Archive for Jewelry

Raelynn’s Materials

Raelynn Heath is a young entrepreneur that had her hit idea at the age of 4. I don’t know about you but that is insane to me that at the age of 4 she had her own business! I can tell you that that was not what I was doing at the age of 4. She is from Raytown, Missouri and started her business selling her own jewelry. Her business is called Raelynn’s Materials. She focuses on creating her own jewelry along with repairing others. The piece of jewelry she specializes in are bracelets. Her main platform for selling her product is on Facebook and Etsy. For her different types of jewelry, she makes it out of various materials. It varies from plastic beads all the way to polymer clay. Additionally to that, she even recycles different materials to add into these lovely pieces of jewelry. From this business she hopes to expand into the fashion industry. With her products she even donates back to the community by donating jewelry to those that have went through some sort of traumatizing event. Not only is she a talented individual she is also caring to the community. Just like any kid she has big dreams. She hopes to someday have a storefront in Paris and believes she will be a millionaire at the age of 16!

Bella Weems: Origami Owl

Bella Weems is a 28-year-old who is the founder of the jewelry company Origami Owl. At just 14 years old, she turned her passion into a business after her parents told her she would have to earn her first car. Her passion for handcrafting jewelry turned into a multi-million-dollar business.See the source image

Origami Owls main product is called the “Living Locket” which is a locket which you can add in your own, personalized charms to. This is unique because each charm can represent the persons hobbies and interests and showcase them when they wear the necklace. Bella also sells bracelets, earrings, and other accessories.

Bella is a busy kid entrepreneur, but she still allots time to give back. She started the “Owlettes Initiative” in which she personally mentors young aspiring entrepreneurs ages 12-17. Bella shares tips with these kids and any advice from her success story. I think this part of her business is truly inspiring because she found a way to help others as well as keep up a successful business.

Bella says the best part of being a kid entrepreneur is, “…being able to encourage kids of all ages to not be afraid to reach for their dreams and never let anyone tell them they’re not good enough or their idea isn’t good enough.” Bella’s business Origami Owl not only lets people express themselves through their jewelry but inspires young entrepreneurs to take the risk to start making something they are passionate about become big.

11 Successful Kid Entrepreneurs Keeping Their Eyes on the Prize

From Dogs to Diamonds: Adelle Archer and Eterneva

Adelle Archer wanted to change the way people remember their loved ones and pets. The funeral industry has been trending toward cremation for years now, an often cheaper alternative to burial. However, Archer felt that this process could be improved: instead of loved ones’ and pets’ ashes going in an urn on the mantle, they could be made into wearable diamond jewelry. She thought this would be a sustainable business idea and she was right. In 2019, Eterneva was featured on SharkTank, with Mark Cuban investing in it. Since, Everneva has grown into a successful company helping people remember their pets and loved ones.

This idea is great for several reasons. For one, it is unique and original. I have never heard of making diamonds from ashes before. It appears that since this company has launched there is considerable interest in the topic. The funeral industry is highly profitable and to be an innovator in it can be extremely lucrative. Eterneva seems to be an early player to the table with this idea. Additionally, this is a neat idea because it allows people to have a more interactive experience with their loved ones after their passing. Instead of sitting on a mantlepiece in an urn, a person’s loved ones can be taken with them in the form of a diamond. Their remains can be made into a bracelet or a necklace. They can even be made into a ring. These jewelry pieces can be worn to special events or even every day. No matter where you go you can have a piece of mom or dad on your finger or around your neck. This is a far more interactive way to remember loved ones than a burial plot or an urn on a mantlepiece. In the minimalistic culture in which we find ourselves, this is a fabulous way to remember loved ones without them taking up much space – something often valued highly by Millennials and Gen Z.

In conclusion, Adelle Archer has a great idea and has been building a company with a unique idea that will likely appeal to many young people today.

