How Her Hobby Turned Business Hit $100K+ a Month: Spicy Dan

This as-told-to essay is predicated on a dialog with Danielle Meyer, the New York-based founder of bijou model Spicy Dan. Meyer formally launched her enterprise in 2023; now, the model is on monitor for $2.5 million this 12 months. Right here’s how she did it. Responses have been edited for size and readability.

 I’ve all the time liked making jewellery, since I used to be little. My mother would take me to bead shops. In my twenties, I graduated school and instantly went into tech gross sales. That wasn’t for me as a result of I had a extra entrepreneurial mindset, so I went into working in enterprise capital in non-investing relationship-management roles. I did that for about three years, then pivoted to a job at American Specific, the place I managed their startup technique program. 

I instantly knew that that job was not for me. I continued to make jewellery as a interest. Then, in the course of the pandemic, there was a quick time period the place I used to be unemployed. I had gotten laid off and was making a ton of bijou. I sourced beads from Etsy and different shops on-line, promoting the jewellery and making-your-own jewellery kits to buddies. Nonetheless, I by no means actually envisioned it as a full-time enterprise.

Throughout that very same time period, I used to be learning for the GMATs and contemplating getting an MBA to advance a profession in enterprise capital. However whereas working at American Specific, I had constructed up a good quantity of bijou purchasers. Folks have been reaching out, asking me to make presents for themselves, household and buddies. I started sourcing lots of chunkier, classic {hardware}, dead-stock chains and totally different pearls that I’d make into charms — something that I might discover. I additionally launched my web site. 

Relentlessly promoting at farmers markets and pop-ups

Shortly after that, my dad ended up passing away pretty surprisingly. At that time, I used to be like, I can’t do my job. My life is over. I went digital camera off on my American Specific conferences and simply made jewellery all day lengthy. I’d join farmers markets and do pop-up, actually wherever that might have me. I liked it and was relentless for a few 12 months and half — that’s when the items began to promote. 

Then, in 2024, an influencer, Hannah Chody, wore a necklace of mine in a video speaking about Sweetgreen. I’d responded to an Instagram story of hers asking the place to get enjoyable jewellery for the spring and summer season, and provided to ship her some. When she posted her video, individuals within the feedback stored asking the place the necklace was from. I went from promoting perhaps two necklaces a month to family and friends to having 40 orders in 24 hours. I seized the possibility to capitalize on these 24 hours of virality. 

Capitalizing on a viral TikTok second, sustaining progress

After we had that preliminary viral video on TikTok, I went on Fb Market to search out ladies who might assist me bead.  These ladies come to my residence and make jewellery at my kitchen desk from 9 to 5 whereas I used to be engaged on my company job on my laptop computer. In the long run, that was not a sustainable method to run the enterprise. My fiance and I have been each working from dwelling in a New York Metropolis residence, with individuals beading at our kitchen desk all day lengthy. So I attempted to discover a extra scalable resolution. I wished to maintain the whole lot native and handmade. 

That’s once I got here throughout this web site, jewelryassembly.com, run by a lady named Melinda. She was an hour and quarter-hour away. I received on a name along with her that day. She requested me to ship her a number of designs and supplies and she or he would make some samples for me and ship them again inside the week. She did — and so they have been truthfully carried out higher than I used to be making them myself.

So, I continued rising the model. 

Quitting company to work on the enterprise full-time

By late 2024, my supervisor at Amex, who’s wonderful, mainly instructed me I wanted to do my job or go away. Within the nicest manner, she mentioned she thought I used to be prepared and going all-in on my enterprise could be one of the best factor. So I left that job and reached again out to Hannah Chody. I requested her methods to work with influencers and about her experiences working with smaller manufacturers. That preliminary dialog in the end led to our collaborative piece in early December of that 12 months. 

