Massachusetts woman turns beach idea into $1 million business within 6 months

Kelly Bozigian. Image Credit: Coastal Caviar/Entrepreneur

A search for a charm necklace before a holiday helped turn Kelly Bozigian's beachside idea into a rapidly growing jewellery business. The Massachusetts entrepreneur launched Coastal Caviar in January 2024, offering handmade charm necklaces and an online experience that allowed customers to design their own pieces. Within six months, the company had crossed $1 million in sales without paid advertising. What began as a hobby alongside a corporate job soon became a full-time venture, fuelled by social media attention, personalised products and a growing customer base.

Beach-inspired jewellery idea became a million-dollar business

The idea for Coastal Caviar came to Bozigian in June 2023 while she was at the beach with her family. As reported by Entrepreneur, she was looking online for a charm necklace to wear on an upcoming holiday and struggled to find mainstream retailers offering the style she wanted. She eventually ordered a necklace from an Etsy seller, but the process involved screenshots, messages and several exchanges to finalise the design. The experience left her thinking there had to be a simpler way for customers to create jewellery they actually wanted. Rather than focusing only on selling necklaces, Bozigian imagined an interactive website where shoppers could select charms, arrange them and see their designs take shape in real time. This idea became the foundation of Coastal Caviar.

A business built around personalisation

The company launched in January 2024, with Bozigian initially making the necklaces herself. Entrepreneur reported that she began developing the business after purchasing a domain name and working on the website soon after the original idea came to her. Its online charm builder gave customers a more convenient way to personalise jewellery. Instead of exchanging messages with a seller to explain their preferences, shoppers could put together their own combinations. The beach-inspired designs also helped establish the brand's identity. Coastal Caviar offered charm necklaces and bracelets, with pieces reflecting the coastal aesthetic that Bozigian wanted to bring into the business. Her husband, Colt, continued working in software sales while helping her with the venture. Bozigian herself initially managed the company alongside her corporate job as an associate creative director at TJX Companies, working on the TJ Maxx brand.

How did social media change the business

The turning point arrived shortly after the business launched. Entrepreneur reported that Bozigian began a TikTok series in which she made charm necklaces for influencers. One of her videos featured a necklace created for Alix Earle, an influencer she admired. Earle noticed the video and asked Bozigian to send her the necklace. Bozigian and her husband filmed her reaction to receiving the message and shared it online. The reaction video attracted more than two million views, while Earle's own video featuring the necklace received over nine million views, according to Entrepreneur. The exposure quickly translated into orders. In its first month, Coastal Caviar recorded more than $100,000 in sales, with TikTok playing a major role in bringing customers to the business. CBS Boston's October 2024 report described how a necklace made by Bozigian appeared in a People Magazine article featuring Earle and Taylor Swift at a playoff game. That visibility helped bring in a surge of custom jewellery orders, with the business receiving as many as 300 orders in a single day.

From a living room operation to a growing brand

The sudden popularity presented a challenge for the couple. Bozigian was still making necklaces by hand, and the volume of orders quickly exceeded what she had anticipated. Entrepreneur reported that she had to work through nights to fulfil orders during the early days. Three months after the launch, the company moved to a manufacturer in Rhode Island, helping ease the pressure of producing every necklace herself. By then, the business had already reached a remarkable milestone. Within six months of launching, Coastal Caviar had generated $1 million in sales without spending money on paid advertising. The growth eventually allowed Bozigian to leave her corporate job. The company also began moving beyond online sales. Its Boston Seaport pop-up, called the Caviar Bar, offered customers the opportunity to create custom necklaces and other jewellery in person. CBS Boston reported that shoppers could also design bag charms, reflecting the company's efforts to extend its personalisation concept into new products.

A trademark dispute led to another unexpected chapter

The business encountered a significant setback when a trademark lawsuit forced it to change its name. According to Sent News, jewellery company Lagos, which was founded in 1977, held a federal trademark covering its caviar line and challenged Coastal Caviar's use of the word. The dispute arrived at an especially difficult moment. Bozigian and her husband had signed a 3-year lease for a new flagship store in Charleston, South Carolina, and the original brand name had already been printed on signs, bags and packaging. Sent News reported that the couple initially planned to fight the lawsuit but later realised they could not afford to take the case to trial. They announced the new name, Club Coastal, on April 19, while racing to replace the branding ahead of the store's opening. The rebranding became another major social media moment. Bozigian shared the uncertainty and preparations with followers, allowing them to watch the business navigate the situation.

The rebrand became a sales milestone

The name change did not slow the business down. Sent News reported that Club Coastal's TikTok following grew from around 80,000 to nearly 125,000 during the roughly six weeks surrounding the lawsuit and rebranding. It also reported a 114% increase in sales over that period.

Join conversation

Share your thoughts in the comments

Be respectful · TOI community guidelines

The Charleston store opening on April 25 provided a major payoff. Club Coastal recorded $30,000 in sales that day, its highest single-day figure at the time, according to Sent News. A charm necklace was sold approximately every 70 seconds during the opening.

End of Article