How Marlyn Schiff Built a 2,000-Store Jewelry Brand By Selling Passion, Not Pressure - Shopify Masters

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[00:00]
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Having the ability to design and sell was key for me because I was able to talk about what I loved. And I think when you're passionate about something, people can buy into it no matter what you do.
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Welcome to Shopify Masters, your companion for starting and building a business. I'm your host, Adam Lavinter. In an industry crowded with trends and fast fashion, building a jewelry brand with real staying power takes more than good design. It takes decades of reinvention. Marlon Schiff did exactly that.
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I have my first retail store, and that, to me, has been a true game changer.
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Starting at her kitchen table in Manhattan at only 24 years old, she turned a lunchtime jewelry making hobby into a seven figure business. Now carried in 2,000 stores nationwide, we
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managed to stay relevant by scaling like crazy.
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Today, Marlon joins me to talk about growing through wholesale partnerships, building the right team around you, and using business as a force for good. Marlon, welcome to the show.
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A
Thank you, Adam. Thanks for having me. I'm excited to be here.
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B
Yeah, for sure. So you've been at this quite a while. You started at your kitchen table, what, over 30 years ago?
[01:07]
A
It's very hard to admit. I'm going to say admit, but yes, I did. It was just truly by chance that it happened. I was working in the fashion industry at the time. I was already working for different designers. And, you know, I would go out on a pretty day, go buy beads, start making them, and it was just very organic, really. I would wear my things in the showroom. Many stores started, you know, complimenting them. People that worked for the different designers that I had been with asked if they could also have things made. And it just sort of happened. I mean, one store said to me, have you ever thought about actually wholesaling? And I was like, absolutely not. And she said, well, I'd like you to make those things for me.
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B
Wow. So are. Are you doing this as a hobby, as a side hustle, because you're interested in this, or did you have any intention to start a business at the time?
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A
I definitely had no intention of starting it at the time. I think in a lot of ways, it's good to be young and naive at that point. I was in Manhattan and I started to get some press. Like, I had friends in New York that were working in TV and they were getting people that were in their networks wearing it. It just sort of was luck. And listen, I think it's also a little drive, you know, I was like, into it and I loved what I was doing, but I just decided I was so young, I had nothing to lose, and at 24, went out on my own.
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B
And in your first year, you had some pretty big successes, right? You were carried in some retailers very early. Some of your stuff was even worn by Cindy Crawford, who a lot of listeners will know, but some will not know. But what does that partnership bring to the table?
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A
Cindy Crawford was on MTV and had her own show called House of Style. And I had a friend who was one of the producers there. And so she said, like, just give me some pieces and let's see what happens. And I got very lucky because she started wearing my things constantly on air. And so that was really fun. When I was in New York, things actually, was I just moving back to Philly then maybe when I also knew somebody who was one of the producers at Sex and the City. And she said, just send me a bunch of pieces. I'll throw it in the closet and see if they pick it. And they all started wearing it on Sex and the City. And I got very lucky at that time that just, you know, in life it's all about sort of networking. And if you know people that are working in different industries or things that can help you, it's about constantly sort of talking about what you do. And I feel like I've tried to tell my children that. Now. I think it's a lesson to be learned because the more you sort of talk about what you love doing, people are like, well, I know somebody there. Let me see what I can do. And I think it just was something that I did start by accident, but ended up through all the years very organically, growing slowly, each little step at a time, and now here I am.
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B
That's interesting that you mentioned that. So why do you think that is that a lot of founders have trouble selling themselves or talking about what they do? Like, where does that come from?
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A
Are we maybe just born with it? I don't know. Like, I think I am sort of a natural born salesperson. And I think a lot of designers, you have to be both. You can design, but if you also can't really sell unless you can find people that can just do all of that for you. And you can be behind the scenes, great. But I think having the ability to design and sell was key for me because I was able to talk about what I loved. And I think when you're passionate about something, people. People can buy into it no matter what you do. So I wasn't ever like a salesy person. I don't think I'm ever aggressive like Even now, so many years later, people are in the New York shows and we're dealing with big stores. I never push people. That's not my style. I think it's just about showing them what you do and what you love and then allowing them to follow suit with what suits them. And that to me is a better approach for me at least, because it also allows them to have more success because they're also buying into what they love. Not what you're telling them, but buying into your passion about what you're doing and the reason why you designed a collection that season or you know, the meaning behind it.
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B
So was Neiman Marcus the first retailer that you partner with?
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A
Wasn't the first retailer because I was at that point selling to a lot of smaller stores. But it happened because they walked into my New York City booth and fell in love what they saw. And I was at that point, honestly, catalog business with them was massive. And they ended up getting a few styles that really hit and they had to reorder them like 10, 12 times over. And it was just this constant flow of business. It was really great. And then it ended up being that I have a lower price point. We pride ourselves on being like the 150 and under sort of price point, which is what we're doing very well with right now at Nordstrom. But I got lucky because at that point, now Nordstrom's now taken that away. They did have a whole section that was my price point. And I ended up getting into the stores because of that.
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B
So talk to me about how you scale this. So it's one thing to sort of design and curate for small boutiques. It's another thing to design so that sufficient for say a Neiman Marcus big purchase order distribution into multiple door fronts. Like how does that happen for you?
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I slowly started hiring people. You know, as I grew, I realized I needed to have people that helped me. We moved at that point from New York City where I was living in this little apartment and shipping boxes myself at night. It was crazy to coming down to Philadelphia. My husband at that point had gotten into business school here and we came down and relocated and I was able to get a bigger apartment and have a whole room dedicated to doing this. Once that happened and we went through those years, I had one person always with me. I got an office space and then I got a bigger office space. And now we just purchased this not big, but mighty three story building that is where we are now housed. So each step of the way, I think as it was needed I moved into a spot and was able to bring in the right amount of people. And right now we're trying to really grow, like D2C business. And we've gotten more people involved with that. And I think as we keep moving in different directions, we're kind of good at trying to bring in people that can fit that equation for us or help us grow or help us get to New York shows and sell. And we just met, you know, with Bloomingdale's last week and that went great. That was really good. And we might start doing business with them, whether it's private label and I start designing for Aqua or whatever else it might be. We're in discussions, but we've had some great people and I'm very fortunate that some people have stayed with me. I've got some people in the building that have been with me for 17 years.
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B
Wow. So did they start, like, did they start on the product side? Did they. Were they selling?
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They're not one. One woman is here that's been selling and helping me. She's my right hand person. She's my design assistant. She's been with me for ten and a half years, which is unbelievable. Named Nicole and Patty and Rochelle, who have been here for like 17, 18 years, have been in the fulfillment. So they've always been here running the fulfillment room. And we do all the shipping out of here also, which is not necessarily normal, right?
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B
That's not necessarily the norm. But obviously there's a reason that you do it. It has its advantages with respect to control and oversight, quality, things like that. Why have you not outsourced to date?
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A
You know, it's funny, I don't know. I thought. I thought about it. A lot of people I know obviously that do that. I have a mixed bag of designers that are jewelry designers that do a little of both. There's a lot of either sometimes shortage or packages not being fulfilled properly, damages that aren't being packed properly. And even when we do an order like for stitch fix or yesterday, we just sent out 10,000 units to this company called Cobby, which is a newer account. For us it was a palette, but it was packed here properly. It was all labeled. Here it came. My team here, we end up having like 95% success rate in all of our shipping. So so far it's okay. I don't know if it'll ever change at this point. We're so far along, but even out of the small space, we're shipping everyday boxes, of course, and web orders and everything else, but We've been able to ship some very large quantities out of here as well. Like when I'm going to be on HSN with that comes here and gets shipped there and that's massive amounts of inventory. But we end up getting 100% and we don't get any chargebacks. Shipping properly is such a big deal. And a lot of those kind of companies give you a lot of chargebacks if things are not done well. So I don't know. So far we seem to be down this road and I don't seem to be going back. So I don't know.
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B
Yeah, just for listeners that don't understand the difference between chargebacks and refunds. So refunds, it's sort of an everyday cost of doing business. You're unhappy with a product, you return it to the point of sale, you get a refund. A chargeback is an unhappy customer that looks at their credit card statement and charges back through the card issuing bank. And that's actually a black eye on the merchant record. Um, and that can affect your processing. So that's fantastic that you've had no chargebacks to date. Yeah.
