Introduction to The Clear Cut

Olivia Landau started The Clear Cut as a blog to educate her friends and family. “My mom always told me I would be a terrible entrepreneur," laughs The Clear Cut founder Olivia Landau. In our conversation on The Failure Factor podcast, she explained how she was told she’d be “an amazing employee” and deterred from following in her parents’ footsteps in the diamond industry.

Today, with the support of neither of her parents—nor a single investor in Silicon Valley—the fourth-generation diamond expert has built The Clear Cut’s lifetime revenue to nearly $100 million.

However, as is the case with most entrepreneurial triumphs, success didn’t come without its share of doubt and struggles.

The Accidental Rebellion

Landau wasn’t trying to become an entrepreneur. Her parents, seasoned veterans in the diamond industry, advised her against it entirely. "My parents had always told me to never get into the diamond and jewelry industry because it was dying and antiquated." She recalled during our conversation.

Still, Landau was compelled to learn more about the precious stones. She enrolled at the GIA (Gemological Institute of America) to become a certified gemologist until she "figured out what she’d do afterwards.”

Then, in 2016, Landau started The Clear Cut—initially an educational blog meant solely to help friends with their engagement ring purchase decisions. "This was just something fun that I did on the side to entertain myself."

Something unexpected followed: strangers began contacting her, asking for custom designs. "It turned into this accidental side hustle where I looked up, and—after a year—I’d sold a million dollars of engagement rings through Instagram DMs."

That’s when Kyle Simon, Landau’s then boyfriend, now husband and cofounder, entered the picture: Fresh out of Columbia Business School, he saw her million-dollar Instagram business and convinced her to think bigger.

The Experts Said It Would Never Work—and She Almost Believed Them

Despite real traction and a clear demand, Landau and Simon were told their startup was not fundable. It was too niche, too personal, and too dependent on Landau herself.

“They said I couldn’t be the face of the business,” she explained. “We had to do more generic content and marketing," she said.

Her personal brand wasn’t the only element investors and mentors believed she had wrong. They all had the same prescription: personality quizzes, viral gimmicks, tech features. None of them had asked what her customers actually wanted.

The most devastating feedback came from a founder Landau idolized. Over coffee, this successful entrepreneur likened The Clear Cut to her sister’s travel agency. “I don’t think anyone will invest in this business,” they said.

Landau left that meeting feeling crushed. She had actually talked to her customers. She knew they didn’t want gimmicks—they wanted guidance.

Landau and Simon were trying to make sense of a very real demand: smart, informed, modern couples wanted custom engagement rings without the absurd markup, gatekeeping, or outdated diamond industry antics. It was a real problem they could solve, but no one wanted to fund them. "We met with every single venture capital firm in New York and California. Every single person said that this is not scalable."

Landau and Simon gave themselves a deadline to try to raise money, build something, and “see what happens.” Well, what happened was months of gut-wrenching rejection. “It was like a full-time job,” Landau recounts. "Most of the time, no one would get back to us."

The breaking point came in an Italian town square. While on vacation with Simon’s family, Landau finally exploded. "We had a blowout fight right there in public," she tells me. "I was like, when are you gonna realize this is a stupid idea? Let’s just move on!"

But Simon refused. "Give me a few more months," he pleaded. “I promise it’s gonna work out.”

Doing Things the Hard Way—On Purpose

Instead of continuing with their strategy to raise capital from VCs, they entered Techstars, a tech accelerator that gave them $120,000. Together with $700,000 from angel investors and customers—many of whom had bought rings from them—they scraped together enough to move forward.

“It wasn’t ideal, but I was like, Great, I’ll get to own more equity in the business, and I’ll have more control. And, I won’t have a board of people that don’t know what they’re talking about telling me what to do. So it worked," she declared, smiling.

Despite being underfunded, they were able to maintain the freedom to do things their way. “We were intentionally doing everything extremely unscalably in the beginning,” she explained. This meant personally handling every customer interaction, manually sourcing each diamond, and managing orders one by one.

Why do things the hard way? “I don’t believe in building technology to solve a problem [before fully understanding the problem],” said Landau. “You have to ‘do’ the problem to build the proper solution.” By experiencing every pain point firsthand, they knew exactly what technology to build later—unlike competitors who built expensive features customers ultimately never wanted.

