Today we’d like to introduce you to Davina Rocha.
Hi Davina, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Hello, thank you for having me. So first, I never imagined I’d be an entrepreneur. Growing up I actually wanted to be a police officer or judge and I went to college for Criminal Justice. I guess God had other plans for my life.
2020 hit me like a pile of bricks. I was a new stay-at-home mother of 3 (at the time), and I was adjusting to the recent diagnosis of one of our son’s having significant developmental delays and additional needs. I was struggling to balance being a young wife and mother and I found myself in a fragile yet complex time in life. March of that year I remember sitting stunned as I learned of the news about our nation’s mandated quarantine as Covid was already spreading like wildfire.
Almost immediately I began battling severe anxiety. I suffered from multiple panic attacks daily and I had no idea what was going on. I literally thought I was dying. The next couple of months were some of the most difficult and darkest times of my life as I had felt so hopeless and detached from everything around me. I was in one of the deepest valley’s yet. After months of sheer exhaustion and countless doctor visits, I finally mustered the strength to begin seeking help.
I connected with a counselor, began medication, and intentionally started surrounding myself with strong and positive individuals that prayed for me and weren’t afraid to stand in the trenches with me. I guess you could say I finally began practicing self care. At the time my counselor suggested I’d try picking up a hobby, something that would help me find my individuality again, so I began looking. Instantly I became drawn to clay. There was something spiritually rooted in the process of Clay making for me. There’s a old gospel hymn that I sang growing up in church that says, “Take my heart O, God. Make it ever true. Take my heart O, God may I be like you. You are the potter. I am the clay, mold me and make me, this is what I pray.” (To this day, I still find myself singing this hymn while I am in the “creation process” of making a piece.) So naturally I gravitated towards this craft. It became such a special and therapeutic hobby for me and tremendously helped me through some very hard days. I’d ask my husband to watch our kids for an hour or two and I’d put in my headphones, listen to some worship music, and just zone everything out and get to work. But truthfully, it feels less like “work” and more like relaxation to me. It’s a place I can go to where I can breathe again.
Soon I’d begun to gift small pieces of jewelry to family and friends and eventually word got out and people quickly began expressing interest in buying them.
Thus, the birth of Clay and Noble.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There’s definitely been some learning opportunities along the way. Thankfully I worked in high-end retail for a few years prior and have about 8+ years of customer service work experience under my belt so I’m quite familiar with the expectation of a small business customer service. But oh boy am I still learning so much.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I create clay jewelry and accessories. What sets Clay and Noble apart in my opinion is the fact that we are faith-based.
Our pieces are created with a purpose.
The “Noble” from Clay + Noble comes from the 31st chapter of Proverbs in the bible, which describes the attributes of a noblewoman. One that I personally aspire to be like.
Our signature collection, the Noble Collection, is named after strong and influential women of the Bible. For example, we have The Jael’s Rebekah’s, Hannah’s, Elizabeth’s, etc. I did this intentionally to share the stories of these women, so that women in our day and age can hopefully make a connection with their stories and relate to them on a personal level. I want them to know that in whatever season they’re in and whatever battle they may be facing, they’re not alone. My heart filled desire is for each and every woman to feel empowered and encouraged everytime they wear a pair of earrings, or a necklace or bracelet. Or even if it’s seeing a scripture on one of our car ornaments hanging in their rear view mirror. I want to remind them of how precious and powerful they truly are!
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
Absolutely, I believe I’m actually taking a huge risk in the fact that this small business is entirely faith based. I know a lot of the times people may stray away from this small business simply because of the fact. However, I also want to encourage people who do believe in God and are followers of Christ to be unashamed of their faith. Growing up I was outcasted by peers and even some family just because I believed differently then they did. As a teen and young adult I even struggled with my faith simply because I wanted to “fit in” and didn’t want to “stand out”. But now I embrace the fact that God didn’t make me to blend in, so why should I be afraid to stand out? I want to encourage not only this generation of women but more so the younger generations to be unafraid to share their faith. To show the love and kindness of Jesus in everything they do, just like he wanted us to.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.clayandnoble.com
- Instagram: @clayandnoble
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/clayandnoble
