Member Since 2013
Vanessa Nornberg
Metal Mafia
New York City Area
Vanessa Nornberg got her start in accessories at the tender age of 11, by amassing the most notorious collection of chandelier earrings in the whole 5th grade. At age 18, her love of fashion drew her to New York City, where she received her Bachelor's and Master's degrees from New York University in Romance Languages and European Studies. While living abroad in France, Vanessa worked in communications and business development. She returned to the United States and to her roots in the jewelry world, and in 2004, opened Metal Mafia, a wholesale body piercing and costume jewelry company. Now one of the top body jewelry suppliers in the US tattoo and piercing industry, Metal Mafia sells to 5000+ independent specialty shops and large retail chains in 23 different countries. Vanessa believes the company’ s incredible growth stems from its commitment to doing business in an ethically and morally correct manner. Metal Mafia was named to the Inc 500 list of America’ s fastest growing privately owned companies in 2009. Vanessa is often asked to speak to high school and college students from across the country about her experience as an entrepreneur and loves helping to spread to the word that everyone is capable of writing their own dream job description.
RECENT CONTENT
May 16th, 2022
12 Secrets to Finding Fulfillment as an Entrepreneur
Members of Young Entrepreneur Council share their insights on what it takes to stay happy as a business owner.
May 13th, 2022
Seven Steps To Turn Your Business Idea Into A Reality
There are many people out there with dreams of entrepreneurship. They likely have several business ideas, and they may even be able to develop clear visions for what those businesses will eventually look like. However, when it comes to turning those ideas into reality, they’re not sure where to begin or what steps to take to get there.
April 27th, 2022
11 Ways To Ensure You're Always Bringing Value To Your Customers
With so many competing companies in today's marketplace, customers have countless options when it comes to patronizing a business. To influence their decision-making, customers look for companies that they believe will add value to their lives.
March 21st, 2022
Need to Cut Down Your Budget? 10 Ways to Start
When you need to cut costs in your business, it's difficult to know where to begin, especially if you have employees who rely on your business's success. However, there are a few good ways to get started on getting your business finances back on track.
March 18th, 2022
Want Deeper Client Relationships? Try These Top Strategies
The relationship between you and your clients shouldn’t be solely focused on business transactions. Deeper client relationships start with a willingness to get to know your customers on a personal level rather than as a number on your invoice.
March 17th, 2022
Eight Books To Help You Feel Empowered As A Female Entrepreneur
Equality in work and business is something that women have been striving toward for many years. While great strides have been made in recent years, women still have to work hard in most situations to find themselves on equal footing with their male counterparts.
June 16th, 2020
Nine Strategic Ways To Handle A Company Crisis Calmly And Competently
Leading a business can be like a roller coaster: There will always be ups and downs. No matter how smoothly things run most of the time, the occasional problem is inevitable, and when one pops up, your team will turn to you for guidance.
June 1st, 2020
[LONG-FORM EMAILED TO KELSEY] Running an Online Side Hustle From Home? 8 Tips for Achieving Balance
If you’re a driven entrepreneur who also wants to make time for family, a home-based online side hustle may seem like a great idea. While this type of work offers more flexibility than a side business you have to run on-location, being at home doesn’t mean it’s easy to find balance.
April 13th, 2020
Here's How To Listen To Your Customers And Give Them What They Want
Today’s consumers demand transparency and honesty in brands they buy from. They expect their voices to be heard, which means attracting and retaining customers is all about listening to your audience. It’s important to consider the interests of your consumers and, more importantly, implement their feedback into your products or business model. To help you do this, we asked a panel of Young Entrepreneur Council members for their best advice on how to truly listen to your customers. Their best responses are below.
COMPANY INFO
Metal Mafia
Ethics matters--in life and in business. Metal Mafia trades on that principle. In the era of cutthroat and carelessness, we choose commitment and accountability. No excuses. No slack. No margin for error. Metal Mafia is the result of three people’s dedication to doing it right every time, in a world where things being done wrong has become the norm. We make jewelry, but our company also makes a home for both the people who work here and the people we serve. Our style is as persuasive as our honesty. Our quality is as irreproachable as our integrity. Our designs are as righteous as we are.
INDUSTRY
Apparel & Fashion