The Truro ladies, both in their 30s, only met two years ago and last May launched Beck and Boosh Jewelry and Styles (www.beckandboosh.com). Their lives seemed destined to take this path.
“I remember I always put on jewelry from my
grandmother’s vanity and playing dressup when I was young,” recalled LaPointe.
Kearney grew up in a family that was business oriented and was eager to design and create.
“I was sewing when I was four years old. My mom told me when I was three I would put on perfume and jewelry for playdates. I was always drawn to jewelry and bling,” Kearney said.
The ladies met when Kearney moved back to Truro and LaPointe took muffins to her new neighbour. They immediately realized they had a lot in common, especially fashion.
By May 2013 they started their business – named after the two of them: Beck (as in Rebecca) and Boosh (what Miriah’s dad called her as a child) specializing in jewelry and accessories for women and men online. Less than six months later they had built their brand across Canada and were also shipping internationally. They started with about 80 pieces of jewelry – mostly necklaces and bracelets – and have expanded to 160 pieces including bags, scarves and men’s pieces.
Fifteen per cent of the product is handmade by the women, 80 per cent is ethnically sourced from India and the final five per cent is from China and Korea.
“We invested about $10,000 in start-up” costs, said LaPointe, and “we haven’t been in the hole once. We are making some and putting it back in the company,” said Kearney.
“Most of our customers are in Nova Scotia, but we’ve sold throughout Canada, in the United States and Australia,” said Kearney.
They estimate they have made 300 individual sales online and sold thousands of pieces between the e-store and festivals, home parties and other specific venues.
The women, both part-time teachers, also show people how to wear jewelry in the most fashionable way and post weekly blogs (http://blog.beckandboosh.com)
They have also collaborated with East Coast Lifestyle and been featured on blogs based in California and Arizona and will be featured in a Hawaiian magazine this winter.
“Looking fabulous doesn’t have to be expensive,” is one of the messages the women are getting out, said Kearney. In fact, the price range of their jewelry is $10 to $30.
And keeping up with the trends, while being unique, is a big part of the business.
“We research what’s on the runways and what’s trending and then we give it our own flair,” said LaPointe.
The women also use friends, family and a few community members to model their creations, which are then highlighted on their website. Various sites throughout Truro have provided backdrops for the photo shots, including churches and the farmers’ market.
As Beck and Boosh continues to grow, there are some new developments. The women will hire a wholesale representative and someone to help with retail shows. They also expect to expand their men’s line.
“We didn’t know if it would work but we had a vision for leather pieces for men and it went crazy,” said LaPointe.
Another exciting venture is the women’s jewelry will be included in gift bags for musicians of this year’s East Coast Music Awards (ECMAs).
Twitter: tdnMonique
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Truro ladies, both in their 30s, only met two years ago and last May launched Beck and Boosh Jewelry and Styles. Their lives seemed destined to take this path.
“I remember I always put on jewelry from my
grandmother’s vanity and playing dressup when I was young,” recalled LaPointe. “I had my own style and I’ve always tried to wear things differently and (recycle)
trends.”
Kearney grew up in a family that was business oriented and was eager to design and create.
“I was sewing when I was four years old. My mom told me when I was three I would put on perfume and jewelry for playdates. I was always drawn to jewelry and bling,” Kearney said.
The ladies met when Kearney moved back to Truro and LaPointe took muffins to her new neighbour. They immediately realized they had a lot in common, especially fashion.
By May 2013 they started their business specializing in
jewelry and accessories for women and men online. Less than six months later they had built their brand across Canada and were also shipping internationally.
Story in progress ….
The Truro ladies, both in their 30s, only met two years ago and last May launched Beck and Boosh Jewelry and Styles (www.beckandboosh.com). Their lives seemed destined to take this path.
“I remember I always put on jewelry from my
grandmother’s vanity and playing dressup when I was young,” recalled LaPointe.
Kearney grew up in a family that was business oriented and was eager to design and create.
“I was sewing when I was four years old. My mom told me when I was three I would put on perfume and jewelry for playdates. I was always drawn to jewelry and bling,” Kearney said.
The ladies met when Kearney moved back to Truro and LaPointe took muffins to her new neighbour. They immediately realized they had a lot in common, especially fashion.
By May 2013 they started their business – named after the two of them: Beck (as in Rebecca) and Boosh (what Miriah’s dad called her as a child) specializing in jewelry and accessories for women and men online. Less than six months later they had built their brand across Canada and were also shipping internationally. They started with about 80 pieces of jewelry – mostly necklaces and bracelets – and have expanded to 160 pieces including bags, scarves and men’s pieces.
Fifteen per cent of the product is handmade by the women, 80 per cent is ethnically sourced from India and the final five per cent is from China and Korea.
“We invested about $10,000 in start-up” costs, said LaPointe, and “we haven’t been in the hole once. We are making some and putting it back in the company,” said Kearney.
“Most of our customers are in Nova Scotia, but we’ve sold throughout Canada, in the United States and Australia,” said Kearney.
They estimate they have made 300 individual sales online and sold thousands of pieces between the e-store and festivals, home parties and other specific venues.
The women, both part-time teachers, also show people how to wear jewelry in the most fashionable way and post weekly blogs (http://blog.beckandboosh.com)
They have also collaborated with East Coast Lifestyle and been featured on blogs based in California and Arizona and will be featured in a Hawaiian magazine this winter.
“Looking fabulous doesn’t have to be expensive,” is one of the messages the women are getting out, said Kearney. In fact, the price range of their jewelry is $10 to $30.
And keeping up with the trends, while being unique, is a big part of the business.
“We research what’s on the runways and what’s trending and then we give it our own flair,” said LaPointe.
The women also use friends, family and a few community members to model their creations, which are then highlighted on their website. Various sites throughout Truro have provided backdrops for the photo shots, including churches and the farmers’ market.
As Beck and Boosh continues to grow, there are some new developments. The women will hire a wholesale representative and someone to help with retail shows. They also expect to expand their men’s line.
“We didn’t know if it would work but we had a vision for leather pieces for men and it went crazy,” said LaPointe.
Another exciting venture is the women’s jewelry will be included in gift bags for musicians of this year’s East Coast Music Awards (ECMAs).
Twitter: tdnMonique
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Truro ladies, both in their 30s, only met two years ago and last May launched Beck and Boosh Jewelry and Styles. Their lives seemed destined to take this path.
“I remember I always put on jewelry from my
grandmother’s vanity and playing dressup when I was young,” recalled LaPointe. “I had my own style and I’ve always tried to wear things differently and (recycle)
trends.”
Kearney grew up in a family that was business oriented and was eager to design and create.
“I was sewing when I was four years old. My mom told me when I was three I would put on perfume and jewelry for playdates. I was always drawn to jewelry and bling,” Kearney said.
The ladies met when Kearney moved back to Truro and LaPointe took muffins to her new neighbour. They immediately realized they had a lot in common, especially fashion.
By May 2013 they started their business specializing in
jewelry and accessories for women and men online. Less than six months later they had built their brand across Canada and were also shipping internationally.
Story in progress ….
