You’ve probably seen kids riding their bikes in cities and having fun. That was the kind of life Christian Johnston lived. You would find him in skateboard shops, basketball courts, and street fashion stores just having fun with his friends.
During those days, local hip-hop artists, designers, and events complimented the culture of Pittsburgh. Christian had a vision of the kind of lifestyle he wanted. He wanted to have nice quality jewelry and enjoy life. However, the jewelry that existed when he was growing up was of very low quality or very overpriced. Growing up a middle-class average kid, Christian vowed to change this narrative.
Christian founded GLD, a company that now brings over $50 million in revenue. They have been operational for six years with a following of over 1 million on Instagram.
The following are lessons that any serial entrepreneur or startup can learn from a Christian success journey.
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Start Small & Focus
Christian’s company started small. They had very little bits of jewelry which they were selling. During that period, Christian was playing division 1 basketball at Duquesne University. He saw an opportunity for social media that could help them reach people across the country, not only on campus.
Christian, focused on making a process to make the highest quality entry-level jewelry that exists. This step brought people back because they love the product. As people come to get them, they love them, buy them and share them with their friends. Once they are happy, they leave behind good reviews. This approach, together with the Mercedes model where GLD provides great quality across all price points, has made GLD soar in its business.
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Keep Customer Service & Satisfaction First
Customers come first. One time during Father’s day, one of GLD’s clients, Cardi B, posted, “any Jewelers that open six of the Sundays?” GLD’s partners were the first to respond. She hit back instantly and said she needed a solid 14karat Cuban big present for her dad. It was about 5 pm, and you can guess such an order was not an easy go. Guess what? Christian and his team served her to satisfaction. This prompted her to also want matching anklets for her and her daughter. GLD takes this same level of VIP service to its website by providing 24/7 customer support to answer anything from styling questions to help to choose a shipping method.
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Have An Online Presence
GLD’s Instagram presence has played an essential role in shaping its success. Johnston incorporated their daily life on Instagram stories and posts. By consistently posting content that showcased their brand and its product, they have been able to grow tremendously. They have over one million followers, and clients like Justin Bieber just make their requests through direct messaging services.
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Work Hard. Nothing Comes Easy
Nothing beats hard work, not even talent if it doesn’t work hard. Since being a kid, Christian has learned to be a hardworking man with the “Mamba mentality.” When others went out during their early stages, he would remain behind to continue grinding. It is the hard work and consistency that have made GLD be where it is today. If you have a vision that you believe in, work hard and don’t allow anything to get in your way.
Conclusion
If you are a business owner or an entrepreneur, the above four tips will scale you to unimaginable heights. Start small and focus, ensure you offer the best customer service to satisfaction, have an online presence to broadcast your brand out there, and work hard consistently. You will see results.