DINWIDDIE COUNTY, Va. β A Dinwiddie County mother left her traditional job to start her own permanent jewelry business, allowing her to better care for her 8-year-old son who has autism while giving back to the community that supported her family.
Kaitlyn Lea's world revolves around her son Landon, who is on the autism spectrum. Despite doctors initially telling her he would never speak, the first-grader has surprised everyone with his progress and love for guitar.
"The doctors told me he would never talk, I would never hear him say, 'I love you,' or anything," Lea said.
As a single mother working in retail and customer service jobs, including positions at dental and medical offices, Lea faced the challenge of balancing work demands with Landon's special needs.
"It was hard trying to make school work for him, be there to pick him up, drop him off and any type of doctor's appointments he needs," Lea said.
The 32-year-old mother recognized that her brick-and-mortar job often prevented her from providing the consistency her son required.
"We have to provide a roof over our kid's head but also for my son, I have to provide comfortability and consistency for him," Lea said.
In July 2024, Lea made the difficult decision to leave her stable employment and start her own business, despite the financial risks.
"It was pretty difficult to me, because obviously the fear of failing, cause if I quit my full time job, to go do something for myself, and invest in myself, then, I feared that if it failed, I wouldn't have any stability or be able to provide for my son," Lea said.
Her entrepreneurial spirit stems from a strong work ethic instilled by her mother.
"You got to work in order to do things in your life, and my mom always worked multiple jobs to provide for me and my siblings when we were younger, so I've never been afraid to work," Lea said.
Lea's business focuses primarily on permanent jewelry, which doesn't have clasps and stays on continuously. She also sells handmade items including elastic bracelets, hats and cups at weekend events.
"So without the clasp, you wouldn't take it on and off," Lea said.
"I can do almost anything as long as you show me how to do it," Lea said.
A key component of her business model involves giving back to the autism community. Lea donates 5% of all sales to autism awareness organizations, primarily Autism Speaks and the Autism Society.
"I decided I wanted to take 5% of all my sales that I receive since my business opened and donate it to various autism awareness organizations, mostly Autism Speaks and the Autism Society," Lea said.
These organizations provided crucial support to Lea following Landon's diagnosis.
"They were really great about telling me it's not my fault, there's other people out here. He's not at a disadvantage, he's actually super smart," Lea said.
While acknowledging the donation amounts may seem modest, Lea believes every contribution matters.
"Hopefully some of that money can help another parent out," Lea said.
The new business model has allowed Lea to spend more quality time with Landon while maintaining the flexibility to accommodate his needs and appointments. She reports feeling less stressed since making the career change.
CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.
π²: CONNECT WITH US
Blue Sky | Facebook | Instagram | X | Threads | TikTok | YouTube
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. To learn more about how we use AI in our newsroom, click here.
