FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Howard Schwartz
Phone: 818-884-8478
Email: howard@whitneyhowarddesigns
Whitney Howard Designs Celebrates 15-year Anniversary With
Sale of More Than 3 Million Blessing Rings
California Couple Continues to Touch Hearts, Pay it Forward With An Attitude of Gratitude
CANOGA PARK, CALIFORNIA – April …, 2018 – Whitney and Howard Schwartz launched their eco-friendly jewelry business out of a garage in 2003. Their first sale: six inspiring medallions called Blessing Rings. Now, 15 years later, Whitney Howard Designs has sold over 3 million Blessing Rings worldwide.
“Passing the 3-million mark in selling Blessing Rings is significant to us and significant globally,” says Howard, who quite his corporate job and liquidated his 401K to help start the business. “It means there are literally 3 million blessings in the world. If I give you a Blessing Ring, it’s a tangible reminder that you and I are connected to each other through that blessing. It’s a reminder for you to be in that healing place. And it’s something that stays with you forever.”
Blessing Rings are small, lead-free pewter charms engraved with words of encouragement and appreciation. Inspiring sentiments include “gratitude,” “love,” “equality” and “courage.” Others represent milestones (“retirement” and “graduation”) and personal or professional roles (“father,” “coach,” “teacher”). The original six Blessing Ring inscriptions has now grown to more than 70 – all in keeping with the company tagline: “Accessorizing Life’s Journey.”
The medallions have had such a widespread appeal because they’re not only inspiring but also universal and neutral, Howard says: “They’re nongender specific, and regardless of age, gender or social status, every person has milestones as well as ups and downs. We all need blessings.”
Designed by Whitney, the quarter-size tokens are forged with a hole so people have the option of keeping them in their pockets or attaching them to a key loop, necklace or bracelet. The simple design was inspired by wealthy customers from Whitney’s previous jewelry business in the luxury community of Calabasas, California. “I learned that my customers were craving – with all their diamonds – something spiritual that they could have with them day after day. So, I created Blessing Rings and made the design versatile.”
Each Blessing Ring costs $4, but the actual retail sale per customer is usually higher because people often buy several tokens at a time.
“If you have a friend going through a challenging time, you might nest these Blessing Rings on a key loop: ‘Friendship,’ ‘Comfort,’ ‘Brave,’ ‘Protect,’ ‘Happiness,’” Whitney says. “Or maybe you’re looking to gift a graduate with Blessing Rings, so, on a key loop, necklace or bracelet, you’d have: ‘Graduation,’ ‘Journey,’ ‘Destiny,’ ‘Follow Your Heart,’ ‘Dream,’ ‘Success,’ ‘Carpe Diem,’ ‘New Beginnings.’”
The couple sells Blessing Rings, along with their other collections of rings, necklaces and bracelets, at their storefront “The Shop” (in the Canoga, California, arts district), on the Whitney Howard Designs website, on Amazon and through 2,000 retailers in the United States (in all 50 states), Australia, New Zealand and Puerto Rico. Blessing Rings are also sold at trade shows and art events that they attend, including the One of A Kind Show + Sale Chicago.
Blessing Rings make lasting impressions
Despite the popularity of Blessing Rings, including being worn by celebrities and featured in the first film shown on Oprah Winfrey’s OWN network, many people don’t know that Whitney Howard Designs created the tokens. The company name isn’t inscribed on them, and often people receive them as gifts, so the origin isn’t clear.
The people who do know where Blessing Rings come from aren’t shy in sharing their connection to the charms. When they meet Whitney and Howard, it’s not uncommon for them to show them their worn Blessing Rings with faded lettering and share stories of how they’ve kept them for years, like a talisman. Customers often cry as they express how much the jewelry has meant to them, Whitney says.
“It’s amazing that something really small is so meaningful and profound to someone,” she says. “We hug a lot with our customers. There are so many words, quotes and symbols in our collections that relate to so many people. Hearing how much our jewelry has touched people confirms for Howard and I that we are doing what we love.”
Paying it forward with an attitude of gratitude
And they want to pass on that love. So, the couple, who’ve been married 19 years and have three children, pay it forward. They make it a part of their everyday business life to actually teach people to appreciate others.
They do that by giving customers a Gratitude Blessing Ring to keep for themselves and several more to pass on to others. The gesture extends to every person who subscribes[DD1] to the Whitney Howard Designs newsletter through their website. Each subscriber is mailed a Gratitude Blessing Ring for themselves, along with a small pouch of Gratitude Blessing Rings to give others and a card with instructions on how to do that, mindfully.
“They may come across someone they want to appreciate – someone who opened a door for them or a family member they want to thank,” Howard says. “We really believe that – now more than ever – we need to come from a place of gratitude as a principle for how we share with each other. Regardless of what our sex, race or religion, having gratitude for just being alive today is something we can all relate to. By us giving people Blessing Rings that they keep for themselves, we’re showing our appreciation. By giving people extra Blessing Rings for others, we’re empowering them to express gratitude into the world, which creates a better world for us all.”
Whitney Howard Designs creates meaningful jewelry and accessories that connect people to what is important to them through life’s journey. Manufactured in southern California, every piece of jewelry is made using only recycled, repurposed and organic materials.
In addition to Blessing Rings, Whitney Howard Designs creates and sells an extensive inventory of jewelry and accessories including: Acai Seeds of Life bracelets, Quotable Cuffs, “I Am” Puzzle Pieces, InspireRings, Promise Rings, Wax Seals, Journey Keys, Remember Rocks, Peace Leaf and Hearts of Gold necklaces, Toggles by WHD, In Loving Memory charms, I Heart Pets charms, ornaments and Dude collection jewelry.
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