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

Summary

Liv 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.