056: Brick-and-Mortar, Big Margins & Hiring Right with Brittany with Chained Melody
In this episode, we chat with Brittany from Chained Melody, who launched her permanent jewelry business in 2022 in Northern Indiana. What began as a hobby rooted in faith and prayer quickly turned into a full-time venture. After realizing she was making more with permanent jewelry than her full-time job, Brittany made the leap and never looked back!
She hit the ground running, signing up for every event possible and opening a brick-and-mortar location almost immediately. Now, she’s expanded into piercings, which she shares have incredible profit margins, and also offers a charm bar, ready-to-wear jewelry, and even Kendra Scott pieces.
With growth came the need to hire help, and Brittany doesn’t hold back on what it really takes to find your perfect employee. She shares her transparent and generous pay structure, $20 per unit plus tips, and talks about why trust and pay go hand-in-hand when building a quality team. We talk about red flags, good vibes, and the importance of having a probation period to make sure new hires are truly the right fit. She’s realistic about the risks, like staff pocketing cash or chain, but says that paying well creates accountability and retention.
We also dive into the power of customer connection and paying attention to the little details, as well as how she’s structured her business as an S Corp for sustainability. From offering free re-weld Friday to educating clients so they know what to expect, Brittany is all about creating a thoughtful, long-lasting brand experience. She also reminds us to ask clients how they found you, if no one’s saying Facebook, that’s your sign to boost your presence there.
She’s also no stranger to grassroots marketing. Brittany shares creative tactics like offering high school girls free bracelets in exchange for tags and posts, or running a Mother’s Day shoot with local micro influencers. Her approach to community-based promotion and word-of-mouth marketing is inspiring.
And she’s not slowing down anytime soon! Brittany is currently expanding her skillset even further with advanced piercing training in England. She’s also gotten her website and Google Business Profile up and running, continuing to build the foundation of a long-term, scalable brand.
Instagram: @chainedmelodyllc Website: chainedmelodyllc.com
