This much I know: Jewellery Designer Jenny Huston

As a child, my choice of future career changed every year but I mostly wanted to be a hairdresser.

I was born in Vancouver to Irish parents who’d moved there in the 60s.

I was an embarrassingly chatty middle child, the type who has to be lectured about never taking sweets from strangers.

When my parents split up, my mother moved back here to set up a jewellery skills course for the Crafts Council. Dad is a naval architect and still lives in Canada.

I graduated with a degree in psyohology from Victoria and was at a loss as to what to do next, so I ended up following my mother to Ireland and doing a masters in arts management in UCD.

I’d done some college radio, and did more when I got to Ireland, working on UCD FM and Phantom FM, but I didn’t see it as a realistic job goal. By some lucky fluke 2FM heard me on air and rang me up and offered me a job.

I’d get cripplingly nervous at times before I went on air. The comfort of working in pirate radio was knowing that only a handful of people were listening, so it was like talking to friends.

But being on 2FM, and sometimes having to present things on TV, was often terrifying. I learnt how to quell the nerves by focusing on my breathing.

Now, my fear amuses me. I don’t like giving into it. I decided to say yes to things, to try everything once.

I believe in listening to your gut. A few years ago I decided to leave my permanent pensionable DJ job in 2FM because I didn’t know if I’d still be wanting to go to gigs three times a week when I was in my 50s, which is what you need to do if you are going to play new music. Leaving terrified me but I acted on my gut instinct.

My biggest fault is impatience.

I had to find something new to sink my teeth into. I was helping my mother make a ring and she said why don’t you start designing a collection?

So I did all sorts of courses and classes about starting your own business and threw myself into launching Edge Only in 2014.

I’d never truly considered myself to be creative up until that point and I had to battle with my own crisis of confidence.

Eventually, I realised it’s enough for me to come up with the ideas and to be able to communicate them to my goldsmiths.

And, thanks to my mum having trained goldsmiths for over 20 years, I had contacts for all the very best people to work with.

All my pieces are made in Ireland and the business is thriving, with orders from all over the world.

But the reality of running a luxury brand is that you never see the profit as you sink it all back into the business, so you never have cash in the bank - and banks don’t like that.

My advice is to celebrate your successes. If you’re climbing a mountain, don’t only celebrate getting to the top.

Pat yourself on the back for every little success along the way. For me, that’s things like getting my work into British Vogue.

I live in Dublin’s Docklands. I’m currently single. That’s the curse of working so hard - dating isn’t top of your mind.

I work in the Guinness Enterprise centre and like being around other creatives.

I get my exercise by walking everywhere. I’m getting better at having some kind of work-life balance and have taken up sea rowing in East Wall.

If I could be someone else for a day I’d be PJ Harvey, or Debbie Harry. I’d love to be able to sing but I’m tone deaf.

I’m definitely a natural owl. Becoming a morning person has been challenging, I was so used to being on air at night.

I think an afterlife is a lovely idea but I don’t truly believe in it.

So far life has taught me the importance of having amazing friends.

If you are good to other people, hopefully they will be there for you when you need them.

BLOSS is a Winter Capsule Event at Dundrum Town Centre, showcasing 30 emerging and established Irish designers.

Founded by Emma Manley, Jenny Huston and Paul Haycock, the unique design pop-up shop, which aims to offer new Irish design talent a platform to showcase and sell, will run until January 7 at the Pembroke District, Dundrum Town Centre.