We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jordan Richichi a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Jordan, thanks for joining us today. Finding those key vendors can often be make or break for a brand. Can you talk to us about how you found your key vendors?

We are often asked where we get our keys and if keys are hard to find as more cars and homes are becoming ‘keyless’. Keys are the main ingredient to our brand, but luckily they aren’t going anywhere.

One of the first things we did starting out was made relationships with two nonprofits who could provide us with an abundance of keys. The first, Key For Hope Foundation— based in Massachusetts and Keys For Kids— based in Minnesota. At Key For Hope Foundation, they collect old keys and use their monetary value to stock food pantries and help the hungry. Keys For Kids volunteers collect unwanted keys across their community. They use the proceeds from recycling the keys to benefit kids in many ways such as in-school scholarships and replenishment of negative lunch accounts. We purchase keys from these amazing nonprofits so they can continue to do their incredible work. Over the past 8 years, these nonprofit partners have provided us with over 2,600lbs of keys. It feels great to add another layer of giving back to our brands story. They donate, we donate a portion of each sale of our jewelry — it’s a win-win.

We also are always happy to have our customers and followers mail us their old or unwanted keys. More than likely, every person has a handful of keys they no longer use that are sitting in a drawer somewhere. It’s a great to connect with those who love upcycling.

Jordan, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Jordan Richichi and I started JoJo Rings in 2015 after making my first rings out of keys to my late-grandmothers’ house. She lived next-door to me growing up, so her home was a special place to me. After wearing my special rings around, I came to the realization that everyone has a special connection to keys — whether it’s your first house, first car, or a key to someplace sentimental (like mine!) every key has a story. The JoJo Rings brand began in January of 2015 and I haven’t looked back since. We started with only rings made from recycled keys and expanded to wraps (these can be worn as bracelets, necklaces, chokers, or anklets depending on how you tie them) and chain necklaces. All of our products are made with recycled materials. Sustainability is something we are extremely passionate about as a brand and the keys, leather, and chains are all recycled materials. We want to be making a positive impact when it comes to our impact on the Earth. Another one of our brands core principles is social good. With each product purchased, $5 is donated to charity. Our charity partner changes on a bi-monthly basis and we’ve worked with organizations spanning from suicide prevention to cancer research to animal adoption. From the very beginning we knew we wanted to reach as many different types of organizations as possible and choosing one beneficiary didn’t speak to change we want to create. Our brands’ hashtag is #keysforchange which emulates that. The last component of our brand is individuality. Each key is essentially one-of-a-kind, just like our customers. We strive to inspire our followers to embrace what makes them unique each and every day.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

We really wanted to stand out as a brand that was accessible but also provides great quality products. We also wanted our intellectual property and idea to be protected so we proceeded to get a patent on the JoJo Ring design. This way, we have complete control of the jewelry design and won’t have knockoffs. It lets customers know they are getting a unique piece of jewelry that is handcrafted by us and only us!

Another key aspect of our reputation has been taking care of our customers and letting them know we are always listening. Whether it’s through our social channels, DMs, or via email, we want customers to be satisfied especially when we are working on custom pieces. We keep the customer updated through the entire process when they send us their key to be made into a ring. Many times these keys are connected to loved ones and we know the importance of feeling like your special key is in good hands.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

I enjoy reading books or listening to podcasts from female founders or strong female leaders in fashion or branding. There are many things you can learn from their experiences shared about navigating the space. I really enjoyed reading ‘Anna’ by Amy Odell and specifically how Anna Wintour was so driven to get to the position she’s at now. Many people disliked the way she worked or didn’t appreciate her demeanor but no one ever said she didn’t work hard. It’s even helpful to have small takeaways when learning about how others ‘did it’ especially hearing stories from other women in the fashion industry.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.jojorings.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/jojo_rings
• Facebook: facebook.com/jojo.rings

Image Credits
Janelle Putrich Photography