It was a whirlwind of a summer for Air & Anchor as the Rhode Island–based jewelry brand prepared for the opening of its second store and handled an influx of orders that followed its appearance on ABC’s Good Morning America.
Air & Anchor will celebrate the grand opening of its Melbourne, Fla., store on Oct. 11. Brand cofounders Rachel and Omar Ajaj tell JCK that their expansion comes in part because of exposure like the July 4 GMA segment, as well as their moves toward wholesale growth and monthly pop-up shops that spread the word about Air & Anchor.
The Ajajs feel confident that their company has the products, staff, and events to support a second permanent retail location (their first store is in Cranston, R.I.). “Growing pains are good to have,” Omar says. “Everything we do is handmade, so that takes time.”
His wife agrees. “Expanding our retail footprint was a big decision, and doing that at our own pace was important,” says Rachel. “We’re putting that same energy now toward developing the right relationships in wholesale—finding people who have the same style, have a mission, and understand our ‘made in America’ philosophy.”
So how did Air & Anchor end up on Good Morning America? The ball got rolling in early 2025 when GMA correspondent Tory Johnson’s team reached out to the company. Johnson created and hosts the morning show’s “Deals & Steals” segment, which highlights products and brands offering sales and promotions.
Good Morning America wanted to consider Air & Anchor for the “Made in America” showcase that “Deals & Steals” airs every Fourth of July. For months, the Ajajs pitched why their jewelry would be a good fit for the segment, talking to a dozen different GMA staffers about the process if they were selected to participate.
Once they got word that Air & Anchor would be on the show, everyone at the Rhode Island factory and store had to help prepare, Rachel says. For a solid month before airing, they were in production mode. To appear on the GMA segment, Air & Anchor agreed to respond to all GMA customers within 24 hours and ship their orders within three business days.
“We found out a month before we were going on, so you really have to move fast to get your inventory set and ready to go. It was very interesting because you learn a lot about their customer compared to our regular customer,” Rachel says. “But my nerves were fried. I didn’t eat for a week beforehand and a week afterward.”
When Ajaj and her team arrived at the GMA studio, they met with Johnson, who was friendly and welcoming. Then they had to ready a jewelry display that would look perfect as Rachel talked about the jewelry with Johnson on-air.
“It’s such pressure because you’re working with all of these pros,” she says. “I do our social media regularly, and I go into stores and talk to customers all of the time. But when they introduce all of those GMA cameras? It’s a whole different realm.”
To fulfill the orders that resulted from the GMA appearance, everyone at Air & Anchor stayed focused, and the Ajajs say they are very proud they got all the orders done in time.
“We’ve experienced so much over the past year,” Omar says. “Now it’s time to take a moment to enjoy it.”
Top: Air & Anchor cofounder and designer Rachel Ajaj says filming a Good Morning America segment was helpful for the brand’s growth. (Photos courtesy of Air & Anchor)
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