Klassey Accessories is a woman-owned small business that sells high-end jewelry, including necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and rings. Mary Esclovon founded it in November 2019 in Beaumont, Texas.
Mary started Klassey Accessories for personal reasons. After a divorce, she became a single parent and needed extra income to support her family. Her mother’s Social Security benefits didn’t cover all her expenses, so Mary knew she had to find a way to take care of her children and her aging mother.
Mary was inspired to sell jewelry from her own experiences. She often shopped on Wish.com for affordable items like dollar earrings, which helped her accessorize on a tight budget. Seeing the potential to buy and resell these items for a profit, she revisited this idea when she needed extra money.
To gain a better understanding of her business finances, Mary attended the Governor’s Small Business Summit in Beaumont on October 5, 2023. At the summit, she met the Entrepreneurship Team from Communities Unlimited (CU) and connected with Management Consultant Trent Thomason. Beaumont, located in Jefferson County, falls within the service area of the T.L.L. Temple Foundation.
Mary and Trent started working together back in December, focusing first on setting up an accounting system to clarify her business finances. This helped identify ways to boost profits and cut costs. CU Area Director Brian Wells joined a session to help with challenging bookkeeping issues.
Once Mary had a clear understanding of her business finances, she shifted her focus to improving her overall business strategy and marketing. They also improved business systems, including shipping and customer order fulfillment.
These improvements helped Mary generate enough revenue to take owner’s draws, which she used to pay off several credit cards—a major milestone. By July 2024, Mary had already surpassed her total sales from the previous year and now is on track to triple her 2023 revenue.
“Trent was a legend,” Mary said. “Before him, I didn’t understand money. I knew how to sell; I could sell anything. But organizing money, making it work for me, and seeing tangible results in my bank account were foreign concepts.”
"Trent changed that. Now, there's actual money in the accounts. I pay myself for my work and see the company in a better financial position. As the only employee and owner, I can now see myself getting paid while still having money left in the company accounts. The company is no longer broke.”
Despite the challenges of balancing two jobs, Mary’s customer base continues to expand. She notes that many women like her start businesses while working a nine-to-five job, which often leads to significant income gaps compared to those who can focus solely on their businesses. Her nine-to-five job is as a Logistics Coordinator. However, Trent’s guidance has been crucial in helping her escape the ‘hamster wheel’ of buying and selling, putting her on a path to financial stability.
“I appreciate Communities Unlimited so much,” Mary said.
“It's not just about the financial help, but also the marketing, strategic planning, guidance, and resources they've provided. I'm part of a demographic of women who struggle financially, and the impact of this support has been life changing.”
Trent described working with Mary as fantastic. He praised her positive attitude and courage in facing new challenges while quickly applying what she learned, making significant progress in a short time.
“Mary also does everything with a smile, something I’m sure her customers greatly appreciate,” Trent said. “To me, if there was a “Best Smile” award, Mary would win it. She even jokes about how much she smiles. She is genuinely very pleasant, and I would consider her smile and good mood to be her calling card.”
