Breaking All The Rules and Creating A Celebrity Worn Jewelry Brand with Drew Ginsburg, Founder of...

Big shout out to my sponsors this week. On this episode, we have BetterHelp for 10 off. All you have to do is go to betterhelp.com forward slash. Lori. HelloFresh wants to give you free breakfast for life at hellofresh.com forward slash free earn. And Found wants you to try it for free at found.comforward/earn. And Quince wants you to go to quince.comforward/earn for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns.

Rihanna, like, the singer, reached out to me on Instagram and was like, I need this.

Were you like, is this a real account?

Got to me looking at one of the cameras. I didn't have anything at that point. And I was like, holy, I gotta go. Like, I have to make something right in this moment. She's so talented and she now has, like, all of these brands because she really does sell a lot. But I remember I sent her pieces and she wore them, like, all week long, but with, like, sweatpants, with, like, whatever she wanted to wear. And I was like, this. This is it.

That's like, your brand.

It was so perfect. It was like she understood, like, how these pieces were meant to be worn.

Hey, everyone. Welcome back to the show. Because you are my favorite human beings, I'm always going to give you one of the best discounts that you can get on my beloved product. And when I say beloved, I really, really mean that. It is glossy, which is a skin and gut daily beauty supplement. And I think that you are going to love it. I would love for you to try it for 30 days. You guys, if you are maybe struggling with bloating or skin or drinking your water, dehydration. It was geared towards people who have big goals in life who really also want to feel good and look their best. And those are some of my major goals. So all you have to do is go to getglosi.com and use code happy for 25% off. And we know as entrepreneurs, which this podcast is all about going after your biggest, wildest dreams. And I'm here to tell you that you must. And all the ways you're going to do that and one of the biggest ways you're going to support that is through your health. And it's these little rituals that make a big impact. It's the little things that are the big things. So you guys go and try this for 30 days. I promise you it's gonna create a ripple effect in your life that's gonna make you feel so much better. Not to Mention glowy skin. So getglowsey.com, use code happy. And speaking of looking amazing, I have one of my favorite fashion icons on here who's gonna help us talk about running a business, pursuing your dreams, creating something that maybe you didn't even think was possible, and you love it so much that you want to bring it to life. And that is the founder of Dylan Lex, a jewelry brand that I am obsessed with. You can pretty much see me wearing one of her products, necklaces, belts, at any given time throughout the week, this woman has helped me elevate my own brand, my own style, and also just the way that I want to show up in the world. And what's so cool is that we talk about how we met, and it was a very special day with one of my besties, Lindsay Schwartz, where we went into her New York store and actually got to get styled by her. We're going to share that story and you guys. Wow. This episode is so inspiring. With Drew following her journey of accidentally creating this jewelry brand. So many of my friends wear. Like, so many people wear this statement jewelry because it's so freaking hot and so empowering. So if you're wanting inspiration to lean into your gifts and the impact that only you can uniquely make, this episode is for you. Drew shares how she stumbled into building this brand, starting with just a few pieces and a passion for creativity to her jewelry being worn by celebrities like, oh, you know, Rihanna, Taylor Swift, Gigi Hadid, Beyonce, and Kendall Jenner, just to name a few. Like, imagine. Imagine this little idea, then being put out into the world by all of these women. We talk about trusting your intuition, not being afraid to pivot when something isn't working, and staying true to your unique vision. A surprising tool I've used to step into my next level personally has been through fashion. So this was such a fun conversation for me because she was such a huge piece of that and you guys, Drew is generously offering a special code just for you, my amazing podcast listeners. Use code Earn your Happy 24. That's code. Earn your Happy 24 for an incredible discount because you need a piece of Dylan Lex. Let me just tell you. Let's get started. Drew, welcome to the earn your happy podcast. Thank you so much for coming on.

Thank you for having me.

I'm so excited you're here. I'm excited to be here. So we probably, Lindsay and I, you know, have like, this whole backstory with your brand that people like you don't even know we have because it is One of those brands that just completely becomes something that people love and identify with and makes you feel incredible and empowered. And so I actually found your brand first before I even realized you were behind it. And Lindsay was telling me. She's like, oh, my God, I found this page that, like, inspires me more than I can tell you. And both of us were kind of in, like, this evolution of ourselves, but now we wanted the outside to start reflecting how we felt on the inside. And she showed me some of your stuff, and I was like, oh, my God. This is, like, the ultimate. It's how I feel. It's how I wanna look. It's how I wanna be perceived. I'm like, I feel like this inspir inspires people. It inspires our women to, like, also be called up. And so that's how I initially found you. And so that kind of became her. And I's like, thing sending different pieces and photos of you getting styled back and forth to each other. And so on her 40th birthday, we were like, we need to go to the store and, like, have this be our thing or her thing for her birthday. And so we get there, and the door's locked, and we're like, no, no. It says the hours are open. So we're like, these doors are gonna open. And someone came to the door, and they're like, we're just in a meeting, but come back. I'm like, oh, we'll be back. We're gonna go take a walk around the block, and we'll be right back. And all of a sudden, we're walking back, and we see you. We didn't know you were gonna be there. And we're like, oh, my God, is.

She waving at us?

She's literally waving at us right now. I'm like, play it cold. So we go into the store, and we get this beautiful moment with you where we get. She got to be styled, we got to hang out, got to look at your beautiful work, have a chat. And I'm like, oh, my God. She's such a cool, like, she's such a cool girls girl. And so here you are. This is how that all evolved. And I'm just really excited to learn all about your backstory. So thank you for probably everything that you've gone through to be here right now and to have inspired us. So thank you so much for coming on.

