We recently connected with Brandy Bell and have shared our conversation below.

Brandy, appreciate you joining us today. Owning a business isn’t always glamorous and so most business owners we’ve connected with have shared that on tough days they sometimes wonder what it would have been like to have just had a regular job instead of all the responsibility of running a business. Have you ever felt that way?

To be honest, I’ve thought about just getting a “real job” (as I jokingly call it), MANY times in the past year. 2024 has been hard. I think most small businesses have felt that the last year or two, and if you haven’t, that’s AMAZING & you should count your blessings! But each time the thought creeps in and I feel discouraged about my business, I remember my Why? and that’s my kids. I started my business when my now, 13 year old, was a newborn- and now he’s a teenager, about to head to high school next year, and my youngest (12) is right behind him… I know that my years with them playing sports & participating in extracurricular activities are slowly slipping through my grasp, and the reason I chose to be a stay at home mom & small business owner was for the flexibility that it has given me, so that I could always be there to enjoy those moments with them. Many parents don’t get that with their kids, and I know how incredible fortunate I have been to have that, and I do not take that for granted. So every time I wrestle with getting a 9-5, I get a little sad, maybe cry a little, then I wipe the tears, and push harder to just make it work, because these are the years with them that I will never get back.

Brandy, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I laugh when I am asked about how I started, because I tell people all the time, before I had kids I swore, 1. I never wanted to be a stay at home mom, and 2. I never wanted to own my own business… Then I joke that God laughed, and said, “okay girl. sure.” So here I am, staying home and owning my own business.
I have always had that creative bug though. My mom is an amazing quilter and seamstress, and I grew up watching her work a full-time job and then stay up all hours of the night making wedding dresses & other clothing, just to make ends meet. She said when I was little, I would always carry a pad and pencil around with me anywhere we went so that I could draw. I remember wanting to be a fashion designer when I was a kid. So I definitely credit her with how I ended up here.
After high school, I got a Bachelors Degree in Studio Art at UNC-Wilmington because I honestly didn’t really know WHAT I wanted to do with my life. I enjoyed it, but knew I’d probably never make it as an artist, so I ended up going back to school at our local community college, and getting an Associates Degree in Interior Design. We created LOTS of design boards in school, and used lots of fabric and leather samples in class, so when I graduated, I had lots of left over scraps. Shortly after graduating, I became a mom and being home with a baby all day (and his brother coming along just a year after him), I needed my creative outlet. I couldn’t really afford the fancy boutique jewelry I loved, so I started making my own earrings from leather scraps. Then I’d give them for gifts to friends, then their friends would want them. I started doing local vendor events and here we are!

I started out with only one or two earring styles and over the years that has grown to over 50 different styles. I love that I can create a variety of styles that work for kids, teens & adults of all ages. Our most popular compliment is that all of our jewelry is super lightweight, and doesn’t pull on your earlobes (If you grew up in the 80’s you know what I’m talking about!)

I also get complimented on being affordable- which is a super fine line if you’re a creator. You don’t want to seem “cheap” but you also don’t want to price yourself out of your ideal clientele, especially if this is your main source of income. For me, as a stay-at-home mom, my #1 goal has always been to create a product that is great quality, but also affordable. As a stay-at-home mom myself, I know what it means to want to feel beautiful, even if I’m just hanging out at home changing diapers all day. I also know, that sometimes that means I don’t/can’t really splurge on myself because everyone else comes first. I wanted to change that dynamic for women. I want, more than anything, for you to feel good shopping with me. To know that you can feel beautiful, no matter your budget, and that with the variety I make, you can wear my jewelry while wearing leggings or a ball gown- That is what it’s all about for me.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I would say, after 13+ years of doing this, I have had to pivot MANY times. MANY. Starting out around 2011, it was really just a creative outlet for myself while my kids were napping. A hobby I guess. Then I started being able to kind of help out with finances for my family, because what I made at local vendor events was extra income for us.
Fast forward to 2017, and Lularoe was at the top of the charts in the clothing industry. It was a huge company, with many retailers & what better way to finish off an outfit, than with earrings! So after my products landed in the hands of a few top selling ladies in the company, my business completely blew up. I had the craziest, most amazing year of my life as far as sales goes & I met so many new people (virtually and in-person at events).
Then in 2019, my world was turned upside down, as I maneuvered through a separation, then Covid hit in early 2020 & my kids were home all day, trying to do virtual learning, & we were all just still trying to process the separation and everything Covid related. Then on the other side of that, your once “extra income hobby” is now your actual income, in a pandemic, while just trying to emotionally make it to the next day.
So here we are now, several years later, I’m definitely in a better mental head space, but now the economy is not so great. I find myself just trying new things, testing new products, picking up side hustles to make up for the loss from jewelry sales, but truly feeling INCREDIBLY blessed to still be doing what I love.
So pivoting… Yeah, I think my life the past few years has been a constant pivot.

How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?

I’d have to say the main way I keep in contact with my customers is through my VIP Facebook Group. They are like my group of besties (all 3k of them 😂) Anytime I am looking for feedback on a new idea I have, or can’t decide if I like a certain design I’ve created, they are my first go-to for feedback. I will post a photo and say “Yay! or Nay?” and they are AMAZING at giving me the thumbs up (or sometimes a thumbs down!) Anytime I run a sale or special event, I post it in my VIP group first! It’s been fun getting to know customers from all over the US with my Facebook group, and becoming friends with many of them, even though we may never meet each other in “real life”.
I also use Instagram a lot. I post more “behind the scenes” things there, either through Reels or Instagram stories & those followers get more of a peek at my personal life & what my weekends consist of, what podcasts or audiobooks I’m listening to at the moment, or just little snapshots of my day.
I try to schedule weekly emails for those signed up to receive them. I also have an app that lots of people use to shop with me, so I will send special deals to just app users on occasion or when I’ve loaded new product to the website. So basically, you can’t hide from me. (ha. just kidding) I truly try not to go overboard with the notifications because we are all bombarded everyday with all. the. things, but it’s nice to have those avenues to keep in touch with my customers!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.brandybelldesign.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/brandybelldesign
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/brandybelldesignFRESHOFFTHEPRESS