How Charis Jones turned her side hustle into an $80 million company

In 2013, Charis Jones started a business out of her house that would later grow to become one of America’s fastest-growing e-commerce brands worth $80 million. She started the business as a side hustle while working as an insurance sales agent.

However, after seeing the potential of her business while selling jewelry part-time, she decided to quit her regular job and contrate on her jewelry business, resulting in the founding of Sassy Jones, according to Richmond Times-Dispatch. She started attending trade tours around the country to win new customers.

After finding her marketing strategy draining, she decided to leverage the power of social media to reach her target customers. She set up a live-streaming studio to show her customers her products. Jones’ first streaming dubbed ‘Sparkle Parties’ attracted only 13 viewers although she sold $600 worth of jewelry. She doubled down on her digital marketing by moving to Facebook and even hosted celebrities like Kim Coles, Cynthia Bailey and some of “The Real Housewives.”

“Buying online is psychological, there’s always a risk of disappointment,” Jones said to Richmond Times-Dispatch. “You can’t always tell what the colouration is due to the contrast of the screen. As popular as e-commerce is, it’s really still up in the air.”

Today, she has built a cult following and her products have become a lifestyle. From just selling jewelry, her brand now has “products in beauty, ready-to-wear women’s clothes and home décor targeted at Black women,” according to Richmond Times-Dispatch.

Jones said her company is now worth $80 million. Two years ago, the company was also named in Inc. 5000’s list of fastest-growing, privately held businesses measured by revenue and growth with 4,515% growth over the previous three years. 

The brand was named by Forbes as one of the top 25 small businesses that thrived during the pandemic. As per her LinkedIn profile, she was recognized as the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year in 2021 by the Tory Burch Foundation Fellow. She also won the HSN’s “The Big Find”.

Sassy Jones has continued to show remarkable growth. Jones recently launched a new brick-and-mortar Sassy Jones store at Short Pump Town Center. According to Richmond, the new location cost $200,000.

“We’re such a unicorn with wings like a Pegasus. We’re not duplicable; we’re not anyone else,” Jones said. “Even the energy that you get from walking into the store, it ain’t Prada or Gucci. We serve a niche that I am relentless about. And we just cater to her so well where other brands are trying to cover everything. I know who our girl is. There’s no one for her.”