We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Melencia Lattimore. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Melencia below.

Hi Melencia, thanks for joining us today. What’s something crazy on unexpected that’s happened to you or your business

The craziest, most unexpected thing that happened to my business was when I was contacted by an agency representing Ciroc vodka. When I was contacted, I wasn’t allowed to know who the client was, all they could tell me was that it was a liquor brand by a man with a lot of kids, lol. I did some digging and I discovered that Ciroc was having an event and looking to showcase and celebrate Black creatives, businesses, and entrepreneurs in Miami for Art Basel weekend. Eventually Ciroc was revealed to me as the client and it was in fact for this event. Not only was I excited to attend this event, I was also so grateful because my jewelry was purchased in bulk and this was my biggest sale! I had a few weeks to prepare. In the days prior to the event I was a bit stressed, but in the end my delivery was a success. I wasn’t sure how my product would be shown, but once I saw my necklaces on display I knew I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. It was beautiful! This opportunity felt like confirmation for me not to give up on my vision. It continues to inspire me to this day and reminds me to keep going, because you never know who’s watching.

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

My business, Melencia Jewels, officially launched on September 14, 2020. I came up with the idea of creating Melencia Jewels after not being able to find a place to get cute nose rings from. It was just the spark that I needed. Ironically, I have yet to sell those nose rings. But I have sold chains, necklaces, anklets, bracelets, earrings, and rings! I knew I always wanted to start my own business and create a name for myself, and it was important for me to spread a message that my customers can take away with them while doing so. I decided to focus on the values that are most important to me.
Melencia Jewels stands by authenticity, uniqueness, and self love. My goal is to spread the message “Do what you love, Because you love it.” When people wear my products or even come across my business, I want them to feel inspired and motivated to do what they love.

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

I built my audience on social media by following popular trends. I’m not always comfortable being on camera, but as a one-woman business owner, someone’s gotta do it! I kept up with trends on TikTok and remade them to fit my brand, and I also reposted them to Instagram reels. For those just starting to build their social media presence, don’t be afraid to put yourself out there, and stay on top on trends.

Can you talk to us about manufacturing? How’d you figure it all out? We’d love to hear the story.

Finding the right products for my business was the hardest part. It takes lots of trial and error, and requires money to be spent. In the beginning I had to research to find multiple jewelry vendors and I relied on online reviews. It was also tricky because most vendors require a minimum purchase amount, and often times that amount is more than what you want to sample. It wasn’t until about a year into my business that I found a local vendor that I could visit in person, that also had quality inventory. A lesson that I learned is how crucial it is to test the durability of your products, and to allot enough time to test before you purchase in bulk and launch the product.

Contact Info:

• Website: melenciajewels.com
• Instagram: @melenciajewels
• Facebook: Melencia Jewels
• Twitter: @MELENCIAJEWELS