Meet Cori Miller

We were lucky to catch up with Cori Miller recently and have shared our conversation below.

Cori , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today So, let’s imagine that you were advising someone who wanted to start something similar to you and they asked you what you would do differently in the startup-process knowing what you know now. How would you respond?

I would work backwards from the retail price I am looking to ask, and design and create the pieces from that perspective. Margins and markups are one of the biggest challenges for a designer selling DTC and wholesaling, as its almost impossible to remain consistent but if online, it’s essential for the retailers. I didn’t ask enough questions to manufacturers about pricing and ended up with exquisite pieces that are just too expensive, especially in a wholesale setting. Had I sought out alternatives to maintain the design keeping material costs in check, I would have been selling more product with better margins, much sooner.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Im an emerging fine jewelry designer with roots in the NYC metro area and South Florida. I recently made my exhibit debut at JCK Luxury, an international trade show in Las Vegas.

JCK provided incredible exposure, press, and brand recognition, validating my transition from e-commerce and direct-to-consumer sales to wholesale in specialty luxury boutiques and now, jewelry stores

My brand, Corielle, was founded to address a gap I noticed in the market for unique yet classic jewelry. Many signs point to a trend in the industry shifting from Marquee brands toward independent designers. Corielle offers timeless, heirloom- worthy pieces with a gentle nod to the Deco era that are versatile enough for everyday wear while also making a statement. We prioritize meticulous craftsmanship, selectively sourcing stones and materials, while maintaining a focus on sustainability.

Every piece is one of a kind and customizable to meet the client or retailers desires and budget. I started with vintage jewelry restyling and creating new pieces and embellished gifts. I still love to help people take heirloom or outdated pieces and turn them into new meaningful pieces that they will enjoy rather than sit in a safe. This is especially popular with the current price of gold skyrocketing and one of the coolest ways to recycle! We can often make more than one piece from an existing like I did for my daughters using my grandmother’s brooch.

We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.

I have always had at least one side hustle. I am equally parts left/right brain dominant, and my long-time career in oncology allowed zero creativity. So I always dabbled in craft oriented businesses that were more for fun than profit. I pivoted from vintage costume jewels to fine when I sought to create and recreate pieces for me and my circle. Having grown up with an uncle who was a jeweler I had designed my own pieces since childhood but was not involved in the process beyond the initial sketch. I made a lot of smaller pieces before designing my first “Lauren ” pendant which is now one of the brand’s hallmarks. I selected the stones and modified the design from the CAD to setting to completion. The design has evolved over the years, and now its a trademarked key piece of my collection. That piece was the showstopper that got buzz going, and people began asking me to create different versions for them. I was at a turning point in my two decade oncology career after my own cancer battle followed immediately by COVID which resulted in my transition out of pharma. I got my real estate license in 3 states and continued the jewelry side gig. The turning point was when I decided to expand to a 12 piece collection and launched an e-commerce site and began to do events. Eventually I worked up the confidence to pitch to stores to carry my line. I am now doing all of those things, with a focus on growing my wholesale presence in more and larger retail settings.

How’d you think through whether to sell directly on your own site or through a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc.

My original site was “custom built ” and took a lot of time and capital. It was essentially obsolete by the time it was complete which was a really tough lesson. I rebuilt on the Shopify platform and I’m loving how you can integrate so many other sales channels, social media platforms, and backend operations with relative ease.