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A
And also in our industry, you know, chargebacks often can be given to someone like a manufacturer if the company, the receiving company will say xxx like these things were not done properly. So it's up to us then and we're deciding we're going to charge you back but because I think we're able to really check every little check and balance here. We have proof, we take pictures, there's proof that like this is how we've done it. So you're wrong. You know, I think there's something to be said for that for sure.
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B
Okay, so you mentioned these various retail partnerships, wholesaling to different outfits. You venture into D2C at some point, into online commerce at some point. Let's talk about that. So what was the evolution into direct to consumer and how has E commerce helped the business grow over time?
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A
I think we all know how much it's changed since COVID I mean I think that that has really scaled that business. It's funny, that's the one area that I didn't focus enough on that during the beginning of COVID And for the past few years we have finally we're bringing in other companies, we just redid a website, we are hiring people that are very good at scaling that. We're paying a little bit extra, we're putting more money into ads, we're learning how to do it better and we are seeing results. So you Know, I think that that's obviously very relevant right now and you have to be really on top of it. And we are trying more and more right now to really grow that part of the business through influencers and whatever else we're doing.
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B
Yeah, I mean, speaking of influencers, the partnership with Cindy Crawford could have been the very first celebrity collab ever, ever done.
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Right.
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You could have been a trailblazer for all things influencer. Who knows?
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That's right. That's really funny. So true.
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B
So with respect to online commerce, has it been successful and how do you measure the sort of quality of that? Channel versus wholesale versus retail versus boutique versus other acquisition channels.
[12:24]
A
We have very specific people here that have their lane and that's how I have to do it as a founder. I wasn't as good at that until about 10 years ago. And now I feel like everybody is hired for a certain position. And listen, we are a small company. In small companies you do a little of everything. Of course, if people need help doing different things, we other people have to jump in and help. But it's very good that we have a head of social media who also happens to be really an expert and she's done a ton of work on ads and ad spend and so she's running that. And I'm seeing results. And I think it's really good that I brought a consultant into the business a year and a half ago who's also really helping me stay focused on my growth and what I want and helping me to achieve those. But now I'm liking having somebody that isn't a part of my company that can really look from outward in. And I think that's been really interesting for me for the first time in all these years to have somebody who's had experience in the industry but can help me grow in ways that I don't think I could have. And that's been another change for me.
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B
Over the past 30 plus years you've seen so much from a macro perspective. I mean, you sort of live through the online Internet boom of the late 90s, early 2000s, the financial crisis of 08 09, the e commerce sort of boom and bust that happened during COVID and then following Covid, what did these various macro level shifts, what sort of impact did they have on the business and what sorts of shifts did you have to make strategically because of them?
[13:59]
A
So it's interesting, some of our businesses like Stitch Fix or Fabfitfun or these people that are so hugely driven by online sales and we brought in extra people, literally, to help assist on keeping up during COVID That is what kept me afloat. Oh, and I started designing masks. That was another crazy thing. We sold masks. I was designing them in India. They were beautiful fabrics. We were, like, doing. And then we also did philanthropic work with it with like extra X amount of masks on. We donated X amount of dollars and then medical grade masks to hospitals all over Pennsylvania. We've always been a bit philanthropic, but being in your own business, I feel like you can't have your back up against a wall because so much is thrown at us. Like, I feel like on a daily basis. And the best thing I can say is the ability to really be able to pivot quickly and then decide on how, okay, this is happening right now. Let me just switch gears quickly and figure out how I can solve this problem. Or maybe we can just try this. But there's a lot of things that also don't work right. So don't get caught up in the things that don't work. Maybe this will work next this time. And the ability to pivot like Covid threw us all for a total loop. We didn't know what was happening. We couldn't leave our houses. I remember going to New York City for my kids. It felt like the apocalypse. There was not one person or car on the street. And we managed to stay relevant by scaling like crazy. All of our businesses that really relied on the D2C and online business. And we were lucky. And then the masks. I stayed relevant to every store in America because they could not get enough masks. We were shipping from this facility. I went down to five people, furloughed the rest, and we were shipping masks all over the country. But when Covid was over, those stores remembered us. It kept us relevant to our stores because we were still there, you know, and that was. That was just really, honestly, that was so lucky. So lucky.
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B
Talk to me about team building and hiring. So over the course of many years, you hired early and you had to sort of move on the fly and bring in resources. Did you get the order of things right? Like, for founders that are listening and thinking about what's the most important first hire that I have to make? Is it somebody that's on the product side? Is it on the sales side? And then how do you. How would you think about it based on your experience?
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A
That's a very good question. I think so. Because I was so tiny and so small, I think the first thing I really worked on was trying to get into New York trade shows. Where I could really be seen by the whole country. That is what really changed my brand. So I think sales was really where I definitely focused first. Those were people that could come with me, be next to me, sell. And at that point, to be honest, we didn't have a fulfillment room. We would come back and we were shipping all these orders when we were just getting started, you know, it. We were doing everything. So it started with sales and then it was shipping. Right. So I had to have sales in order to ship. So for a while, we wore all hats. And then as I continued to grow, I was able to bring on people that can be much more specific. But for me, I think having the sales first is what worked for me personally, you know, and that was a long time ago. I think brands that start now, I get the feeling that maybe they're working more on just D2C or some people are just D2C. Some people never go down the road that I've gone. And now they're like, oh, we're just going to start a brand and we're going to do just direct to consumer. And there's a lot of people that start in that direction right now, and that's obviously very new. You know, that didn't exist before.
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B
What do you make of that? I mean, I would say still, though, there's this evolution or shift toward brand authenticity and trust and understanding, like the mission behind the company and who is the face of that brand. And so for those brands that are coming online for the first time, are going DTC first, I would say that consumers sort of have a much higher bar now and want to know that there is such a story or a mission or. Or an individual that they can relate to. Right. They're not just buying something online anymore. I think that. That this is just the era that we're in.
[18:13]
A
So they want to relate to the founder, you're saying. And I think there's something to be said about that. And it's interesting we're having this discussion now that I should be maybe like on my Instagram more talking to people. And when I do that, we do get a lot of sales resulting in that. Because I do talk about, like, a different collection or what it meant or why I did it, or I do a lot of vintage shopping and I do a lot of collections every season based on some really cool vintage pieces that I found. And I, like, take it. I take components of it, I redesign it. We did this whole collection this season with all the sardines that everybody sees. But Ours were so different and unique because I found this vintage piece in Paris that was all sardines, and I took the piece and I kind of took it apart. And then we added, like, we put it on long beads, we did it on turquoise, and I sort of just created a whole story around it. And when I told that story, we sold so much of that. It does connect them to the brand. I think you're right. I think people are moving more and more in the direction of wanting to know more about founders. And I'm hearing that more and more now from, like, my PR firm. They're finding that people want to hear more of my message. Why we've done something. Why did we design it? Why did you pick those stones? You know, what are the colors for next season? We design that way, right? We know colors. Chocolate brown's gonna be hot for fall. Well, we knew that. So we did a whole Smokey Topaz collection and chocolate brown enamels. And it is fun, I think, to hear. I think it. I think it makes sense. And I think that people wanna know, you know, when they're looking at a collection online. Oh, there. I remember her talking about chocolate brown. Oh, there it is. You know, I like to know that, too. When I have a connection to a brand, I like knowing the founder and what they're saying. Personally.
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B
I mean, you think about it, though, in the age of AI, this sort of makes sense because AI can compete on almost every level with respect to product or content or technology, etc. The one thing that it can't really replicate is someone's personal story or the individual brand trust that can be created between said individual and then the consumer base. So I think that, you know, we're in this sort of era of AI where sort of that brand authenticity or brand equity rises to the forefront of what's really, really important. Because, you know, anybody can spin up a product, company or competitor and then price lower or whatever using these tools, but they're not going to be able to create the brand equity that's been established over 35 years, say, of Marlon Schiff, or understand what. What Marlin's background or story was in the evolution of the brand. That's not replicable.
[20:45]
A
That's very true. And, you know, it's funny, you're talking about some valid points that I think are so true, but yet I haven't been talking about it as much as we are today. It is so creepy, right? Like, we put something into AI and you have this beautiful model with your jewelry on, and you're throwing it, you know, people are using it on Instagram and store. It's. It is really unbelievable how much that has changed in the past year. It's been a year of craziness. There are companies now being founded on just AI driven images. And you know, I have a daughter that is in the influencer marketing world. Well, this thing, these things did not exist. So it's all a crazy new world. And that is interesting because I've been around for so long, you know, how do you not really fight it and you figure out ways to go with the flow and how do you remain relevant and not be angry about change but sort of say this is the way it is, like let's work with it. But I do think you're right. I think that getting the message out to people, staying human, right and having that human element is probably very, very necessary.