Sarah Anderson- A 19 year old small Business owner

Sarah, is a young entrepreneur who decided to also go onto college to study Entrepreneurial studies as well. Sarah is a freshman in college and decided to start her own Etsy business her junior year of High School into her senior year. Sarah is a very sweet girl, who devotes her business to creating inspiring, creative bracelets for young girls. She named her shop Amour Toujour Design, also known as “love always” in French. She was pleasantly surprised at how popular her business quickly became over time.

Sarah is very good at also keeping up with the trends, which keeps her target market customers coming back to her site. Especially these last few years, people are more and more interested with the current trends as well as online/small business shopping. With new trends every month, Sarah updates her colors, bead sizes/shapes, and creative sayings that fit in with what younger girls want at the moment. Along with bracelets, Sarah also has some rings she offers on her site as well. The smiley face, which has become more popular, is one of her featured rings.

Sarah’s Etsy shop, which she created at a young age, also shows kids of all ages that they are capable of doing whatever they put their mind to. Sarah had also found, that she is capable of creating something special as well. Sarah continues to continue her shop into college and hopefully further her designs with a few more entrepreneurial tactics up her sleeve after college. Etsy is a great platform for any young entrepreneur who wants to put their designs/products out to the public eye. Sarah is a great example of how you can take a product or design and make a little profit on the side. Her products are fun, creative, and trendy, and definitely worth checking out!

Ellington Timepiece – Teri Elizabeth Wellington

In 2017, 24-year-old Teri Elizabeth Ellington founded her very own watch collection, Ellington Timepiece, as a platform to raise awareness for mental health and support those who suffer from it. Using her last paycheck from a job she lost two months prior to Christmas, Teri launched her first watch design, The Grey Sheba, named after her own therapy dog, Sheba. Sheba became Teri’s therapy dog while she was deeply struggling through mental illness herself. Through Ellington Timepiece, Teri has found strength and purpose while also creating a brand that is passionate about raising awareness for mental health.

“If I can do it, other young people can too,” Teri preaches. Teri struggled with depression, anxiety, and agoraphobia in her past, which created her passion for spreading awareness to other people about these mental illnesses.

Ellington Timepiece is more than just a watch line. The watches serve a greater purpose than a mere accessory on someone’s wrist; The designs are meant to be a voice for those who do not have one. Each watch has a story and meaning behind it.

Through her successes, Teri even created a recent social media movement, #yourstoryetp. People who wear Ellington Timepiece designs share their own stories of mental health creating both a community of watch-lovers and a community for people to share their own journeys as well.

Teri is a truly inspiring entrepreneur for her ability to create both a successful business and a way to spread awareness for mental illness—something that many people struggle with on the daily.

To explore the designs from Teri, check out this link to her company’s website.

Gabrielle Jordan

Gabrielle Jordan was 9 when she started her own business. Inspired by 4 previous generations of entrepreneurs in her family, Gabrielle started to sell jewelry to her friends at school and through that her business grew to what is now called Jewlez of Jordan which is a high end online jewelry business that goes to boutiques, trunk shows, fashion shows and other events. Gabrielle’s jewelry is unique and is inspired by a timeless beauty that she wants to reflect by her handcrafted one-of-a-kind pieces made with gemstones, crystals and cultured pearls. Gabrielle did not stop with her jewelry business but moved on to inspire other young entrepreneurs by co-founding the ExCEL Youth Mentoring Institute. ExCEL Youth Mentoring Institution is a youth-based online mentoring cite offering resources for entrepreneurship and leadership development. Gabriel also wrote a book, The Making of a Young Entrepreneur: A kids Guide to Developing the Mind-Set for Success. All this has given her the opportunity to become a speaker at many conferences, schools, and community events. Gabriel also has appeared on many news and online publications. Gabriel is also the host of The UV Effect Podcast, this podcast helps listeners discover their unique value, where it gets the name. Through all of this Gabrielle is an inspiration in the entrepreneurial world encouraging and educating new entrepreneurs in their journey of entrepreneurship.

