Nathalie Rollandin | The Little Things NYC

Age || 34

Company Name || The Little Things NYC

Job Title || Founder + Designer

Years Living In New York || 6

COMPANY START DATE || 2019

Social Handles || @thelittlethings_nyc, @nathalierollandin

Company Website || The Little Things NYC

What did you want to be while growing up?

First the UN president, then a teacher, then no idea so went to business school as a way to keep as many doors open as possible. I am still growing up!

What’s the best piece of advice you were given when you were starting your company?

If you wait for everything to be perfect, you will never start. Jump in and test, one step at a time.

How do you define success?

Success is making a step forward, doing something that teaches you, something that gives you satisfaction, something that gives you a purpose and gets you closer to your goals.

What is the most important thing you’ve learned since starting out?

Cannot be a lazy jeweler (what my jewelry teacher Carolina always said). Each jewel requires a lot of care and finishing, and even when your fingers hurt you cannot give up. The same applies to building a brand. Success does not come overnight. Need patience and care for the little things.

What is your go-to motivational quote?

You give life to what you put energy to.

What made you interested in starting your company?

I started a jewelry class in Williamsburg as a side hobby and as I got more into it and I was wearing more of my products, people were asking me about them and so the hobby became a little side hustle, still at its very beginning.

I wanted to create something that was a celebration of little moments, personality and self expression, while at the same time a product that can be recycled (nothing is more recyclable than precious metals) and would support some causes I care about.

Do you have a personal motto?

Enjoy the little things (no pun intended).

Which women inspire you?

Women in very different contexts inspire me, from sailing to business, women brave to do things, to create, to challenge themselves and their surroundings, to speak up, to prioritize their values over society expectations.

How do you overcome moments of self-doubt?

I try to celebrate the little achievements and rationalize things. Self-doubt takes nowhere, but building your confidence is a never-ending task. Also, a good pasta (my Italianness coming out).

How do you balance your schedule?

I am still working full-time so it is hard to find the time I would like to dedicate to the little things, so I try to make time at night and on the weekend. Even when I am very tired from work, focusing on something more creative and manual allows me to detach my brain from reality. But balancing my schedule is still a struggle!

How do you handle situations where you feel overwhelmed?

I have always been a big supporter of multi-tasking and tended to give myself unrealistic goals, I will do this and this and this. No. Way. I have recently tried to reduce the goals and to focus on one thing at a time. Sometimes I start something and then park it, because I know that my sneaky subconscious will still do some of the work without me even realizing. I focus my conscious efforts on one task at a time.

What has been the most rewarding thing since starting out?

The simplicity and warmth of an honest, unaided compliment to the creations.

What advice would you give to other women trying to create their own business or brand?

Take one step at a time, let your creativity sink in, let your subconscious work for you. Don’t be shy to talk about your ideas, inspiration comes from all little conversations. And celebrate the little steps.

What is your creative process like?

I typically get inspired by daily little things, like crumpled paper, sailing knots or mountain peaks (I am from the Alps). I start many of my products in wax and the shape comes out as I go. Sometimes I do drawings of exactly what I want to build, but often I just let my hands take the lead. Once the first product of a collection is built, I try to complement it with different pieces, like a ring, a necklace or a cuff, still maintaining the same design inspiration.

What are some of your goals moving forward for your company?

The little things NYC is today at its very beginning so one key goal is to increase awareness of the brand.

Part of the vision of the brand is not only to make jewelry (little things), but to celebrate little moments and support some little actions. All collections support a cause close to the source of inspiration of the collection itself (e.g. Take3forTheSea for the Accartocciati collection that is designed to celebrate reuse and repurpose).

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.