Today we’d like to introduce you to Drayco
Drayco, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My journey with grillz has been pretty unique and overall transformative. In 2019 I met someone that had just started a business selling grillz a few months prior and shortly after becoming acquainted they asked me to assist them.
Being a college student, I saw it as a great opportunity to make money doing something cool. I learned how to take dental impressions – or molds, and began working alongside them to build up the brand.
I knew about grillz through pop culture; rappers and celebrities, tumblr, etc. but other that that I didn’t really know much about making, selling, or wearing grillz up until this point. Grillz weren’t as popular as they are now, especially in Los Angeles.
The work I put in promoting the brand in its grassroots stages was an integral part of how I built up the clientele that I have today. Majority of my customer base was coming through word of mouth referrals and over time I became known for “making grillz.”
But the reality was I wasn’t actually “making” them – which is something I never really gave much thought to until I did start making them myself. The manufacturing of the grillz was being done elsewhere so the creative control was limited to conceptualizing the designs – within the capabilities of the manufacturers we were working with.
At the time I hadn’t thought of myself as much of a creative, aside from a recent interest in music production. My mom is an artist so creativity was fostered within our household through art projects and mueseum trips but I always leaned more toward being left-brained like my dad.
After 3 1/2 years of working as a grillz specialist I was presented with the opportunity to learn how to make grillz and take complete control of the process on my own. People had told me for years that I was more than capable, but the idea of venturing off and doing my own thing was very intimidating.
Taking that chance on myself was pivitol for my career as grillz became less of a cash grab for me and more of an art form. Through becoming more hands on with the process I’ve developed a deeper appreciation for the craft itself and a passion for creating something custom fit to an individual’s teeth – an extension of both their creative expression as well as mine.
Over the past 3 years I’ve been able to watch myself improve in real time, getting better with each piece I make, constantly looking to try new things and improve on what I already know. With my success thus far I’ve recently been able to move from working on a small desk in my home to having an office space in the DTLA Jewelry district with access to more tools and resources. I’m extremely excited for the future and looking forward to seeing how far this takes me, I see myself doing big[ger] things.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I faced a lot of adversities in the beginning. It was difficult meeting customer’s expectations when I wasn’t involved with the production of the final result. For example, if a customer specifically wanted their open face windows to have a thinner border around the tooth I could specify that when submitting their order, but it may not be reflected in the final product. The attention to detail wasn’t always there, which is something that’s important to me. Now if someone tells me their vision, I’m able to fulfill it to the best of my ability.
In retrospect this helped me with learning how to navigate transactions that don’t go as smoothly as usual and overall improved my customer service skills.
The biggest struggle I’m currently facing is managing my capacity and the demand I’m facing – which is a great problem to have! I’ve had to close my books and waitlist so I can catch up, which is bittersweet. I know I may be missing out on a lot potential clients, but it just makes all those who are willing to wait to get their grillz from me specifically that much more special.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m a jewelry artist, specializing in hand crafted custom grillz – which are removable teeth jewelry crafted from precious metals such as gold and silver. You can go anywhere and get a simple two piece or a pair of solid slugs, but people come to me specifically for unique, intricate designs and quality work. I pride myself in attention to detail and individuality – which I feel is what sets me apart from others.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
Generally speaking, my most successful form of networking is going out and presenting myself to the world.
When I’m out and wearing my grillz it easily becomes a topic of conversation. I love seeing people’s reaction when I respond to compliments with, “Thanks, I made it!”
I’ve met so many people who became clients or referred their friends through just showing up and being my most authentic self.
Because I was already immersed in the industry, the connections that led me to my mentor essentially came to me after time, but I definitely could’ve taken steps to seek one out sooner or taught myself.
There are a lot of resources out there for every craft, and while some may be more accessible than others I truly believe that if youre passionate about something it will come to you naturally through patience and dedication.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drayco.grillz
