Today we’d like to introduce you to Tenelle Bailey
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My story has many layers and has greatly evolved over the years as a small business owner. My background is truly in the Fashion sector. I have a master’s degree in Fashion Design and a master’s degree in Fashion Marketing. I have designed clothing for major retailers, taught various fashion study courses at the college level, and then began to focus on being a full-time entrepreneur. In 2011, I launched my first online fashion accessories/jewelry business – Dose of Vitamin F (Fashion) and sold various vendor-made jewelry, handbags, scarves, and shoes at retail on my website. In 2016, I launched a creative services consulting business – Creative and Social, with other small business owners as clients. Within this capacity I completed various tasks, including graphic design, logo design, content creation, basic website development, and social media account management. I still do some of this type consulting work, but on a more focused client basis as a Creative Service Director at The SISGI Group. In 2018, I launched a new online jewelry business – TCB Jewelry which stands for Too Cute for Boring Jewelry, as well as being the initials of my full name. TCB Jewelry originally housed vendor-made jewelry as well as jewelry items sourced from upcoming jewelry designers from all over the world, from Dallas to Croatia in several curated collections. However, I didn’t feel like I was contributing creatively and using my design talents in my new jewelry business. So, in May 2023 I did a complete rebranding of my business. I now design and create everything that is sold on my website and have launched my main business – TCB Creative, which houses 3 shops including; TCB Jewelry, TCB Greek, and TCB Craft shop. I have a vision for my business to be a creative marketplace where I sell jewelry, accessories, small home decor, and custom gift items. So, this is where I am today, but it is very much just the beginning of what I have planned for the near future!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not been a smooth journey, there have been many ups and downs from receiving many sales one month and hardly any sales the next month. I truly have to be my cheerleader every day, as well as, wear so many different hats within the daily operations of my business. It’s a constant practice of vulnerability when you put your heart and talents into each piece and hope that people like it enough to make a purchase.
I have made many design mistakes along the way and there have been many learning curves to get around. I design everything I make myself and the fact that I’m competing in a space where other people do not design their own products, but seem very successful, can be discouraging at times. I try not to compare myself to other acrylic/wooden jewelry/craft sellers and makers, but sometimes it’s hard not to.
Also, being a small business owner in the age of mass technological advancements and social media/networking apps is not for the faint at heart. The social media market is oversaturated with marketing from larger brands and influencers, so it is a pay-to-play game now to get your products in front of more people. When you can’t afford a large marketing budget like other brands, it makes it that much harder to get recognized or even be found organically.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
TCB Creative is a group of 3 shops: TCB Jewelry, which houses handmade acrylic, resin, and wooden earrings. TCB Greek, which houses accessories and custom gift items made out of wood and acrylic, especially catering to members of the 9 NPHC Black Greek organizations. Lastly, TCB Craft shop, which houses small home decor, accessories, and custom gift items made out of wood and acrylic.
I invested in a Glowforge machine in the fall of 2022 and did a lot of prototyping of designs before I cut any of my designs in the actual materials. In the spring of 2023, I launched a collection of acrylic and wooden earrings in 4 styles with 14 different color options and 4 different sizes. They were simple designs for the most part, yet bold and colorful. It also allowed for me to cater to a variety of individuals who might like large earrings or small earrings, who like dangling earrings, or who prefer clip-on earrings. With this initial collection, I participated as a vendor in several pop-up events around Long Beach, Downtown LA, and Orange County during the summer and fall of 2023. I also continued to make new styles as the months went by and created cute holiday-centered earrings such as fall leaves, ghosts, bats, Santas, and snowflakes.
I’m very proud of the fact that I can use my design skills and talents to create products. I feel like I specialize in cute and creative pieces. My TCB Jewelry customers like to have fun with their jewelry, they might not wear fine jewelry and tend to have their own individual style. I make jewelry that is fun and colorful in order to accentuate their appearance. My TCB Greek target customers are looking for items to represent their organization that not everyone owns or the option to customize gift items for their entire chapter. My TCB Craft customers are looking for custom handmade products with a special personalized touch and that will truly be a unique gift.
The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
One lesson I learned was that it helps to have an online website that people can still shop from in the comfort of their homes. Another lesson was that when you have the time to be still and figure out your life some amazing new ideas can find you. Also, the greatest lesson I learned was, to continue to be open to change, learning new skills, and starting over when necessary.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://tcbcreative.com/
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/tcbjewelryshop, https://instagram.com/tcbgreek, and https://instagram.com/tcbcraftshop
