Investors Called Her Business A Hobby. She Built It To $100 Million

Published: Monday, June 9, 2025 at 2:43 pm

From Hobby to $100 Million: The Clear Cut's Unconventional Rise

Olivia Landau, a fourth-generation diamond expert, transformed a simple blog into a $100 million business, The Clear Cut. Initially conceived as a platform to educate friends and family about engagement rings, the blog unexpectedly attracted a wider audience, leading to custom design requests and a burgeoning online business.

Despite facing skepticism and rejection from investors, Landau and her now-husband and co-founder, Kyle Simon, persevered. They were told their business model was too niche, too personal, and not scalable. Investors pushed for generic content and viral gimmicks, but Landau prioritized understanding her customers' needs.

Undeterred by the lack of venture capital funding, the couple sought alternative financing. They secured $120,000 from a tech accelerator and $700,000 from angel investors and customers. This allowed them to maintain control and focus on personalized service, a key differentiator that fueled their growth. They intentionally handled every customer interaction and manually sourced each diamond, gaining firsthand experience of the industry's pain points.

The Clear Cut's approach proved successful. The company doubled its revenue annually for four years, and thrived during the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, The Clear Cut continues to expand, offering fine jewelry and leveraging its proprietary AI engine, Eunice, to predict trends and improve pricing transparency. The company recently achieved its strongest Q1 since 2022, despite industry-wide declines.

BNN's Perspective:

The Clear Cut's story is a testament to the power of understanding your customer and sticking to your vision, even when faced with doubt. While the traditional venture capital route can be appealing, Landau's experience highlights the potential for success through alternative funding and a focus on building a strong brand based on genuine customer relationships.

Keywords: The Clear Cut, Olivia Landau, diamond industry, engagement rings, entrepreneurship, startup, funding, venture capital, online business, custom jewelry, AI, Eunice, revenue growth, personalized service, business strategy, success story

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