That made me smile so hard because my perspective of seeing you guys in the door. We were having a team meeting, and we. My whole team saw you guys, like, Trying to open the door. I was. I was like, you need to get them back in. I was like, pause this meeting, because you guys just. Even from the exterior of the store, I was like, their energy is amazing. We need to, like, have this happen. They can't be, like, denied access to, like, the store anyway. So that just, like, brings me a lot of joy.

That makes me so happy.

By the way, the store is in the West Village.

Yes.

In New York City.

Come through, come visit.

It is worth the.

Oh, my gosh. It's an experience.

It definitely is. It's a really special space. It's on the corner. It's sort of, like, unattached from, like, a standard kind of shopping street. It feels like a little apartment. And we just collaborated with my friend Richard, who does incredible vintage. Like, half the clothes I wear are vintage. We just talked about this prior to this filming, and he has vintage in the store, and we have our jewelry, and it's just, like, a fun place to play around.

It really is. It's a. It's a. It's a destination, and you definitely should grab a girlfriend and go. It is. It was just a great time. It was, like, the highlight of our whole trip.

We're a good hang.

Yeah. Very fun. And she came in today with these pants on, you guys, that I was like, please. I mean, they're, like, so hot. And we're like, send me the link. And she's like, no, no. I wear, like, all vintage clothes. I'm like, please.

Okay. This is a current brand. They're just older, so I don't think that they have the brand.

Well, I love them. All right, so I really want to get into. You know, you clearly are insanely creative, and so many people have you on their vision board. I'm sure of it. Or their Pinterest board for clothing. And, like, whenever we're looking at photo shoots or doing something for new branding, like, I'm always talking to my girlfriends, and I swear it comes up, like, there's a photo of you somewhere. So this is what you're doing for the world right now. You're. You're helping us step into that next version of ourself, which is so cool. So as we elevate in our businesses and as women, we also get to do that with how we look, which is so fun. And that's what you do. Okay, so I would love to know, have you always. Have you always been a creative your whole life?

Yes.

Okay, tell me about, like, some of the first memories and what you would do how you knew that that was being expressed, honestly?

Well, I drew a lot. I. Growing up, I would always be. We would be out to dinner with my family, and I'd be like, drawing on the napkins. It was sort of like an outlet. I was sort of a quiet kid, really sporty, kind of, like, you know, awkward. And I really like to draw. My mom's brother, who passed away was an artist. And, yeah, I just was always drawing, doodling. So I did a lot of, like, drawing classes, and that was like, my creative outlet. And I also feel like my family, because my parents really want us to be able to take care of ourselves. It was very, like, instilled in us growing up. They're like, oh, drew, like, you're the creative. They, like, put me in that box. Which I feel like, can be good and bad to, like, tell your kid what they're good at at such a young age. But I think it sort of allowed me to really grow in that and, like, really explore it, which was kind of nice because I think most people would set it off to be like, oh, to be like, oh, I can draw. But, like, what does that mean as, like, a job later in life?

Yeah.

And they were sort of always like, this is your. This is, like, what you do. Which is interesting.

Yeah. It does give you that room to. You're like, well, I am a creative.

They said I was kind of really bad at math and, like, the standard things. But, you know, I think they. It was their way of allowing, like, nurturing what I was good at.

I love that because. So I grew up and I was more creative as well in sport, like, sport sporty. But I wasn't good at academics, like, really hardly any of them. So I remember feeling like the creativity wasn't necessarily nurtured at all. So I remember feeling like I was not smart enough all the time. So for you, did that ever bother you that you weren't good at that, or did you really lean into the creativity parts and you're like, that's okay.

Maybe I was just, like, so unaware, but it never bothered me. Cause I was like, oh, I have this. Not many people can do that. That's kind of. I wasn't in the same classes as my friend. Listen, I'm. I was. Got decent grades. It wasn't like I was, you know, in any sort of trouble. But, you know, I think I leaned a lot on the fact that being creative is rare and it's really special. And I was like, okay. Like, that's what I'm Going to be focusing on. I don't know.

I think that's so cool to hear that, though, because you were told that that was a good thing.

Yeah.

And so it was.

I know.

I'm just taking notes for having future.

I mean, listen, there were so many fucked up aspects of growing up in my household, but now reflecting on it, I'm like, oh, wow. Like, they really did see what I was good at and allow me to explore that.

That's awesome.

Yeah.

When you would draw, were you drawing specific things? Did you. When did you start to get an eye for, like, clothing, fashion, jewelry?

I drew people a lot. I really liked observing, and I took a lot of fashion illustration classes, and I really liked clothes. My mom would say I. There was nothing that she purchased for me that I didn't end up cutting or wearing several different ways. Yeah. Like, I just, you know, I wore it to death and then I chopped it up and wore it in a different way to death. So I think that there was always that, like, I wanted to kind of dress up in a different way, whether it was, like, sportier, kind of like against the, like, the femme feeling growing up. So it was sort of like a natural progression from just like doodles to fashion illustration to clothing. I don't know.

So when you would do that, were you using that as, like, full expression of yourself? Would you ever wear anything that you're like, I'm. I don't know, this is a little edgy, or this makes me feel a little uncomfortable, but I want to wear it anyway. Or was it straight up, like, I'm gonna wear this and this is what I want to do?

I think I was, like, so much more brave as I was shy.

Yeah. Cause fashion is a bravery thing.

Like, I think the beautiful thing about being young is that you don't have those learned qualities of feeling embarrassed or shame or, like, someone else's perspective. And I think that I was just so unaware of what anyone else thought. I was so in, like, my own space that I didn't really care and I didn't really know to be like, oh, is that person looking at me weird? I was like, I like, I feel good. Like, I like what I'm wearing.

I feel like you still must have to be that way to create what you create. So tell me, absolutely, how do you stay in that space while creating what you create now? If not, is it. Is it hard for you to kind of not look around and see what people are doing or hear maybe different comments or are you really good with just Being like, hey, I need to stay in this zone.

