How a small jewelry company turned $40 into $1.2M

Shopify
13 Jan 202206:35

Summary

TLDRLiv Portillo's jewelry brand, DBL, transformed a $40 investment into a $1.2 million annual revenue in three years, leveraging organic social media strategies. The key to her success were four specific Instagram and TikTok posts that turned her side hustle into a seven-figure business. The video explores why these posts worked, offering insights into how to grow a business using social media, the importance of custom products, and the power of storytelling in content creation.

Takeaways

  • 💎 Liv Portillo turned a $40 investment into a $1.2 million annual revenue business in three years without using paid ads.
  • 📸 The initial growth of DBL Jewelry was driven by organic social media posts, particularly photos of customers wearing custom name necklaces.
  • 🔨 Liv's custom, handmade jewelry became share-worthy, leading to organic user-generated content that boosted sales.
  • 🛍️ Liv started her business by borrowing money from her parents to buy supplies for making jewelry at home.
  • 🌐 The pandemic led to a shift in Liv's strategy, where she used TikTok to grow her business significantly.
  • 🦋 A TikTok video showing the process of making a custom name necklace with a butterfly design went viral, gaining millions of views and followers.
  • 🛠️ Liv shared behind-the-scenes content of her making jewelry, which resonated with customers interested in the process and the brand's story.
  • 📦 She also shared how she ships her orders, openly discussing the tools and platforms she uses, which attracted an audience interested in entrepreneurship.
  • 🔥 A controversial TikTok video about a custom order for a necklace with names of girls a man cheated with went viral, demonstrating the power of storytelling in social media content.
  • 🏆 Liv's entrepreneurial success led to her being named one of Forbes' 30 Under 30 youngest millionaires.
  • 🚀 Liv launched 'Bosology' and 'Livexy' to educate and mentor aspiring entrepreneurs on free and organic social media marketing tactics.

Q & A

  • What was the initial investment for DBL Jewelry?

    -The initial investment for DBL Jewelry was $40.

  • How much annual revenue did DBL Jewelry achieve in three years?

    -DBL Jewelry achieved an annual revenue of 1.2 million dollars in three years.

  • Did DBL Jewelry use any paid ads for its growth?

    -No, DBL Jewelry did not use any paid ads; it grew through organic social media posts.

  • What was the role of Liv Portillo in the growth of DBL Jewelry?

    -Liv Portillo is the founder of DBL Jewelry and grew the business to a seven-figure business through organic social media posts.

  • What type of product did Liv choose to sell, and how did it contribute to her social media success?

    -Liv chose to sell custom name necklaces, which became popular due to their custom and handmade nature, encouraging organic user-generated content and shareability.

  • How did the custom nature of DBL Jewelry's products impact its growth?

    -The custom nature of the products encouraged customers to share their purchases, making the brand share-worthy and driving organic growth.

  • What was the significance of the TikTok video with 5.7 million views in Liv's success story?

    -The TikTok video with 5.7 million views was significant because it was the first time Liv showed her customers how she made her jewelry, which attracted a large audience and increased sales.

  • What was the main content of the third key social media post that helped Liv scale her business?

    -The third key post showed Liv explaining how she ships her orders using a platform called Pirate Ship, providing transparency about her business operations.

  • Why did Liv's transparency about her business operations help her grow her TikTok account?

    -Liv's transparency attracted followers interested in entrepreneurship, providing social proof and a new source of customers for her business.

  • What was the content of Liv's best-performing TikTok video, and why was it successful?

    -The video showed Liv making a custom necklace with controversial content, which attracted 18.2 million views due to the story attached to the custom order and the controversy it sparked in the comments.

  • What additional business did Liv launch for aspiring entrepreneurs who followed her on TikTok?

    -Liv launched Bosology, a series of educational videos, and announced a new mentoring class called Livexy to teach students free and organic social media marketing tactics.

  • How was Liv recognized for her entrepreneurial success in 2021?

    -In 2021, Forbes named Liv Portillo one of the Forbes 30 Under 30 youngest millionaires for her success in building DBL Jewelry from the ground up.

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Related Tags
Social MediaE-commerceJewelry BrandOrganic GrowthEntrepreneurshipCustom ProductsUGC ContentTikTok SuccessInstagram MarketingForbes 30 Under 30Shopify