Larissa Loden, an artist, entrepreneur, jewelry designer + passionate leader, shares her path from teaching in the classroom to building a successful business. Her journey started in upstate New York and was inspired by a high school teacher who gifted her a beaded necklace — and she has never looked back.

Her first job in Minnesota was at Mall of America®! Larissa taught for eight years, sold jewelry at art fairs, developed an online presence + recently opened her second brick and mortar location at Mall of America on the west side of Level 2. In this episode, she talks about first jobs, becoming an artisan, the trials of an entrepreneur + successfully building and leading a team.

1:30 Journey from High School to Mall of America. 4:20 Trends in jewelry. 6:10 Why sustainability is important. 9:10 Transition from online to going to brick & mortar. 12:00 How to expand and test the waters in a smart way. 14:30 Special Foodie Cutie and State Fair collections. 17:00 Journey from creator, to entrepreneur, to leading a team. 19:45 Advice for future entrepreneurs.

To listen to Larissa’s podcast, The Worlds Okayest Entrepreneur visit: https://theokayestpod.com. To learn more about Larissa Loden visit: https://larissaloden.com/.

Guest: Larissa Loden, entrepreneur, jewelry designer, owner, passionate leader

Host: Jill Renslow

Co-Host: Sara Johnson, Integrated Marketing Director at Mall of America

Presented by the Bloomington Minnesota Travel and Tourism the official destination marketing organization for the city of Bloomington, Minn.