Ulster BOCES means different things to different people. For Brooke Michaels, Ulster BOCES was a way for her to share her passion and creativity with others and turn those talents into a successful business venture.
Michaels says it all began with her mother's craft projects fostering her interest in art and her father's role as a successful business owner influencing her to become an entrepreneur.
The Saugerties High School graduate says enrolling in the Ulster BOCES Fashion Design program wasn't initially part of her high school plan, but her mother thought the program would be perfect for her to find the career that best suited her artistic aptitude.
At the Career & Technical Center, Michaels perfected her sewing skills while learning about the design and construction of fabric, as well as how to make and use a pattern. She also gained valuable skills such as learning to use Apple computers and Photoshop, which are considered to be industry standards.
"It was the best decision of my life!" she says about her time spent at the Career & Technical Center.
Michaels credits Ulster BOCES with helping her to develop the professional skills and confidence she needed to pursue a career as a jewelry designer and business owner. She says her teacher provided work-readiness lessons by integrating core academics such as math and English into her trade curriculum. Students were also required to create an entrepreneurial business model, such as a boutique or retail business, which allowed her to further expand her knowledgebase.
Although Michaels had been making handcrafted goods for years, she didn't consider turning it into a business until she attended Buffalo State College. Her knit headbands became a hit with her sorority sisters in the cold Great Lakes region, and she began selling them for $15 each. "When I realized what I was doing, I created an Etsy shop (the Little Blueberryy), and began selling simple things like headbands and other items like earrings and hammered bracelets," Michaels says. Since the inception of her online store in 2013 she has already made 587 sales on the e-commerce website.
Her instruction at the Career & Technical Center, coupled with the experience of operating her own business, allowed her to graduate early from Buffalo State College with her Bachelor of Science in Fashion Merchandising and Textile Technology. She then pursued an Associate Degree in Advertising and Marketing Communication at the Fashion Institute of Technology once again graduating early.
Thanks to her education and work experience, including a job as a former salesperson with Michael Kors, and as a manager and personal dresser at a local high-end boutique, Michaels decided to follow her calling and immerse herself into growing her own business.
"Ever since I was young, for as long as I can remember, I wanted to work for myself," she says.
Little Blueberryy, which is currently a home-based studio, is growing rapidly and steadily. Her inventory now includes hand stamped bracelets, necklaces, earrings, crystal jewelry, and more.
Four months ago, locating to a brick and mortar storefront almost became a reality. "I had a pen in one hand and a lease in the other," Michaels says, but the deal fell through because, unbeknownst to the realtor, the space had already been rented.
She's not discouraged, though. "It was a blessing in disguise. I don't want to sit in a boutique all day, and that's what you have to do to be successful," she says. "When I am older I want to have a shop, but now I'm doing things like jumping on a plane to go to California to the MTV Movie and TV Awards."
And, she's not kidding. She recently attended the star-studded event and had the opportunity to showcase her pieces to the stars. In fact, Record Producer Randy Jackson and judges from "So You Think You Can Dance" are now owners of complimentary Little Blueberryy pieces they received at the event's gifting suites.
Today, the savvy 23-year-old has 11 boutiques that carry her products from areas as close as Saugerties, Red Hook, and Woodstock, and as far away as New Jersey. She's still accepting personal orders, placed via her website—littleblueberryy.com, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. She also uses pop-up-shops and trunk shows to reach different customers.
Philanthropy is something that is also important to Michaels and part of her business philosophy. She currently participates in Paws for a Cause and donates 25 percent of proceeds from selected bracelets to the ASPCA to stop animal cruelty.
Michaels says the life of a designer and business owner is unpredictable. "Some days I'm shipping, packing, and making labels. Other days I sit for eight hours a day hand stamping, and other days I'm in 10 boutiques. Some days are like 'Why didn't I make one sale?'" she says. "It's like a roller coaster ride you have to stay on, but at the end of the day, it's all good because I'm a woman entrepreneur."