Spicy Dan has been utterly self-funded. As a result of it’s seen gradual progress over time, it’s been very nice to observe it maintain itself. We went from making $2,000 a month on a very good month, simply promoting to family and friends, to $9,000 the primary month that Hannah posted a necklace. The subsequent month we made $22,000. The month after that, we made $55,000. The collaboration with Hannah Chody made greater than $100,000 throughout vacation gross sales. That chunk of cash actually helped me scale. Now, Spicy Dan is on monitor to surpass $2.5 million in 2026. 

The challenges of operating a self-funded enterprise

Working a enterprise, particularly a self-funded one, requires determining the appropriate time to relinquish management and rent individuals to assist. Once I was nonetheless a staff of 1 and had that $100,000 gross sales month, I used to be nonetheless fulfilling orders, and getting residual orders, in early January. Then, I got here down with the flu. I couldn’t transfer. At that time, I had assist with beading, however I used to be nonetheless packing and fulfilling each order. Answering each e mail. Taking each assembly. So, once I couldn’t pack a field and acquired offended customer support emails about order delays, I spotted I might not do the whole lot by myself. 

I discovered a 3PL to assist with achievement and packing. That mentioned, as our enterprise and staff has grown, we’ve maintained our give attention to craftsmanship and customization. And, in the end, I even made the choice to carry achievement again in-house. Given how private and customizable our jewellery is, we didn’t need to outsource that particular contact. Realizing when to scale up, and again, has been vital. 

Spicy Dan has three full-time, in-house workers, together with myself. We additionally nonetheless have Melinda’s staff, about six ladies of their fifties and seventies who reside in upstate New York and Westchester County, beading and making all of our merchandise. 

Spicy Dan’s collaborations, together with latest Cozyland launch

It’s additionally been a lot enjoyable to companion with manufacturers, founders and designers. We did one with the clothes model Parke final Might. And we simply launched a collaboration with the sleepwear and clothes model Cozyland. We collaborated on a pajama set and two necklaces with their staff. We have now a number of collaborations within the works for this summer season as effectively. 

Seeking to the way forward for Spicy Dan, I’m enthusiastic about including to our designs and increasing into new classes. Whereas clearly I like our signature carabiner clasp with the junky beads, I can’t wait to construct on that whereas sticking to the core of our model — on a regular basis, assertion jewellery. We’re launching our mini gemstone, encrusted carabiners and a few chain choices as a result of we all know not everybody loves the chunky bead choice. We need to make extra layerable choices. We additionally plan to pleasure with earrings, bracelets and totally different supplies. 

You possibly can’t study or iterate till you’re getting suggestions.

I’d inform any younger, aspiring founder that issues don’t must be excellent so that you can put them on the market. Normally, I stand by the “Accomplished is healthier than excellent” mentality. I take a look at the early variations of our jewellery, packaging and branding, and cringe. But when I hadn’t put the model on the market and continued to develop, I wouldn’t be the place I’m right this moment. Folks are likely to get paralyzed, desirous to launch the right product, however my recommendation is to desert that mind-set — as a result of you may’t study or iterate till you’re getting suggestions. 

This as-told-to essay is predicated on a dialog with Danielle Meyer, the New York-based founder of bijou model Spicy Dan. Meyer formally launched her enterprise in 2023; now, the model is on monitor for $2.5 million this 12 months. Right here’s how she did it. Responses have been edited for size and readability.

 I’ve all the time liked making jewellery, since I used to be little. My mother would take me to bead shops. In my twenties, I graduated school and instantly went into tech gross sales. That wasn’t for me as a result of I had a extra entrepreneurial mindset, so I went into working in enterprise capital in non-investing relationship-management roles. I did that for about three years, then pivoted to a job at American Specific, the place I managed their startup technique program. 

I instantly knew that that job was not for me. I continued to make jewellery as a interest. Then, in the course of the pandemic, there was a quick time period the place I used to be unemployed. I had gotten laid off and was making a ton of bijou. I sourced beads from Etsy and different shops on-line, promoting the jewellery and making-your-own jewellery kits to buddies. Nonetheless, I by no means actually envisioned it as a full-time enterprise.