We recently connected with Sandi Cresciullo and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Sandi thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. To kick things off, we’d love to hear about things you or your brand do that diverge from the industry standard

Our shop is 100% custom handmade pieces. Most orders are personalized with names or words of encouragement We offer everything from bracelets to phone charms/chains and necklaces. The only thing we stock are our beads. I believe this is the reason behind our success. We are reasonably priced and in the 5 years we’ve been in business only one person has returned something because the color was “ too yellow “. Our motto is curated to compliment, designed to enhance and handmade because it makes the ultimate gift. We have repeat clients that purchase from us every week and they purchase sometimes 10 or more items at once. They know we will take the time and care not only make what they purchased with love but we will tag, wrap and label everything so if they are giving gifts they know exactly what is in each custom bag. We also offer several sizes. If you like a bracelet worn looser or tighter we make that happen. It’s important to have your bracelets feel good on your wrist too! What we offer can’t be found in a brick and mortar store. Each piece is one of a kind and unique. The design may be replicated but each bead is different and in return makes each bracelet different.

Sandi , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

NY 2 LA was an idea I had over 5 years ago. I wanted to start something with my daughter that we could do together and possibly help others with donating a portion of our profit. We had lost my mother in law after a battle with cancer and wanted to be able to donate to causes that meant something to us. The items that we would sell had to have meaning also. When I thought of a craft I could do that would produced an item that people could ware it was apparent it had to be jewelry. One gift my mother in law would buy us many times was a bracelet. From a trips to another country to a simple shopping day together she would buy us a bracelet. The last one she bought the 3 of us was when we were visiting Gabrielle at college in Connecticut. There was this basket of stretch bracelets on the counter of this beautiful boutique and she told us to pick one. I remember that day so vividly. Those bracelets are a reminder of a day, A time. A moment. That last bracelet she bought us inspired me. To have a memory connected to a simple inexpensive ( but well made ) beautiful bracelet is a pretty special thing.
Fast forward a few years later after my mother in law passed away, I shared my idea with Gabrielle and asked if she wanted to start a little side hustle with me and she yes. By this time Gabrielle she had graduated college and was working in Manhattan. We planned that she would be in control of design and social media and I would make everything.
I started making jewelry and waring it to work. I was testing the pieces I made to make sure they were durable and wouldn’t break. After a few weeks people started to compliment our pieces and eventually people started to ask where I got my jewelry from. It wasn’t long before I started to sell pieces at work here and there. I knew then that we had to come up with a name and make it an actual business.

We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.

When we started NY2LA I was working in the school district I grew up in. After being an at home mom for over 18 years my oldest was going to college and a friend told me about an opportunity to be a monitor at the school she was working at. It was only a few hours a day so I was still able to be there for my two younger children before and after school. A few years later I started working as a paraprofessional full time. I was able to do my orders that were coming in and work in the school with no problem. The business was growing but I was able to do both. In 2021 during the pandemic the schools were empty. Parents weren’t sending their kids to school. There was controversy and talk about vaccines and getting tested. I’m sure it was the same everywhere. At that time I had just received a huge order from a national company that had a store in my town. The order was for over 200 bracelets. I decided then that I would walk away from my job in the school district and focus solely on NY2LA.

Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?

I do all our social media. Without a doubt instagram plays a key role in staying in touch. We are completely invested in each of our clients. We have followed their stories and lives for 51/2 years.. We are there during the happy times and the saddest. We have made many bracelets with angel wings when someone has lost someone they loved at no charge and we constantly surprise clients with extra bracelets in an order they are waiting to receive. I am currently making a set of bracelets for a client that just had her 3rd baby as our congratulations gift to her. Our goal is to make our followers happy clients. Order once and you’ll see the difference and feel the love behind what was made.
We also share who we are on our Instagram so they have a good idea of who they are purchasing from.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Ny2la_designs
• Other: [email protected]