We had the good fortune of connecting with Arielle Zella and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Arielle, is there a quote or affirmation that’s meaningful to you?
I call myself a “recovering perfectionist” and I’ve built my business & brand around the idea of “living life as play”. As I was breaking free from my anxiety and perfectionist tendencies, I recognized that I needed to shift my values away from living for some ideal result that might occur sometime in the future, and instead placing value on the process and the journey. I needed to focus on achieving a meaningful & fulfilling life in the here and now – enjoying life for what it is, rather than what it “should” be. Once I realized this and saw how impactful it was for my own life, I was inspired to build a brand around this idea, so I could help others do the same.

The very essence of playfulness is an openness to anything that may happen, and a feeling that whatever happens, it’s okay. A life lived as play is not one devoid of achievement. Rather, it is one that understands that accessing our true creativity and our sense of purpose comes from continual investigation and discovery.

“We are never more fully alive, more completely ourselves, or more deeply engrossed in anything than when we are playing” – Charles Schaefer. The trick is to realize that play is not just something we set some time aside for to do as recreation. It is the very nature of life itself. We try, we see, we learn, we grow, and repeat. It is all just play.

What should our readers know about your business?
I’ve built several other successful before, but LÚDERE has been my most successful and fulfilling venture. I owe this to the fact that I’ve grown so much as a person, and I am able to navigate challenges and stress much more effectively. Rather than letting the inevitable twists and turns break me, I accept them as a natural part of business, deal with them, and keep it moving forward. I’ve learned to understand more deeply how long and how much work it will actually take to achieve my goals. And instead of letting the weight of that crush me, I’ve learned to find joy in the process and the journey.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
No matter what the season, we’d definitely to drive out to the mountains to ski or hike. And while in town, I absolutely love where I live and showing off the thriving business community on Tennyson St. in the Berkely Neighborhood. Bakery Four, Huckleberry Roasters, Berkley Untapped, Hey Kiddo / OK Yeah, and Gelato Boy would all be places to visit.

And then I feel like the wording has changed for this question from what was prompted: “Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?” The prompt specifically have language like “Who is your inspiration” Which is why I answered how I did. But now I feel like my answer doesn’t make sense because of how it’s worded now. It sounds like you are trying to have me shoutout another local business owner instead?

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My dad is my biggest inspiration. He immigrated to America when he was 9 years old and went from absolute poverty to creating a hugely successful business. He is the embodiment of the American dream and my constant role model.

Website: https://www.luderejewelry.com

Instagram: @lifeisludere

Image Credits
Matt Draper, Jocelyn Negron

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutColorado is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.