When you think about working in college, your mind goes to an on-campus job at the bookstore or gym, or building skills at an unpaid internship, right? Well, LeiLei Secor, 19, is paying her way through college with the jewelry business she runs out of her dorm room.
Secor taught herself how to make wire jewelry by watching tutorials on YouTube and reading jewelry-making websites. She launched her business, Designed by Lei, three years ago today, and opened an Etsy shop and a website to sell her delicate rings, necklaces, and bracelets online.
Her success has led to more than 11,000 sales in three years, and her revenues approach six figures, according to the National Federation of Independent Business. In 2013, NFIB awarded her the Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Go LeiLei!
Now, as a rising sophomore at the University of Virginia, she's able to pay for school thanks to her entrepreneurial savvy.
"I didn't start with the intention of paying for college, and I'm really glad it's allowed me to do so," she told the Huffington Post.
While at school, she stashes her jewelry supplies in her dorm room and spends four to five hours a week on her business, on top of going to class, studying, and hanging out with friends.
So, are you ready to follow in Secor's footsteps? Check out her tips for making it big.
Use the Internet to your advantage. "My biggest resource was the Internet, so I really took that to my advantage and I really took a long time researching stuff," Secor told the Huffington Post. "I think it's important to work with what you have in order to attain more."
Take a class. "I took [a business class] in the fall and I learned a lot of things there that I want to apply to my business," she told UVA Today. "I learned about really creating value for the customer. Now I try to focus more on the customer's experience and try to get back to them on time, even though it's hard to do that during finals and midterms."
Get technical. SEO, or search engine optimization, is a technique that helps boost your presence in search engine results. "SEO can really make or break your Etsy store because if you're not found in the search engine, you don't get any traffic," she told UVA Today.
Be prompt and professional. "If someone emails or contacts me, I try to get back to them right away rather than waiting," she said.
Don't let your age stop you. Secor is a firm believer that teens are perfectly capable of success. "I think [teens] are really passionate about what they do and they have a sense of self," she said.
Amen to that!
Hannah Orenstein is the author of several novels, including Meant to Be Mine (out June 7, 2022), Head Over Heels, Love at First Like, and Playing with Matches. She's also the Deputy Editor of Dating at Elite Daily. She lives in Brooklyn.
