Student Business Spotlight: Sivan Katzav

Lick-Wilmerding High School students are revered for their hard working attitude and pursuit of extracurriculars, but many choose to add another layer to their busy lives: running a business. Sivan Katzav ’24, for example, is the founder of Liana Faith Boutique.

Katzav started her jewelry business in April of 2020. She was originally inspired by a friend’s older sister who started her own jewelry business. Katzav bought all the supplies but never had time to make jewelry before the pandemic began. “I was in quarantine, I had a lot of time on my hands. So I set up a little craft table. And then I started making jewelry and I was like wait, this would be so cool if I could sell this jewelry. So I started an Instagram account. My business was called Rings N Things by Sivan in the beginning,” she said.

Katzav explained that she originally focused on making rings because she had the most supplies for rings and had previously taken classes on how to solder them. Soon though, Katzav decided to expand what she was making because she did not want rings to be her sole focus. She changed her business name to match. “I ended up changing the name to something that means a little more to me. It (Liana Faith) is a combination of my middle name and my mom’s middle name,” she said.

In addition to the name, the style of Katzav’s products has evolved throughout the years. She initially started with the rings and beaded chokers. They were okay, she said, but the lack of traction she got combined with the high production cost influenced her change in direction. She said, “I thought, okay, I’m not gonna make these.” From there, Katzav moved on to beaded friendship bracelets which made a few sales. “But then I kind of decided that wasn’t the direction I wanted to go in. I wanted a little more of a dainty, gold look,” she said. Katzav ended up incorporating chains and beads together with some charms to achieve her current style. “My look has become a lot cleaner over time.” Unlike other designers, Katzav does not sit down to ideate or draw before she starts working. “I sometimes will see something at a shop and think wow that’s super cool, what if I tried that myself?” she said. Additionally, she will play around with different supplies to see what looks good together.

Since launching her business, Katzav has learned a lot about the more operational aspects of running a business. “I ended up learning some really cool methods in regards to shipping and packaging, as well as marketing, photography and editing,” Katzav said.

Additionally, her understanding of profit has also improved. She has mastered the art of factoring the time she takes to make her jewelry and cost of the materials when pricing her pieces. This method translated to a boost in sales, which has allowed Katzav to purchase higher quality materials. Although she has been able to use higher quality materials, Katzav’s products have remained affordably priced. They range from $6.00 to $28.50.

Katzav hopes to participate in more in-person events and expand her website sales. “I’ve done a few [pop ups], but most of my selling is online right now. So I would love to do some more pop ups,” she said. “I need to do more marketing on social media to get people to come to my website (lianafaithboutique.com), and I think it’d be really cool to get some more sales on there as well.”

Even though it has evolved, Katzav’s business has stayed true to its original purpose:providing a way for her to engage in a hobby she enjoys while profiting and sharing her creations with others.

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Tessa Fastiff

Tessa is a senior and in her third year writing for the Paper Tiger where she is a new media editor. Outside of Journalism, she enjoys playing tennis, reading, and baking.

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