We were lucky to catch up with Dana LeBlanc recently and have shared our conversation below.

Dana, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?

Every person and business defines success differently, especially if you are an entrepreneur. When I started working full-time on my jewelry business, financial goals were foremost on my mind. My goal was to match the income that I made with my previous career. Once I reached that goal, I had to balance my desire to grow DLD even more against the enjoyment of beginning new business ventures.   I always welcome any growth with DLD, but I find I can get designer’s block at times and I will lean on my other businesses to recharge myself creatively.

Another measure of success for me was when I realized I was at the point where I had to outsource a part of my production process. There are only so many hours in the day and it’s impossible to effectively manage every facet of a business as it grows in size and scope. One of my weaknesses as an entrepreneur was finding the time to organize myself enough to actually hire employees. I used to believe it was easier just to do something myself rather than have to teach someone and then possibly fix their mistakes. When the businesses started growing rapidly in 2020, my lead times were getting too long and I knew I had to step back, reorganize and finally outsource.

The current measure of success that I’m experiencing is somewhat of a major milestone.  We are in the process of building a stand alone studio. I am excited to be able to offer a showroom and have a work space that is larger and outside of my home.  I am always redefining my goals and how I define success.  Keeping a positive attitude and finding small successes in my daily business also plays a huge role in keeping my momentum going.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Hi there, I am Dana LeBlanc a jewelry designer and business owner. I am step mom to four young adults and pet mom to 2 cats and 2 dogs. I started designing jewelry as a kid and would sell it at my elementary school to my classmates. Over the years I would pick up and drop the hobby to move to the next creative pursuit. Back in 2002, I left a job at the Interior Design Center in San Francisco to start a business with my Dad back in my home state of North Carolina. In my free time, I started making jewelry again. My Mom mentioned a boutique in our city was opening and she thought I should bring my jewelry by there to sell. I did, and from there Dana LeBlanc Designs was born. After prompting from my friend Kelly, I began selling online a few months later. When the family business closed several years later, I went full time with the jewelry business. Since then I have expanded the business, adding several more brands Post Queen (jewelry) and Saiko Studio (clothing and home accessories). I also have several contract employees who help with beading and my husband helps with marketing and mens designs.

One thing that sets our products apart in the competitive and oversaturated world of jewelry deign is the jewelry’s lifetime guarantee. Jewelry can break overtime, so if at any point it does, I will repair it for the customer for free. However, I try to use the best beading wire and findings available, so that I can to avoid having to do this.

We offer many different styles for men and women. Much like my own style, our jewelry’s style ranges from boho to mid century modern in bold and bright colors. The jewelry not only makes a statement but it sparks a conversation.

We are most proud of some of my jewelry’s features in publications like Southern Living and a recent feature on the character ‘Pope’ on the Netflix TV show ‘Outer Banks’. It’s so exciting to see it get that kind of recognition!

Does your business have multiple or supplementary revenue streams (like a ATM machine at a barbershop, etc)?

One of the toughest parts of my job is managing the multiple revenue streams. As I mentioned earlier, I started off selling my jewelry at a boutique and then began online with an Etsy Shop. During Covid, I created a Shopify website which is danaleblanc.com. At this point, we are now managing several websites and wholesale accounts. During the pandemic, retailers were forced to shift focus which resulted in many of our wholesale accounts scrambling to start their own e-commerce and Facebook and Instagram presence. Consequently Dana LeBlanc Designs shrank slightly on the wholesale side, but ecommerce sales increased dramatically. I think it’s a key component of success to have as many sales avenues as you can manage successfully. If something is not working, cut it and move on.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

I go through phases with social media. I enjoy creating content and growing our social media but I do get writer’s block on what to post from time to time. My husband is a super creative content creator so I bounce ideas off him from time to time.

At first I relied on my friends and family to help grow my social media accounts. Going forward, I have grown my social media by including a business card with every package that is shipped out. The card has my social media accounts encouraging them to share photos wearing the jewelry on their accounts. The best form of advertising is my clients wearing a piece of my jewelry.

Another way to grow your social media is posting content featuring accomplishments that you or your employees have made. Just got a degree? Climbed a mountain? When in doubt, post something funny. Your best bet is to try different things to see what works for your target audience. If you are struggling with content and growing your followers, team up with someone (a friend or a professional) who can help your path with social media. The cost to benefit analysis of working with a micro influencer can be quite favorable. One of your core competencies as a successful business owner should be to recognize your weaknesses and delegate appropriately to fill those gaps.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.danaleblanc.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/danaleblancdesigns
• Facebook: facebook.com/danaleblancdesigns
• Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/danaleblanc
• Twitter: DLeBlancDesigns

Image Credits
Dominic Gray Ruta Smith