Today we’d like to introduce you to Janeece Johnson.
Hi Janeece, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I’ve wanted to start a business for a long time, but it was always a bunch of ideas and not enough action behind it. Then finally, I woke up in the middle of the night and told myself that I’m going to start a jewelry company and it’s going to be called lovelove. Well, the lovelove domain name was not available but that didn’t stop me! I opted for lovelevel, which I like a lot better now. The next day I brought some scratch paper in with me at my former job so that I can create jewelry designs on my downtime. Nothing got in the way of my vision. I just had so much momentum from day-to-day. Sometimes you just have to go with your gut feeling and take action fast or else you’ll get sidetracked. For instance, the first day I met Stacy, my business partner, we both shared how we wanted to start a jewelry company and we decided that same day to go into business together. It sounds crazy but it was just life doing its part when I finally decided to do mine.
We formally went into business Sept 2020 and thought we were going to be millionaires before the end of that same year! We had a beautiful product, a beautiful website, all we had to do was sit back and wait for the money to roll in! How quickly we learned that there is so much more to starting/running a business! Still to this day, most of our sales come from in-person transactions like farmers’ markets and craft shows. With wholesale orders trickling in every so often. We have yet to crack the code on e-commerce sales. Although, we are aware that we need to work on social media marketing, SEO, affiliate marketing, etc.
After a little over a year’s worth of full-time devotion, we’ve realized the importance of streamlining as much as possible and prioritization. Albeit, prioritizing is extremely hard to do as an entrepreneur because you have to do everything, and everything is important. I only just recently developed the ability to be comfortable going to bed knowing that I only chipped away at 12.5% of the problem even though I worked on it all day long.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It can be a little overwhelming starting something, especially when you’re not an expert in the “something” that you started. Everything was new information for us. And we’re still learning and analyzing what’s working, what’s not working. Knowing when to abandon a task and when to stay the course was the biggest hurdle. Having an open mind and being willing to pivot constantly definitely help to move the needle forward.
We use a laser machine at the Tinkermill to cut out our designs and other members have access to the machine. There are times where it’s already booked or out of service so we have to halt production. This doesn’t happen often, but it would be so nice to have access to our own laser machine. Other than that, sourcing quality findings, keeping up with inventory, and finding new retailers to wholesale to are our current hurdles but nothing we can’t handle.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
We choose to love ourselves. We choose to love each other. We choose to love our planet. We choose to level up. We design and create jewelry that inspires a natural connection to the earth that we live on and all of its inhabitants.
Our designs resemble the likeness of nature featuring leaves, flowers, mountains, and are made with natural materials like wood, lava beads, and shells to bring you closer to nature. People who love plants and the outdoors love our jewelry!
Our jewelry is unique and comfortable to wear because of the lightweight birchwood that we use. We can make statement pieces that don’t feel heavy on the ear lobes.
Our name was thoughtfully created to emphasize our values. We use all lowercase letters in our name to signify equality for all. It is one word to represent togetherness and harmony and evenly spaced to demonstrate balance.
50% Black owned 50% LGBTQ+ owned 100% Woman owned
Finding ways to make the world a better place by sourcing our materials sustainably and finding eco-friendly materials to use is our top priority. We source our wood from family-owned businesses that follow sustainable practices locally in Colorado. You can count on us if thoughtful purchases are important to you too.
We strive to give back to the community by giving our time + a portion of our profits to non-profits. That’s why we partnered up with Trees For The Future to revitalize depleted lands.
ONE TREE PLANTED for every product sold!
When you purchase lovelevel accessories it has a direct impact on the earth and lives of the people who need it most. By helping us plant trees, you give families the ability to transition from unsustainable farming techniques to a flourishing Forest Garden system. Your purchase not only helps the environment, but it also empowers farmers to end poverty for their families. lovelevel has planted 4,000 trees so far! Learn more at Trees.org <3
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
Plan your dreams but don’t take too long to plan. Most times life changes your plan anyway so being willing to adapt constantly is a must. Action without a plan is better than a plan with no action. I have found, quick action can be analyzed to make a more accurate plan. Mindset and discipline is the most important thing to focus on if you want to see results. Mindset is the fuel, discipline is the start and stop button, and your plan is the map. It all sounds cliche but it’s true. Sounds like I’ve been listening to motivational videos, because I have. Go listen to some motivational videos on YouTube, during your daily commute, and change your life. I’ve seen a direct correlation to lovelevel’s success due to planning, mindset, and discipline.
Pricing:
- $10 Pins, Magnets, & Hair Pins
- $25 Necklaces
- $28 – $42 Dangle Earrings
- $28 – $34 Studs
- To celebrate Black History Month – 20% Discount Code for your audience (2/1/22 – 2/28/22) Use Code: VoyageDenver
Contact Info:
- Email: support@lovelevel.co
- Website: https://lovelevel.co
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lovelevel.co
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lovelevel.co
Image Credits
lovelevel
Carol Oliva
Shelley Wei
