Danielle Meyer. Image Credit: Spicey Dan/Entrepreneur
It is targeting $2.5 million in sales in 2026. As reported on Entrepreneur’s profile, she continued making accessories as an adult, even while pursuing a career in the corporate world. Danielle Meyer has turned a childhood passion for making colourful accessories into a growing jewellery brand named Spicy Dan. What began as a creative outlet gradually developed into a brand known for bold beads, distinctive charms and carabiner clasps. A viral social media moment helped Meyer reach customers beyond her personal circle. But building a sustainable business requires more than just online attention. Her journey offers a closer look at how persistence, rejection and taking risks shaped her success. Meyer’s interest in jewellery began in childhood, when her mother took her to bead shops. After working in technology sales and venture capital, she joined American Express, where she managed a programme focused on startup strategy.
She launched Spicy Dan in 2023, but sales initially remained modest. In 2024, influencer Hannah Chody wore one of Meyer’s necklaces in a video discussing Sweetgreen. The brand went from selling roughly two necklaces a month to receiving 40 orders within 24 hours, according to Entrepreneur. In an April 2026 interview published by Kyle Cavan Jewelry, she discussed how Austin, Texas, shaped her creative outlook. Entrepreneur reported that Spicy Dan had generated around $2,000 in a good month before the influencer exposure. Revenue reached $9,000 in the month of Chody’s initial post, then climbed to $22,000 the following month and $55,000 in the month after that. A later collaboration with Chody generated more than $100,000 during the holiday sales period. By late 2024, Meyer had left her position at American Express to concentrate on Spicy Dan full-time. Reportedly, Spicy Dan has since grown to 3 full-time in-house employees, alongside Melinda’s team of around 6 makers. The company is targeting more than $2.5 million in sales in 2026, according to Entrepreneur.
Because feedback is essential to improving them, meyer’s approach also reflects a lesson she shared with Entrepreneur: ‘products do not need to be perfect before they reach customers,. The interview also reported a difficult period after her rejection from venture capital firm M13. Kyle Cavan Jewelry reported that her breakthrough with Chody followed roughly three months later. Entrepreneur reported that Meyer eventually partnered with a nearby jewellery assembly business run by Melinda, allowing her to increase production while maintaining a local, handmade approach. Entrepreneur reported partnerships with clothing brand Parke and sleepwear and clothing brand Cozyland, the latter involving a pyjama set and two necklaces.
Jewellery remained a personal interest instead of an obvious career choice. During a period of unemployment in the pandemic, Meyer began making more pieces, sourcing beads online and selling jewellery and do-it-yourself kits to friends. Requests for personalised gifts gradually expanded her customer base, encouraging her to source vintage hardware, old stock chains and different kinds of pearls. Reportedly she had spent around a year and a half selling at farmers markets and pop-up events before a social media breakthrough changed the business’s direction. Meyer had contacted Chody after seeing her ask for recommendations for fun spring and summer jewellery. When viewers began asking about the necklace, interest quickly translated into orders. Image Credit: Kyle Cavan The brand’s development was also affected by experiences that encouraged Meyer to rethink her professional goals. Her university years and an internship experience in the city helped her appreciate its relaxed style, which later influenced the jewellery she designed. Meyer had reached the final round for a role she thought was a major opportunity, but the disappointment made her reconsider where she was directing her energy. Instead of concentrating on finding another job, she began putting more effort into Spicy Dan. The increase in demand brought a clear financial shift. That income gave Meyer more resources to expand operations while keeping the business self-funded. Rapid sales growth created practical challenges. Initially, Meyer recruited women through Facebook Marketplace to help assemble jewellery at her New York City apartment while she continued her corporate job. The arrangement helped meet demand, but working around a kitchen table was not a lasting solution. The arrangement also gave the company access to a small team of women who make its products. Managing orders proved equally demanding. After a particularly busy holiday period, Meyer became ill while still handling packing, customer emails and other daily tasks. Delays and complaints made it clear that she could not continue doing everything herself. The business experimented with an outside fulfilment provider before bringing that work back in-house. That decision reflected the importance Meyer placed on the personal service and customisation that distinguish the brand. Spicy Dan’s expansion strategy includes collaborations and a broader range of designs. Meyer also plans to develop the product range beyond the chunky beads and signature carabiner clasps that helped establish the brand. Smaller gemstone-encrusted carabiners, additional chain options and other jewellery categories, including earrings and bracelets, are among the areas she wants to explore. Reaching it will depend on the brand’s ability to meet demand without losing the qualities that attracted customers in the first place. You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.
She contacted influencers, retailers, manufacturers and potential partners, exploring opportunities she had previously lacked the confidence to pursue. In the Kyle Cavan Jewelry interview, Meyer reflected that her skills from earlier jobs including managing workloads, communicating with people and analysing information helped her in this venture.