It's like, ebbs and flows. I mean, I think with social media now, because everyone's, like, doing it, it's hard to not compare. And it's also now having 10 years of business, like, under my belt, it's hard to not compare to other businesses and brands. But initially I was just sort of like, this is amazing. I have a space to, like, show what I'm doing or, like, how what I'm wearing for the day, and people are really responding to it. So I don't know. I have to sort of go offline nowadays to kind of get that back to be like, okay, what do I want to be doing? What do I want to be wearing? Like, what makes me feel good?

Like, get back to your teenage self.

Yeah.

You're like, stop.

Yeah, because you're just, like, scrolling endlessly and you're like, oh, well, that per. You know, there's just constant comparison. And I always say comparison is the thief of joy. But there's an amazing thing about being so connected to everyone. But there's also, like, that kind of like, okay, am I mimicking what I'm seeing or am I being true to myself?

Right. So when you go, is there something that you do when you know you're gonna go into, like, a really creative time period? If you're creating something new, do you kind of log off or do you. Somewhere.

Okay. I have an office at our house that just has, like, a really beautiful view. And I sort of just play music. Sometimes I have movies on that are, like, really nostalgic to me, and I'll just, like, work on the floor and sketch. And I often have a lot of components with me, and so I just sort of, like, play around, but I have to zone out. But I think also as a business owner, there's this reality that, like, you have a business to run. So a lot of the times I need to schedule this creative.

Totally.

And it's really hard because you have.

To call on it. It's like, demand.

Creativity is challenging. And then you're like, you know, you're like, okay, I have these, like, few hours, but then, like, something happens over here with, you know, something, and something happens over there. And then you find yourself on your phone again not being able to refocus on, like, the creative side. So that is definitely something that's, like, tougher, tougher. Manage.

Oh, man. This has been, like, a big conversation with me and my girlfriends is like, how do we get more time to be in the thing that only we can do in our business.

Yeah.

And can bring like the most, like generate the most income and the most like good and energy and everything for the business. And it's typically always like allowing that creative time to really sit in that. So I'm just gonna offer that to you too.

Yeah, yeah. No, I also think this is so weird to say, but when I started the brand it was unintentional and it was like right when Instagram started, by the way. I'm. I think it was like right place, right time that I got on. So a lot of credit to that. But I would sort of like post on social at late at night because I had a full time job and no one really knew about Instagram. And so there was like a lot of this, like, oh, I'm just gonna like, do it when I can. Like, I'm just gonna post whenever I can when I'm feeling like this surge of creativity, like late at night but no one's awake. And it sort of grew from there. But I have that like learned behavior of like, oh, the creative aspect shouldn't take as much time when really that's like the most important part of what I do.

Totally.

So it's like this weird thing that I have to like unlearn because the.

Business comes and you're like, no, this is the most important. Yeah, it's most, it can feel most pressing, but it's not most important.

Yeah. And I don't know why there's such like this stigma around social and having a business online. It's like people make a lot of money. People spend like really like work so hard. There's so much more that goes into it. But there's like this weird thing of like, oh, it's like on social, it's like, oh, it's incredible. And this is like the direction that our world is, is for sure. So it's like very interesting.

It's like genius marketing. Like, it's just really, really smart marketing. What would you, what is your relationship like with creativity? Like when you're in that room and you're just like trying to call upon it. Do you know what I'm saying? And what does that feel like once you're in the flow for you?

Oh, it's the best. I think as an adult, so rarely we're able to just like play and be free and it feels like my freest. So it's so fun because I don't have to think about anything like anything else. I just like zone out and I'M like, what do I love? What do I want to be drawing? What do I want to be wearing? Like, it's just, like, pure bliss, honestly.

Totally.

It's the best.

It is. It is, like, the ultimate best.

Yeah.

Tell me about the origin story. Like, how did it start? You said it was. It was, like, pretty much an accident. What did that look like?

So I was a clothing designer. I went to school for fashion design.

And where were you living at this time?

In Philadelphia.

Okay.

Which is so funny, because I feel like coming up on social media, everyone's like, oh, I thought you were, like, from Europe or wherever. You know, they had their ideas. And I'm like, hey, what's up? You know, like, with a Philly accent. Yeah. I was working in Philadelphia. I was designing clothing. I downloaded Instagram because we had to do a lot of, like, inspiration polls and backing of what we were sketching into and designing, like, reference images and all this stuff. So Instagram had amazing filters, and so I just downloaded as an app to, like, put filters on what I was sourcing what I was sketching, and it was being shared, like, on the platform, which I didn't really understand at first.

Yeah, none of us did. Here's my Greek yogurt this morning.

It was like a Tumblr, I guess. I didn't understand, like, privacy and not privacy. Anyways. People were like, wow, cool, Cool stuff. And it's fun to. I think I sort of have this, like, the organization of what I'm finding, because I would go to a lot of, like, vintage markets. I travel to India a lot for work. And the jewelry there is, like, incredible. I mean, these artisans, like, it's passed down from generation. It's like tiny filigree. Like, it's just so beautiful. Yeah. And so I would collect these things, and I sort of late would lay them out on my coffee table and photograph them so I could sketch into it. And I would share that on social. And then I was like, oh, people are liking this. And so I was like, I'm gonna show what I'm wearing. And then I was like, oh, they like this too. They're into it too.

Nobody was commenting on my Greek yogurt at this time. That's so weird.

Yeah. So I found this, like, amazing community of people that were, like, a little different and sort of fearless and did whatever they wanted and were really responding to what I was putting out there. So it sort of grew. And you weren't selling anything at this time? I was not selling anything. I was just sort of, like, finding pieces old and new, reassembling them to make what I wanted on my body.

