On the bustling Old Town Scottsdale’s Fifth Avenue next to fan-favorite Cartel Coffee, sits Giving Bracelets. A woman-owned business where creativity intertwines with compassion, like the leather fibers of the product. Giving Bracelets doesn’t just adorn the wrists of wealthy patrons and young girls, it is an active model of social impact and community engagement. For over seven years, this unique business, founded by the resilient, visionary Lesa Sawyer, has not only sold jewelry but has proudly participated in volunteer initiatives for foster children in need and donated over $30,000 to non-profit organization, Voices for CASA Children.

Lesa Sawyer, an Arizona native, started her entrepreneurial journey during her college days in LA. She chose to design handbags for a fashion class project where she was tasked with designing an accessory. Little did she know that this initial venture would become the seed for what is now Giving Bracelets.

Encouraged by the supportive professor who gave the accessory assignment, Lesa took her handbag designs to boutiques in LA, leading to unexpected orders that marked the birth of her first business. Lesa’s handbags found a natural niche in LA with the wealthy and fashionable.

“I just had it in me to figure it out,” Sawyer said of her early entrepreneurial endeavors. “I did research, asked questions.” She learned about the manufacturing process and worked hard to fill orders herself. It was this spirit and determination that propelled Sawyer to “catch a big break” and find resounding success with her handbag business a couple years in.

When the economy took a downturn in 2009, Sawyers business stuttered and lost momentum like so many others did in the aftermath of the 2008 recession.

However, a pivotal encounter with a friend who encouraged her to volunteer led Sawyer to find Voices for CASA Children. Voices for CASA Children is a 501(c)(3) organization that brings a voice to Arizona’s children by promoting and supporting volunteer advocacy for children who have experienced abuse or neglect, and public awareness of the importance of safe and permanent homes for all children.

“To be a voice and advocate for [kids in the foster system] wellbeing … It tugged at my heart,” Sawyer said. “I went back to my studio where I had bins and bins of this beautiful leather and material that were small pieces that we really couldn’t do much with, and I thought ‘I could make something with this and could donate a portion of the proceeds to help’.”

Moved by the plight of children in the foster system, Lesa decided to channel her creative energy toward a greater cause. Armed with beautiful leather scraps that would otherwise go to waste, she began creating bracelets, pledging a portion of the proceeds to support Voices for CASA Children.

Thus, the true purpose of the business that would become Giving Bracelets began to unfold.

“Every organization needs two things. They need your time, and they need your money,” Sawyer explains. She committed to give both.

Life took Lesa from the busy streets of LA to the serene landscapes of Maui for a girls trip with the same friend who originally inspired her to volunteer. She learned that there was a Voices for CASA Children chapter in Maui. She went and visited them while on the island.

 “My wheels just started spinning and I thought, you know, I need to be in Maui for a little while and take some time to grow and figure out what I need to do next with my business. And that’s essentially when Giving Bracelets was born.”

As Lesa delved into books, learned how to grow vegetables and how to live a simpler holistic life, Giving Bracelets grew and evolved with her.

For four years she displayed and sold her Giving Bracelets product at farmers markets in Maui and Scottsdale -- where she returned to the mainland to visit family occasionally -- and donated checks back to the organization at the root of it all.

From farmers markets in Maui to the Scottsdale Waterfront, the brand found its rhythm, resonating with customers who valued both style and social responsibility. And Lesa found her husband.

Marriage to Trevor Sawyer brought Lesa and Giving Bracelets back to Scottsdale to start a new chapter of life. Upon settling down in Arizona, Lesa quickly got engaged with the local operation of Voices for CASA Children in Phoenix Arizona to continue collaboration.

“[Voices for CASA Children] were gracious and supportive. And at that time the checks we gave were little. A few hundred dollars here and there. The first $500 check was in Maui and that was a big deal.”

Giving Bracelets’ smashing success at farmers markets in their new home of Scottsdale, and as far as Flagstaff, led the Sawyers to discuss in 2016 how they could take Giving Bracelets to the next level.

“Well, how did you grow your handbag business?” Trevor asked Lesa one day.

“Hitting the wholesale markets. That’s how I found my success,” Lesa said.

“Take Giving Bracelets to the wholesale market.”

It was the right decision. Lesa had a feeling Giving Bracelets would do well on that larger stage.

“It was really well-received and taught us a lot about what styles were working and what people loved,” Lesa explained of their expansion into the wholesale market.