The Ultimate Validation

Their instincts were right. The Clear Cut thrived because of its personalized service; it doubled revenue annually for four straight years, and when COVID-19 hit, traditional jewelry stores shuttered, while Landau’s online positioning and high-touch model exploded. “Now it’s really funny, because we’re seeing a lot of businesses try to put a face to their brand,” she shared with a grin.

Today, The Clear Cut continues to grow profitably, staying true to the educational mission that sparked it all while expanding beyond engagement rings into fine jewelry. Their latest leap is Eunice, a proprietary AI engine launched in May. Unlike the personality quizzes and viral features investors once pushed them to build, Eunice solves real problems they discovered through years of manual work—predicting trends, tracking regional preferences, responding to cultural moments, and bringing pricing transparency to an opaque industry. The result? The Clear Cut achieved its strongest Q1 since 2022, despite industry-wide declines.

When I asked if she had any regrets about her unconventional path, Landau didn’t hesitate: "I don’t think I regret anything."

The takeaway? If you’re building something that people don’t “get,” it could just mean you’re early. Let them call it a hobby and go build it anyway. As Landau said in our interview, "What’s the worst that can happen? It doesn’t work out, and then you just do something else."

Megan Bruneau, M.A. Psych is a therapist, executive coach, and the founder of Off The Field Executive & Personal Coaching. She hosts The Failure Factor podcast featuring conversations with entrepreneurs about the setbacks that led to their success. Listen to her episode with The Clear Cut cofounder Olivia Landau on Apple and Spotify.

Conclusion

The Clear Cut’s success story is a testament to the power of perseverance and staying true to one’s vision. Despite facing numerous rejections and setbacks, Olivia Landau and Kyle Simon remained committed to their mission of providing personalized and educational services to their customers. By doing things the hard way and focusing on understanding the problems they were trying to solve, they were able to build a successful and scalable business.

FAQs

Q: What inspired Olivia Landau to start The Clear Cut?
A: Olivia Landau started The Clear Cut as a blog to educate her friends and family about diamonds and engagement rings.
Q: What were some of the challenges that The Clear Cut faced in its early days?
A: The Clear Cut faced numerous challenges, including rejection from investors and mentors, and being told that their business model was not scalable.
Q: How did The Clear Cut overcome these challenges?
A: The Clear Cut overcame these challenges by staying true to their vision and mission, and by doing things the hard way. They focused on providing personalized and educational services to their customers, and they were able to build a successful and scalable business.
Q: What is The Clear Cut’s latest initiative?
A: The Clear Cut’s latest initiative is Eunice, a proprietary AI engine that solves real problems they discovered through years of manual work—predicting trends, tracking regional preferences, responding to cultural moments, and bringing pricing transparency to an opaque industry.

Introduction to Black Media Funding

The black media landscape has undergone significant changes in recent years, with a growing demand for diverse storytelling and representation. However, despite this growth, black media outlets and creators continue to face significant challenges in accessing funding and capital. This article will explore the current state of funding in black media, who owns the story and the capital, and what this means for the future of black media.

The Current State of Black Media Funding

Black media outlets and creators face significant barriers in accessing funding and capital. Historically, black media has been underfunded and undervalued, with many outlets struggling to stay afloat. This has resulted in a lack of diversity in storytelling and representation, with many black voices and perspectives being marginalized or excluded. The current state of black media funding is characterized by a lack of investment in black-owned media outlets and a reliance on traditional funding models that often prioritize white-owned media outlets.

Barriers to Funding

There are several barriers to funding that black media outlets and creators face. These include a lack of access to traditional funding sources, such as venture capital and private equity, and a reliance on advertising revenue that is often unstable and unpredictable. Additionally, black media outlets and creators often face bias and discrimination in the funding process, with many funders prioritizing white-owned media outlets and creators. These barriers have resulted in a significant gap in funding for black media outlets and creators, with many struggling to access the capital they need to produce high-quality content.

Alternative Funding Models

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in alternative funding models that can help to address the funding gap in black media. These models include crowdfunding, community-based funding, and impact investing. Crowdfunding platforms, such as Kickstarter and Indiegogo, have provided a new way for black media outlets and creators to access funding and build a community of supporters. Community-based funding models, such as community land trusts and cooperative ownership, have also provided a new way for black media outlets and creators to access funding and build a sense of ownership and control. Impact investing, which prioritizes social and environmental impact alongside financial returns, has also provided a new way for black media outlets and creators to access funding and build a sustainable business model.

