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If you’re human, chances are you’ve been through a dark time in life and felt like isolating yourself from the outside world. Life is full of peaks and valleys and after hitting rock bottom myself, I vowed to find a way to help individuals through tough times to know they’re not alone.
In 2014 my life completely shifted. After losing my father to a long battle with cancer, losing a close family friend, and breaking off an engagement within three weeks, I quit my job and relocated back to Columbus, Ohio from Florida to restart my life.
I was heartbroken, jobless, and had over $60k in college debt; but was desperate to follow through on the promise I left my dad with – that he could pass knowing I would be “okay”.
It took a while to get back on my feet and find happiness within myself again, but I did. I found my strength in all of the loss I experienced, and more importantly, “linking” with others. I “linked” up with those who have experienced loss; I “linked”up with friends and family who gave me their support; and I “linked” up with my faith. I quickly realized that one of the most basic human needs is connection.
I was riding my bike one day and the chain popped off and broke. Ticked off, I stopped my ride and had an “aha moment”. The symbolism of “links” and connection while being broken hit me. I suddenly realized I could make jewelry charms out of the broken chain, and my mission was set that day: everything broken has the chance to be beautiful again.
And so, Link Before You Sink was born! With each LBYS jewelry piece purchased, you receive an anonymous, real-life story written by another person that “linked” up through a similar struggle. When you’re ready, you can share your story to give to someone else in need. We donate back $5 for each piece purchased to our partnership nonprofits.
In two years, we’ve linked so many brave people, shared an astonishing amount of inspirational stories, and partnered with incredible organizations such as Cleveland Clinic, Nationwide Children’s Hospital and Love is Louder. With all the support we’ve received, we’ve also been fortunate enough to donate over 1,000 jewelry links to the patients and families of Nationwide Children’s Hospital and Cleveland Clinic. Whether your struggle is cancer, depression, loss, a miscarriage – we’re here to *link* with you!
Like a broken bike chain, there’s something perfect about our imperfections. Let’s not sweep them under the rug hiding behind carefully edited social media posts! Let’s pull that stuff out and talk about it! When you’re going through hell, it’s vital that we “link” up with people.
Never underestimate the power of connection. No matter what struggle you’re going through, you’re not alone.
Link Before You Sink has offered the Rethink Breast Cancer community 25% off with the code RETHINK25
Jenna Righi was born in a small town in Pennsylvania and attended college at Kent State University in Ohio. She is the middle child with an older brother and younger sister. After college, Jenna moved to Florida and struggled with what she wanted to do next. After a few failed careers, she found her passion as a Senior Analyst at Startups.com, where she works with entrepreneurs at various stages in their business helping with business planning, launching, and funding. Other than her role as an Analyst, she is passionate about connecting others through life’s struggles and giving back through her jewelry business, Link Before You Sink (LBYS). Since launching LBYS two years ago, she’s partnered with numerous nonprofits in which she gives back a portion of proceeds. Jenna is very close with her family, who has always encouraged her to pursue her dreams. In her free time, she loves crafting, working out, supporting women, and encouraging others to follow their dreams. She currently resides in Columbus, OH with her fiancé, stepdaughter, and is prepping for the arrival of a baby boy in May.