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B
My understanding is you still have sales reps, boots on the ground that are visiting with clients, retailers, wholesale partners, day to day. That's a bit of, I would say a non traditional but unique approach to maintaining these relationships. Has it been valuable for you?
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A
That's a very heavy question. So it depends. I would say that as a wholesaler that might be. One of my biggest struggles has been to find partnerships. I've had some partnerships with reps that have lasted a decade, but it's rare and I think if you talk to most people in the industry, we've had reps come and go in all territories. Often every person that I know that's a jewelry designer has been down the same road. But they have also opened up doors at the same time when things are good with that rep. I've gotten into some multi door operations that are huge that I would have never known about or they have a personal relationship with them in that territory. And we don't go to the Midwest, you know, so there have been very important elements of that. But we have a team here and we try to do a lot of follow up and go after the big guys here. And I think that that is something that is better handled here personally to really handle all like all the Nordstrom and all these people that we do business with. Really it's better when you're in these doors to understand every day to day what it is, all the new things, sending them new things every two, three weeks if there's a new drop. A rep would have a hard time keeping up with that part of the business I think. But we have a great rep on the Northeast now and they're great about going door to door, you know, and we can't do all that. Like they're literally taking the things in the car, like an old fashioned rep and going to someone's door. And that's rare now too. I think very few reps in this world still do that.
[23:38]
B
Yeah, the old Mary Kay model or something. I made you myself.
[23:41]
A
But let me tell you something, that works. That works. We get really nice orders from them. I think stores also like to have someone come and visit, you know, but it's all that old fashioned stuff. It does actually work going back to
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B
the real relationship building. So we obviously know you're, you're on Shopify, you're doing the direct to consumer thing. These other online channels, are they also relevant for you? So say TikTok shop or Amazon or Walmart Marketplace. Do you sell in these other channels?
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A
We have a TikTok shop. It's funny, I just brought someone in the summer and she's an intern and her role is to build a TikTok shop properly. We have not focused on that, but it is really big and I think that we would be very good at TikTok Shop. We have also an Amazon shop and no one's focused on that. I'm being totally transparent. We have not focused on that enough. Although I do believe that those two avenues are also really important. And I think that's, you know, something that I haven't gotten on top of enough, but I definitely should. So literally one girl is here for three months and that's one of her only roles here, is to help build a real TikTok shop.
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B
Cool. Let's go back to that earlier statement you made about that historic building acquisition that you recently acquired or moved into. This is your current setup, right. It serves as your headquarters, a boutique, a fulfillment center, a community space, sort of all encompassing. What are some things that you've learned about this sort of setup?
[25:12]
A
First of all, I have my first retail store and that to me has been a true game changer because guess what? I now understand there are days that like really quiet oh, when stores tell you that you're like, oh whatever. But I understand what it's like to be a retailer and how hard it is to be a retailer. By the way, like next week we're having a massive summer soire way with our PR firm inviting all the influencers in the, in the city and step and repeats and, and you know, we're doing a whole event.
[25:42]
B
What is that? Step and repeat. What is that?
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A
That's where influencers stand in front of. And they take pictures, like when you see. So it'll have like a big thing behind us and it'll have all the Marlinchev logos all behind it. They have them at like, bar mitzvahs and wedding. Yeah, it's all that stuff. But we have to go all out of our way here to be, like, stay relevant. And I think when, now that I'm a store, I realize, oh, my gosh, you have to have events here constantly. We're also doing tons of fundraising out of my boutique. So I did use it as a space because as an organization, we do a lot of philanthropic work. I'm able to actually hold events here. Huge events for breast cancer, ovarian cancer, American Heart association for just women. We do a, an SPCA day. And now this fall, I want to do a. An adoption day because we have a garden. It's also fun for the brand to use it not only as just a place for people to walk into, but to have it be more of a community building space. We have a whole charm bar here where people come and build charms. And so I try to make it more of an experience. But now I understand. I would have never thought about all those things. And the pressure that retailers have right now for them to stay relevant, what they have to do. You know, it's different when you just sell somebody, but when you actually have to live it, it is a really, really unique experience. And I totally get it. I get them.
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B
But community building is a, you know, it's. It's very, let's say, buzzy these days. It's trendy. And I think that it does have some very powerful second and third order consequences for the brand because you're not hard selling. You know, there's a difference between saying, you know, Marlon Schiff's got this 20 to 30% off sale happening for invite only or whatever, versus, here's a broader mission, a fundraiser. A specific event tied to a specific cause. Come and join us. Like, that has a different sort of flavor, I would think. A different appeal for people that want to come in.
[27:38]
A
It does. Like, we deal with the organizations themselves, and they also help to coordinate the whole event. So. So everybody associated with that organization. And listen, everybody knows women that have dealt with breast cancer. Like, these are events that people want to give back to and they want to be able to know that we're going to write a check, you know, based on sales. I'm very involved in Jewish Federation. That's also a huge event here in the city of Philadelphia. You know, we do a lot and I just think it's also nice. We're all women here, so we do a lot of women's health, you know, issues. But we have people come and speak. We've had doctors come and speak. We just started with the American Heart association for Women because it's such a silent killer in women because it's usually a male focused disease. And we now have doctors come and speak and people come and tell their personal stories. It's just, it's very. To be honest, it's really rewarding for me to have the space downstairs as part of the building to do philanthropic work and community work.
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B
The whole team is women only. Is that what you said?
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A
Yes.
[28:43]
B
Wow. Is that intentional?
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A
We don't even have a man apply for a job. I'd love to have a man come in. If you know anybody in Philly, that's a man that wants you to tell him to contact me. We don't know why.
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B
Yeah, I may have a few names. So this is not. I must maintain an all female team that. Cause it's women founded or anything. It's not intentional. It just sort of happened organically that way.
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A
It does. I don't know what it is, but it is what it is and it's great. And I'm very proud of everybody we have and you know, we do some fun events together. I make sure we have great dinners and we try to do a lot of team building, but that's not easy. You know, I have to try to keep people together and keep them focused on trying to be positive a lot.
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B
I'll be your next token male consultant that comes and hangs at the events.
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A
Hired.
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B
Nice. We'll take that offline. Okay. As we look ahead into the rest of 2026 and beyond, what are you most excited about for the brand?
[29:37]
A
Every year I try to focus on definite goals that I have. Last year was finally finalizing Nordstrom and HSN or qvc. We landed hsn, so that was great. This year my focus is going to try to be on more like revolve Shop up, finishing up this Blumies conversation that I've been having with them for a year and a half. I think that's happening and continuing to really grow with also smaller boutiques. And there's a lot of boutiques in the country that have multi door operations and trying to figure out we're getting better and better about like there's a big organization in the south called Monkees and they have 68 locations. They're franchises. But trying to get into. How do I get into at least half of them? So I'm, I'm trying to focus on really just growth period and really knowing these accounts and going after them. I feel like I'm trying to focus a lot on sales and seeing how that goes, and I think it'll be fun for us. Oh, you know what? Also, I, I, I love that we're doing this. We're doing a lot of work with, with influencers and doing collaborations with them. So they're designing jewelry with me, and we just launched one last week. Um, and to me, that is so rewarding also because each, each one of them has such different style. But I also think because influencers are such a big thing, it's a really fun way for us to stay relevant with them. But yet they're all excited about doing collaborations with us. So it would be great to find more and more, I think, influencers to do more collaborations with. I think that's been really rewarding also.
[31:13]
B
Hey, let's bring back Cindy Crawford. I'm here for it.
[31:18]
A
That's good. I know. She's, she's, let me tell you. I just, I was at dinner last summer and she was, she and her husband were sitting next to me and she's, she's gorgeous. No words. He is too, by the way. My husband definitely had a hard time concentrating at dinner talking to me.
[31:39]
B
For those who don't know Cindy Crawford, I mean, first of all, get cultured and look up Cindy Crawford. Also one of the most iconic Pepsi commercials of all time. Yeah. That a lot of marketing and branding experts can, can still learn from. So there you go, Marlon. Great conversation. Thanks so much for being here. Really appreciate it, Adam.
[31:58]
A
Hopefully we'll really meet each other in person. This was lovely. Thank you so much for talking to me today.
[32:03]
B
Would love that. That's Marlon Schiff, founder of Marlon Schiff Jewelry. Shopify Masters is produced by Alicia Clark, Hyacinth Parker and Schwang Esther Shan. Our engineers are Matt Schwartz and Miku Bedlam. And Rachel Reich is our senior content lead. And I'm your host, Adam Lavinter. Come back every Tuesday and Thursday to catch a brand new episode of Shopify Masters. And be sure to check out our YouTube channel for those video interviews. Until next time, thanks for listening.

