How This Unstoppable Designer Keeps Her Business Thriving, Even In Tragedy

Today, I’m going to share the story of a resilient designer who transformed her business in just one year and kept her business growing during grief.

I’ve made it my mission to help struggling jewelry-preneurs scale their businesses beyond the 6 figure mark and become in-demand designers.

I’m always inspired by the designers in our community and their stories of triumph, tragedy, and financial success.

Introducing Twyla Dill, the creative mind behind Twyla Dill Designs. 

With the help of Momentum, she was able to increase her overall sales by 72%, her online sales by 10% and continue growing her business while she took time off to grieve the passing of her mother in 2019 and manage the challenges of the pandemic in 2020.

Growing up, Twyla was an imaginative and creative thinker. Whether she was knitting hats or sewing handbags, her hands were always moving. But she never planned on becoming a jewelry designer…

That dream didn’t cross her mind until she moved to Turkey and became mesmerized by the delicate crocheted lace that adorned vintage Turkish scarves and accessories.

With tiny crochet hooks in hand, she picked up the technique from a local artist and immediately set to work inventing new ways to modernize the antique aesthetic. After making her first pair of earrings, she knew she had discovered something special.

It took another year and a half, plus a move back to the US, to get her business up and running.

Twyla found some success selling her unique jewelry but the sales were unpredictable – some months were great and other months she saw big dips. Plus, she wasn’t hitting the financial goals she had hoped for.

Her work was incredible, but she often got caught up in the day-to-day details and struggled to focus on growing her business as a whole.

That’s when she discovered Momentum.

At first, she wasn’t sure… But she knew something needed to change if her business was ever going to fulfill its potential. She was serious about reaching her vision so she took the plunge and enrolled in the program.

Twyla was immediately impressed by the strong support network that Momentum provided. On top of her one-to-one monthly meetings with expert coaches, the community of other established, driven and like-minded jewelry designers became an invaluable source of support, guidance, and inspiration. 

Before Momentum, Twyla was feeling unfocused and wanted to build a more consistent stream of revenue online, but she didn’t know where to start.

Momentum helped her dial in on her dream client and start nurturing her email list to drive sales. She shifted from sending monthly emails to weekly emails, and designed a pop-up lead magnet to continue building her list.

Here’s what happened…

• She started Momentum in January of 2018 and hit her sales goal of $150,000 on December 31st, 2018.

• In Q1 of 2018, she sold $19,000. In Q1 of 2019, she sold $33,000. That’s a 72% growth from the year before in traditionally a very slow sales month! 

Just when her business was on an upward trajectory, personal tragedy struck her family. 

In April of 2019, during only her second year in business, Twyla’s mother passed away after years and years of battling Multiple Sclerosis. 

Balancing business and grief is no easy feat. Twyla took some time away from the bench to grieve. She already had a small team of people working for her, but she fully expected to see 0% growth in her business after her loss.

But her business didn’t just grow, it thrived.

Twyla’s mother was always an enthusiastic supporter of her jewelry. After her passing, Twyla wanted to design a one-of-a-kind collection to honor her mother’s memory.

It took her time to get back to designing, but in a moment of inspiration, she designed a collection inspired by her mother’s Pennsylvania Dutch upbringing. 

It was set to release around her mother’s 60th birthday, and a portion of the proceeds would go to people struggling with MS.

She did a pre-purchase release, and over the course of four days, she sold over $4,000 worth of jewelry.

Despite the hardships of 2019, her overall sales were up 47% from the previous year, and her online sales were up 10%.

Then 2020 rolled in and the Pandemic turned everyone upside down. 

Twyla was still leaning on her in-person sales which suddenly evaporated due to the shutdowns. She knew she had to lean into Momentum even more, to shift her business completely online. 

By being strategic, staying focused and implementing everything her coaches suggested, Twyla has been able to grow her overall sales from $150,000 to more than $200,000, even during the pandemic!

She’s also been able to take most evenings and weekends off because she hasn’t been doing live shows and in-person events like she used to.

HERE’S WHAT TWYLA HAS TO SAY ABOUT MOMENTUM…

“Three words to describe Momentum? Work, community and inspiration. I love stepping into a brighter spotlight online. I think it's really exciting to connect with people who aren't just at shows…. Momentum is awesome.”

With the help of her Momentum coaches and the Flourish & Thrive Academy community, Twyla has been able to transform her online presence through strategic dedication, and she continued to grow, even when she took time off to grieve and pivot during the pandemic.

If you’re looking for some 1:1 help to scale your online business, just like Twyla did, consider applying for the Momentum program.

Together, we’ll develop a customized marketing strategy to guide your business to success. If your goal is to create a more sustainable, profitable business with ease and confidence, then Momentum is for you!