About

About BOYBEADS

boybeads-new-york-bead-bracelets-for-men-logo.jpg

Since November 11, 2011, BOYBEADS has continually conceived well-balanced staple bracelets that encourage the modern man to fully utilize his intrinsic right to willfully own and curate his unique fashion identity. Each bracelet has a name and character representative of the man for which is has been designed. BOYBEADS are made-to-order in New York, NY by Sebastian Mitchell using hand-selected, semi-precious gemstones originating from hot magma and sourced from around the world. Each stone has a unique chemical structure and energy that provides specific benefits to the wearer.

BOYBEADS customers represent all walks of life, inclusive of celebrities, artists, corporate professionals, and fashionable gentlemen of leisure. Thanks to our loyal supporters, BOYBEADS has appeared in British GQ three times and has reached new customers throughout Africa, Asia and Europe.

sebastian-mitchell-tarver-boybeads-new-york-president-howard-university-school-of-business-alumni-unuluxe-lion-leo-shirt-flamekeepers-hat-club-black-stetson-fedora-hat-men-in-suits-hats.jpg

About Sebastian Mitchell

I spent my childhood on a farm in Alabama where I started my rock collection by digging through the red clay dirt in search of buried treasure. Little did I know these digs would lead me to my dream career! I never found treasure, but I did find my passion for crystals and gemstones.

I purchased my first pyrite bracelet on an annual family vacation to Chattanooga, TN and never thought much about bracelets until many years later.

In high school, I studied C++ and HTML with aspirations of becoming a computer programmer or a video game designer. After completing an internship at the University of Alabama the summer following tenth grade, I decided the work was too mentally exhausting and ran for the hills. 

Once college appeared on the horizon, I realized time was running out and I needed to choose a major.  I decided to study hospitality management at Howard University in Washington, D.C. I loved to travel and eat, so working in hospitality seemed like the perfect fit.  I could earn plenty of money while seeing the world and getting discounts on luxury hotels and cuisine. After three summer internships at some of the most luxurious hotels in D.C., it was time to take a real job, forever crushing my paradigm of what my adult life would be like. 

 As fate would have it, I disliked the monotony of the work and the money was hardly enough to live comfortably in D.C. Despite working crazy hours, I still barely made ends meet. Even though employees received 50% off hotels within the brand portfolio, affording them on my salary was something I could only dream about. 

I disliked the rigid structure and scripted life of a corporate employee. We literally had a 50+ page book of responses for answering phone calls. You must wear this uniform. You must not have facial hair. You must not be more than five minutes late or risk a write-up. 

 Even after seven years of self-employment, I am tormented by the 30-minute lunch restrictions of my clock-punching years. I find myself rushing through lunch unnecessarily and checking the time constantly. It is a habit I aspire to soon break.  

My bright-eyed, 21-year-old self contemplated spending the rest of my life existing under this complete dominion. I would rather die! My future looked bleak. 

It was around this time that I remembered my passion for crystals and purchased The Crystal Bible by Judy Hall. This book ignited my bracelet-making passion and inspired the creation of my first collection, which I gifted to several of my closest friends.

My BOYBEADS journey began soon after I accepted that a career in hospitality was not for me. My attitude at work went sour; I strayed from the script on the phone with customers, and eventually got called in for a meeting with human resources. I knew I would be fired, so I cleaned out my desk and took my belongings with me to the meeting. It was the best day of my life! 

That night, I called a friend who owned his own business and he told me to start a website selling the bracelets I had been making for fun. BOYBEADS was born on November 11, 2011. Thank you to everyone who has been a part of this journey.

 

Photography by Terrance Shields