Hi, I’m Michele Baratta …Welcome to Bella Branch. 18 years ago I designed my first photo necklace to hold a photo of our new baby girl, Lily. Fast forward 18 years…Lily now has a brother, Tristan, who is And life is crazier than ever and constantly changing. I wanted to make this short video to tell you about my path… where I’ve been and where I am going. Nothing fancy, just a video in my backyard. I started designing jewelry more than 25 years ago… I was 21… still in college…and I had just met my future hubby Andy, the love of my life and my partner in crime! I spent 15 years selling my jewelry to department stores like Nordstrom and Niemen Marcus, catalogs like Sundance, JJill and Coldwater Creek, and thousands of boutiques around the country.

I’ve been invited to show my jewelry at the Country Music Awards, Grammys, Oscars, Emmys… and be included in those ever-so coveted gift Bags! My jewelry’s been in magazines like People, Womans World, and In Touch and on TV shows, like Friends, 90210, and the View. At the same time we also had a very successful hip Gift boutique called “The Crooked house” that I filled with beautiful and uncommon gifts and clothing, and accessories from talented designers and artists. I loved being a buyer for the store! I was the luckiest person to work when I wanted and be with my kids whenever I wanted. My daughter Lily would run around the store rearranging everything. And my design studio was in the back of the store. Lily even had her own section in the studio.

In 2005 I changed my business model to Direct Selling because so many of my friends would always say how lucky I was to be at home with my kids and work when I wanted. They kept asking if they could sell my jewelry from the back of their car…no joke! So we cracked the door to Direct selling through home parties very quietly, without any advertising, only word of mouth…well...we had just opened Pandora ’s Box! The business was incredible. Women were excited because they could have their own business and be with their kids. Just like me! The jewelry sold itself and it was made right here in the US, so they LOVED that it was so handcrafted and handmade in America… Fast forward to 2012…Lily is now 18 and off to college in the Fall. She’s off to follow her dreams and take on the world. And her brother Tristan is not far behind.

I don’t know where time has gone… It’s just flying by! Maybe the thought of my baby girl going off into the world has shed a light as to what is really important to me… SO, one day about 8 months ago a light bulb went off…. I thought to myself…… I have not been doing what I REALLY LOVE TO DO. I’m missing what I originally loved about my life… being with my kids and designing whenever I wanted. For the past 7 years I’ve spent the majority of my time on the business side and only designing for “1” annual catalog a year. It has been very stifling for me. I used to be able to walk into my studio and create something… Now I had to push numbers, write handbooks and wait a year to design… I had to find a way to get back to what I loved to do which is being an artist, designing, and being with my family. I have one life…That’s why we came up with Bella Branch…

It allows me to design something cool in the morning and put it on the website in the afternoon… I don’t have to wait to show anyone until next year’s catalog. I can design a funky necklace or a beautiful vintage style belt and see what everyone thinks, or design an inspirational poster…whatever I want…and I can carry other artist things too. Things that I love! And on the new website people can write reviews, comment and share their stories. Over the years I’ve heard some amazing stories of how people used my jewelry to inspire, motivate or heal…. That just makes me inspired to share…. With Bella Branch women can still sell my jewelry and other cool stuff… Just like they’ve loved to do for the last 7 years…. AND, they get their very own Bella Branch website. Hence the word “Branch” Beautiful Branch. – Those that choose to share our jewelry are like branches on an ever growing tree…

But “shhh” they don’t have to have parties… You can share it on Facebook and other social websites…. I hope you love the new Bella Branch website! We spent a LOT of time making it just perfect! I hope you can appreciate my passion to “DO what I want to do” AND, I encourage you to do the same with your life. Hopefully we can do it together! So, join me in making a difference in our lives and those we touch. AND…. Thank you for letting me share my story… I hope you all follow your dreams… Michele