Summary6 min read

Podcast Summary: Shopify Masters
Episode: How Marlyn Schiff Built a 2,000-Store Jewelry Brand By Selling Passion, Not Pressure
Host: Adam Lavinter (B) | Guest: Marlyn Schiff (A)
Release Date: July 16, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode, host Adam Lavinter sits down with Marlyn Schiff, founder of the eponymous jewelry brand now carried in 2,000 stores nationwide. Marlyn shares her journey from designing jewelry at her Manhattan kitchen table to scaling a multi-million-dollar business—all by “selling passion, not pressure.” The conversation explores her early breaks, the evolution of her team, surviving industry upheaval, and leading with community and authenticity in a fast-changing retail landscape.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Origins: From Hobby to Brand

Started by Accident:
Marlyn began creating jewelry as a side project while working in the fashion industry, making pieces for herself that others noticed and requested (01:06).
Organic Growth:
“I think in a lot of ways, it's good to be young and naive at that point... It just sort of was luck... Each little step at a time, and now here I am.” (A, 01:58–03:59)

2. The Power of Passion Over Pressure

Sales Style:
Marlyn emphasizes the value of authentic enthusiasm over hard-selling:
“I never push people. That's not my style. I think it's just about showing them what you do and what you love and then allowing them to follow suit with what suits them.” (A, 04:09)
Passion as Selling Point:
“When you're passionate about something, people can buy into it no matter what you do.” (A, 00:00; 04:09)

3. Key Breakthroughs: Early Retail & Celebrity Collabs

Media Exposure:
Early boosts came from celebrities and TV:
- Cindy Crawford wore her pieces on House of Style (A, 02:44)
- Jewelry featured on Sex and the City (A, 02:44)
Networking Lessons:
"In life it's all about sort of networking... The more you talk about what you love doing, people are like, well, I know somebody there." (A, 02:44–03:59)

4. Scaling Up: Team, Structure & Wholesale

Hiring to Grow:
Progression from solo to a tight-knit, primarily female team in Philadelphia. Some team members have remained for 17+ years (A, 07:54).
Direct Control over Fulfillment:
Marlyn keeps all order fulfillment in-house, citing better quality control and avoidance of chargebacks (A, 08:37; 10:25).

5. D2C Evolution & Digital Transformation

Late E-Commerce Focus:
Only after COVID-19 did Marlyn seriously invest in D2C, ads, influencer partnerships, and a new website (A, 11:14).
Role Specialization:
Each staff member has a defined role; Marlyn brought in outside consultants for an objective view (A, 12:23).

6. Navigating Economic & Technological Change

Adaptation in Crisis:
COVID prompted rapid product pivots (designer masks), philanthropic efforts, and reliance on D2C channels to stay relevant (A, 13:58).
Resilience & Agility:
“The best thing I can say is the ability to really be able to pivot quickly... There's a lot of things that also don't work right. So don't get caught up in the things that don't work.” (A, 13:58)

7. Building Community & Brand Authenticity

Founder Story as Asset:
Marlyn learned that sharing the story behind collections fosters customer connection and drives sales (A, 18:13).
Uniqueness in AI Era:
"Anybody can spin up a product... but they're not going to be able to create the brand equity that's been established over 35 years." (B, 19:52)
Events & Community Focus:
Leveraged new retail space for customer events, fundraisers, and philanthropic work, making the store a “community building space” (A, 25:12).

8. Wholesale & Sales Strategies

Sales Reps & Relationships:
Maintaining personal, boots-on-the-ground sales reps—“literally taking the things in the car, like an old fashioned rep and going to someone's door.” (A, 22:05–23:38)
Channel Expansion:
Marlyn is cautiously entering new digital sales platforms like TikTok Shop and Amazon, recognizing their growth potential (A, 24:10).

