Not many would stroll away from a high-flying profession, incomes six figures a 12 months. However Sheaufen Tay and Sharlyn Koh selected to take that leap.
As soon as colleagues at KPMG, the duo determined to forge their very own path, breaking into the jewelry business. It’s a crowded house the place success is way from assured, however the danger has clearly paid off.
Their model, Mondays Made, which specialises in demi-fine jewelry, now has two shops in Singapore—simply lower than two years after its launch. The corporate can also be on monitor to attain multi-million-dollar gross sales this 12 months.
We spoke with Sheaufen and Sharlyn to uncover how they constructed the model from the bottom up and scaled it right into a rising presence within the jewelry market.
How it began
The thought for Mondays Made first took root in 2020, when Sheaufen started serving to her sister run a modest Fb Stay enterprise in the course of the COVID-19 lockdowns.
The enterprise offered pure gemstone jewelry, and what began as an off-the-cuff aspect challenge shortly gained traction. Inside a number of months, gross sales jumped from simply S$3,000 to S$20,000 per livestream—largely pushed by a loyal following who tuned in frequently. Lots of their items would promote out inside minutes.
As they continued to construct a stronger rapport with their viewers, Sheaufen and her sister started designing their very own items, marking a turning level for the enterprise.
That’s when issues actually “picked up,” and inside a 12 months, the duo claimed to have scaled the home-based enterprise right into a S$5 million operation.
However Sheaufen wasn’t happy.
Over time, she realised there was potential to construct one thing extra lasting—one thing brand-driven, not simply sales-led. “Switching to a brand-led mannequin [would give me] extra inventive freedom. [I] might take the time to craft designs [I] liked and that meant one thing, as a substitute of at all times desirous about what would promote quick throughout a reside,” she shared.
With greater ambitions in thoughts, Sheaufen envisioned making a model with international attain, and to convey this imaginative and prescient to life, she teamed up with Sharlyn to launch Mondays Made.
One 12 months of R&D & a S$300K funding
From the beginning, Sheaufen and Sharlyn had a transparent imaginative and prescient: the duo didn’t need to simply construct a neighborhood model; as a substitute, they wished to construct one thing that might someday go international.
“That meant we have been extremely intentional about each element, from the standard of our gems and supplies to our merchandise, packaging, and the web site expertise.”
All of Mondays Made’s designs are created in-house by the duo, with a powerful emphasis on wearability, craftsmanship, and storytelling via design. Additionally they developed proprietary bracelet designs with totally adjustable mechanisms, permitting prospects to get the proper match with out compromising on fashion.
However delivering that degree of high quality and considerate design got here at a value. Simply to get the model off the bottom, Sheaufen and Sharlyn claimed to have invested round S$300,000 of their very own financial savings.
An enormous a part of that funding went into sampling—they labored with quite a few suppliers to check totally different supplies, finishes, and packaging choices, typically going via a number of rounds of revisions to get each element excellent.
“It wasn’t the quickest or least expensive route,” stated Sheaufen, “however we knew we needed to get the inspiration proper if we wished to construct one thing significant and long-lasting.”
A few of this groundwork was carried out whereas the duo have been nonetheless working at KPMG. Ultimately, although, each left their company careers and devoted 9 months to engaged on the model full-time.
In complete, it took simply over a 12 months from the preliminary thought to the official launch of Mondays Made in February 2024.
“The primary few months have been quiet”
When Mondays Made first began out, the duo famous that though there have been already a lot of manufacturers excelling at minimal and dainty jewelry types, not many targeted on pure gems and unique designs—an edge that set them aside.
That area of interest gave them a aggressive benefit, however constructing model consciousness was a unique story.
“As a totally new model, it was robust getting folks to note us,” Sheaufen recalled. “The primary few months have been quiet, and that was truthfully fairly arduous.”
Furthermore, most of their funds had been invested in product improvement and model constructing forward of launch, leaving little room for outsourced advertising and marketing. With restricted assets, they made the choice to study digital advertising and marketing from scratch.
“We needed to [learn how to] run advertisements ourselves. We spent tons of of hours watching tutorials, testing campaigns, and tweaking creatives.”
It took time, however ultimately, issues started to click on. The model’s advertisements began reaching the best viewers, and gross sales started to select up.
And it wasn’t lengthy earlier than it caught the eye of Frasers Property, who approached Mondays Made with a possibility to do a pop-up at The Centrepoint. After a number of discussions, the model was provided a kiosk unit in a primary location throughout the mall.
“They have been trying to herald contemporary, youthful manufacturers to revitalise the house, and we have been excited by the chance,” stated Sheaufen.
On the similar time, the staff had been receiving day by day messages from prospects asking if there was a bodily retailer—so when the supply got here, the choice felt like a pure subsequent step. They dedicated to the house, and in lower than six months for the reason that model’s inception, Mondays Made launched its first bodily outlet.
Constructing a worldwide model
General, Sheaufen and Sharlyn’s expertise operating the primary retailer has been overwhelmingly constructive—a lot in order that it paved the best way for the opening of a second outlet at VivoCity not too long ago on July 26.
However the duo isn’t stopping there. Over the previous 12 months, Sheaufen and Sharlyn have quickly scaled the enterprise and begun laying the groundwork for worldwide growth.
“Certainly one of our key milestones was a collaboration with US-based influencer Miki Rai in Could 2025,” Sheaufen shared. “The response far exceeded our expectations—the gathering offered out inside 10 minutes of launch, and we needed to open a big pre-order virtually instantly to maintain up with demand.”
Right this moment, worldwide gross sales account for practically 50% of Mondays Made’s month-to-month income, according to Sheaufen and Sharlyn’s objectives of building the model as a worldwide identify in jewelry.
Whereas Singapore has seen some trend and accent manufacturers make it internationally, we haven’t but seen a neighborhood jewelry model break via on that scale—and we hope to be the primary.
- Discover out extra about Mondays Made right here.
- Learn different articles we’ve written on Singaporean startups right here.
Featured Picture Credit score: Mondays Made
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