Who Owns the Story—and the Capital?

The question of who owns the story and the capital in black media is a complex one. Historically, black media has been owned and controlled by white corporations and investors, with many black voices and perspectives being marginalized or excluded. However, in recent years, there has been a growing trend towards black ownership and control of black media outlets and creators. This has resulted in a more diverse range of stories and perspectives being represented, and a greater sense of ownership and control among black media outlets and creators.

The Importance of Black Ownership

Black ownership of black media outlets and creators is crucial for ensuring that black voices and perspectives are represented and amplified. When black media outlets and creators are owned and controlled by black people, they are more likely to prioritize black stories and perspectives, and to build a sense of community and ownership among black audiences. Black ownership also provides a sense of autonomy and independence, allowing black media outlets and creators to make decisions about the types of stories they tell and the ways in which they tell them.

The Role of Investors

Investors play a critical role in shaping the black media landscape. When investors prioritize black-owned media outlets and creators, they are helping to build a more diverse and representative media ecosystem. However, when investors prioritize white-owned media outlets and creators, they are perpetuating a system of inequality and exclusion. Investors must prioritize black ownership and control of black media outlets and creators, and provide the funding and support needed to help them succeed.

Conclusion

Getting funded in black media is a complex and challenging process. Despite the growing demand for diverse storytelling and representation, black media outlets and creators continue to face significant barriers in accessing funding and capital. However, by prioritizing black ownership and control, and by exploring alternative funding models, it is possible to build a more diverse and representative media ecosystem. Ultimately, the future of black media depends on our ability to create a more equitable and just funding system, one that prioritizes black voices and perspectives and provides the capital needed to tell their stories.

FAQs

Q: What are the main barriers to funding for black media outlets and creators?
A: The main barriers to funding for black media outlets and creators include a lack of access to traditional funding sources, bias and discrimination in the funding process, and a reliance on unstable and unpredictable advertising revenue.
Q: What are some alternative funding models that can help to address the funding gap in black media?
A: Alternative funding models that can help to address the funding gap in black media include crowdfunding, community-based funding, and impact investing.
Q: Why is black ownership of black media outlets and creators important?
A: Black ownership of black media outlets and creators is important because it provides a sense of autonomy and independence, allows for a more diverse range of stories and perspectives to be represented, and helps to build a sense of community and ownership among black audiences.
Q: What role do investors play in shaping the black media landscape?
A: Investors play a critical role in shaping the black media landscape by providing the funding and support needed for black media outlets and creators to succeed. When investors prioritize black-owned media outlets and creators, they are helping to build a more diverse and representative media ecosystem.

As the Sean Diddy Combs trial ends its third week, a long list of sorted details into Comb’s now notorious “freak offs” have emerged and stunned the public. Among those details are disturbing testimony that Cassie Ventura Fine – model, singer, and former girlfriend of Combs — shared during the first week of the trial. Much of her testimony centered around her alleged experiences of physical, verbal, and emotional abuse at the hands of Combs. Although he is not being charged with domestic violence or assault, many have felt her testimony was compelling and spoke to a much larger issue that women around the world experience daily – domestic abuse or intimate-partner violence (IPV).

Prevalence of Intimate Partner Violence

According to the Emory University School of Medicine, women are 5 to 8 times more likely than men to be victimized by an intimate partner, and every year, nearly 5.3 million incidents of intimate partner violence occur among U.S. women aged 18 and older. In fact, women between 16 and 24 years of age are most likely to be victimized by an intimate partner, and over 47% of women have encountered contact sexual violence, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner during their lifetime. Sadly, most IPV incidents are not reported to the police, with only 20% of rapes and sexual assaults, 25% of physical assaults, and 50% of stalking towards women reported. Additionally, only about 1 out of 5 IPV survivors with physical injuries seek professional medical treatment. That said, despite severe under-reporting, calls related to IPV make up about half of all violent crime calls to police departments.

