#Aim high academy rustic cuff full#

#Aim high academy rustic cuff full#

“The irony of Oprah was wearing a bracelet was a full circle moment for me,” Donovan said. Not just any Rustic Cuff, but one Donovan had sent to King. The woman on whose show Donovan had been so embarrassed, the one that effectively motivated her to launch Rustic Cuff, would now be wearing a piece of that jewelry. What she didn't anticipate was what happened next.Īfter sending King a collection of Rustic Cuff gifts, Donovan received a letter informing her Rustic Cuff would be appearing on the March 2015 cover of O, The Oprah Magazine - on Oprah's wrist. Donovan loves watching King on television and thought it would be great to see her wearing a Rustic Cuff product on TV. One person she sent a gift to was Gayle King, one of Oprah's best friends. Donovan would take the time to personalize each gift in the hopes it would strike a chord with whoever would be receiving the Rustic Cuff, and they would be proud to wear it. Without a marketing budget, Donovan began sending Rustic Cuff gifts to celebrities. “I really think it was because I wasn't focused and concentrating on sales,” Donovan said. She began selling the jewelry and hasn't looked back. Word got out about the handmade jewelry, and soon Donovan was meeting people she'd never met before interested in her products. What became Rustic Cuff was just a one-woman operation.īut demand for the product forced a change of plans. I never knew work could be something you get to do instead of something you have to do.”ĭonovan is an attorney and was a professor at the time. “I was never intending to be an entrepreneur,” Donovan said. Donovan didn't even intend to turn it into a business.

She didn't sell them at first, just did so for the love of the process. Working into the early hours of the morning, she crafted the jewelry as gifts for friends, family and loved ones. Donovan began crafting bracelets from a spare bedroom in her house. That inspiration led to the creation of Rustic Cuff jewelry. What happened on the Oprah show inspired me.” “After I was on the show, years passed and I decided I was going to move past the embarrassment. “What I thought was going to be a fun show turned out to be something embarrassing,” Donovan said. Devastated, Donovan turned the disappointment into motivation. But with the cameras rolling, Donovan faced harsh critiques from a panel of Oprah's etiquette experts who told Donovan what she did was rude and tacky. Donovan had submitted an application online when she noticed Oprah was seeking regifters to appear on the show, and expected to share some fun stories regarding her regifting practices. Jill Donovan had the opportunity of a lifetime when she was invited to appear on Oprah's show to talk about her practice of regifting. Oklahoma's own Rustic Cuff jewelry is worn by celebrities around the world, but it took a scolding on the Oprah Winfrey Show to make it all possible.