From Our Family To Yours: 2023 Highlights & Review

2023 END-OF-YEAR FAMILY NEWSLETTER

Wow, what an amazing end to the year!

If your 2023 was anything like mine, you’re happy to be putting the last year behind you BUT grateful for the lessons of determination and fortitude that the past 12 months have taught you. It is a great reminder that you are truly stronger than you think!

My year ended in a completely different way than I could have ever dreamt and I’m grateful that God continues to show me that he has a path for me that I only truly understand in hindsight.

I started 2023 as CEO of the jewelry brand Luca + Danni, which I had started 9 years earlier after losing my younger brother to cancer. We grew way too fast, I was fighting with my investors, and we eventually sold the business in April in what I would politely consider to be a less than desirable situation. I was incredibly down on myself and was faced with the “what the heck do I do next with my life” question?

But life has a way of closing one door to open another and during my time off, I thought about what I loved to do most - taking my creative design skills and building a brand whose driving force was a community of like-minded people. During tough times - including when I lost my brother to cancer and my Dad to heart failure - I always came back to my faith. And this was no different.

In September, I decided to launch this brand and in a few short weeks, we had figured out how to source the water, successfully inject it into the cross, and pull the manufacturing together to get it all here for the holiday season. I wasn’t going to do it but I had a few people who really pushed me and I am so glad they did!

In a few short weeks, we’ve sold over 20,000 bracelets, launched a men’s version, signed up 97 retail partners, set up an Amazon storefront, and shipped 99% of the orders to customers before Christmas. It wasn’t perfect but I’m so proud of the results!

More importantly, we’ve built an amazing community of people who are connected by faith, inspired by life, and who are embracing the beauty of their own personal journey. It is this community that inspires me the most and I’m so excited to see what 2024 brings for all of us.

Wishing all of you a very healthy and happy 2024! Thank you for the opportunity to continue to do what I love and I’m so blessed to have all of you as part of this amazing community.

With gratitude,