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

Leonora, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?

After working in corporate America for over 40 years, I realized that I wanted to do something that made a “real and positive” impact on some of the issues effecting the world. I always had an affinity for creating various forms of art and would often make jewelry as a hobby to relax after work. In 2016, I got laid off from work and decided this was the time for me to start something new (when one door closes another one opens)!!. One year later, Brownhaze Jewelry was established.

Within the years of 2016 and 2017 we had to decide, 1) what type of jewelry we wanted to create, 2) who were our customers, 3) did we want to offer more items than just jewelry, 4) what would make us stand out in such a competitive market. We decided that offering a life of sustainable and natural jewelry and clothing would be our niche. Since 2017, Brownhaze Jewelry has specialized in crafting exquisite jewelry and clothing that seamlessly incorporates the natural beauty of our surroundings. We offer a diverse range of unique and sustainable pieces that can be worn by individuals of all genders.
Our core mission is to create a deep connection between individuals and the environment through our designs. We believe that beauty can be found all around us, even in the things we choose to wear. By integrating elements of nature into our jewelry and clothing, we aim to remind people of their inherent connection to the world and inspire them to embrace and protect it.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Brownhaze Jewelry product line features a wide variety of jewelry pieces, including necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and uniquely designed clothing. Each piece is meticulously handcrafted using ethically sourced materials, ensuring that our production processes align with our commitment to sustainability. Our designs incorporate elements such as natural gemstones, wood, shells, and other organic materials, celebrating the unique textures and colors found in nature.
In addition to jewelry, we also offer a range of clothing items that complement our accessories, including denim jackets with unique designs, skirts and casual dresses. These pieces feature our signature nature-inspired motifs and designs, creating a cohesive aesthetic for individuals who appreciate both fashion and sustainability.

In 2020,  we added the goal of providing jobs for Transitional Aged Youth (those aging out of the Foster Care System).  These youth need viable skills to take them into the future and provide them with jobs that can help them in future endeavors, both financially and professionally. Brownhaze Jewelry can be the “stepping stone” for these young people and open doors for their futures. However, with the onset of the pandemic, our profits were significantly impacted to the point where we could not hire the youth as we had planned. We continued with an online presence, but that did not bring in the revenue as our in-person sales. Moving forward, as the world is opening back up, we plan to start providing jobs and training for these youth and look to start hiring some young people within the 12 months.

I think that we are most proud of the fact that we are not just in the business of making a profit, but our goal goes beyond profits and looks to provide a positive impact on the next generation. These youth are our future leaders and yet they are also the most vulnerable members of our society. Many times they must move from home to home and do not get the stable and caring environment that they need to make a positive impact within their lives. We all need guidance at some point in our lives to help us make decisions impacting our futures. If we could all just make a positive impact on someones life, maybe that would help create a society that moves people forward. Providing jobs and financial literacy training at Brownhaze Jewelry could be a stepping stone for some of these youth.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

I use social media (instagram, facebook, email marketing) to advertise Brownhaze Jewelry. These platforms have been instrumental in allowing my message to reach thousands of potential customers around the world. When we started the business we were only able to get the word out by local references or by “word of mouth” from customers who had made purchases. Since we established an online presence, we have had customers who have purchase items internationally. The internet is such an important tool that it is a necessity to have in this day and age. Millions of people around the world use the internet on a daily basis, so it is critical to have a presence on the internet. We have a website, www.Brownhazejewerly.com, that is readily available to anyone that has access to a computer or mobile device. People and children from young to old use the internet, so if a business is to be successful and wants to open its “virtual doors” to the world, then the business must have an online presence.

Building a social media presence is a necessity for any business, either as a start-up, or an established business. Even for businesses that have a “brick and mortar,” it is necessary as it advertises your business to the world as oppose to just being local.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Brownhaze Jewelry was established in 2017 with the goal of providing a sustainable jewelry line to all genders. We began this business by participating in in-person vendor events. People would come to our booth and purchase various pieces of jewelry and accessories and this became quite profitable for us within the first two years of existence. Then the world was hit with the pandemic which meant that we could no longer participate in these in-person events. After careful consideration, we decided to establish an on-line presence. We felt that this would benefit us in two ways, 1) we could continue to sell our products, and 2) an on-line presence would allow us to expand our marketing efforts to potential customers around the world.

One of our initial goals of the company was to provide jobs for foster youth. As we were beginning to make a revenue that would allow us to hire youth from our in-person sales, when the pandemic hit our profits fell substantially and we were not able to hire staff. We even got to the point of closing our doors before we decided to create an on-line presence. Establishing a website and marketing through social media has allowed us to continue our business and hopefully within the next 12 months, we will be able to start hiring staff to scale our business to the next level.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Brownhazejewelry.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/brownhazeshop
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/brownhazeshop

Image Credits

Leonora Brown