9. Future Growth & Collaboration

2026 Goals:
Expanding within multi-door boutiques, Bloomingdale’s, and fostering influencer collaborations where guest designers co-create collections (A, 29:36).
Influencer Collaborations:
“They're designing jewelry with me, and we just launched one last week. It is really rewarding... It helps us stay relevant.” (A, 29:36)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On why passion matters in selling:
“Having the ability to design and sell was key for me because I was able to talk about what I loved. And I think when you're passionate about something, people can buy into it no matter what you do.”
(A, 00:00)
On networking and early luck:
“In life it’s all about networking... The more you sort of talk about what you love doing, people are like, well, I know somebody there.”
(A, 02:44)
On adapting during crises:
“The best thing I can say is the ability to really be able to pivot quickly... Let me just switch gears quickly and figure out how I can solve this problem.”
(A, 13:58)
On personal storytelling and consumer connection:
“When I told that story, we sold so much of that. It does connect them to the brand... I like knowing the founder and what they're saying. Personally.”
(A, 18:13)
On authenticity in the age of AI:
“Anybody can spin up a product, company or competitor and then price lower or whatever using these tools, but they're not going to be able to create the brand equity that's been established over 35 years...”
(B, 19:52)
On the all-female team:
“We don't even have a man apply for a job. I'd love to have a man come in... It's not intentional. It just sort of happened organically that way.”
(A, 28:42)

Timestamps for Key Segments

[00:00] Marlyn’s philosophy: Selling passion, not pressure
[01:06] Backstory: How her jewelry brand began by accident
[02:44] Breakthrough moments: Cindy Crawford, Sex and the City
[04:09] Approach to selling vs. design—authentic sales advice
[07:54] Team growth and long-term employees
[08:37] Commitment to in-house fulfillment
[11:14] Pivot to D2C and digital channels post-COVID
[13:58] Responding to macro shifts, COVID pivots, mask design
[16:25] Early-stage hiring priorities and founder advice
[18:13] Storytelling as a growth tool; responding to consumer demand for founder connection
[19:52] Brand equity vs. AI-generated businesses
[22:05] Maintaining traditional sales reps and their impact
[24:10] Exploring TikTok Shop, Amazon, and emerging channels
[25:12] The new HQ: Boutique, events, and building community
[28:42] All-female team, not by design but organically
[29:36] 2026 and beyond: Priorities, new partnerships, influencer co-designs

Tone & Style

The conversation is candid, upbeat, and filled with practical wisdom. Marlyn brings warmth and honesty—often crediting her luck, resilience, and the importance of human connections. Adam steers the dialogue to uncover actionable insights, while infusing a conversational, supportive tone.

Key Takeaways for Entrepreneurs

Authenticity outperforms aggressive selling—lead with genuine enthusiasm.
Network and tell your story—the right relationships come from sharing your passion.
Growing a team is about organic fit and shared values, not just skills.
In D2C and retail, founder visibility and narrative are major growth drivers.
Be nimble and open to pivots—crises can be brand-defining opportunities.
Community building and philanthropy aren't just “nice to have”—they create staying power.

For listeners seeking a blueprint for growing a brand with soul—and staying resilient in a changing market—this episode is full of actionable inspiration from a founder who’s seen (and adapted to) it all.

