A YOUNG woman has revealed how she went from a retail assistant to a brand owner now raking in almost £23,000 a month.
Speaking to CNBC Make It, Maya Portorreal, from US, shared the journey from a retail employee earning £34,000 in a year to a business owner bringing in almost £260,000 in 2021.
The secret – her sensitive skin.
Working as a retail assistant for luxury apparel brand Pierre Hardy in New York City, the now 27-year-old spent a lot of time lamenting the fact that the majority of the “trendy, fun” jewellery was either out of her budget or made from cheap materials which left her covered in itchy rashes.
”I have very sensitive skin,” she claimed.
”I can’t wear brass … I can’t really wear too much copper.”
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Out of sheer ”frustration”, Maya then decided to launch Kitten Co. Jewelry, a boutique brand that sells affordable jewellery made of skin-friendly materials.
”I thought, ‘Why not try to make a business out of something I actually need?’ ”
With about $2,000 (£1,500) of her own savings, Maya started from scratch, first raching out o suppliers and manufacturers, who would then help to turn the idea into reality.
She also managed to get online influencers to feature her pieces on their feeds, attracting attention of potential buyers.
Now, a few years later, she revealed, the business typically rakes in more than $30,000 (£23,000) in monthly revenue, taking home anywhere between $15,000 (£11,400) to $20,000 (£15,200) each month in profit.
Last year, Maya’s brand had a particularly big moment, as the rapper Saweetie wore one of the brand’s butterfly necklaces in her official music video for the single “Best Friend,” with fellow music sensation Doja Cat.
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Speaking of her success, Maya said: ”I never [predicted] making as much as I do now.
”I never thought it would happen this quickly.”
Prior to having her own business, Maya had mentioned the idea to her colleagues at Pierre Hardy – all of whom, she believed, thought Maya was ”insane”.
I just wanted to prove that I could do it.”
Maya Portorreal
”They probably still think I’m insane, because I pulled it off,” she now laughed.
With entrepreneurship running in the family – Maya’s uncle and grandfather both had their own real-estate businesses – the young woman was aware of the potential challenges in the way.
”I just wanted to prove that I could do it.”
Today, she claimed, the brand offers over 150 different products, including stunning rings, earrings, ear cuffs, necklaces and eye-catching anklets.
To solve the problem of her sensitive skin – which was the biggest concern – Maya landed on using 925 sterling silver.
Common on tags, 925 silver means the piece of jewellery contains at least 92.5% pure silver.
This, she added, is then plated with rhodium, a hypoallergenic metal that gives ”extra protection and shine”.
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In mid-2020, more than a year after she launched the business, Maya finally made the decision to quit her day job as a retail assistant.
That year, the company managed to make $472,000 (£360,000) in gross sales, which was nearly double compared to the $250,000 (£190,000) from first year in business.
