We had the good fortune of connecting with Sarah Ortega and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Sarah, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
I think the most important factor behind the success of my company is the way we treat our customers by creating a warm and welcoming environment. When our customers walk in our door, we want them to feel welcomed, loved and celebrated – we believe that everyone that walks through their doors should feel included and loved no matter how they look, what they believe in or how much money they have.
We pride ourselves in providing both traditional and unique engagement designs for any style or budget and also love working with customers to create custom jewelry and reimagine heirloom pieces. Our designers are not commission-based, unlike most other jewelers in the industry, which allows us to truly listen to our customer’s needs and create their dream piece without being influenced by budget, background, or other industry standards.
Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My love for jewelry and design started at a very young age. My mother owns a boutique jewelry store called Ooh! Aah! Jewelry in the heart of Albuquerque, New Mexico and I was lucky enough to grow her passion for jewelry being by her mother’s side and learning every aspect of the business. While we are deep in the jewelry world, my father works tirelessly in law defending Mexican immigrants injured on the job. His endless pursuit for fairness and equality is something I have always admired and has worked hard to incorporate into my business.
While in college, I would design jewelry in my dorm room and sell to my friends so it was inevitable that I would open my own branch of Ooh! Aah! Jewelry with a focus on serving the Denver area with beautiful items that everyone could afford. What started as a boutique focused on sterling silver items and semi-precious stones, turned into a space where customers could work hand in hand with me to dream up and design their dream jewelry. My passion for jewelry design for all budgets continued to grow and after nine amazing years, Ooh! Aah! Jewelry Denver morphed into Sarah O Jewelry.
Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
During the day, we like to check out new hikes in the area and then end at New Terrain Brewing Company to enjoy some food truck snacks and a cold drink. At night, we love to take friends to El Five for the amazing food and views of the city. And finally, a Red Rocks concert is a must!
Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My biggest inspiration in life would definitely be my mother. She has taught me so much about being a mother, a strong businesswoman and the importance of following a dream. I’ve been so lucky to get to work alongside her my whole life and the lesson she has taught me about hard work, humility, and caring for others inspires me every day. I also absolutely have to thank my husband and my kids. Each and every day they encourage and support me to follow my dreams, as well as allow me to be highly involved in the ins and outs of owning my own business.
Website: https://www.sarahojewelry.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahojewelry/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sarah-o-jewelry
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sarahojewelry/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCL_fnzZjJYqbHXDvdjxaE5g