Loading summary

Transcript68 lines

[00:00]
A
Having the ability to design and sell was key for me because I was able to talk about what I loved. And I think when you're passionate about something, people can buy into it no matter what you do.
[00:13]
B
Welcome to Shopify Masters, your companion for starting and building a business. I'm your host, Adam Lavinter. In an industry crowded with trends and fast fashion, building a jewelry brand with real staying power takes more than good design. It takes decades of reinvention. Marlon Schiff did exactly that.
[00:30]
A
I have my first retail store, and that, to me, has been a true game changer.
[00:34]
B
Starting at her kitchen table in Manhattan at only 24 years old, she turned a lunchtime jewelry making hobby into a seven figure business. Now carried in 2,000 stores nationwide, we
[00:45]
A
managed to stay relevant by scaling like crazy.
[00:50]
B
Today, Marlon joins me to talk about growing through wholesale partnerships, building the right team around you, and using business as a force for good. Marlon, welcome to the show.
[00:59]
A
Thank you, Adam. Thanks for having me. I'm excited to be here.
[01:02]
B
Yeah, for sure. So you've been at this quite a while. You started at your kitchen table, what, over 30 years ago?
[01:07]
A
It's very hard to admit. I'm going to say admit, but yes, I did. It was just truly by chance that it happened. I was working in the fashion industry at the time. I was already working for different designers. And, you know, I would go out on a pretty day, go buy beads, start making them, and it was just very organic, really. I would wear my things in the showroom. Many stores started, you know, complimenting them. People that worked for the different designers that I had been with asked if they could also have things made. And it just sort of happened. I mean, one store said to me, have you ever thought about actually wholesaling? And I was like, absolutely not. And she said, well, I'd like you to make those things for me.
[01:50]
B
Wow. So are. Are you doing this as a hobby, as a side hustle, because you're interested in this, or did you have any intention to start a business at the time?
[01:59]
A
I definitely had no intention of starting it at the time. I think in a lot of ways, it's good to be young and naive at that point. I was in Manhattan and I started to get some press. Like, I had friends in New York that were working in TV and they were getting people that were in their networks wearing it. It just sort of was luck. And listen, I think it's also a little drive, you know, I was like, into it and I loved what I was doing, but I just decided I was so young, I had nothing to lose, and at 24, went out on my own.
[02:29]
B
And in your first year, you had some pretty big successes, right? You were carried in some retailers very early. Some of your stuff was even worn by Cindy Crawford, who a lot of listeners will know, but some will not know. But what does that partnership bring to the table?
[02:45]
A
Cindy Crawford was on MTV and had her own show called House of Style. And I had a friend who was one of the producers there. And so she said, like, just give me some pieces and let's see what happens. And I got very lucky because she started wearing my things constantly on air. And so that was really fun. When I was in New York, things actually, was I just moving back to Philly then maybe when I also knew somebody who was one of the producers at Sex and the City. And she said, just send me a bunch of pieces. I'll throw it in the closet and see if they pick it. And they all started wearing it on Sex and the City. And I got very lucky at that time that just, you know, in life it's all about sort of networking. And if you know people that are working in different industries or things that can help you, it's about constantly sort of talking about what you do. And I feel like I've tried to tell my children that. Now. I think it's a lesson to be learned because the more you sort of talk about what you love doing, people are like, well, I know somebody there. Let me see what I can do. And I think it just was something that I did start by accident, but ended up through all the years very organically, growing slowly, each little step at a time, and now here I am.
[04:00]
B
That's interesting that you mentioned that. So why do you think that is that a lot of founders have trouble selling themselves or talking about what they do? Like, where does that come from?
[04:09]
A
Are we maybe just born with it? I don't know. Like, I think I am sort of a natural born salesperson. And I think a lot of designers, you have to be both. You can design, but if you also can't really sell unless you can find people that can just do all of that for you. And you can be behind the scenes, great. But I think having the ability to design and sell was key for me because I was able to talk about what I loved. And I think when you're passionate about something, people. People can buy into it no matter what you do. So I wasn't ever like a salesy person. I don't think I'm ever aggressive like Even now, so many years later, people are in the New York shows and we're dealing with big stores. I never push people. That's not my style. I think it's just about showing them what you do and what you love and then allowing them to follow suit with what suits them. And that to me is a better approach for me at least, because it also allows them to have more success because they're also buying into what they love. Not what you're telling them, but buying into your passion about what you're doing and the reason why you designed a collection that season or you know, the meaning behind it.
[05:17]
B
So was Neiman Marcus the first retailer that you partner with?
[05:20]
A
Wasn't the first retailer because I was at that point selling to a lot of smaller stores. But it happened because they walked into my New York City booth and fell in love what they saw. And I was at that point, honestly, catalog business with them was massive. And they ended up getting a few styles that really hit and they had to reorder them like 10, 12 times over. And it was just this constant flow of business. It was really great. And then it ended up being that I have a lower price point. We pride ourselves on being like the 150 and under sort of price point, which is what we're doing very well with right now at Nordstrom. But I got lucky because at that point, now Nordstrom's now taken that away. They did have a whole section that was my price point. And I ended up getting into the stores because of that.
[06:08]
B
So talk to me about how you scale this. So it's one thing to sort of design and curate for small boutiques. It's another thing to design so that sufficient for say a Neiman Marcus big purchase order distribution into multiple door fronts. Like how does that happen for you?
[06:26]
A
I slowly started hiring people. You know, as I grew, I realized I needed to have people that helped me. We moved at that point from New York City where I was living in this little apartment and shipping boxes myself at night. It was crazy to coming down to Philadelphia. My husband at that point had gotten into business school here and we came down and relocated and I was able to get a bigger apartment and have a whole room dedicated to doing this. Once that happened and we went through those years, I had one person always with me. I got an office space and then I got a bigger office space. And now we just purchased this not big, but mighty three story building that is where we are now housed. So each step of the way, I think as it was needed I moved into a spot and was able to bring in the right amount of people. And right now we're trying to really grow, like D2C business. And we've gotten more people involved with that. And I think as we keep moving in different directions, we're kind of good at trying to bring in people that can fit that equation for us or help us grow or help us get to New York shows and sell. And we just met, you know, with Bloomingdale's last week and that went great. That was really good. And we might start doing business with them, whether it's private label and I start designing for Aqua or whatever else it might be. We're in discussions, but we've had some great people and I'm very fortunate that some people have stayed with me. I've got some people in the building that have been with me for 17 years.
[07:55]
B
Wow. So did they start, like, did they start on the product side? Did they. Were they selling?
[08:00]
A
They're not one. One woman is here that's been selling and helping me. She's my right hand person. She's my design assistant. She's been with me for ten and a half years, which is unbelievable. Named Nicole and Patty and Rochelle, who have been here for like 17, 18 years, have been in the fulfillment. So they've always been here running the fulfillment room. And we do all the shipping out of here also, which is not necessarily normal, right?
[08:25]
B
That's not necessarily the norm. But obviously there's a reason that you do it. It has its advantages with respect to control and oversight, quality, things like that. Why have you not outsourced to date?
[08:37]
A
You know, it's funny, I don't know. I thought. I thought about it. A lot of people I know obviously that do that. I have a mixed bag of designers that are jewelry designers that do a little of both. There's a lot of either sometimes shortage or packages not being fulfilled properly, damages that aren't being packed properly. And even when we do an order like for stitch fix or yesterday, we just sent out 10,000 units to this company called Cobby, which is a newer account. For us it was a palette, but it was packed here properly. It was all labeled. Here it came. My team here, we end up having like 95% success rate in all of our shipping. So so far it's okay. I don't know if it'll ever change at this point. We're so far along, but even out of the small space, we're shipping everyday boxes, of course, and web orders and everything else, but We've been able to ship some very large quantities out of here as well. Like when I'm going to be on HSN with that comes here and gets shipped there and that's massive amounts of inventory. But we end up getting 100% and we don't get any chargebacks. Shipping properly is such a big deal. And a lot of those kind of companies give you a lot of chargebacks if things are not done well. So I don't know. So far we seem to be down this road and I don't seem to be going back. So I don't know.
[10:00]
B
Yeah, just for listeners that don't understand the difference between chargebacks and refunds. So refunds, it's sort of an everyday cost of doing business. You're unhappy with a product, you return it to the point of sale, you get a refund. A chargeback is an unhappy customer that looks at their credit card statement and charges back through the card issuing bank. And that's actually a black eye on the merchant record. Um, and that can affect your processing. So that's fantastic that you've had no chargebacks to date. Yeah.
[10:26]
A
And also in our industry, you know, chargebacks often can be given to someone like a manufacturer if the company, the receiving company will say xxx like these things were not done properly. So it's up to us then and we're deciding we're going to charge you back but because I think we're able to really check every little check and balance here. We have proof, we take pictures, there's proof that like this is how we've done it. So you're wrong. You know, I think there's something to be said for that for sure.
