When Chari Cuthbert launched her jewelry line, BYCHARI she had $100 in her account. Every dollar she earned was reinvested back into the company and initially, Cuthbert was focused more on having a creating outlet than building a successful company. But the universe had other plans. Since 2021, Cuthbert’s line has been adorned by almost every major celebrity from Kate Hudson to Rosie Huntington-Whitely who fell in love with the line’s simple and timeless designs.

But it was this year, in the middle of the pandemic, when BYCHARI really took off. During her Biden/Kamala endorsement speech, Michelle Obama wore the brand’s VOTE necklace and you can all guess what happened next. Yep, the necklace, the brand, Cuthbert—they all went viral. From CNBC to Forbes, everyone wanted to know about the designer behind Obama’s necklace but they also wanted to buy the necklace. With such a small team, keeping up with demand was a stressful experience but one that she will always remember with immense gratitude. 

Read on to learn more about her entrepreneurial journey, how she’s pushing her industry and the culture forward, and crucial financial advice for new founders.

How did you make your first dollar and what did that job teach you that still applies today? 

My first job was at Starfish Oils, an aromatherapy company in Jamaica. I loved that the products we sold had the ability to lift someone’s spirits. Knowing that the product they were purchasing had the potential to raise their mood and therefore improve their day brought me happiness. Jewelry has the ability to change someone’s mood,boost their confidence, and make the wearer feel sexy, pretty, fearless, etc. I love that my jewelry can boost someone up.

Take us back to the beginning.

While studying photography in college I started to explore other forms of art. One of the other forms of art I explored was jewelry. I loved the aspect of creating something in my imagination and seeing it come to life in the physical form.

Entrepreneurship is all about taking calculated risks—What’s the most pivotal risk you’ve taken, and how did it change your path?  

In 2012, after spending many years working on BYCHARI in my free time in the evenings and weekends, I decided it was now or never to dive into the deep end and commit to BYCHARI as my full time job. It was a major risk since I didn’t know when I would start bringing in income but I knew I was up for the challenge and that there was never going to be a better time. 

How do you hope your brand can make a difference and push your industry and culture forward? 

I was honored and inspired by the impact the VOTE necklace had in the conversation surrounding voting. It was great to see young people and adults voting for the first time who may have otherwise not participated in our election. After Mrs. Obama wore her VOTE necklace and inspired other women of all ages and cultures to celebrate their voice through their style, it showed me the power of personal style. During this year’s election I learned a lot about our country’s history and the importance of voting and have to think there are others who did the same. I hope that as BYCHARI evolves we will have the opportunity to participate in other movements of our time to help lift those who need lifting and illuminate areas that need illumination. 

2020 presented everybody around the globe with new, unprecedented challenges. How did you #FindNewRoads + switch gears towards your new version of success? 

2020 has ravaged far too many small (and large) businesses. It’s been such a difficult year for so many and my heart goes out to everyone who has been struggling. We are very fortunate at BYCHARI that we’ve dodged the hardship that many others have experienced. The Black Lives Matter movement and Michelle Obama wearing our VOTE necklace meant that we didn’t have to pivot to survive but instead had to ramp up to meet demands from the unprecedented sale of the VOTE necklace and increase of orders following the movement to support black-owned businesses. I know we are one of the lucky businesses thriving during a year that presented unforeseen challenges to many other businesses.  

Going after what you deserve in life takes confidence and guts. Does confidence come naturally to you or did you have to learn it? What advice can you share for women on cultivating confidence and going after their dreams?

I believe that for the majority of people confidence is something that they need to learn, only a lucky few are born with confidence. Fortunately confidence is a muscle that you can grow if you set the intention, do the right exercises and dedicate time to it. I’ve found that I’ve built my confidence by believing in what I do and knowing that I’ve put love into my craft to deliver the best product possible. 

When you separate yourself from your job title and the bells and whistles of your business or career, who are you and what do you like to do? 

My two loves are my family and traveling. When I have free time I’m either visiting my family in Jamaica or planning a trip to an international destination that I’ve never been to before.  

For those who haven’t started a business (or are about to) what advice do you have? 

Be prepared to hear “no” far more often than you hear “yes.” It took me a while to learn to let no roll off my back, but once I started to prepare to hear no rather than yes it helped me stay focused on the finish line and continue to move towards my goal without missing a beat. 

What is your number one piece of financial advice for any new entrepreneur and why?

As an artist it is important to me that I foster my strength,  my creativity, so as soon as I had the opportunity to hire someone to help with the financial side I made sure to hire the strongest financial person possible since I knew that that wasn’t my strength. Instead of learning a skill that didn’t come naturally to me, I decided that I needed to bring people onto my team who could help me where I needed help so I could focus on what I do best.

It’s easy to celebrate the wins, but how do you handle failure or when something hasn’t worked out for you?

I make sure to always have perspective and keep what is most important to me on the top of my mind. Since family, friends and travel are the most important things to me I always make time for them so the lows don’t feel as low. At the end of the day, I try to remember why I work so hard and that’s to enjoy life with my family and friends and see the world. 

What is the #1 book you always recommend and why?

This is a tough question since during different phases of my career different books have spoken to me more than others. Recently though, I’ve loved Start With Why, How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action by Simon Sinek. As BYCHARI gets the opportunity to evolve and scale we are presented with the challenge of staying authentic to our brand while also taking the opportunity to evolve. As I approach this exciting but also nerve racking time I continually look back to Sinek’s words and try to apply them to BYCHARI.

If you could go back to the beginning of your career journey—with the knowledge you have now—what advice would you give yourself? 

This is a cliche answer but it’s a cliche for a reason since it’s so true. I wish I would have taken the plunge and gone all in on myself and my company earlier in my career. I played it safe for longer than I needed to and now I look back and think why didn’t I quit my day job to focus on BYCHARI earlier. My advice is to give the decision good thought, but don’t overthink it. If you are passionate and fully committed to your idea, embrace the momentum and fully dive in. 

Fill in the blanks:

When I feel fear, I…

When I feel fear I think of my family and remember the support and love I give and receive from them.

The best career advice I always give is…

The best career advice I always give is to think positive while mentally preparing to fail. 

To be successful, you need to be…

To be successful, you need to be resilient.

I turn bad days around by…

I turn bad days around by doing something that will bring me joy. This could be exercise to get my endorphins pumping, a delicious coffee, or a bath.

If there were more hours in the day, I would…

If there were more hours in the day, I would dedicate time to be in nature everyday.