From Crunching Numbers to Crafting Jewels
In a remarkable tale of following one’s intuition, this week’s “Look on The Bright Side” features a young woman whose journey from numbers to gems has captured the essence of chasing true passion. What began as a conventional career in banking, took an unexpected turn when she sensed a deeper calling. With courage as her compass, she bid farewell to the world of finance and embraced her childhood passion for jewelry making. News Five’s Sabreena Daly tells us more.
Abigail Bood, Owner, Hey Abbz
“I was working at the bank and I fell in love with the bank. Everything I did, you know, the professional setting and learning about how to attend to customers, customer care, the services the bank offers, everything was really what I always wanted to do. I studied accounting because my hope was to be seated in a corporate office doing financials, doing accounting, maybe auditing. So, I always envisioned that kind of path for myself.”
Abigail Bood was the epitome of a corporate dream—an employee who not only cherished her work, but also excelled at it with unwavering dedication.
Abigail Bood
“It was the year 2021, I was even awarded the employee of the year for the Collet agency, which, you know, was very special to me because I know I tried to work hard.”
Five and a half years in, her career path seemed set. However, a sudden realization whispered that her heart may just beat to a different rhythm. That awareness prompted her to listen to her heart’s calling.
Abigail Bood
“I started to feel a bit out of place and I didn’t quite understand it, but as time went by, I started to feel like is this really my dream? Is this really what I want to do or where I want to be? And then, I don’t know, it just came up and I just decided that, hey, I love the bank and I appreciate everything that I learned at the bank. However, I think that I want to do more beyond the walls of the bank. And it was scary, of course. I mean, here in Belize we’re always told you need to get your education, get a decent job and I had that at the time. So. now to come up with this crazy idea of me leaving the bank, you know, it seemed a bit insane.”
Abigail dared to rewrite her story, to bid farewell to her desk job and embark on a new venture—one fueled by a childhood passion for jewelry making. But first… She had to tell her parents.
Abigail Bood
“I remember both of them being in the living room and I walked in and I was like, “Hey, I’m gonna leave the bank.” And there was just this silence. And so I was bracing myself. I was prepared to hear, oh, you shouldn’t do that, or You shouldn’t do this, or whatever. And like I said, I have supportive parents and I never really, truly, understood that until this situation came up. And I remember my dad giving me the soundest advice a parent could give their child especially in a career crisis.”
Floyd Bood, Father
“When she came and approached us, One of the first things I said to her was, Abby. I mean, we are Christians and we believe in seeking the Lord. So, I mentioned to her, Abbz, it’s best you seek the Lord. Go seek the Lord and then take some time to do that. And when you do that, then you will be comfortable in making that decision. We are not going to say to you do this or not do this, you make your mind up as to your future.”
Dalia Bood, Mother
“She had been talking to us about that since she was small. She had been using beads and different things, putting them together. And so after thinking about it, I said, you know what? This is her passion. I can’t stop her. This is a talent and a gift given to her. And that is inside of her wanting to grow. I wanted her to be in that career out there, maybe in one of the banks or somewhere, but that is from me. Yeah. This is from her. This is her passion and her gift and her talent, you know, and so I, I give her all my support.”
And with that, the journey through entrepreneurship unfolded. Bood gave life to her very own business; naming it the endearing title her father had lovingly called her – Abbz. Today, the embodiment of ‘Hey Abbz’ stands strong as a testament to one woman’s creative process, crafting intricate handmade jewelry that resonates with passion and artistry.
Abigail Bood
“So, currently I make all handmade jewelry, so everything that I offer is handmade. Whether it’s beaded or made of gold filled material, everything is made by yours truly. I currently am a one-man team, which is perfectly fine now that I have a lot more free time on my hands. But I mean, that is what Hay Abbz is about. We offer handmade pieces to everyone. And so it’s been like a year and a half going on two years now, and I’ve had a lot of time to think about what I really want to do with ‘Hey Abbz’. I’m home based online, I realize that I find myself working most efficiently that way. And I feel like the plan is to eventually create a workshop; that is next on my agenda to build a workshop. One that I can operate everything from home and then I maximize on all my pop-up events, you know, have unique pop-up events. When I was dreaming about the actual store I wanted to have people come in and be able to see your jewelry being made on the spot, or you can make the jewelry along with your friends as a date or whatever. So my hope is to not dismiss that whenever I have pop-up opportunities or market opportunities. I can still create that platform to do those things.”
Entrepreneurship is the art of sculpting dreams into reality, where the sweat of determination is exchanged for the sweet rewards of innovation and fulfillment. Abigail stands as a shining example of courage and transformation, living her dream and proving that sometimes the brightest paths are the ones we carve ourselves.
Looking on the Bright Side, I’m Sabreena Daly.
