Jewelry

Coral Gables jewelry company focuses on female empowerment - Miami Herald

When Tiffany Dominguez would get asked the standard “What do you want to be when you grow up?” question, she knew she wanted to work with jewelry. “I have always been very hands on and have been making jewelry for myself since I was a little girl,” she said.

Though she ended up graduating from the University of Miami with a bachelor’s degree in business in 2006, it would be three more years before the Miami Beach resident’s own business would come about.

“After college, I began doing public relations, working with Univision for shows like ‘Despierta America,’” she said.

While at Univision, she began making basic pieces of jewelry and using them to style the talent, essentially promoting what would eventually become her brand.

Dominguez, who was born and raised in Miami, said she carries with her the entrepreneurial desire and instinct that was instilled in her by her Cuban parents, who came to the United States with nothing, and worked hard to achieve her goals.

“I knew I wanted to start my own business but the process to actually becoming one was slow,” said Dominguez, who recently married her high school sweetheart.

After her stint at Univision, Dominguez began doing public relations for different fashion brands, while also making dainty feminine pieces inside her apartment for family and friends.

“I was holding down a day job while following my passion during my spare time, which is a struggle many young entrepreneurs can relate to. But the support of my family and other women entrepreneurs who were able to turn their passion into a business kept me going,” Dominguez said.

In 2009, Dominguez decided to go for it and opened her online-only business with only one employee handling all the work: herself.

She named her new jewelry company T. Audrey, combining her name and that of her idol, Audrey Hepburn. The name evolved into Taudrey as fans began pronouncing it as one word. “I funded Taudrey with my money I had saved up, and for the first couple of years I was the only employee. After placing my jewelry in different local boutiques and working with bloggers, it finally became profitable enough that I was able to hire others. It’s crazy to think this July we celebrated seven years,” she added.

For one of her first pieces as a full-fledged company, Dominguez created the autograph nameplate. “I worked a lot with the stamping of jewelry during my earlier days, basically pressing metal stamps into metal plates, and wanted to create pieces that girls could personalize and make their own,” she said.

The customizable jewelry is something that to this day stands out with customers.

“My first Taudrey piece was a nameplate with the coordinates to where my fiancé and I got engaged. The fact that a piece of jewelry can go beyond being just an object and such special meaning is amazing. It’s why I keep coming back to the brand,” said Pinecrest resident Andrenella Dielingen, who has been a Taudrey customer since 2014.

From its inception, Dominguez always knew she wanted her business to be empowering.

“Encouragement from friends and family was so important for me when I was first starting off, I knew that’s something I wanted Taudrey to provide,” she said.

Her employees, the Taud Squad as they call themselves, are comprised of a group of seven women who help Dominguez further the brand. Everyone who works at Taudrey is female — including their brand ambassador, Dominguez’s pup, Zoey. “Although we just hired a male intern, women have always been drawn to our brand. It is important for us to empower them by providing them with a job,” Dominguez said.

In the spring of 2015, they opened a store in Coral Gables called The Jewelry Box, where they display all their ultra-customizable pieces, which are made in-house by Dominguez and her employees.

Dominguez said she wants little girls and young entrepreneurs alike to look at her story and know that they too can follow their passions and make it profitable.

Earlier this year, Dominguez’s childhood friend, Coral Gables native Danielle Telleria, joined Taudrey as creative and communications director. She helps promote Dominguez’s jewelry, which sells for less than $100 per piece.

“Taudrey has a huge social media following with over 20,000 followers on Instagram, and it’s important for us to use that to continue to inspire women,” Telleria said.

Taudrey now has partnerships with more than 100 young bloggers such as Olivia Rodriguez of Hello Olivia and Jenny Berger of Miami Style Mom. The collaborations help showcase their wearable pieces whilst providing exposure to the different blogs.

“I started working with Taudrey eight months ago and it was a natural fit,” said Berger, a Miami Beach resident who counts the Taudrey collar as among her favorite pieces. “I love what the company stands for and how subtle their pieces are.”