"It’s heartbreaking when you try so hard to live out your dreams, and it doesn’t work out"
To have a dream and work so hard to make it a reality can be an emotional rollercoaster. Like De'Ja, it is the pursuit of many aspiring fashion designers to see their designs in boutiques and department stores worldwide. New designers are competing with brands such as Billy, Kendra Scott, and Alex and Ani, which makes the competition steep and intimidating. So, when do you give up hope and let your dreams go?
For McKiever, creating a household brand name has been a torrent of emotions. When will it be McKiever’s time to celebrate her dream of becoming a household name?
I first met De’Ja McKiever eight years ago while she interned for me. Ambitious, fearless, and full of energy, there was no stopping this Detroit native from achieving her dreams. McKiever had a plan and was ready to implement what she thought was the perfect strategy.
As a Michigan State University graduate, she left East Lansing, Michigan with a job offer and a plan for her future. What seemed like the perfect outlook turned dark when her first job out of college stressed her to the max. Overworked and underpaid, McKiever developed a vocal cord injury that left her damn near speechless for weeks. Over the course of a year, McKiever slowly transitioned out of her position to start her career as a jewelry designer. “I was tired and worn out. I wanted to just start over. So, I hired a business consultant to help me get started,” she said. Once again she had a plan that seemed easy enough; it had to work.
How did you come up with the name Mariko Masami?
I got the name from a Japanese classmate in college. Her name was Mariko. I asked her one day what her name meant because I thought that her name was so beautiful. She told me her name meant “real true child of the village.” And Masami means “becoming beautiful.” It was so beautiful, it kind of stuck with me, being that I am the child of my village.
You studied Family and Community Service in college. When did you fall in love with Jewelry?
I got tired of shopping for jewelry and not finding what I liked in stores. It was frustrating to walk into store after store and not find anything that fit my style. I also got tired of finding the same styles - everything looked so similar.
One day, I decided I would take a class at Munro Crafts in Berkley, Michigan. I took one class, learned how to string one bead, and I taught myself the rest. A few months later, I began to create jewelry for my mom and myself. I just wanted something that was unique and unlike the styles I’d see in boutiques and department stores. I was a magnet, I would get stopped often in stores, on the street, and even in restrooms - women wanted to buy my jewelry. Once, I had a woman offer $100 for the bracelet right off my arm. I knew then that I had something going. That is when I decided to start my own business. In 2011, I became a registered LLC.
What was the processes of starting your business?
The process for registering my business was simple, but you have to know that process in order to complete the paperwork. I think at times deciding on how to form your business can be confusing.
What obstacles did you encounter while starting?
Well, I went through this guy who was essentially a business consultant. He told me that he was going to help me get started. He was going to register my LLC, develop my business plan, and set up my resident agent.
He charged me $7k for his services. I didn’t know what to do, I needed guidance. A family member referred him, so I trusted the process. Needless-to-say, I never got my business plan, I never got anything, but a registered business with the state of Michigan. We parted ways only because I’ve been unable to reach him.
Was this the biggest mistake thus far in building your business?
No. I would have to say doubting myself is on the top of my list: comparing my progress and success to other people, wondering why I am not in the same place that others are, and having other people have say on my development as a business.
I had doubters. People would say, “Well, you should just go and get an income job; it is hard to go and start your own business.” I listened and took a job.
McKiever finds herself wanting to give up often, as she tortures herself scrolling social media profiles of designers and creatives like herself. “There were times where I was asking myself, ‘Am I supposed to do this, or am I supposed to be working a 9-5 job?’ Maybe what I want to do is not going to be as grand as I thought. I know that there were things that could have gone better and things that I could have done more.”
When things seem to go left at every turn, you must find that pearl that motivates you to keep going. Her mom has been that pearl that keeps her grounded and pushes her to keep going when the world seems to close in on her dreams and suffocates her thoughts.
What do you feel has been the hold up for you moving forward and getting what you want?
The hold up with pushing my business further most definitely came down to capital. I didn’t want to take out a business loan because of the financial burden I’d already created for myself. I think that the hold up came down to the financial responsibility of it all. Now, I am financially able to put more into Mariko Masami, rather than just winging it.
The financials of building a business can hurt your pockets. I know big businesses that have almost lost their homes because of the financial commitment.
Your pieces are handcrafted, and different from jewelry seen in stores, what is your inspiration for your pieces?
I use a variety of stones. I like to work with crystals and metal, but can work with any material. I find most of my inventory at stores in Berkley and Royal Oak, Michigan, and various stores online. My jewelry is more personal. So, for me, it is a different level of passion in the piece. Compared to a major department store it is not produced in mass quantity. It is unique. It’s not something that you would see in the store. I get inspiration from magazines and window shopping.
What are you doing now to change your future in business?
Right now, I am in the redevelopment phase. I hope to one day place my designs in a few boutiques in the area and eventually to department stores. I would love to have a strong following; I would love to be in a major department store - that is one of my major goals for my jewelry.
"Unless I can get my money back and still learn a lesson!"
If you could change anything from the past, what would you change?
Umm, ironically and cliché as it may sound - I am not sure that I would change anything. I think that I was supposed to go through the guy who took my money so that I would know how to go through future deals and future negotiations. Of course, unless I can get my money back and still learn a lesson!
What advice would you give to aspiring jewelry designers?
Listen to your gut. Do your research before just jumping in. I had no idea what I was doing when I started; I just wanted a business. Don’t try to be a follower and get your feelings mixed up with what the world around you is doing. Follow the steps and the processes that have been prepared for you and you only. Confidence is key.
De’ja is still working to get her jewelry designs in boutiques stores. Currently, she has a position as a massage therapist after passing the Michigan licensing exam. We will check back in with De’ja next year to see where she is on her entrepreneurship journey.