Pura Vida

Griffin Thall and Paul Goodman are the founders of the bracelet and jewelry company, Pura Vida.  Pura Vida was started when Thall and Goodman visited Costa Rica in 2010 while they were both still college students.  While there, they fell in love with the place, the colors, and the easy going lifestyle that was common in Costa Rica.  They met two people who were making bracelets on the streets.  Thall and Goodman were distraught when they found out that these two people, while making and selling beautiful bracelets, were struggling to survive and support their families.  Wanting to find a way to help, they ordered 400 bracelets and brought them back to San Diego, where they proceeded to sell them all in one small shop within a few days.

Determined to continue to make a difference, Thall and Goodman started the Pura Vida company, which means “pure life”.  The brand is meant to represent the little things in life and slowing down to live life to the fullest.  Pura Vida is now working with numerous artisans in Costa Rica, selling the handmade bracelets in hundreds of color combinations, all around the world.  They are currently working with over 800 artisans in Costa Rica, as well as in El Salvador, and India, giving the artisans an opportunity to generate a steady and stable income to support themselves and their families.

The simple action of seeing the struggle of bracelet makers in Costa Rica gave Thall and Goodman the idea to create a company and a movement to help not only the people they met on their trip, but others with similar stories, by giving them an outlet to reach a greater market with their bracelets.  This simple idea of wax coated string bracelets has now turned into a company that sells millions of bracelets world wide every year, while supporting artisans who would not otherwise be able to have that type of reach.

 

Social Media and the Impact on Small Businesses

Have you ever been scrolling through your Instagram or Twitter feed and see that celebrity you love posing with a new trendy clothing item, advertising a hot new company? Do you ever wonder if those endorsements actually help the company?

Amanda Thomas. Founder of Luv Aj.

Well, Amanda Thomas, founder of Luv Aj, says it does. Luv Aj is a company that sells trendy, edgy Jewelry. Thomas had the idea for this company at age 16. Now 25 years old her 21,000 Instagram followers can attest to the success of her company. How she has gotten her success is through partnerning with celebrities such as Gigi Hadid, Beyonce, and Emily Ratajkowski. These celebrities are sent items from Thomas and are asked to post pictures of them and the product on their social media platforms.

However, not all of her success is solely from social media, Bloggers are a key influence to the market. Thomas says this about the influence of the Blogosphere, “I’ve also learned that my number one source of traffic are bloggers who wear Luv Aj and link to my site, so it’s not necessarily via Instagram where you can’t click to buy. And some of the top tier bloggers that post about me are not as great for traffic as some of the more random or niche ones” (Bender). As entrepreneurs try to launch small businesses and get the ball rolling for their company, using people of influence to promote your product on a large platform is an incredibly successful tactic.

Creating connections and networking with people in high places, celebrities, and people of influence creates the space for your company booming. Advertising and marketing yourself is super important for your company but small business starters need to consider the impact of using others success to bring you success, and social media is a great outlet for that.

 

Bender, Melanie. “Luv Aj Designer Amanda Thomas Sold Her First Collection at Age 16.” Fashionista, 27 Sept. 2013, fashionista.com/2013/09/luv-aj-designer-amanda-thomas-sold-her-first-collection-at-age-16.

Talbot, Kate. “Meet The Millennial Entrepreneurs Slaying The ECommerce Game.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 27 Apr. 2018, www.forbes.com/sites/katetalbot/2018/04/26/meet-the-millennial-entrepreneurs-slaying-the-ecommerce-game/.

Luv AJ Leading in Social Media Marketing

Most people think innovation as a quality only new businesses or new products require. However, one entrepreneur showed that innovation is important of all areas of business. Amanda Thomas, founder of the Luv AJ Jewelry Line, demonstrated innovation not only in her product but in how she marketed it.