[10:56]
B
Okay, so you mentioned these various retail partnerships, wholesaling to different outfits. You venture into D2C at some point, into online commerce at some point. Let's talk about that. So what was the evolution into direct to consumer and how has E commerce helped the business grow over time?
[11:15]
A
I think we all know how much it's changed since COVID I mean I think that that has really scaled that business. It's funny, that's the one area that I didn't focus enough on that during the beginning of COVID And for the past few years we have finally we're bringing in other companies, we just redid a website, we are hiring people that are very good at scaling that. We're paying a little bit extra, we're putting more money into ads, we're learning how to do it better and we are seeing results. So you Know, I think that that's obviously very relevant right now and you have to be really on top of it. And we are trying more and more right now to really grow that part of the business through influencers and whatever else we're doing.
[11:56]
B
Yeah, I mean, speaking of influencers, the partnership with Cindy Crawford could have been the very first celebrity collab ever, ever done.
[12:03]
A
Right.
[12:04]
B
You could have been a trailblazer for all things influencer. Who knows?
[12:08]
A
That's right. That's really funny. So true.
[12:11]
B
So with respect to online commerce, has it been successful and how do you measure the sort of quality of that? Channel versus wholesale versus retail versus boutique versus other acquisition channels.
[12:24]
A
We have very specific people here that have their lane and that's how I have to do it as a founder. I wasn't as good at that until about 10 years ago. And now I feel like everybody is hired for a certain position. And listen, we are a small company. In small companies you do a little of everything. Of course, if people need help doing different things, we other people have to jump in and help. But it's very good that we have a head of social media who also happens to be really an expert and she's done a ton of work on ads and ad spend and so she's running that. And I'm seeing results. And I think it's really good that I brought a consultant into the business a year and a half ago who's also really helping me stay focused on my growth and what I want and helping me to achieve those. But now I'm liking having somebody that isn't a part of my company that can really look from outward in. And I think that's been really interesting for me for the first time in all these years to have somebody who's had experience in the industry but can help me grow in ways that I don't think I could have. And that's been another change for me.
[13:28]
B
Over the past 30 plus years you've seen so much from a macro perspective. I mean, you sort of live through the online Internet boom of the late 90s, early 2000s, the financial crisis of 08 09, the e commerce sort of boom and bust that happened during COVID and then following Covid, what did these various macro level shifts, what sort of impact did they have on the business and what sorts of shifts did you have to make strategically because of them?
[13:59]
A
So it's interesting, some of our businesses like Stitch Fix or Fabfitfun or these people that are so hugely driven by online sales and we brought in extra people, literally, to help assist on keeping up during COVID That is what kept me afloat. Oh, and I started designing masks. That was another crazy thing. We sold masks. I was designing them in India. They were beautiful fabrics. We were, like, doing. And then we also did philanthropic work with it with like extra X amount of masks on. We donated X amount of dollars and then medical grade masks to hospitals all over Pennsylvania. We've always been a bit philanthropic, but being in your own business, I feel like you can't have your back up against a wall because so much is thrown at us. Like, I feel like on a daily basis. And the best thing I can say is the ability to really be able to pivot quickly and then decide on how, okay, this is happening right now. Let me just switch gears quickly and figure out how I can solve this problem. Or maybe we can just try this. But there's a lot of things that also don't work right. So don't get caught up in the things that don't work. Maybe this will work next this time. And the ability to pivot like Covid threw us all for a total loop. We didn't know what was happening. We couldn't leave our houses. I remember going to New York City for my kids. It felt like the apocalypse. There was not one person or car on the street. And we managed to stay relevant by scaling like crazy. All of our businesses that really relied on the D2C and online business. And we were lucky. And then the masks. I stayed relevant to every store in America because they could not get enough masks. We were shipping from this facility. I went down to five people, furloughed the rest, and we were shipping masks all over the country. But when Covid was over, those stores remembered us. It kept us relevant to our stores because we were still there, you know, and that was. That was just really, honestly, that was so lucky. So lucky.
[16:02]
B
Talk to me about team building and hiring. So over the course of many years, you hired early and you had to sort of move on the fly and bring in resources. Did you get the order of things right? Like, for founders that are listening and thinking about what's the most important first hire that I have to make? Is it somebody that's on the product side? Is it on the sales side? And then how do you. How would you think about it based on your experience?
[16:25]
A
That's a very good question. I think so. Because I was so tiny and so small, I think the first thing I really worked on was trying to get into New York trade shows. Where I could really be seen by the whole country. That is what really changed my brand. So I think sales was really where I definitely focused first. Those were people that could come with me, be next to me, sell. And at that point, to be honest, we didn't have a fulfillment room. We would come back and we were shipping all these orders when we were just getting started, you know, it. We were doing everything. So it started with sales and then it was shipping. Right. So I had to have sales in order to ship. So for a while, we wore all hats. And then as I continued to grow, I was able to bring on people that can be much more specific. But for me, I think having the sales first is what worked for me personally, you know, and that was a long time ago. I think brands that start now, I get the feeling that maybe they're working more on just D2C or some people are just D2C. Some people never go down the road that I've gone. And now they're like, oh, we're just going to start a brand and we're going to do just direct to consumer. And there's a lot of people that start in that direction right now, and that's obviously very new. You know, that didn't exist before.
[17:40]
B
What do you make of that? I mean, I would say still, though, there's this evolution or shift toward brand authenticity and trust and understanding, like the mission behind the company and who is the face of that brand. And so for those brands that are coming online for the first time, are going DTC first, I would say that consumers sort of have a much higher bar now and want to know that there is such a story or a mission or. Or an individual that they can relate to. Right. They're not just buying something online anymore. I think that. That this is just the era that we're in.
[18:13]
A
So they want to relate to the founder, you're saying. And I think there's something to be said about that. And it's interesting we're having this discussion now that I should be maybe like on my Instagram more talking to people. And when I do that, we do get a lot of sales resulting in that. Because I do talk about, like, a different collection or what it meant or why I did it, or I do a lot of vintage shopping and I do a lot of collections every season based on some really cool vintage pieces that I found. And I, like, take it. I take components of it, I redesign it. We did this whole collection this season with all the sardines that everybody sees. But Ours were so different and unique because I found this vintage piece in Paris that was all sardines, and I took the piece and I kind of took it apart. And then we added, like, we put it on long beads, we did it on turquoise, and I sort of just created a whole story around it. And when I told that story, we sold so much of that. It does connect them to the brand. I think you're right. I think people are moving more and more in the direction of wanting to know more about founders. And I'm hearing that more and more now from, like, my PR firm. They're finding that people want to hear more of my message. Why we've done something. Why did we design it? Why did you pick those stones? You know, what are the colors for next season? We design that way, right? We know colors. Chocolate brown's gonna be hot for fall. Well, we knew that. So we did a whole Smokey Topaz collection and chocolate brown enamels. And it is fun, I think, to hear. I think it. I think it makes sense. And I think that people wanna know, you know, when they're looking at a collection online. Oh, there. I remember her talking about chocolate brown. Oh, there it is. You know, I like to know that, too. When I have a connection to a brand, I like knowing the founder and what they're saying. Personally.
[19:53]
B
I mean, you think about it, though, in the age of AI, this sort of makes sense because AI can compete on almost every level with respect to product or content or technology, etc. The one thing that it can't really replicate is someone's personal story or the individual brand trust that can be created between said individual and then the consumer base. So I think that, you know, we're in this sort of era of AI where sort of that brand authenticity or brand equity rises to the forefront of what's really, really important. Because, you know, anybody can spin up a product, company or competitor and then price lower or whatever using these tools, but they're not going to be able to create the brand equity that's been established over 35 years, say, of Marlon Schiff, or understand what. What Marlin's background or story was in the evolution of the brand. That's not replicable.
[20:45]
A
That's very true. And, you know, it's funny, you're talking about some valid points that I think are so true, but yet I haven't been talking about it as much as we are today. It is so creepy, right? Like, we put something into AI and you have this beautiful model with your jewelry on, and you're throwing it, you know, people are using it on Instagram and store. It's. It is really unbelievable how much that has changed in the past year. It's been a year of craziness. There are companies now being founded on just AI driven images. And you know, I have a daughter that is in the influencer marketing world. Well, this thing, these things did not exist. So it's all a crazy new world. And that is interesting because I've been around for so long, you know, how do you not really fight it and you figure out ways to go with the flow and how do you remain relevant and not be angry about change but sort of say this is the way it is, like let's work with it. But I do think you're right. I think that getting the message out to people, staying human, right and having that human element is probably very, very necessary.
