National Jewelry Brand at age 16
Chanelle Chalazan
Podcast Episode 290
What would you say if your 14 year old came to you and said, “I want to start a business?"
Would you encourage it…or brush it off as a phase?
I sit down in this week’s episode with a now 16 year old entrepreneur who didn’t just have an idea - she built a nationally recognized jewelry brand from it.
And here’s the thing: this isn’t just a feel good story.
There are real, strategic lessons here for business owners at all stages.
It Started With Curiosity
At 13, she wasn’t building a brand. She was playing. Mixing and matching her mom’s jewelry. Experimenting with design. Following curiousity.
By 14, she started selling on Marketplace.
One customer turned into twenty.
That’s when it shifted from “idea” to opportunity.
Lesson: You don’t need a perfect plan to start a business - but you do need to pay attention when something starts working.
Action - Not Perfection
Instead of waiting to figure everything out, she:
Started selling immediately
Tested her product in real markets
Took it to trade shows early
Got feedback fast
By 15, she was travelling across Canada doing shows in major cities. No fancy funnels, no overthinking.
Just action to feedback to adjust to repeat.
The Reality of Growth
Behind the scenes wasn’t all smooth. Chanelle found herself in the mess of:
Managing inventory across cities
Selling out faster than expected
Balancing school and business
Handling customer expectations
Learning logisitics of travel, hotels, supplies etc.
Because as all entrepreneurs find out growth doesn’t remove problems, it upgrades them.
Support was the Advantage
She learned a lesson early on. Asking for help is the biggest flex you can learn. She ended up with two critical systems:
At home: Guidance and encouragement
At school: Teachers who worked with her schedule.
She didn’t expect support - she built it through clarity and communication.
The Strategy Starts to Form
While most businesses focus on scaling bigger, she focused on staying accessible. A decision to have no retail store, no large teams, and no high overhead, but why?
So she could keep prices low and serve a wider audience. She decided she wanted to be in the same category but have a different strategy.
She figured out that more revenue doesn’t always come from higher prices, it can come from better positioning.
Seeing The Gap Most Ignore
Her insight was simple - but powerful:
The market had cheap, low quality OR expensive, high-quality options. There was nothing in the middle.
So she built it… high-quality materials at an accessible price point. That combination is what scaled her, seeing the gap everyone else ignores and finding the way to fill it.
Final Thoughts
This isn’t just a story about a young entrepreneur. It’s a reminder that you don’t need:
More time
More experience
Or more credentials
You need:
Action
Clarity
The willingness to grow as you go.
Because sometimes the people who move the fastest are the ones that don’t overcomplicate it.
Connect with Chanelle:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1AjPovchp3/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chicandcharmedbychanelle?igsh=MXZnajh5bDFkemF4Ng==
Don’t forget to go grab:
Yourself a little sparkle today and share some with a friend! You deserve it!
