A Side Gig That Helps to Heal
[image error]
Searching for catharsis after a recent health scare, Brandi Graham-Magaro finds peace – and extra money – selling customized jewelry.
About two years ago, the mom discovered an abnormal growth that her doctors later identified as a desmoid tumor. The diagnosis is rare – there are approximately 900 documented cases per year in the US – and the aggressive nature of the tumor can often require a combination of treatments. While debating with doctors as to when to begin the process, the tumor, miraculously began to shrink on its own.
“It was a really scary time,” she confesses. “I had become so overcome with what everybody else needed that I had lost sight of myself. Even though my number one goal is to be a good wife and mother, I am neither of those things if I am not taking care of me… So, I am in the process of reinventing myself.”
The medical scare was a wake up call, and Graham-Magaro realized she needed to start doing more for herself. Last fall, Graham-Magaro discovered Origami Owl, a direct sales company that offers a line of customizable charm necklaces called Living Lockets. “Jewelry is supposed to make you feel special. But when you see somebody else wearing the same thing, it takes some of that special feeling away. What makes these charms so great is that every piece tells a story that’s as different as the person who wears it.”
The self-described introvert has broken out of her comfort zone as an Origami Owl Independent Designer, helping a growing number of women throughout North Central Pennsylvania tell their story through jewelry. “It has exploded locally. Women are really excited about this product. This week alone, I have three parties,” she says.
[image error]While Origami Owl offers a generous commission plan (30-50% on all items) and Hoot Loot rewards on all purchases, life as an Origami Owl designer is not always a party. Currently, Brandi must foot the bill for hostess rewards and pay for party packs that start at $149 for a business basics pack and go up to $399 for the 10 person party pack. Plus, there is a heavy amount of planning — finding a host, sending out invitations, following-up with guests, setting up displays, and placing orders — that goes into pulling off a Jewelry Bar party that feels “relaxed and fun.”
The additional workload is quite a change for Brandi, her husband, Ryan, and their three kids, Enzo (5), Milla (3), and Aria (2). “We are in the process of discovering how this is going to work for my family,” says Graham-Magaro, who also finds time to work with developmentally challenged children as an early intervention specialist. “We both want to make sure it’s worth it for me to be doing this. He gets home at 4:30 and I leave at 5:30. He works all day and then comes home and has to take care of the kids all night.”
To make sure that her charming endeavor remains worth the sacrifices, Brandi has set a personal goal for this year. “I don’t just want to blow through the extra money I’m bringing in. I want to use it take Ryan on a wine tasting trip through Patagonia for our tenth anniversary,” she says. ”Hopefully in a few months, I’ll be making a down payment on the trip.”
As for her rare medical condition, doctors have Graham-Magaro on what she describes as a “wait and watch.” That she has been able to manage her condition without medicinal treatment may not be the direct result of her new side gig; It does, however, offer testament to the power of mind over matter.
