Thanks to the COVID-19 global pandemic, business, for the most part, is terrible. The majority of businesses are praying to breakeven because turning a profit at these times is virtually impossible. For one jewelry brand, BYCHARI, a miracle has happened in the form of the Democratic National Convention (DNC).
You probably had never heard of the jewelry brand before until the buzz of news that came following the DNC. So here is a little preview about BYCHARI’s history.
A classical case of Self-Taught Craftsmanship and Bootstrap Business
It was founded by Chari Cuthbert, who, according to The Daily Beast, was born in Miami to Jamaican parents. She quit her job, then in 2012 moved to Hawaii then later relocated to Los Angeles. It was while in L.A that she decided to venture into the jewelry business.
All she had as seed capital to start-up BYCHARI was just $100 and zero formal training in the craft. However, what she lacked in the form of business capital and formal training, she was more than overcompensated for with a strong passion for the craft.
“I started BYCHARI with only $100 and had no business starting a company. Yet, I was determined to work for myself and build a brand I could be proud of and, in return, empowered other women,” said Cuthbert during an interview with E! Online.
BYCHARI was by all rights a small, obscure brand, entering the same waters with the ‘great white sharks’ like Ben-Dannie Jewelry, Beverly Hills Jewelers, and Capri Jewelry Inc. among other big-time jewelry brands in the city of Los Angeles.
Michelle Obama supports Small & Culturally-Diverse Businesses
With the rising political temperature around the U.S., the DNC attracted the attention of a lot of Americans from across the political divide. Former, first lady Michelle Obama was expected to give a speech during the DNC, and what a speech it was!
However, her speech turned out to be a fresh lease of life for BYCHARI, thanks to Obama’s wardrobe choice. Michelle Obama’s speech was impactful and was bound to elicit strong reactions from across the political divide. She was the focus of attention for many Americans during the period of her speech during the DNC.
With so many eyeballs and ears paying attention to her, Obama must have been aware that so many people will be cognizant of what she wears. For this DNC, she decided to give an obscure jewelry brand a world stage. She wore the VOTE necklace designed by BYCHARI.
BYCHARI’s windfall Business thanks to Obama
According to CNN, the VOTE necklace was the top-trending search on Google during the last hour of the DNC. Days following the conclusion of the DNC, the BYCHARI website had an unprecedented number of customers ordering the VOTE necklace.
Thanks to Obama’s subtle action of simply wearing the brand’s product, BYCHARI not only got a lot of business but also is no longer an obscure brand in the jewelry business.
It is important to note that this action by Obama wearing that particular necklace from that particular brand was not by chance. She has a long-running history of taking deliberate actions that will bring less-known brands and labels to the limelight.
Often, there is always a special story behind these brands. Either they are helping in a social cause or have an impressive cultural history behind them. For BYCHARI, the story behind it is a business founded by a woman from a minority community in America.