An Entrepreneurship Spotlight on Ava Dressendofer '28: Mi Ciélo Charm Bar

Ava Dressendofer is a current 1L law student at Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law.  Ava recently launched her business, Mi Ciélo Charm Bar, a charm-based jewelry company that has achieved a 90% profit margin. In this spotlight, Ava discusses what inspired Mi Ciélo Charm Bar, how she pivoted and innovated throughout her journey as entrepreneur and student, and how the law is an essential aspect of growing and protecting her business. 

Q: I was doing a bit of research and I saw that Mi Ciélo Charm Bar is inspired by your grandparents' immigration story! I would love to hear about how you came up with your brand and what inspired you to start.

A: I started my business about two and a half years ago while I was still an undergrad student. I always wanted to work in the boutique world. At first, my idea was to work at a boutique, but it grew into wanting to own my own business. I have always picked up crafty hobbies, so I branched out. I started with clothing, then pivoted. I’ve always loved waterproof jewelry, and jewelry is important in my family’s culture; I’m Italian, and when my grandmother, who’s from Argentina, became ill, I was inspired to rebrand and name my business after her. That’s where Mi Ciélo came from: it means “my everything, my sky,” a nickname my grandparents gave me. It honors my heritage while keeping the business trendy and adaptable. The idea for the Charm Bar came from seeing expensive but poor-quality charm necklaces at Jersey Shore shops. They were $80 pieces that tarnished within days. I thought, why not create customizable, waterproof charm jewelry that lasts, while also celebrating Argentinian and Italian heritage through unique charms? The model is flexible, always on-trend, and far more sustainable. Switching from clothing to jewelry transformed the business. Profit margins rose from 30–40% to around 80–90%. The logistics are easier, smaller inventory, simpler setups for pop-ups, and a more manageable product line. We launched the Charm Bar over a year ago, and it’s been thriving ever since.

Q: How has your vision for the business evolved since you first launched it?

A: When I first launched, I thought I could predict what would sell. I would buy products I thought were cute, expecting them to sell out, but I quickly realized customers dictate everything. Their preferences shape what you buy, the patterns, the designs. That forced me to grow and become more flexible. I also rebranded several times. My first logo had a pink-and-blue “coconut girl” aesthetic. Then I switched to a black, white, and gold “clean girl” look. But with so many charm bars out there, I needed something eye-catching. Since I’ve always loved pink, I moved to a bold pink-and-green design with palm trees and gold accents. It’s more marketable and psychologically appealing. On Instagram, a bright, fun profile picture stands out far more than plain black-and-white.

Another major shift has been using AI. It’s become a powerful tool for branding, campaigns, trend reports, and product descriptions. It saves me time, which is crucial, especially now that I’m in law school with even fewer hours in the day. I’ve also realized I can do about 80% of the things I used to pay others for like logos, branding, even some legal tasks. Early on, I lost a lot of money because I didn’t know better. At one point, I hit rock bottom and went into debt. My mom lent me $10,000, which I’ve since repaid. I also wasted money on things like trademarking colors and names I eventually changed, and I overspent on product that didn’t sell. My initial setup cost around $15,000, which was a huge risk for a college student preparing for law school.

But all of this taught me valuable lessons. Your business grows as you do. When you’re young, both you and your business will change. Your concept, your customers, your market. The biggest thing I’ve learned is how important flexibility is. My ability to adapt has shaped both me and my business.

Q: What have been some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced as an entrepreneur, and how have those experiences shaped you both personally and professionally?

A: When I started my entrepreneur journey, I made my own merchandise: sweat sets, sweatshirts, things like that. The problem was that profit margins in clothing are very tough. If a finished sweatshirt costs $25, after shipping and resale, I’d have to charge $80–$120 just to make money, which didn’t fit my goal of offering affordable, sustainable products for a younger market. On top of that, keeping track of sizes was difficult. I would run out of mediums while smalls piled up, and each shirt took about half an hour to make. Time is money, and it just wasn’t sustainable.

When I pivoted to jewelry, one of the biggest challenges has been continuing to believe in my product, even when I was operating in the negative. Between investing in pop-ups, managing logistics, and constant trial and error, burnout became a real struggle. I was balancing eight-hour school days and then working late into the night on my business. My mom and sister helped where they could, but ultimately, it was all on me. Still, there were many times I had to start from scratch. Entrepreneurship is really about throwing things at the wall and seeing what sticks. My grandparents would ask if I was sure this was worth it, and my mom would remind me to focus on school. And yet, in July, the business blew up, and I’ve been catching up ever since.

The hardest part has been simply staying in it - pushing forward when I wasn’t making money or when the pressure mounted. But every message from a happy customer makes it worth it. I’ve built a strong customer base. There will always be critics, but you can’t please everyone. If one person dislikes your product, there are thousands of others who love it. Learning to accept that has been huge for me both personally and professionally.

Q: How has the law played a role in running your business, such as contracts, intellectual property (like trademarking your brand name), or compliance? How have those experiences influenced your perspective on law and entrepreneurship?

