Little Known Black History Fact: Dr. Traci Lynn

Dr. Traci Lynn, the founder of Traci Lynn Fashion Jewelry, has turned her formerly modest company into a multi-million dollar enterprise. Lynn’s rise to fame is a living testimony in how much one can achieve with tenacity, confidence, and a lot of faith.

Lynn was exposed to the inner workings of being an entrepreneur at an early age. A native of Philadelphia, at four years of age, she was  accompanying her grandmother who was selling clothes out of the back of a car. While in high school, Lynne earned a beauty school certificate, opened a hair salon and even obtained a nursing license. Lynn says she thought the license was the first step to being a doctor because her mother groomed her to be a physician.

But in college at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, after becoming the founding president of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority chapter there, Lynn took a job with a large mutual fund firm and learned the intricacies of the business rapidly. She left the company and founded a series of businesses, including a wedding planning company and selling clothes like she did when she was a girl. None of the businesses took off, but everything changed when she decided to make a foray into jewelry.

With just $200, Lynn began her low-cost fashion jewelry business. At 25, she quickly rose in the ranks as a young businesswoman and was named a rising entrepreneur by Essence in 1994. During this period, Lynn also won the Madame C.J. Walker Award for Entrepreneur Excellence. But despite all the accolades, Lynn couldn’t keep the company afloat and it folded.

Lynn transitioned into another career as a motivational speaker, using her natural gift of communication to inspire others. Her skills as a speaker earned her engagements all across the world with Fortune 500 companies, but she felt a pull to return back to her original business.

In 2006, Lynn relaunched her jewelry company and created a direct sales model via a catalog service. Today, the company boasts 25,000 independent sales consultants across the country. Lynn also counts Real Housewives of Atlanta’s Cynthia Bailey, and former America’s Top Model stars Eva Marcille and Toccara Jones as stars who’ve worn her jewelry in the catalogs.

Lynn also has two doctorate degrees in Divinity and Theology. She is also the recipient of the University of Pennsylvania’s Carrier of Hope Award for community service. Lynn still travels as a public speaker as well.

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