Meet Bry Lorenzana | Founder and Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Bry Lorenzana and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Bry, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I’ve always known I would start my own business somehow. Since I was 8 years old I wanted to either be a chef with my own restaurant or become a designer with my own line. It was something I constantly talked about, brainstormed and planned out.

When deciding what college and major I wanted to pursue, I knew a business marketing degree would be extremely useful, even though a big part of me wanted to go to FIDM. When I was 18 I started working for a women’s boutique called Stitch and Feather where I learned the ins and outs of starting, running and growing a business. I worked my way up to becoming a buyer and when I was 24 started a little side hobby of making jewelry. To be honest I really just didn’t want to throw out the old jewelry I never wore, so I took apart my old pieces and made them into something that was more my current style. After I made a necklace that I was proud of, I shared it on my instagram asking if people would buy it. I got so many responses that I decided to make more and start selling them on Instagram and Etsy. The rest is history.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Gold Mindd is a combination of handmade jewelry and custom clothing. Everything I design are things I would wear myself. This helps me always stay true to my brand and only create things I’m proud of. I pride myself in designing pieces that are one-of-kind, making most items unique 1of1s. Quality is also very important to me. All the jewelry is gold filled and is meant to last you years. My love for vintage has inspired me to repurpose old clothing and add a little hint of Gold Mindd. I reverse dye bandanas and patch them onto quality vintage clothing, which means you definitely can’t get it anywhere else.

I’m most proud of the risks I’ve taken to get here, being my own boss and running a business. I would say my biggest risk was quitting my full-time job as a Buyer for a growing company that I loved. This was also a year into starting my new jewelry business, which used to be called Eternal Sunshine. In March of 2019, I took a year break to gain inspiration and travel all over SE Asia. At that point all my funds started to support my traveling dreams instead. When I got back to the US, financially, I had to start all over and rebuild my brand that I now call Gold Mindd. As you can imagine, I live on a very tight budget- which is why I started upcycling vintage where I create one off custom pieces. It was a way for me to utilize my small budget without having to sit on a lot of inventory. This also forced me to learn photography, editing, and design, so I didn’t have to hire anyone to do it for me.

As of now, the risk is not taking on a part-time job to help fund this journey. A part of me was scared of not having stability and living off income solely from Gold Mindd, but I’m somehow doing it and it blows my mind everyday. What comes out is only what I put into it, and I was/ am willing to put my all in. It’s not easy by any means but this lifestyle puts you in fight or flight mode and I’ve realized I’m quite the fighter. I work night and day to make sure I’m doing everything I can to keep this dream going.

You’ve got to play big to win big. Sometimes risk leads to failure, but it’s all about how you overcome those obstacles and the things you learn from your mistakes that matter. And I believe it helps you become wiser and make better decisions in the future.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I absolutely LOVE camping. There is nothing more peaceful than being surrounded by nature, taking in every moment and reflecting. So I would do a mini road trip. I would start with an early morning coffee and breakfast croissant from one of my favorite coffee shops, Portfolio Coffeehouse. Then start heading to Alabama Hills where there’s dispersed camping and all the funnest boulders to climb. We would have a night of cooking, singing and dancing by the campfire. The next morning we would pack up and head to Wild Willy Hot springs. Another great place with dispersed camping and a huge area of natural hot springs surrounded by mountains, wild cows, and usually great like-minded people. After another wonderful night of roasting hot dogs and marshmallows, we would head to June Lake. There’s this hidden spot with a rope swing to jump into the lake. It’s so fun and the water is so fresh, I could jump in a million times. After a nice swim, we would head to Ohanas 395 for the freshest poke, and of course grab a beer from June Lake Brewing next door. Camping is always a treat, but it’s nice to get cozy and clean in a cabin. We would stay one night in a cute Airbnb, play games and drink wine all night. The next day on our way back home, we would stop by all the local thrift stores and boutiques to find all the best hidden gems. The perfect 4 day adventure.

The next few days I would take them to all my favorite spots in Long Beach. We take a stroll down retro row, where you have the cutest local business and vintage clothing spots. My go-to food spots include: Dog Haus- the best loaded hot dogs and they even have vegan options, Cyclo noodles- my favorite spot for vietnamese food, and the Attic, great drinks and gourmet foods. I would end the trip with a sunset cruise on a duffy by the Marina, just a few steps away from my favorite brewery, Ballast Point.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I have such an amazing support system, between my boyfriend, family, and friends. So many people have impacted my success.

My boyfriend, Drew has been my rock and #1 supporter. He’s pushed me to do all the things I’ve ever wanted to do. When I started making jewelry, he encouraged me to start an instagram and sell to friends. He helped shoot all my jewelry, so it looked professional and like an actual brand. He bought me my first sewing machine and sent me tutorials on youtube and said “Babe, I totally think you can make things like this”. So I did it and loved it. He taught me how to use his camera and edit all my photos on lightroom and photoshop so I can shoot on my own. He’s gone above and beyond in so many ways to support my dreams. I’m truly so lucky.

My little Gold Mindd team, which is my best friend, Amanda, and my cousin, AJ. Both of them work once a week to help keep me sane. Amanda is pretty much the face of the brand, she models, she’s my sales girl, keeps me organized, and assists with anything I need. AJ is a creative genius. He helps me with graphic design, buying, and website details.

My family including my parents, brothers, uncles, aunts and cousins have been a huge support. Always hyping me up, supporting my website and pop ups, allowing me to borrow anything I need and all in all just reassuring me they’re always here for me when ever I need them.

My friends are also such a huge part of growth. They always try to make it to my pop ups, share my work on Instagram (and real life), they’re my models, my photographer, and all around make my life brighter.

I wouldn’t be where I am today without all the amazing people in my life.

Website: GoldMindd.com

Instagram: GoldMindd_

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bry-lorenzana-702342133/

Other: TIKTOK: GoldMindd_

Image Credits
Images of Me: Shot By Drew Perez All other Images: Shot by me, Bry Lorenzana