A: When I first started, the legal side was one of the first things I addressed. I copyrighted my name early on, partly because my mom owned a dance studio and gave me some guidance. Still, many steps, like broader copyright and trademark protections, were expensive. Though I do plan on taking those steps and getting a trademark in the future, I had to skip some at the beginning. I made sure to get my seller’s permit in New Jersey and establish an LLC, which was essential for protecting myself personally in case of lawsuits. Contracts have also been a big part of running the business. I use them for pop-ups, bridal showers, and fundraisers, setting terms like deposits, cancellation fees, and payment schedules. Since I’m not an attorney yet, AI has actually been helpful for drafting and refining these documents.

I also learned some hard lessons with intellectual property and compliance. At one point, I worked with a manufacturer who claimed their bracelets were stainless steel. I marketed them as waterproof, but customers began complaining they tarnished. It turned into a nightmare. Over 100 of my customers felt misled. I gave countless refunds, often reusing the charms on new chains for free just to salvage trust. It cost me a lot, but I wanted to protect my reputation; one viral TikTok could have destroyed my business. What saved me legally was that the product descriptions, copied from the manufacturer, included a disclaimer noting potential tarnishing with water exposure. It wasn’t ideal, but it gave me some protection against potential lawsuits. That experience showed me how critical disclaimers and clear product descriptions are.

Now, I document everything. Influencer collaborations, for example, I can’t draft individual contracts for everyone, but I send standardized terms in a direct message, keep screenshots, and treat that as a binding agreement. The biggest takeaway has been this: protect yourself at every step and always get things in writing.

Q: How do you see your business making an impact on the jewelry industry, especially the younger generation? What role does that sense of impact play in driving your work?

A: I believe people shouldn’t have to pay outrageous prices for quality jewelry. I see companies buying pieces cheaply and reselling them at insane markups, especially targeting younger consumers. Everyone deserves to look good and feel good without spending an arm and a leg. Consumer culture has gotten absurd, and I never wanted to be part of that greed. My charms are affordable, around five dollars each. Yet, they’re high quality and built to last. I could easily price my products at $80 or more and people would buy them, but I don’t need a 400% profit margin when 90% is more than enough. I pay my rent, my bills, and put myself through school without overcharging my customers.

Long term, one of my biggest goals is to convert the business into a 501(c)(3) so I can give back, especially to immigrant communities, because that’s part of my story. I also want to create an inclusive brand. I remember the feeling of seeing someone with an expensive purse and feeling less-than because I couldn’t afford it. I never want my company to make people feel that way. It’s so much more meaningful knowing that even middle school girls can buy my products and wear them proudly.

Q: What do you envision for the future of Mi Ciélo Charm Bar?

A: I love the charm bar because it keeps people coming back. With the charm bar, customers can come back and just add charms to their pieces. I do charm drops and releases. It is so important to keep up with the market. You have to think “how can I get people to keep buying?”

Right now, I actually have a major event coming up. Fundraising is a huge part of what I do, and I’ve built partnerships with sororities, sports teams, and other campus groups, and the fundraisers typically perform really well. I first launched them at Seton Hall in New Jersey. Recently, I was contacted by a Panhellenic society at a college in Connecticut, and I had to decide: do I make the five-hour drive and invest in a hotel? But then I thought about  Seton Hall and how I made thousands of dollars in just two hours with a single sorority. So, when you scale that up to an entire Panhellenic community, the potential is incredible. At the end of the day, you have to take these kinds of risks. That’s how you grow, and that’s what’s next on my horizon. Hopefully, I will be able to retire from this in the future. At that point, I would hire people to run it for me while I earn passively.

Q: What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs who want to start their own ventures and who may also be in college or graduate school?

A: Hard work really does pay off. If you want something, you can achieve it. I get up every morning thinking about this, and I put in the time. Without that effort, you’re not going to see the reward. One of the biggest tools we have today is social media. Honestly, it’s the only reason I’m in a position where I can pay for school and cover my bills. It’s a free network of nearly eight billion people. Why wouldn’t you take advantage of that?

My advice is also to reinvest 1/3 of everything you make back into marketing. Marketing is absolutely essential for growth.

Additionally, use your resources! To manage the business better, I started working with the Villanova Undergraduate Business Center through an unpaid internship program. It's a valuable experience for the students and provides support for me, especially with social media. Having another set of eyes is invaluable, because it’s hard to know what the public wants on your own. Innovating is essential. I repurposed the tarnished inventory I had into affordable DIY charm kits, turning a mistake into a new product.

One final lesson: don’t let one negative person ruin your day. You need to believe in your product. I’ve hit rock bottom more than once, started from scratch multiple times, and carried debt that felt overwhelming. But if you look at the story of any major CEO or successful entrepreneur, there’s one thing they all have in common: they never stopped believing in what they were building. For me, my product is deeply personal. It's tied to my grandparents, my heritage, and my story. That meaning drives me, and I think that’s why I care about it so much.