Image result for amanda thomas luv ajThomas created her jewelry line in 2005 when she was 16 years old, her after school obsession becoming a profitable business with unique accessories. While at Fred Segal, she randomly met a buyer who wanted her jewelry in all of their stores around the country. That was the first step for Luv AJ on the road of becoming a global empire. A student under famous designers such as Rachel Pally, Christina Ehrlich, and Estee Stanley, Thomas learned how to best create unique jewelry that appeals to lots of different crowds. Now, Luv AJ has boutiques all over the country and the jewelry is popular with a lot of celebrities. People like Beyoncé, Bella Hadid, Kylie Jenner, Emily Ratajkowski, and Emma Roberts all praise Luv AJ and the unique heavy chains and spikes unique to that line.

While Luv AJ demonstrates tons of unique innovation, it’s Thomas’ intense marketing work Image result for amanda thomas luv ajthat really shows an entrepreneurial mind. Forbes describes Thomas as a “digital native”, manipulating social media trends to bring her designs and products to the forefront of the market. From the start, Thomas used Instagram to immerse her brand in the world. She uses her talent for design to create an amazing Instagram page for her products that visual appealing. “Our Instagram grid is a mix of close up shots of ears, necks, and hands, lookbook and campaign imagery, photos of influencers and celebrities wearing the jewelry, and flat lays,” she says.

Thomas knows what an amazing platform social media is for marketing. Her unique photos and advertisements have vastly increased Luv AJ’s marketing reach. However, Thomas doesn’t stop there. She has worked hard to use different influential people to promote her product online, like models, singers, actresses, and so on. To best describe her innovative method of advertisement, she says, “Each season, we work with over 200 girls with a wide range of followers, and we gift them jewelry in exchange for a post and tag. With their tags, we get our product in front of new audiences with every single post.” Thomas isn’t picky about the number of followers or how popular the influencer is. She believes that someone with 50k followers opens up markets the same amount as one with 500k followers.

Image result for luv aj beyonceThomas’ innovation with social media marketing and networking has paid off, big time. Yet she doesn’t rest on her success. She continues to build new relationships to increase her reach. Sometimes she directly messages influences to build a relationship, sometimes she gets referrals from others she’s worked with. Either way, she strives to create partnerships with new people to open up new markets. With products at $100 or lower, her line is spiking in popularity.

Thomas continues to innovate with her online presence to make buying even easier. “First, every single image we post is tagged to a product that is directly synced to our Shopify store. You can click-to-buy on a post and checkout on your mobile device. The second way is through the “Link in Bio” which leads you to our SHOP ALL collection. The third way you is through the app Four Sixty which makes our Instagram feed shoppable on our e-commerce store. Other tools we use that add efficiency are PlanolyVSCO, and Repost,” she says. Clearly these tools are working, as Luv AJ’s global empire expands and Thomas brings her unique jewelry to more markets. That’s true innovation: not only creating a new product but new ways of selling it.

Adelle Archer

Most people may have never heard of Adelle Archer. She is only 27 years old and she is the co-founder of Eterneva. Eterneva is a very unique company that takes people’s cremated ashes and turns them into diamonds. For $7,000 a person can have their loved ones ashes turned into a diamond. Sadly, Adelle got the idea when her business mentor died of pancreatic cancer in 2015. Archer wanted to find a special way to honor her mentor, and upon a discussion with a technician she discovered that a diamond could be created from ashes.

 

The 8 month process may sound a bit odd. Adelle addressed a very unique niche in the market. Sadly, people die at many different stages in their life. In the unfortunate event that a woman’s husband passes away, she could get his ashes turned into a diamond and carry him with her wherever she goes. This does not have to be a young woman or a married couple though. An urn of ashes is not going to be passed down for more than one generation, but grandma’s diamond would last many more than one generation.

 

This is also a growing industry, in 2015, the number of cremations surpassed the number of burials for the first time ever. Adelle has changed the relationship with loss. The loved ones who purchase the diamond are updated throughout the process. The small startup company did $280,000 in sales last year and is projected $2 million in 2018.