Cassy Saba is recognized by the media, celebrities and her colleagues in the jewelry industry for combining her passion for fashion design and marketing, while coming into her own as an innovative designer-artist and skilled craftsperson. She has been featured on a variety of talk shows including The Montel Williams Show: "Teen Millionaires in the Making" and in more than forty magazines (including WWD, Teen, ELLE, and ACCESSORIES). Saba has been honored as a semi-finalist for the Top Accessory Designer of the Year 2006 by FGI, as Guardian's Girls Going Places winner of 2007, and as the 2007 Young Entrepreneur by the National Foundation of International Business.

My name is Cassy Saba, and I’m a marketing major at Arizona State University. I established Cassy's Sassy Jewelry, LLC in 2003, which was an idea that basically came from a bead kit I got for my twelfth birthday. I started making pieces of jewelry out of these plastic and glass beads and when my mom wore one of the bracelets to work one day, she came home with a list of orders. That was so exciting and it encouraged me to start thinking seriously about designing and selling my own jewelry. Eventually, I was able to take my hobby and turn it into a business.

That’s not to say it happened overnight, though. After I was done using plastic beads, I moved on to designing necklaces and bracelets with semi-precious stones, crystals, and sterling silver findings. I learned quickly that if I was going to be successful, I’d need to start building a clientele.  I would have house parties for women who came and viewed my work and I would also go to local boutiques to try and get my name out there. 

One of the biggest lessons I learned during that time is that the worst people can say is “no.”  You might have one door close in your face, but then, maybe out of nowhere, another door will open. I never stopped knocking on doors. It’s true that opportunities arise much faster when you start becoming a representation of your business everywhere you go. Now, whenever I leave the house to go anywhere, I always wear one of my creations and carry business cards in my wallet.  

The fashion industry is really competitive and so it’s important to have design ability and a strong business sense as well.  My passion may be designing a good product, but I love marketing my designs as well. To me, entrepreneurship means having an independent business mind where you are creative and think of ways outside the box to make money. The key is learning to balance your creativity with a business sense to help you make money doing what you love.

I have been lucky with how much encouragement I receive from my clients. Many of them even carry my business cards with them so that when they receive a compliment on a piece they’re wearing, they can hand the person my card and tell them about my business! I’m so fortunate to have so many supporters, many of whom are business owners themselves.

Entrepreneurship runs in my family. My mom also has a business called Sincerely, Sandra, which has been operating in the east Valley for more than 28 years now. She’s been a really positive role model not only for me, but for women in the Valley as well. She started her business at a young age too, and she has definitely influenced my fashion and business interests.  

Cassy's Sassy Jewelry, LLC is currently doing very well in Arizona and I want to continue developing it while I finish my marketing degree at ASU.  Although it has been difficult managing my business and going to school simultaneously, I’m learning so much. I’m also learning a lot as a member of the design team at Oliver Smith Jeweler in Gainey Village, where I work part-time. Working on various collections and with fine jewelry in the store has really furthered my knowledge and experience.

My jewelry is sold in select stores nationwide and I have trunk shows often.  If people are interested in hosting a show, they receive a complimentary piece of jewelry. Also, if anybody is interested in attending a jewelry show or event they can contact me directly through my website.  My pieces are also available online at: http://cassysassyjewelry.com/index.html.

Submitted by Cassy Saba, undergraduate marketing major in the W.P. Carey School of Business.