Vegas in the spotlight.
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