Okay.

Because I wasn't really seeing 100%, like, something that I wanted to wear. I was like, oh, that's a cool, like, top part, but I want to, like, put this on the bottom and do this and that, so. And then, because I was a designer, I don't know, it sort of allowed me to, like, do that on the side as well, like, the inspiration and clothing, like, photography part of it. And I wasn't getting anywhere with my job. It was sort of like. I don't want to speak poorly, because I do think that they gave me so many tools. Yeah.

Totally.

To start my own business. Because they sort of threw you in, and they were like, figure it out of luck, like, and that's a skill set. Yeah. And also was the time when, like, you know, you worked for nothing, but you wanted to do everything. And so I would go into the office and be like, what can I do? Like, how. You know, I think it's so different now.

And that's a. That is, like, a successful. Like, that's a sign of a successful person who's like, let me use this for all I can to learn.

Yeah. I was like, soak it in. So I was working at this company, getting paid nothing, and I was like, wait, I have all these tools to, like, design things on my own. So I reached out to a few manufacturers and met up with, you know, a lot of trial and error. I had six designs for necklaces. I didn't follow any rules to start a business. It was like, you need a million dollars and blah, blah, blah. And I was like, no, I need, like, $20,000. And, you know, which is still money.

But did you have to go and get that, or how did you.

It was. It was on loan.

Okay.

And I paid it back in the first week, which was, like, incredible. But a family member had loaned it to me, you know, but you have to go out. Structure. Yes. Which is, like. So I have, like, so much shame about it. I don't know why. I don't like asking for anything. I like doing everything myself.

Okay.

Which is also hard.

I'm like, okay, we can change that later.

Sorry. Long story short is I found a manufacturer that was really incredible. I still work with him. I love him so much.

Wow.

I didn't have a lot of jewelry design background. I had design background in clothing, but he likes to say, like, no to everything, and I'm like, yes. Which I also think is, like, Sets us apart from other jewelry brands or accessory companies.

So when he says no to it, is he like, this, this can't be done.

This can't be done. This is not gonna work.

Okay. And then so do you do.

And then I'm like, just try it.

Just.

Just do me a favor and try it. Whether it works out or not, I'm paying for this, so just try it.

He always says it can't be done.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's.

That is what I want people to hear, is like, that doesn't mean no.

Yeah.

It literally means it's your job to ask again or push.

Totally pushing the boundary. Because otherwise you're just making the same thing everyone else is making. You know what I mean? You're not pushing creatively. So there's good and bad. There's definitely a lot of samples that didn't make it through. But the first six we released, and it wasn't wholesaled, it was direct to consumer. So my prices were really good. I had no overhead. We. I found Shopify, which a lot of people use, which is so user friendly for people that don't know coding or whatever, and put up my website and, like, everything sold out. And it was incredible.

What was that feeling like? Did you expect that or.

No. I was so worried because I built up this, like, identity and I was worried that I would disappoint people because I think also making stuff. I was. I was making it in New York City, which we still are. New York and la, we make stuff and the prices are higher. There's a lot of competition out there. What I originally was inspired by was so intricate that I was like, oh, my God. It's impossible to, like, recreate.

Yeah.

With, like, what I have. But it really resonated with people and it was, like, really special.

So the first time you sold something, it was like, what was the decision? Where was the leap of I'm gonna sell this? What was that moment? Was it. Everybody's asking me for this. Is there really something here?

Yeah. This is gonna sound so ridiculous, but Rihanna, the singer, like, the singer reached out to me on Instagram and was like, I need this. And I was like, I don't.

Were you like, is this a real account?

Cut to. Cut to me looking at one of the cameras, I was like, I. I didn't have anything at that point. And I was like, holy, I gotta go. Like, I have to make something right in this moment. She's so talented and she now has, like, all of these brands because she really does sell A lot. But I remember I sent her pieces and she wore them like all week long, but with like sweatpants, with like whatever she wanted to wear. And I was like, this is it, like, and that's your, that's like your brand. It was so perfect. It was like she understood, like, how these pieces were meant to be worn. Now anyone can interpret, you wear whatever you want, whatever makes you feel good, but it was just like, so insane. But yeah, people were really reaching out about it. I don't think I would have. I don't think I would have jump started so quickly if it wasn't for that accessibility. On social.