After 12 months of hard work and booths across the country, the rapidly-expanding business became too much to run out of the Sawyers’ home. The living room and office were dedicated to production and shipping, and with an assistant added to the Giving Bracelet team of Lesa and Trevor, it was all a bit too cramped to operate comfortably.

It was time to find a bigger space to work out of. Sawyer wanted something fun and artistic. She called a few places listed on Craig’s List but “didn’t really vibe with any of them.”

After disappointing phone calls to properties, she decided to walk down Fifth Avenue in Old Town Scottsdale where a vibrant art culture existed in the lining shops and saw an open location next to Cartel Coffee.

“My face lit up,” Sawyer recalls, “And I thought, ‘Oh wow, this is beautiful, I love this space.”

She immediately called her husband and told him she loved the space next to Cartel Coffee. Realistically, Trevor knew it would likely be expensive due to its prime location. But he trusted his wife’s business instincts and knew it would be worth it.

They secured the location and got to work setting up production of Giving Bracelets.

“The location next to Cartel [Coffee] was a really good vibe that worked to our advantage,” Sawyer said.

At that point they weren’t set up for retail and were just trying to make orders from the markets and shows which could be hundreds of bracelets; sometimes over a thousand depending on the batch.

People would come from Cartel Coffee next door and knock on the door to ask what they were doing as the Giving Bracelets team made bracelets. They started selling bracelets to people from the windows of Cartel Coffee without even having a retail storefront officially opened at the property yet.

It was time to once again scale up. The Sawyers transformed the Fifth Ave location into a Giving Bracelets retail haven where customers not only shopped for beautifully crafted bracelets but also witnessed the brand's commitment to goodness.

“It felt like everything we were doing was being fully supported by the universe,” Sawyer explained.

As Giving Bracelets grew in revenue and team size, so did its impact. The brand's pledge to donate 10% of each sale to charity created a ripple effect of generosity. The team engaged in volunteer work that Lesa herself found so rewarding, bringing joy to children in foster care through events with Voices for CASA Children.

The events are geared to be playful and enjoyable for the children who get to spend time with their advocates and volunteers. At these events, the Giving Bracelet team does what they do best: making bracelets and spreading goodness. They’ll set up bracelet making stations and get to work with the kids, watching and helping them create something beautiful in a lighthearted setting. They even have done events with the organization Grandparents Raising Grandkids.

“Your heart really goes out to [the kids] because you know they’ve come from a really rough situation,” Sawyer explained of the emotional impact of her team’s volunteering.

For Lesa, Giving Bracelets is more than a business; it's a vessel for making a positive impact. Sawyer tested all the metals used in her bracelets to ensure quality and safety for customers and is constantly refining the brand and product down to the details and clasps used.

The brand's commitment to conscious living and doing good extends beyond jewelry, and incorporating eco-friendly practices -- eliminated plastic packaging and sold bracelets in a reusable linen bag – and shines through a give-back model that resonates with customers, employees, and the community.

Employees see the value in what they do and get excited for volunteer days. That creates a unique work dynamic that Sawyer credits the longevity of some team members to.

One of the kids from a volunteer event with Voices for CASA Children brought home a bracelet for his mom because she needed a “healing bracelet”.

Customers love to help and feel like they’re giving back to children in need. Just by naming the business Giving Bracelets, Sawyer has captured the curiosity of people who see the shop’s sign and are curious about initiatives of the team.

“My husband and I are very mindful, conscious people and we try to do good. We get a lot of that in return,” Sawyer said.

As the brand continues to thrive, Lesa shared her wisdom with other small businesses: "In addition to creating other sales channels, I would also recommend adding a give-back model. People are inspired by acts of kindness, and it creates a ripple effect for others!"At Giving Bracelets, every bracelet tells a story of compassion, resilience, and the belief that small actions can create profound change. Lesa Sawyer's journey exemplifies the transformative power of combining business acumen with a deep sense of purpose, proving that success is not only measured in sales but in the positive impact a business leaves on the world.

“My ‘why?’ is something that is so visceral,” Sawyer said seriously. “When you get to a certain point in life, it’s so important to be of service … Giving Bracelets is my way of being of service. Taking my business acumen, and taking my love for design, and taking my love for the community and just merging that into one effort.”

You can find Giving Bracelets online at https://www.givingbracelets.com/ or in person at their Scottsdale location.

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