From Hobby to Legacy: My Destiny-Driven Journey of Building a Jade and Crystal Movement You Can Join

Once upon a time, a girl enchanted by the allure of natural crystals embarked on a journey to share her fascination with the world. Using her natural born talent of crafting DIY crystal accessories, the little girl's creations sparkled with the magic of the universe, drawing admiration from all who encountered them...

I wish I have a grand magical inspirational fairytale ChatGPT story to share, but the truth is far from it. My story began with escapism, hanging on to the last rope of hope, isolation before Dreams started to Manifest.

Hi, I’m Qi Yun, or CRZ-LBN to most of you ♡

This is my first personal blog post in almost six years since CRZtales was born. I’ve always been introverted and private. Maybe that’s why it took so long to write this. Fun fact: I was still wearing a mask when meeting customers in early 2024. >.<

CRZtales didn’t start as a fairytale. It began as survival.

I grew up in a tough household, often having to find my own way to earn pocket money for something as small as an $0.80 piece of fried chicken for lunch. This story brings back memories of bullying too, as I was so ‘poor’ my friends often laughed at me for having the same cheap options every lunch break. ‘Poor’ as I wasn’t from a poor family, but I didn’t get allowance often enough. I have to save what I had, just in case.

My first taste of business

That was in Primary 4, origami paper frogs fighting was all in the rage.  I had no idea about the battle rules but my classmates, boys mostly, liked the ones I made because they “jumped better” and had better odds of winning battles. Soon everyone wanted paper frogs that I folded!

My first found fame was for paper frogs!

With my last $1.20, I bought a pack of origami paper and started selling frogs — $0.20 for the colored ones, $0.50 for the gold and silver ones. The $0.50 ones sold out every few days.The profit let me buy more paper materials to sell more frogs, and more importantly, delicious $0.80 fried chicken for lunch twice a week! That was my first taste of entrepreneurship.

Growing up in a toxic environment

I came from a family that uses physical punishment and verbal humiliation. Some might say it’s “typical” in Asian families. But everyone’s experience is different, and the impact is personal. For me, it created childhood trauma and anxiety that stayed until the end of 2023.

Still, I’m grateful for what it taught me. While I wouldn’t say that I won’t exchange it for a more normal and happier childhood, taking full ownership of my growing up days have helped me gain a growth perspective. It forced me to be resourceful and practice tenacity from a very young age. It also gave me a driver mindset of working for small rewards — like cheesecake or my favorite hot Starbucks Matcha Latte with extra matcha powder.

A turning point in secondary school - for the good and for the bad

The paper frog craze faded, but my saving habit and entrepreneurial streak stayed. At the same time, school bullying and family issues grew worse. One very bad day after school, I passed by a pasar malam stall selling DIY earring kits. 因缘巧合之下 （In a moment of pure coincidence and serendipity), I spent my savings on the biggest kit I could afford (cried a little) and locked myself in my room to create.

Long story short, I found my second fame with these DIY earrings as teachers began buying my handmade jewelry! They asked for Rose Quartz, Amethyst, Swarovski Crystals, and Jade. I delivered. At $28 a pair, it was more than half my monthly allowance. I only had $50 in monthly allowance, so this felt huge. This tiny hustle taught me resilience and I learned the joy of creating something people valued.

From then on, I found my true escape. Every time I opened that starter kit, it was as though I was teleported into a different dimension, a world where there was no caning hangers, no verbal abuse, no bullying, no hunger. It’s just me, my beads and my tools - I could create exactly what I wanted. Isolating myself and making jewelry became my safe space. I also drifted apart from friendships and family. I remember my thoughts back then was, maybe, just maybe, one day I will also create the life I want. This, was my escapism, my rope of hope that one day life will become better and easier.

From passion to purpose

Little did I knew, I was building the foundation for CRZtales and living out my destiny :) Years later, after burnout and illness, I returned to jewelry-making. To me, CRZtales was never just a business. It’s a movement, an experience. Each piece is crafted with intention and purpose: to inspire protection, peace, and hope. It’s about connection, energy, and the belief that life can be better.


When destiny made sense

About 2 years ago, I had a chance to have my Bazi read by two Fengshui masters.

Both told me the same thing: a difficult childhood, but destined for business success. That day, the pieces came together. I had been manifesting this life all along.

To be continued…

With love and joy,
Qi Yun
Founder of CRZtales