Determination and an endless desire to embark on new adventures led Sandy Bodeau to cross the pond to the U.S. from Spain 13 years ago with only $800 and a three-word English vocabulary. Since then, Sandy has mastered English, earned two degrees, worked for the U.S. Senate, was a radio political analyst and an interpreter, all before starting Sira&Mara Jewelry.
Sira&Mara is proof that in life and in business, it’s not about what you don’t have; it’s about what you do have. This small but mighty business is a perfect example of the heights that can be reached if we simply make use of everything to which we DO have access and avoid focusing on what resources we don’t have.
With the help of existing resources such as a home office, a smartphone camera, free software, Internet access, day-to-day social media experience, and an insatiable drive to learn new skills – Sira&Mara’s founder Sandy Bodeau, created a booming online business from literally nothing.
Sandy’s passion for designing and making handcrafted fashion jewelry for herself, sparked the interest of a friend who placed the first unofficial “order” from what later became Sira&Mara Jewelry. Seeing the smile a simple bracelet brought to her friend’s face, led Sandy to harness the power of social media (i.e. Facebook, Blogger, WordPress, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest)to bring her products to the masses. She used the old fashioned tools of honest and frequent communication to build genuine relationships with fashion bloggers, which ultimately led to a very engaged and satisfied customer base.
Sira&Mara thrives on a simple yet effective business model: efficient sourcing and buying practices resulting in affordable pieces – it’s that simple. With a pricing model that rivals department store fashion jewelry prices, the convenience of an online shopping experience and an owner who puts her own nose to the grindstone by scouring markets to find the best deals (and even models her wares herself) are just a few examples of what makes Sira&Mara so unique.
In just over two years, what started as a small Facebook shop selling a handful of hand-made bracelets to existing friends, has turned into a global business, which today sells a rich mixture of products to both consumers and small boutiques around the world. Sira&Mara has been featured on The Today Show, Univision’s Despierta America, “What’s Trending” on Elvis Duran and the Morning Show,Latina Magazine, American Express OPEN Forum, ABC 10 Local Miami, MundoFox 8, Immigrant Archive Project, in Estefania Garcia’s fashion column for Hola magazine in Spain and countless more. Additionally, Sira&Mara has been worn by television hostesses MyrkaDellanos, Karla Martinez, Alejandra Espinoza, Mary Carmen Lopez, Ana Patricia Gonzalez, and news anchors Satcha Pretto and Alicia Gentile among others.
When customers wear Sira&Mara, they are not only wearing fashion jewelry, they are wearing living proof that determination and a fearless desire for new adventures can take you anywhere.