I'm so grateful because this episode is brought to you by one of our sponsors. Better help you guys. These episodes aren't possible without getting incredible sponsors. So I want you to think about a time when you've really wanted to try something new. And I talk about it all the time on this podcast that it's so important to go and try new things, to have things to look forward to every single week. And some of us, and some of you don't even know what that would be that would light you up. And therapy is one of those things that can really help you get to reconnect with who you really are and what lights you up again. And I also know that therapy is one of those things that can help you work through the fears around doing the new things that you know would reconnect you back to your soul, back to the fun, and back to the whole reason why you're here. A lot of times if we're feeling bored or anxious, it's because we're just not living in the way that we came here to live. And we're ignoring and avoiding all of those little nudges that we have to go and do the things that we want. I can tell you that I have pretty much always had a coach or worked with someone who is a therapist to help me to reconnect to myself and figure out why I'm feeling the feelings that I'm feeling. So if you're thinking of starting therapy, give Better Help a try. It's entirely online, designed to be convenient, flexible, and suited to your schedule. All you have to do is fill out a brief questionnaire to get matched with a licensed therapist and switch therapists at any time for no additional charge. So rediscover your curiosity with better help. Visit betterhelp.com Lori today and get 10 off your first month. That's BetterHelp. H-E-L-P.com Lori. If you follow me. You guys know that I love fashion and things in the home. That's why I'm so excited about Quints. And if you're shifting your wardrobe like I am right now, from summer to fall, it's always a bit of a challenge. And I love high quality items. And I also don't want to blow my budget because I love new things often. I'm so sorry, you guys. Quince has things like cashmere sweaters from $50 pants for every occasion, washable silk tops, and so much more. And the best part is, all Quince Items are priced 50 to 80% less than other brands because they partner directly with top factories. So Quince cuts the cost of the middleman and they only work factories that use ethical and responsible manufacturing practices. I just got their bed sheets and I have to tell you, I love how freaking soft they are and how cool they keep me at night. So make switching seasons a breeze with Quint's high quality closet essentials. Go to quince.com earn for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. That's Quint Q I N C.com earn to get free shipping and 365 day returns. Quince.com earn if you've been listening to this podcast for a while, you know that my husband and I are huge takeout people. Like, all we do is get our meals out because by the time the day is over, we are so exhausted and living in California, we have some pretty decent options. But I have to tell you, recently we spent two months in Wisconsin at our lake house and we, we were grilling out like every single night because they really don't have doordash there. So what we noticed is that we just fel felt so much better cooking meals at home. Except the downfall was that again, I'm tired. It's exhausting. I don't know what to cook every single night. And that is why Chris and I decided to try HelloFresh. HelloFresh. You get farm fresh, pre portioned ingredients and seasonal recipes delivered right to your doorstep. So you also can skip the trips to the grocery store. And you can count on HelloFresh to make home cooking easy, fun and affordable. That's why it's America's number one meal kit. And can we say that you get to save on the tips as well? So we all know home cooked meals are so much better for you, but we don't always have the time to pull it off. But with HelloFresh handling all the meal planning Shopping and most of the prep. It's super easy to get dinner on the table in a quick and painless way. So the coolest part is, is that it's easily customizable. You can customize your meals with protein or veggie swaps. And don't forget to check out Hellofresh market for more delicious add on items to jazz up your weekly deliveries. So you guys, this is so cool because HelloFresh is offering free breakfast for life. If you go to hellofresh.com free earn one free breakfast item per box while subscription is active. That's free breakfast for life. Just by going to hellofresh.com free earn F R E E E A R N Free earn. Oh my God. That. And that's how it works. It's like, oh, I kind of have to do this and I'm just going.

To make this happen. Am I out of my mind, like to just not even try? Even if it fizzled into nothing, I was like, I have to try this.

Yeah. How did you know how to price it?

At first I didn't and I'm still paying for that. Our margins are tough. I didn't, I, I just, I knew that there were other brands out there at, at the time there were these like brands that were selling costume jewelry for like $4,000. And I also feel like there are big name brands that sell costume jewelry for really high.

Yeah.

Price points because they can, because they have the name and people want to buy it. And I was like, I want to come in at a competitive price.

Yeah.

I didn't think as much long term because I'm just like, I would give everything away for free if I could.

Don't do that so bad. Don't do that.

Yeah.

Because we also so value what you do and want to keep you doing it.

Yeah. But we do make stuff in the US and it's, it's hard because we're sort of creeping up. We're creeping up and creeping up. Like we have to raise our prices at some point. We have items from our first collection that we still sell that it's really hard. They're really hard to make. You know, gold's going up. We, we gold plate everything. The price of labor goes up, you know, all that.

So I think it's, it's so important to have awareness around pricing for people who are buying because they're like, you know, whether it's your stuff, my stuff, other people's stuff, they're like, wait, someone will always say, why is this price? Why Is this a higher price? And you're like, if you want to create, it's so important to know, like, margins are a real thing. Labor is a real thing. Like, if you want women to have businesses and products, you do need to pay for it.

Yeah.

Or we're never gonna be able to do it, because we have to be able to, you know, pay for labor, create, pay for a lifestyle. Like, the cost of doing business is extremely high.

It's so high. And now we have retail, which is like, a whole different beast. And we have fulfillment centers, which is a whole different beast.

Wow.

You want to have customer service. Right? And even every part is, like, moves around, and you really need people to show up, and that means hiring people for it. You know, when I started the business, for the first three years, I would go into an office, I would fulfill the orders, I would answer the customer service, and then I'd spend the rest of the day designing.

Wow.

That's, like, how I ran my business by myself. Like, it was crazy.

How many pieces around then were you doing and how many, like, pieces are you doing?

It was the six. Six.

Okay.

And I didn't release the collections, like, when everyone else was releasing, because I think if I went to anyone else. I remember I went to a magazine once and did, like, a. What are they called? Like, death sides.

Oh, yeah. Death side.

Yeah. And they were like, this is all you have. And I was like, yeah, this is so much. And I think they're just used to, like, a whole display and, like, a variety, and. And I didn't really have that. So, you know, I just had the six pieces, and I was sort of coasting on that and reordering. And then I was like, okay, I feel like I'm getting ready to make a new collection. And so I would, like, do it whenever I felt inspired to. Not, like, chasing the season and the trend and all of that stuff. It wasn't really focused on that.

How much were you selling then? You don't have to tell me dollar amount, but, like, what was the volume in which was going out to customers compared to now? Like, give us an idea in the beginning to now what you're doing.

I don't even know how to, like, say.

Yeah, like, were you. Were you sending out, like, one piece a day? One piece a week?

Yeah, I would say. I would say it was like. Well, it was. It's hard. I feel like, on average, in the beginning, it was like seven or ten. Seven to ten pieces a day.

Oh, so you were pretty busy right away.

I was. We were busy right away. When we first launched, it was like, like, all of the Falcon. We. I name them, like, weird names based on things that, like, I love. But I had this necklace called the Falcor, which is now archived.

We love Falkor. Yeah, my dog looked like Falkor. It was great.

