A bad experience can be a life changing one!
How a lost wedding ring led to a multi-million dollar Shopify business, is definitely a story of perseverance and inspiration. This inspiring story demonstrates that sometimes, the bad things that happen to us, can be the foundation for something new and beautiful, which can result in a life changing experience.
Most of us, if not all of us, don’t really like don’t like the idea of losing our jewelry, worst yet losing a wedding a ring. And so begins the entrepreneurial journey of John and Claire Easley. John has had his share of bad luck with rings. His first ring had to be cut off his finger, after his hand got smashed in a factory accident. Ouch!
However, losing the second ring was a bit more emotionally painful. This was his wedding ring, which he lost while on a date with his wife. The ring fell off his hand while he shook the debris off a blanket he and his wife were using, while at an outdoor theater. He heard the ring bounce across the gravel, but it was never to be seen again.
Here’s How a Lost Wedding Ring Led to a Multi-Million Dollar Shopify Business!
Having had those experiences, John decided that his replacement wedding ring had to meet five criteria: comfort, durability, good-looking, safe to wear, and or course meaning. He searched and searched but to no avail. So when he couldn’t find anything that fit his criteria, he decided to make his own. What? Yeah. Check it out!
Related Article What is Shopify About and How to Make it Work for You!
So he set up shop!
With a background in mechanical engineering, Easley set up shop in his Idaho garage. His intent? To build molds and find the right material to make his replacement wedding ring. He found his answer in forged carbon fiber (carbon fiber combined with resin and forged under heat and pressure). This new material according to Easley symbolized his and Claire’s life; something beautiful created under pressure and hardship. Awww. But, it was expensive and time consuming. Even so, Claire supported him throughout the entire process.
The burning question!
But the burning question to be answered now was “Would the world fall in love with their product the same way they had?” So Claire photographed the rings, wrote some copy, and set a modest Kickstarter goal of $11,500. The result?
“Thousands of backers pledged more than $408,000” and Carbon 6 Rings was born!
But it wasn’t that simple
You’re probably thinking, “Can’t this couple get a break already?” Well, here’s the thing, the overabundance of kickstarter money exposed them to some legal issues. As if that wasn’t enough, customer complaints made him aware that rings were being shipped (by people brought on to help) that DID NOT meet his standards. In addition to which, someone was embezzling thousands of dollars. Geez, talk about labor pains! But it didn’t end there. So what else could go wrong, right? Remember Murphy’s law?
Well, with everything going on, they ran out of money, but they still had to ship rings to their backers. Man oh man! Some people might have given up at this point. But John and Claire did not! Here’s what they did. They sold their car, their home, took out personal loans, and maxed out their credit cards. He also trained a few craftsman on how to make the rings he promised to his Kick-starter backers.
Light at the end of the tunnel?
“Slowly but surely, Carbon 6 Rings found its footing,” and not only that. “Carbon 6 Rings is now one of the fastest growing online jewelry brands in the world” (see pic below).
So where does Shopify fit into all of this? John and Claire are newcomers to eCommerce and they needed professional help that would make things easy to set up shop online. So Shopify was their choice for their new business.
As a result, they had expert advice to help troubleshoot and select the appropriate application to optimize their store. According to Easley, “I’m just a regular person. But Shopify Plus gives me access to the same tools much bigger companies have and we’re extremely grateful.”
Here’s what their sales results look like thus far:
- $600,000 in 2015
- $1.4 million in 2016
- On track to ship their 20,000th ring
This success story came at a great sacrifice. But John and Claire were confident in their idea and they found the right people to help them make it a reality. Of course this does not have to be your way of starting your own online store, but always remember this “It’s not about what you do, but it’s about what you think about what you do.”
John and Claire could have easily given up on their dream, but clearly they thought that what they were trying to achieve was way more important. There are several lessons you can take away here, but one that clearly stands out, is “never give up!” If other people can do it, so CAN you!
Whether it’s your own product or dropshipping, for anyone interested in having an eCommerce store, Shopify is the way to go!