[21:50]
B
My understanding is you still have sales reps, boots on the ground that are visiting with clients, retailers, wholesale partners, day to day. That's a bit of, I would say a non traditional but unique approach to maintaining these relationships. Has it been valuable for you?
[22:06]
A
That's a very heavy question. So it depends. I would say that as a wholesaler that might be. One of my biggest struggles has been to find partnerships. I've had some partnerships with reps that have lasted a decade, but it's rare and I think if you talk to most people in the industry, we've had reps come and go in all territories. Often every person that I know that's a jewelry designer has been down the same road. But they have also opened up doors at the same time when things are good with that rep. I've gotten into some multi door operations that are huge that I would have never known about or they have a personal relationship with them in that territory. And we don't go to the Midwest, you know, so there have been very important elements of that. But we have a team here and we try to do a lot of follow up and go after the big guys here. And I think that that is something that is better handled here personally to really handle all like all the Nordstrom and all these people that we do business with. Really it's better when you're in these doors to understand every day to day what it is, all the new things, sending them new things every two, three weeks if there's a new drop. A rep would have a hard time keeping up with that part of the business I think. But we have a great rep on the Northeast now and they're great about going door to door, you know, and we can't do all that. Like they're literally taking the things in the car, like an old fashioned rep and going to someone's door. And that's rare now too. I think very few reps in this world still do that.
[23:38]
B
Yeah, the old Mary Kay model or something. I made you myself.
[23:41]
A
But let me tell you something, that works. That works. We get really nice orders from them. I think stores also like to have someone come and visit, you know, but it's all that old fashioned stuff. It does actually work going back to
[23:53]
B
the real relationship building. So we obviously know you're, you're on Shopify, you're doing the direct to consumer thing. These other online channels, are they also relevant for you? So say TikTok shop or Amazon or Walmart Marketplace. Do you sell in these other channels?
[24:11]
A
We have a TikTok shop. It's funny, I just brought someone in the summer and she's an intern and her role is to build a TikTok shop properly. We have not focused on that, but it is really big and I think that we would be very good at TikTok Shop. We have also an Amazon shop and no one's focused on that. I'm being totally transparent. We have not focused on that enough. Although I do believe that those two avenues are also really important. And I think that's, you know, something that I haven't gotten on top of enough, but I definitely should. So literally one girl is here for three months and that's one of her only roles here, is to help build a real TikTok shop.
[24:52]
B
Cool. Let's go back to that earlier statement you made about that historic building acquisition that you recently acquired or moved into. This is your current setup, right. It serves as your headquarters, a boutique, a fulfillment center, a community space, sort of all encompassing. What are some things that you've learned about this sort of setup?
[25:12]
A
First of all, I have my first retail store and that to me has been a true game changer because guess what? I now understand there are days that like really quiet oh, when stores tell you that you're like, oh whatever. But I understand what it's like to be a retailer and how hard it is to be a retailer. By the way, like next week we're having a massive summer soire way with our PR firm inviting all the influencers in the, in the city and step and repeats and, and you know, we're doing a whole event.
[25:42]
B
What is that? Step and repeat. What is that?
[25:44]
A
That's where influencers stand in front of. And they take pictures, like when you see. So it'll have like a big thing behind us and it'll have all the Marlinchev logos all behind it. They have them at like, bar mitzvahs and wedding. Yeah, it's all that stuff. But we have to go all out of our way here to be, like, stay relevant. And I think when, now that I'm a store, I realize, oh, my gosh, you have to have events here constantly. We're also doing tons of fundraising out of my boutique. So I did use it as a space because as an organization, we do a lot of philanthropic work. I'm able to actually hold events here. Huge events for breast cancer, ovarian cancer, American Heart association for just women. We do a, an SPCA day. And now this fall, I want to do a. An adoption day because we have a garden. It's also fun for the brand to use it not only as just a place for people to walk into, but to have it be more of a community building space. We have a whole charm bar here where people come and build charms. And so I try to make it more of an experience. But now I understand. I would have never thought about all those things. And the pressure that retailers have right now for them to stay relevant, what they have to do. You know, it's different when you just sell somebody, but when you actually have to live it, it is a really, really unique experience. And I totally get it. I get them.
[27:05]
B
But community building is a, you know, it's. It's very, let's say, buzzy these days. It's trendy. And I think that it does have some very powerful second and third order consequences for the brand because you're not hard selling. You know, there's a difference between saying, you know, Marlon Schiff's got this 20 to 30% off sale happening for invite only or whatever, versus, here's a broader mission, a fundraiser. A specific event tied to a specific cause. Come and join us. Like, that has a different sort of flavor, I would think. A different appeal for people that want to come in.
[27:38]
A
It does. Like, we deal with the organizations themselves, and they also help to coordinate the whole event. So. So everybody associated with that organization. And listen, everybody knows women that have dealt with breast cancer. Like, these are events that people want to give back to and they want to be able to know that we're going to write a check, you know, based on sales. I'm very involved in Jewish Federation. That's also a huge event here in the city of Philadelphia. You know, we do a lot and I just think it's also nice. We're all women here, so we do a lot of women's health, you know, issues. But we have people come and speak. We've had doctors come and speak. We just started with the American Heart association for Women because it's such a silent killer in women because it's usually a male focused disease. And we now have doctors come and speak and people come and tell their personal stories. It's just, it's very. To be honest, it's really rewarding for me to have the space downstairs as part of the building to do philanthropic work and community work.
[28:40]
B
The whole team is women only. Is that what you said?
[28:43]
A
Yes.
[28:43]
B
Wow. Is that intentional?
[28:45]
A
We don't even have a man apply for a job. I'd love to have a man come in. If you know anybody in Philly, that's a man that wants you to tell him to contact me. We don't know why.
[28:56]
B
Yeah, I may have a few names. So this is not. I must maintain an all female team that. Cause it's women founded or anything. It's not intentional. It just sort of happened organically that way.
[29:06]
A
It does. I don't know what it is, but it is what it is and it's great. And I'm very proud of everybody we have and you know, we do some fun events together. I make sure we have great dinners and we try to do a lot of team building, but that's not easy. You know, I have to try to keep people together and keep them focused on trying to be positive a lot.
[29:23]
B
I'll be your next token male consultant that comes and hangs at the events.
[29:27]
A
Hired.
[29:28]
B
Nice. We'll take that offline. Okay. As we look ahead into the rest of 2026 and beyond, what are you most excited about for the brand?
[29:37]
A
Every year I try to focus on definite goals that I have. Last year was finally finalizing Nordstrom and HSN or qvc. We landed hsn, so that was great. This year my focus is going to try to be on more like revolve Shop up, finishing up this Blumies conversation that I've been having with them for a year and a half. I think that's happening and continuing to really grow with also smaller boutiques. And there's a lot of boutiques in the country that have multi door operations and trying to figure out we're getting better and better about like there's a big organization in the south called Monkees and they have 68 locations. They're franchises. But trying to get into. How do I get into at least half of them? So I'm, I'm trying to focus on really just growth period and really knowing these accounts and going after them. I feel like I'm trying to focus a lot on sales and seeing how that goes, and I think it'll be fun for us. Oh, you know what? Also, I, I, I love that we're doing this. We're doing a lot of work with, with influencers and doing collaborations with them. So they're designing jewelry with me, and we just launched one last week. Um, and to me, that is so rewarding also because each, each one of them has such different style. But I also think because influencers are such a big thing, it's a really fun way for us to stay relevant with them. But yet they're all excited about doing collaborations with us. So it would be great to find more and more, I think, influencers to do more collaborations with. I think that's been really rewarding also.
[31:13]
B
Hey, let's bring back Cindy Crawford. I'm here for it.
[31:18]
A
That's good. I know. She's, she's, let me tell you. I just, I was at dinner last summer and she was, she and her husband were sitting next to me and she's, she's gorgeous. No words. He is too, by the way. My husband definitely had a hard time concentrating at dinner talking to me.
[31:39]
B
For those who don't know Cindy Crawford, I mean, first of all, get cultured and look up Cindy Crawford. Also one of the most iconic Pepsi commercials of all time. Yeah. That a lot of marketing and branding experts can, can still learn from. So there you go, Marlon. Great conversation. Thanks so much for being here. Really appreciate it, Adam.
[31:58]
A
Hopefully we'll really meet each other in person. This was lovely. Thank you so much for talking to me today.
[32:03]
B
Would love that. That's Marlon Schiff, founder of Marlon Schiff Jewelry. Shopify Masters is produced by Alicia Clark, Hyacinth Parker and Schwang Esther Shan. Our engineers are Matt Schwartz and Miku Bedlam. And Rachel Reich is our senior content lead. And I'm your host, Adam Lavinter. Come back every Tuesday and Thursday to catch a brand new episode of Shopify Masters. And be sure to check out our YouTube channel for those video interviews. Until next time, thanks for listening.