And I remember I was. It was before I had, like, a little fulfillment, like, office, but I had them all laid out on my couch and, like, all down my hallway. So the first week that we launched, basically, we sold through all of them, and I was just, like, trying to ship them out, you know, not really understanding. But then when it sort of became normal, it was like five. I would say, like five pieces a day, but it was just so limp. It was all necklaces. So, yeah, now we have, like, the full gamut. We have.

And you do clothing. Are you still doing clothing?

Yes. Okay. So we did. We started to do clothing. I felt like I was becoming just like every other brand. And I had, like, a little panic that I was like, okay, I need to slow down. I want to make core items. I want to do novelty pieces. So last year, I sort of, like, pulled back a lot on the clothing and, like, belts and other things, and I was like, let's just re recenter, because I felt sort of, like, out of control.

Okay, I love that part. I want you to speak more into that, because there can be a lot of noise from the outside to be like, you need to expand. You need to expand, or people want this from me. I need to give it to them. So you expanded and then you pulled back. Where are you at now? Are you back to, like, clarity of what you want? This brand?

Yes, but it's. It takes time to sort of develop things, and so there's still, like, leftover clothing items that were like, we owe this to our. Our clients, you know, that we're gonna release this year. But it. It takes time to sort of figure out the plan for the year. And so, like, even now, it's like, we're. We're almost through Q1, and I'm like, okay, what's the rest of the year look like? And I think for. For our business, because we make everything locally, it's easier to produce something and then have it come out in, like, two months. But I think for every other company, it's like, they're. They already have next year done. So, you know, I think we're still. From my slow down era last year, we're still sort of, like, figuring out the product, like, line that we want to present to customers and, like, rev that back up. We also opened two retail stores, so.

Well, that's a whole undertaking.

Yeah, it's a whole other beast. And, like, clientelling isn't something that I'm. That's natural to me. I like to think I'm a people person, but I'm also, like, such an introvert. So hard to, like, manage to be like, this is how you clientele. It's like, I don't fucking know. But, like.

Like, was I weird?

You answer. Yeah. Could you answer a survey scale of.

1 to 10, how weird was that for you?

I'm always weird.

You were very. Which maybe because I think Lindsay and I are also that way. I'm just like, oh, good, we recognize another one.

Yeah. Yeah. But it's hard to, like, we. We really bet on retail, and so to not put all of our time and energy into that and realize that I have to focus on product, it's sort of like, okay, how do I focus on both, you know, in a healthy way?

Do you have somebody now who is helping you run the business? Because there's so many different pieces of, like, you want to be the creative, we want you to be the creator, and there's so much that you can get distracted by. Did you get somebody to help you run, like, operations?

Yeah. Piece of it.

Tell me about that.

Yes. So I really didn't want to. Everyone was telling me, you know, raise money, find a company that can sort of take you under their wing and you can use all their things and. Yeah, that would be great.

Yeah.

But it's really hard to pitch yourself in that way. And again, I think as you can tell from, like, how I started, like, I don't do things in the same way as everyone else. And I think spending a year just pitching my brand to a bunch of men in suits just seemed really unappealing to me. So I actually had worked with someone from my former job. She was in the. On, like, the buying side, and I was on the design side. And she's, like, such a tough cookie. Like, she doesn't take any shit. She knows exactly what she wants, and she just, like, goes for it. And she was actually moving back to. To California when I moved out here, and I was looking for someone to run ops, and she just. I was like. She, like, showed up at this, like, girls dinner, and I was like, oh, my God, let's do this. So Robin's my business partner, and she's really the one who's like, okay, we need to reorder this, like you need to design into these things. And I think that there's like a balance because I think she also has a lot of creative talent as well.

Oh, that's awesome.

Yeah. But, and so I'm like, oh, I don't want her to like be doing ops like just by herself. Like we try and like, like share the weight of things, which I think can be like amazing and also not amazing because then we're both sort of like spread really thin doing all of the things. So you know, there's a, there's a balance. But she's really wonderful. I'm very grateful for her. She was actually the first person that was like, you need to do, we need to do pop ups because we need to connect with people because we were so online and we're pop ups.

Big for you guys.

Yeah. We did a pop up in New York and that's why we opened up retail in New York as well. And it was just so nice to like meet the people like. Yeah.

And get feedback and how are people responding to this?

Yeah. And, and she also, we traveled and did a few pop ups like in Texas and Seattle and so it was just like really cool to kind of, of create a community.

Yeah. And that's, I still believe that is no matter what kind of brand you are, I think there's a spot for like tapping into your community and meeting your community 1000%. I think it's that way.

Yeah.

Especially in person. You just, you cannot beat in person. And in person is also felt online. Meaning just like the content that you get from in person.

Yeah.

Somehow translates so powerfully like and creates a perception online as well.

Yeah.

So I, I love a pop up.

Yeah.

Love getting together with community. It's so important. What would you say has been some of the biggest lessons that you have gotten out of starting and running a business?

Just understanding that you're like, you are the one that's going to feel the most about what you're, what you're doing and not everyone's going to feel the same way you do and you just need to keep going. It's just like the reality of starting a business. Like you're going to be the one that cares the most. You're going to be the one that's like up like long nights, working the hardest. Like it just really falls on you a lot to build something. I think they always say like, if it was easy, everyone would do it. And I think that's so true. It's not easy like it's still, to this day, I'm like, am I doing this right?

Every day.

Every day of my life, every person I meet that, like, loves the brand or knows the brand, I'm like, how do you even. Where'd you find us? Like, it just. It really blows my mind, and it's really incredible. But I think just knowing that you have to be the driving force, some days you're gonna feel the love, and some days you're really not. You just keep, like, marching through.

Yeah.

