College Friends Design Millennial-Focused Jewelry

Notes from Chris

Episode 1077

When Isabelle Tan and Sara Beznicki first met, they had no idea that they would eventually become business partners. They connected in college through a mutual friend and in the years after graduation, didn’t speak much except for the occasional check-in.

But then the fates aligned and brought them back together. You see, Sara was looking for a new job, and the company Isabelle was working at was looking to hire someone. Soon, the old friends became coworkers.

That company was pretty small, so the women ended up working closely together for the next three years. They learned how to collaborate well and got to know what each other’s work style was like.

Then, it all came to an end. Sara’s family owned a jewelry company, and they wanted her to come work for them in order to gain their pearls of wisdom. She and Isabelle went their separate ways again.

About a year later, Sara’s dad announced that he was retiring from the jewelry business, and it just so happened that Isabelle was now searching for a job. The solution seemed crystal clear. The two would-be coworkers once again … and this time, they’d build something together.

From there, they learned everything they could about the jewelry industry. At first, this meant doing daily housekeeping tasks, like running errands and chatting with customers. Then over time, they began to study strategy … both old-school approaches, as well as new ideas that they thought would be more relevant to their generation.

As some of the youngest people in the business, Sara and Isabelle wanted to ramp up the online presence of the brand, by creating a website and social media accounts for it. Sometimes, the older people in the company had different ideas about how to approach these technological changes. Although it was difficult to broach the subject, with patience and understanding, both generations were able to collaborate in order to continue to expand the company.

All the while, they were planning to strike out on their own. The business that Sara’s dad owned was called Kingsmark Jewelry. Sara and Isabelle decided to call their brand A Gilded Leaf. Sara’s favorite season is fall and she thought that it would be fun to incorporate leaves in the name - especially because leaves are gold in the fall.

Now, these two women have created their own family business in a way that fits with their values and interests. Although it was difficult to break out of the mold that was already set in front of them, taking that risk ultimately allowed their new brand to grow in new ways that they could have never seen coming.

A Gilded Leaf currently brings in $250,000 a year, and in early 2020 will be fully separated from Kingsmark Jewelry. Sara and Isabelle are reinvesting some of that money back into the business in order to create new designs for the upcoming season. Right now, their primary focus is on introducing more bridal jewelry, including engagement rings and wedding bands.

 

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MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• A Gilded Leaf: Check out Sara and Isabelle's incredible jewelry at their website.

 

SEE ALSO:

• Hand-Stamped Feminist Jewelry Earns $25,000 Side Income: She’s loud, she’s proud, and she’s wielding a hammer to smash the patriarchy with her hand-stamped feminist jewelry line.
• Electrical Engineer Sells $800 Swarovski Crystal Bikinis: The next time you need a Swarovski-covered crystal bikini for a fitness competition (or just a walk to Starbucks), this engineer has got you covered. Strike a pose!
• Actor Lands Role Of Her Life In 24 Carat Side Hustle: A creative outlet leads to a profitable business earning at least $3,000 a month.

Inspiration is good; inspiration combined with action is better. Now get back to work!

Yours in the revolution,