Let it Beead: A Business With Pizzazz

By Carley Banks

One Texas Tech student found the perfect escape from her stressful schoolwork last year: making jewelry.

Kathryn “Kate” Latham, a junior marketing major from Midland, Texas, started making school-spirited jewelry as a fun hobby, so she could have cute necklaces for football games.

But when friends started to notice her handmade necklaces, Latham said, she decided to start selling them. She gave her company a very fitting name: Let it Beead.

In a little over a year, Latham has sold more than 600 “Let it Beead” necklaces through her website, trunk shows, Etsy, and different stores in Texas, Oklahoma and Florida.

Amanda Brown, Latham’s best friend, said Latham has gotten the opportunity to learn everything about what goes into a business.

The junior public relations major from Dallas said Latham manages all of the marketing, budgets and social media. She even built her own website.

“Her website is amazing,” Brown said. “You can see her story, new necklaces that she has made, and pictures of girls wearing her jewelry. When she goes into job interviews and explains what she has done with Let it Beead, I know they will be impressed.”

The company’s slogan is “jewelry made by a college girl for college girls,” which Brown said is one of her favorite things about Latham’s business.

“She is living proof that anyone can be successful if they just put in the time and effort,” Brown said.

Not only has Latham sold a lot of necklaces, but she has used her profits to give back.

“I have had so many great opportunities because of Let it Beead,” Latham said. “I’ve been able to donate necklaces to multiple causes, ranging from cancer research benefits to sorority auctions.”

November is pancreatic cancer awareness month, and Latham will honor her father, who died from the disease, by donating 10 percent of every necklace bought to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network.

Mason Sieling, a junior management information systems major from Austin, Texas, said her whole friend group bought necklaces to support Latham and help contribute to her donations.

“I encourage everyone to purchase something this month,” Sieling said. “She will be donating an amount of the profit to an amazing cause.”