You know, the other. The other part of this is, like, don't look too much at what everyone else is doing, which is, again, something you sort of mentioned. It's like, I think you can get really overwhelmed by what everyone else appears to be doing. And, like, I started a business with not much money. Six pieces. I released it at a time when people already had their fall collections out. It was seasonless, and we sold through. And so you don't have to. You don't have to do what everyone else is doing.

That was just you following your gut.

Yeah.

You're like, this feels good.

Yeah. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

Right.

But, oh, the one last thing, being able to pivot, I think, as well. Like, if something's not working for you, sometimes it takes a while for it to work. But if something's truly not working and you're not feeling it, like, don't be afraid to pivot.

Like, to. Let it go.

Yeah, Let it go. Or sort of like, reimagine, you know, I think.

Can you tell me about a time when that happened, when you're like, oh, I think this is just not it.

Wholesale.

Okay.

Yeah, we wholesaled.

So what does that mean for anyone who doesn't understand what that would mean for you?

So it's basically having. Oh, my God, why am I going? A retailer. Yeah, a retailer. Sell your stuff. But instead, honestly, I think wholesale is amazing. I think it's really fun to meet the smaller boutiques.

Yeah.

That have, like, a really incredible following, and wholesale through that route. But we did, like, a major retailer, which is incredible. I, again, do not want to speak to poorly about any experience that I've had, but it was a lot of, like, can you change this? Can you, like, oh, can we consign? And it was sort of like, they beat down the collection.

It changed the brand.

Yeah. To. To, like, the bare bones, and we had to work for, like, a penny, and it was just sort of like, what are we doing?

Got you away from the vision.

Yeah. Just because you're like, oh, it's the. This prestigious retailer.

Yeah.

And that gives me validation. And it's like, but does it? Validation for who?

Yeah. You know, sometimes you have to go experience it to be like, yeah, this. That validation doesn't really feel as good.

As I thought it would. Yeah. So, you know, I think I was sort of like, okay.

So at first when that happened because, you know, there are so many opportunities, and it's like, I think the most successful people are the ones who can know what to do, what to say no to, and, like, what keeps the brand. The brand. So in the beginning, though, when the bigger retailer came to you. Yeah.

That's.

Everyone tells you that's great for the brand. So is that why you did it? And it also felt great.

It's also like, you grew up with these. I mean, we grew up with magazines.

Totally.

And, you know, we grew up going to these stores, and it was like, whoa, cool. You know, and it's like you get so mesmerized, and you're like, you feel good. Like, oh, this company really wants to, like, have my stuff in their store. They have, like, all these people that they're probably getting way better margins from because, like, our, you know, with costume jewelry, it's a different margin than fine and whatever. And so I think I was just so, like, dazzled by that too.

Yeah.

And I didn't really. I didn't focus on, like, getting in magazines because that, to me, felt like a whole community that was, like, not warm and welcoming. It was sort of like, oh, who do you know? You know, it was sort of like. And I.

Which is not what you're used to creating because you've been in your bubble.

Yeah. And your creative bubble. Yeah. And I think, you know, our jewelry is sort of rough around the edges and, like, unexpected. And I think that's like, who I am as a person as well. And so I think with the wholesale, with this company, it felt like, oh, a little. A little into, like, the mainstream. Like, that nod felt good. And then I quickly realized, I think.

Rihanna did that for you.

You're fine. I mean, that was incredible.

Yeah. But that's. Those are big things. Is sometimes the things that we think that we want are absolutely not. Not it. But you have to go experience.

That's life. I mean, how many things have you experienced in your life that you're like, that wasn't it. But I mean, most. Okay.

And then it just gets you more back to you, which is, you know, the through line of everything you've been saying is like, okay, I had to, like, step back and be like, what do I, what do I want again? Like, get back to that version of you.

Yeah.

Which is, I think everybody listening. And we're, we're mostly female audience. Like, we ultimately know.

Yeah.

But it is through that, like, trial and error that we also have to go experience it to get back to us.

Yes.

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Honestly, I think it's just like trusting myself. I realized, not that it's weak. I just, I was always deferring to someone else to, like, do a thing that I didn't want to handle. But I can handle a lot more than I think.

Is that why your ring says handle it?

Yes. Yes. Honestly, Yes. I think I just realized that, like, I can take on a lot more than, like, I thought I could. There's a lot that comes with being a business owner. And I think initially I was like, oh, I don't do that. Like, I don't know how to do that. And it's like, no, if I just focus, I don't want to do it is the real thing. And if I just focus on what it was being presented to me, like, I can. I know that's such A general answer, but it's not one thing. It's just the general thing that, like, I can take on a lot more than I sometimes feel I can.

I. 1 million percent. It's so funny. We've been. I've been talking about this just capacity. Like we were going around this last weekend. We had. We did like a mastermind with a bunch of girlfriends who are in business and. And we were talking about what is the former version of yourself like? Or what is this version of you so proud of right now of yourself? And I said, my capacity, like, I had no idea I could go through what I went through and hold what you hold and like the fires that you have to let burn and like the things that have to go wrong that you have to just keep going.

Yeah.

So that is like my ultimate thing as well. I'm like, no, that is 100% me. So. Okay, I'm gonna ask you one of my favorite questions. What would that version of you. Were you drawing at like eight.

Yes.

Okay. What would that eight year old version of you. Can you picture her? What outfit she has on?

Yes.

Okay. Like, her pencils, all of her things. If she could stand in front of you right now, what would she tell you she's proud of you for?

Oh, my God, stop, You're gonna make me cry. That's sweet.

It's a really. I can see my. I can see her right now.

That's cute.

She'd love your outfit right now for sure.

No, I think she'd be like, drew, you're wearing a huge sweater. Sit on a. On a chair like, you look crazy. I don't know what she'd tell me. I think she just sort of like smile and be like, we got it.

