Debi Auger

First, I'm an Eskie Mom... to my 13 year old American Eskimo, Niko. He's my child with four paws, a bonafide member of the family and spoiled rotten. He has helped me through some very difficult times and I treasure his presence in my life every day. I absolutely love having Niko around. One look at his adorable face always makes me smile, no matter what. He's lots of fun and really smart. I'll be sharing quite a bit about the joys of being an Eskie Mom and maybe even give Niko his own SquidPaws lens.

I'm a New England Patriots Fan and I love football! Once in a while I go to a game; most of the time I watch them on TV. But I NEVER miss a game. Read: NEVER. If the Patriots are playing, it's football time!! So please don't expect me to be anywhere else... cuz it's NOT gonna happen :)

I'm retired from the medical field and on a new journey in life. While on a medical leave of absence from my job (as a Radiologic Technologist specialized in Interventional Radiology and CT Scan), I began working with beads and wire. It was a kind of self-imposed occupational therapy in an attempt to regain my fine motor skills and return to caring for my Veterans at the job I loved so much. Unfortunately, that was not to be, but along the way I amassed a whole lot of jewelry and uncovered a talent that I otherwise probably never would've found.

I decided to start my own business and formed my corporation, Makana Mai Akua, Inc. The name is Hawaiian and means 'gift from God.' It's the parent company for all my current business endeavors.

I guess mostly I'm an entrepreneur, in the truest and best sense of the word...and I enjoy it.

I'm a Jewelry Designer. Designs by Debi is the name of my handcrafted jewelry business. I love to create meaningful jewelry for people. I have a whole line of personalized jewelry... Personalized Keepsake Bracelets, Support Your Soldier Bracelets, Remember 9/11 Memorial Bracelets, Rainbow Bridge Pet Memorial Bracelets and Awareness Bracelets for every cause. I specialize in personalized jewelry, memorial jewelry and custom designs. I also do custom work for weddings.

My other favorite is summery, beach-themed jewelry with flowers, seashells, sand dollars, dolphins, etc. Those pieces are all part of my Aloha Collection.

I'm obsessed with glass...artisan handmade lampwork glass beads to be exact. I have a full-blown addiction to these beautiful creations and a whole list of glass artists that I like to buy from. And if I see a set of beads and I'm already picturing what I'll make with them, I AM going to buy them!

I use only genuine Swarovski® crystals in my work. I love how they sparkle!

I have an idea book/sketch pad full of ideas for jewelry yet to be made. I have so many more ideas than there are hours in a day!

Along my journey, I've had to learn A LOT. My entire education and background was medical...no business education at all! Lucky for me, I'm a real do-it-yourselfer and good at figuring out how things are made and done. ((Thanx Dad!))

Good thing because, as a typical start-up business owner, I'm also a bookkeeper, inventory controller, photographer, writer, webmaster, graphic designer, marketer, the list never ends.

I dabble in web design and graphic design, too. I'm not an expert by any means, but I accomplished my initial goal. I learned enough to do all my own photo-editing, graphics, websites, blogs, marketing materials, advertisements, etc. And I've done some work for others, too. The more of this work I do, the more I enjoy it. The fact that I understand Dreamweaver, HTML and CSS enough to design, build and maintain my own websites still amazes me!!

Another thing that I got really good at was doing research on the internet...unbelievably crazy good. It certainly benefitted me a whole lot. I knew NOTHING about business when I started this journey. I learned everything I know about business, accounting, marketing, jewelry design and so many other things I do every day by figuring out what I needed to learn, researching it online and then learning, learning, learning. I'm always learning. It's often said that I've gotten myself my own customized MBA. All things considered...not bad.

I also learned that my incredible knack for internet research was marketable! So I polished my skills and now offer my services as an Internet Research Specialist.

I decided to start aWAEHQn dreams in late 2011 when I realized that I had information that other people could benefit from. I always assume that I'm "the last to learn" and that everyone else already knows the things I'm learning. Well, after having conversations with some artisans I finally saw that wasn't the case. I've done extensive amounts of research over the last 8 years and it continues daily. I now realize doing such intense research doesn't come as easily to everyone as it does to me and that there are many people who could benefit from it.

aWAEHQn dreams is a Women Artisan Entrepreneurs HQ that I intend to be an ever-growing resource of information to help you succeed in business... online and off. Whether you've been at it for awhile or you're just now deciding to turn your hobby into a business, you'll find tons of useful information here. And, although I think this will primarily interest women artisans and those looking to run an online business, anyone is welcome. A wealth of topics will be covered.

My goal is to give women entreprenuers the knowledge and tools to succeed. And, for women, this means more than just textbook business information. It also means looking at your goals, your ideal work/life balance and ways to achieve it... efficiency, time management, resources, networking, support and most important, a mindset for success.

I'm starting with a Facebook page and a blog. Eventually there will be a website.
I'll be sharing information, articles, reports, How To's, helpful tips and processes and all kinds of good stuff.
There will be short, focused, "à la carte" type tutorials available that will allow you to target your specific needs.
I'll be writing ebooks.
And, if there's enough interest, I'll consider doing webinars and adding a forum to the website.

I also do graphic design and will be offering the things you need to start building your brand's professional image (even if it's a brand of one)... avatars, banners, twitter backgrounds, blog headers, graphics packages for online venues like ArtFire and Etsy, etc.

I'll be working on material over the coming weeks and getting things in order in anticipation of starting after the new year once everyone's had time to relax and enjoy the holidays.

I first visited Hawaii in August of 1987 and was deeply moved. For the first time in my life I felt like I was where I belonged...and I didn't want to leave. The same was true on my next 2 visits. By the third visit I was, much to my ex-husband's dismay, looking at houses!

I can't explain it. I just feel a special connection to Hawaii. I'm drawn to the Islands. I love the people and the culture. I think it's the best, most precious place in the whole world.

I'm an island girl at heart...I like sunny weather and livin' in slippahs (flip-flops). I could listen to ocean waves for hours. The calmer lifestyle, tropical air and friendly atmosphere is wonderful. I've been blessed to experience the spirit of aloha and, later this year, I plan to finally relocate to the place my heart calls home.

Because of my love for Hawaii and Hawaiian culture, I'm building a website about Hawaii... a place where everyone can escape to these beautiful Islands, even if it's just for a little while.

I have big plans for my company. Most of them will come later though...once I've moved, settled in and can start hiring all the employees I'm going to need!! That's when all my dreams for my company will finally blossom into full bloom. Just like my favorite flower ~ the hibiscus :)

I want to be a Philanthropist when I grow up! That's my ultimate goal in life. I've long been working toward that goal in my personal life and, now that I'm a business owner, it's become part of the mission of my company.

Portions of the proceeds from designated Designs by Debi jewelry is donated to Soldiers' Angels, St Jude Children's Research Hospital, Stand Up To Cancer, Best Friends Animal Society and the Twin Towers Orphan Fund (to help children who lost one or both parents on September 11th).

I also have the Designs by Debi Jewelry for Charity Program. Every month I select a charity based on awareness month, current catastrophic need or by special request, make a one-of-a-kind themed piece or set of jewelry, and donate 50% of the proceeds to the designated charity.

Ultimately, I want to start my own charitable foundation. And it's a goal I intend to achieve.