Meet Benh Pham of YEAR 901 in Downtown LA

Today we’d like to introduce you to Benh Pham.

Benh, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I started making jewelry as a hobby in 2011. I had a very intense, fast-paced job in marketing at that time and I used jewelry making as a way to get my mind off of the corporate life.

One year, I surprisingly started taking orders off of Instagram during the holidays. After that, I decided to take my “passion project” to the next level and make a website. During that time, I was still working full time as a director of business development for an IT/Tech consulting company. For 2 years, I kept my full-time job and made jewelry all hours of the night and started vending at craft shows on the weekends. It’s safe to say that those 2 years were a blur to me!

In 2016, I left my job in biz development, traveled to southeast Asia and came back to pursue YEAR 901 and jewelry making full time.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It definitely has not been a smooth road! There is so much that goes on behind the scenes of a small business. YEAR 901 is just me, so navigating through the creative side of things as well as the business side is all brand new. You’re constantly learning about business but most importantly about yourself. It is a rollercoaster of emotions. I’ve learned to take the good with the bad, that means celebrating every victory and turning every failure/rejection into a lesson learned.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the YEAR 901 story. Tell us more about the business.
YEAR 901 jewelry is inspired by geometric shapes, fine lines, nature and details that are often overlooked in everyday life.

We believe in well-made, reasonably priced items that add something special to every outfit. YEAR 901 uses traditional metalsmithing techniques including wire wrapping, hand forging and lost wax casting.

With a focus on sustainability, we take pride in crafting each piece by hand with locally sourced items and recycled metals & materials as much as possible. Our work is created with our hands, not machines and we embrace the variations that make them unique. Our goods are proudly made in LA.

Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I once heard someone say that luck is when opportunity meets preparation. It is something that has always stuck with me. To believe that anyone is given an easy path in life because of luck discredits all their hard work. I try to always say yes to every situation that seems like a good opportunity or a learning experience, even if I’m under-qualified, scared or don’t feel ready. The other part of that is preparation, which to me means having a solid work ethic and having a sense of gratitude.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.year901.com
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @year901
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/year901
• Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/year901
• Other: https://www.pinterest.com/year901/

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