You handled it.

Yeah. Or like, we are like, you know, I don't know. Oh my God. I don't know why I'm crying. I'm getting my period.

Every. Honestly, everybody knows.

Yeah. It's like so intense.

All the time.

Yeah. Yeah. This is. I don't know, I don't think she'd say much, but I think she'd be really proud. Yeah.

I actually do this before I. Sometimes I'll do it before I go on stage because I can still get really, really nervous when I speak. Like, really nervous. And I'm like, little me would have been freaking out. Like, who cares what happens up there? Like, oh, my God, we did it. Like, you're doing it and it. First of all, you shouldn't make yourself cry right before you go on stage. But it does, like, just picturing her, like, her little hands on your cheeks, likes being like, wow.

Yeah.

So cool.

Yeah.

So we did it.

We did it.

Yeah.

Or we're doing it.

We're doing it.

There's so much more to life. Like, there's so much more life to live. But I think she'd be proud in her little sambas.

So great. Oh, what is something that you would love to see yourself either doing or fulfilling or even if it's like a. A trip or a bucket list item in the next five years.

It's so funny that we're talking about young me, because I always say to friends and my boyfriend, we talk about life, and we're like. He's like, what would you want to be doing if you could be doing anything else? And I was like, I think I'd be an art teacher for kids. I think I'd love to just do art with some little kids that just have no filter and no shame and they just are free. And I think that'd be, like, such a fun and rewarding thing just because I think also for me now realizing in this conversation how important art was for me as a kid and having that outlet.

Yeah. I literally just got full body chills. Cause I'm thinking, like, I think whether you totally realized it or not, like, that your parents, like, were, like, they celebrated the fact that you were creative. And I don't think that that happens for a lot of people.

Yeah.

And so, especially in the past, that wasn't. It was like, academia was the most important. I think that a lot of creatives kind of, like, maybe got suppressed or, like, we don't get to see their art right now. And if someone, like, you went in and could spot that in people.

Yeah.

I think you can open up a whole world for people, which is, like, their. Their path.

Yeah. Or just expression. And I think that's, like, what's so special. Like, on the days that I'm like, so much is going on in the world, what am I doing? Like, why am I doing this?

Yeah.

The easiness of just easiness. I don't know if that's even a word, but, like, the simplicity of getting people up, getting them dressed, and putting on, like, just anything that makes you feel like you're stepping into your power.

Yeah.

It's the simplest way to feel good. And I was like, okay. That is why I do what I do. It's like you're able to reach people to make them feel like. Like, we feel so helpless at times, but to express yourself with like what you're wearing. As simple as like, I, I bought this and I'm like, fuck it. Like, you're in like an amazing power suit. I'm like, this makes me feel great.

I love your outfit.

I'm like, I need sex to do this. It's such an easy way to take control and to express yourself. I think that's like a really special thing.

By the way, if I could figure out how to do that, I would be wearing that as well. I'd be wearing like a couch blanket.

I'm wearing a Hanes T shirt, like tank top. I feel like I just always like when I'm doing something, I'm like, what's the complete opposite of what this like requires outfit wise? Like, let me go there.

I'm literally like sitting, thinking of questions while dissecting the outfit, going, how does she look so cool in something that I'm like, I could probably put that together.

But you definitely. I'm gonna figure it out. I look like I'm gonna give myself.

A year to impress you. When I see you again in a year, whenever that is, I'm going to be like, what do we think? How did I do it? Yes. It's not okay. Next time I'm going to work at it. I'll put my couch blanket on with this belt.

I don't know.

Well, I have loved this conversation. Like, loved, love, loved it. I'm so grateful for you just sharing that journey and I can't wait for people to go and get a piece of your story because that's what it is. It's not just jewelry. It's literally we get to have a piece of your creativity. And I love that. It's, it's just I get to be a part of this brand that you don't even realize ripples out. It, it means so much more. So I'm so grateful for you and I know that you have gifted our people with a code.

Yes.

So let's tell everyone what that is.

It's earn your happy 24. I'm like, you can look anywhere and it's just a little code if you want to shop on the site. Just to kind of say thanks to everyone watching and to hearing my story and just for being here. So.

And do you have a store in LA as well?

Yes.

Okay.

We have two stores. One in New York in the West Village and then one in Los Angeles at Row downtown la.

Okay.

It's really private. It's really cool. It's part office, part store. It feels really special.

So fun.

You've been there. No, you need to come.

Coming.

Yeah.

Yeah, this is happening. When she's back out, we'll definitely pop down, which will be really soon.

So.

Yeah, okay, I'm coming to that. You guys, grab your friend, grab your girlfriend. If you're in New York, go to New York for this. Go to la. If you're in la, like, make it a destination. And if you can't make it to the store, it's so much fun to buy a piece for your friend. Like, it's just such a significant gift. There's so many things that you can get as well and something for yourself, too. I love them. I always wear your chokers. I wear them speaking so great. I'm obsessed.

And even if you don't buy, like, just pick out that one thing in your wardrobe that you have not worn because you feel like someone's gonna say something and just wear it. Like, that's all I ask, you know, I think it's just about expressing yourself.

Express yourself more.

Yeah.

So good. Well, thank you again so much for coming on.

Thanks for having me.

Where can we find you? Follow you all the things.

Dylan, Lex, D, Y, L, A, N. Lex is our Instagram. And then Dylan, Lex.com on the Internet.

Yes. On the interwebs.

Everywhere on the. On the World Wide Web.

For real. Go follow the Instagram. Because that's where I go if I'm like, I cannot think of an outfit idea. And she shows you how to style everything, even if you don't have the pieces. There's different things in your closet that you can style that are like it. But we're just so grateful for you all tuning in. And until next time, earn your happy. Bye, everyone.