Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Lynn Tran. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Lynn , appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?
I started my business during late 2019 and early 2020. If you get it right, yes, during the Covid 19 pandemic. I was a high school senior back then. I was bored with online classes and due to having too much free time, I decided to open an online jewelry business. I started to find sources of jewelry aboard, buy it, and ship it to America. The shipping process back then was long due to the pandemic. It took over months for me to receive my package from China. I used all my birthday and holiday money toward buying jewelry, lots of them, and shipping directly from China for an affordable price. Everyone keeps asking why I decided to take this risk when I don’t even know if anyone even wants to buy my jewelry. At that time, I didn’t even care, I just liked making sales by doing business. I started my selling page on Facebook Marketplace because they did not charge any monthly fees, but they charge the fees when you receive an order. I started taking pictures and editing my pictures before posting it online. I learned that the shipping cost is a little too high so I learned a trick. A great thing about jewelry is that it doesn’t take a lot of room when you pack it. So I decided to include the envelope mailing package for any customer who is interested in saving money on the shipping fees. All I have to do is a letter envelope and a stamp. After I posted the items, I patiently waited, not even thinking if anyone would place an order. Surprisingly, 2 weeks later after I posted the first item, I received my first order. It was the best feeling ever!!! It definitely motivated me to order and post more products on Facebook Marketplace. Just like that, I started to have more and more orders. The first 2 years after doing it, I gained 100 reviews from the customer with the 4.7/5 starts review. I got to be honest in one thing, it wasn’t easy as I say it. It was the result from hard work, being patient, and taking a lot of risk. There will be customers who request a refund or return. That is the loss that will make me reconsider my life decision every time. I was 18 when I began doing it. Not a lot of experience, just a lot of confidence and hope.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
Continuing with the story, I continue selling my jewelry on Facebook Marketplace. Shipping my items and also providing in-person pick up orders. In person pick up was kind of a risk because you do not know who you will encounter. They could be someone dangerous. However, I risk it anyway. Until 2022, I decided to transfer to Illinois for college. From 2020 – 2022, I went to community college in New Jersey because I didn’t want to spend a ton of money on a 4 year college during covid just to study online. Anyway, because of that, I have to pause my selling account from 2022-2024. During the middle of 2024, I started my internship in Illinois. That is when I have my car delivered to me from Jersey. I brought all the jewelry and supplies with me to Illinois and reopened my business. During that 2 years of pausing my selling account, I wasn’t able to find the customer right away. This made me give up on my business. Until one day, my college hosted a Small Business Festival. The event took place on Saturday morning, but I didn’t know about it until Friday morning. I tried to contact the host and ask them for a space for my vendor. Happily, he said yes. For my first vendor, I wasn’t preparing anything for it. I didn’t even have a table cloth or jewelry display. Everything was just laying on the table like a yard sale. It was sad, but also funny. I didn’t expect to have a good sale that day because of that. Turns out, I was one of the vendors who made a big sale that day. I need to call my friends over to give an extra hand. I made $260 that day just from selling jewelry to college students. Who negotiates the price from $8 to $4 because that is all they have left in their bank account.
After that, I graduated and drove back to New Jersey. I tried to sign up for more vendor events in Jersey, but most of the events here ask for crafted jewelry. So I decided to make a big change by investing more money for raw jewelry supply so I can start my hand-made jewelry journey. Up to this point, I am officially selling brand-new and hand-made jewelry sellers. I made jewelry from beads, resin, and stainless steel wire string. As I always say, if you want to know more about what I am selling, please visit my Facebook or Instagram page “Cizy Jewelry”.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
As you read my previous two answers, you can tell that my business journey is up and down. My first vendor event in Illinois was like a bombshell. However, when I got back to Jersey, the sales weren’t that great anymore. I kept the same expectation as I was in Illinois and it gave me a huge disappointment. I have to regenerate my whole shop by investing more on banners, jewelry display, tent, table cloth, etc. Everything has to look more neat and attractive. It is a process of being proud and being disappointed.
How’d you meet your business partner?
It’s just me and myself the whole entire time. However, as I started doing vendors, I received help and support from my friends. Who is willing to spend time for me and make their way to the event and help me look over the vendor for me to have a little bathroom break. I appreciated all the help they gave me. They are also the ones who give me emotional support when I want to give up just because something didn’t meet my expectations.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/profile/100007313298985/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cizyjewelry?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CIZYLT
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lynn-tran-063142293/
