Family business "Amby": every stage of the business has meaning. Interview Spiečius

Amby is a family business created by sisters, which has been shaping a new approach to Baltic amber for 10 years.

Tell us what kind of business you are building?

Amby is our family business, and we create contemporary jewelry from Baltic amber. From the beginning, we wanted amber to not be perceived only as an ancient, museum stone or tourist souvenir. For us, it is much more – light, warmth, history, which can be turned into a modern accessory for a modern woman.

We have been developing our business for 10 years. During this time, we have created many amber collections - each of them has its own history and character. For example, " Bellum Collection " is the strength of black amber, " Cherry " is a mysterious black amber with a cherry shade, which symbolizes femininity and passion. Currently, we work mainly online, but we have our sights set on international exhibitions and wider markets.

How did you dare to start a business? What inspired you?

Before Amby, we worked in other fields, outside of Lithuania, but my sister and I always felt that we wanted to return to our homeland and create something of our own. However, the beginnings of Amby began even earlier, more than 25 years ago. Our father was an amber master and we saw the subtleties of amber processing from a young age.

Therefore, after returning from abroad, we followed in our father's footsteps and opened www.amby.lt online store of modern amber jewelry. Family support was very important. It often seems to one person that you are taking too much risk, but when you have close people around you who believe in the same idea, everything becomes possible.

Our desire is to show that it is possible to create minimalist, modern jewelry from amber that women can wear every day, not just for special occasions.

What have you already achieved in business, and what else will you strive for?

We are in the growth stage. We have our own e-shop, we are constantly creating new collections, we receive customers not only from Lithuania, but also from abroad. We also participate in the Plungė “Spiečius” programs. We completed the business acceleration program, we used mentoring. This helps us grow a lot, gain more structure and confidence in our ideas. This experience not only gave us knowledge, but also encouraged us to move forward even more boldly.

Our main focus now is expansion. We want to participate in international exhibitions, strengthen the brand abroad, so that the name "Amby" is associated with high-quality, modern amber jewelry.

But together we grow not only in numbers - we grow as a team, as a family, as creators. We have learned that business is not a sprint, but a marathon, and each stage has its own meaning.

Why did you join "Spiečius"?

We learned about "Spečiai" from other entrepreneurs who told us that it is a great place not only to work, but also to grow, find like-minded people, and gain knowledge. As a young business, community is very important to us - when you are alone, there is often a lack of support or simple sharing of thoughts.

We came to "Spēčių" looking for exactly that - a space where we not only work, but also learn from each other.

What benefits has "Spiečius" provided to you and your activities?

The biggest benefit is the people. The opportunity to talk, share experiences, hear about others' mistakes and successes. In addition, "Spiečius" provided structure - it helped us better formulate a strategy, communicate, and see more clearly where we are going.

Sometimes one conversation is enough to find a solution that you would have searched for months on your own. I think this kind of community power is the greatest strength of Spiečius. We also value training, which is completely free and helps us develop as a small business.

Why did you decide to take advantage of business mentoring and acceleration programs?

We understood that we won't learn everything ourselves. Mentoring is a shorter path to the goal, an opportunity to avoid mistakes that someone else has already made. In addition, when you have someone who looks from the outside, a lot of clarity arises. Sometimes you yourself get stuck in the details, and a mentor helps you rise above and see the big picture.

Who was your mentor? Why did you choose him?

Our mentor is Laurynas Mitkus, who has a lot of experience in business and expanding business abroad, which is exactly what we need most right now. The meetings were very simple, without any formality – you sit, talk, and get questions that make you think differently. That is exactly what we wanted – not theory, but practice. We received a lot of practical advice from our mentor, and most importantly, inspiration to move forward.

What did you achieve?

We have become stronger on social media, we have clarified who our customer is, and we have started to talk more boldly about ourselves. Sales have increased, but what we are most happy about is that we have a clear direction and more self-confidence. In the past, we did a lot of things based on feelings, but now we know specific steps that will help us in the future and help us grow.

What would you highlight as the main value created by mentoring?

It seems to me that the greatest value of mentoring is a person who helps you save time and energy. Because you get not only advice, but also experience that has been accumulated over many years. In addition, courage arises - when you see that your idea has potential, and this is confirmed by a person with more experience, you begin to believe even more strongly. I would definitely recommend it to everyone who wants to grow - it is always harder to be alone on the path.