Signs of Domestic Violence

Even more disheartening, IPV results in nearly 1,300 deaths and 2 million injuries every year in the U.S., and more than three women are killed by their husbands or boyfriends every day. IPV can present in multiple forms of abuse, and it’s essential to recognize that the signs may differ depending on the relationship. Some of the more common signs of domestic violence include physical aggression, such as slapping, hitting, or pushing. Verbal and emotional abuse are also common forms of abuse. Abusive partners can have unpredictable moods that often change quickly and drastically. They may verbally threaten their partner, call them names, swear at them—or they may threaten to hurt themselves, their partner, or loved ones. Abusers may minimize their partner’s feelings and can show jealousy, suspicion, and anger, even if it’s unwarranted.

Types of Abuse

Other signs of domestic abuse include someone trying to control their partner’s time. They may monitor activities like attending classes or seeing friends and family. An abuser may isolate their partner by limiting phone use or forcing their partner to stay at home. They may also become financially abusive by controlling funds, including making financial decisions alone or taking their partner’s money without permission to control the person or to be punitive. Stalking or repeated unwanted attention or contact that triggers fear or worry about safety or the safety of others who are close to the survivor is also another form of abuse. It’s essential to keep in mind that abuse does not need to have multiple occurrences or be carried out over years to be considered domestic violence or IPV. According to experts, even one episode can have profound impacts and should not be overlooked.

Effects of Intimate Partner Violence

The effects of IPV can be severe, chronic, and pervasive. According to the American Psychiatric Association, 20% of IPV survivors develop mental health conditions. A recent study found that almost 60% of the participants experienced post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). A similar study found that IPV survivors had higher prevalence rates of depression compared with non-IPV survivors (2.25% vs. 0.43%) and higher prevalence rates of anxiety disorders compared with non-IPV survivors (1.37% vs. 0.54%). Individuals dealing with diagnoses such as these may experience being withdrawn, feelings of hypervigilance, loss of appetite, and suicidal ideation. Other effects can include shutting people out, not wanting to do things that were once enjoyable, being unable to trust others, and having low self-esteem. Physical symptoms are also common and can include:

• Heart / cardiovascular issues
• Gastrointestinal/digestive issues
• Chronic pain
• Sexual/reproductive issues
• Symptoms of pulmonary or musculoskeletal conditions
• Traumatic brain injury

Breaking the Cycle of Abuse

Survivors may also struggle with emotional regulation, dissociation, and numbing and have trouble reading social cues. In some cases, survivors may develop an addiction to substances such as alcohol or drugs. Many women who have experienced violence cope with the associated trauma by using drugs, drinking alcohol, smoking, or overeating. Research shows that about 90% of women with substance use problems have experienced physical or sexual violence. Researchers have also found that mental health outcomes of domestic violence can become a vicious cycle. Survivors can believe they are powerless to control violent behavior or to develop resources to change their situation. This can potentially set up a long-term pattern of violent partnerships. The American Psychiatric Association states that survivors of domestic violence may blame themselves for the abuse they received. Similarly, victim blaming by others is also common and can perpetuate IPV. Victim blaming is considered to be any response to IPV that explicitly states or implies that the survivor is to blame for the abuse they have experienced.

Conclusion

Experts caution women to be aware of the signs of IPV and attempt to act as quickly as possible to separate themselves from their partner and the relationship if they find they are in an abusive relationship. Because it may be difficult for some to pull themselves out of the cycle of abuse, drawing from family and friends for support to help transition out of the relationship can be especially helpful. In-person and online support groups can also be beneficial in identifying a plan to leave the relationship and to provide overall support and resources with various needs such as housing, mental health counseling, and seeking medical attention.

FAQs

Q: What is intimate partner violence (IPV)?
A: Intimate partner violence (IPV) refers to any behavior within an intimate relationship that causes physical, psychological, or sexual harm to those in the relationship.
Q: What are the signs of domestic violence?
A: Common signs of domestic violence include physical aggression, verbal and emotional abuse, unpredictable moods, and controlling behavior.
Q: How common is IPV?
A: According to the Emory University School of Medicine, women are 5 to 8 times more likely than men to be victimized by an intimate partner, and every year, nearly 5.3 million incidents of intimate partner violence occur among U.S. women aged 18 and older.
Q: What are the effects of IPV?
A: The effects of IPV can be severe, chronic, and pervasive, including mental health conditions, physical symptoms, and substance abuse.
Q: How can I get help if I am in an abusive relationship?
A: If you are in an abusive relationship, it is essential to seek help as soon as possible. You can reach out to family and friends for support, join in-person or online support groups, and seek resources such as housing, mental health counseling, and medical attention.