Shopify Masters Podcast Summary

Episode Title: How This Jewelry Brand Charmed Its Way to $20 Million
Release Date: February 26, 2026
Host: Serena Smith
Guest: Curry Haggerty – Partner & CEO, Heart

Episode Overview

In this episode, Serena Smith sits down with Curry Haggerty, CEO and partner at Heart, a Southern-rooted custom jewelry brand that has rapidly scaled from a boutique studio into a $20 million business. Curry discusses building a values-driven team, the dynamics of a sister-led company, retail expansion, evolving from CEO-by-default to intentional leadership, and creating enduring customer connections in the process of growth.

Key Topics & Insights

1. From Boutique to Boom: Brand Origins and Family Partnership

• Background: Heart was founded by Curry’s sister in 2016, initially known for viral tassel earrings before pivoting to customizable charm jewelry in 2019. Curry joined in 2020 at a pivotal pandemic moment.
  • “My dad had always given both Hart and myself the advice that if you can be your own boss, find a way to do that.” (01:20)
• COVID's Impact: Purchases became more intentional; modern heirlooms like charm necklaces resonated as meaningful, everyday luxury.
  • “During COVID people were wearing a lot of jeans and T shirts, and then they could just put on a necklace that had a lot of meaning and intention." (02:35)

2. The Power—and Challenge—of a Family Business

• Distinct Roles & Complementarity: Curry leads as systems-focused CEO; Hart drives creative direction.
  • "Hart likes to think of herself as Dennis Rodman and then myself as Michael Jordan… She’s just fun and can show up and have wild style… here I am getting up at 6am for practice." (06:20)
• Navigating Differences: Respecting each other’s “operating manual” leads to aligned outcomes and productive collaboration.
• Advice: Understand and support the different ways your partner operates for smoother growth.
  • “Part of being successful is just knowing each other's operating manuals." (04:48)

3. Scaling Up: Building a Structure for Growth

• Astronomical Growth: Revenue exploded from $100K/year to $20 million projected for 2026.
• Key Inflection Point: Both founders were bottlenecks; needed to delegate, hire, and build strong SOPs.
  • "We physically had to get out of the way and delegate certain jobs so that we could grow." (09:17)
• Team Evolution: From 3 people at a dining table to over 100 employees today.
  • “We are so proud. Today we have over 100 employees.” (15:19)

4. People First: Hiring for Values, Not Just Skills

• What They Hire For: Curiosity, integrity, respect, and proactivity–not just retail or e-commerce experience.
  • "You can train everybody on… systems and SOPs… but you can't teach a lot of those values and you can't teach emotional intelligence." (11:39)
• Homegrown Leadership: Many senior team members rose from entry-level roles.
  • “Our director of operations started as a manager and she's now leading a team of 30 people.” (13:09)
• Early Mistake: Overloading staff with multi-hyphen roles; refining job descriptions allowed for better hires.
  • “We needed a one size fits most applicant… Now, job descriptions have become a lot tighter.” (16:13)

5. Maintaining Close Customer Connection at Scale

• Brand Promise: Centering the customer's own story—the jewelry is a vessel for self-expression and personal evolution.
  • "How we measure success is how we made the customer feel." (11:57)
• Customer Journey: Many customers start their collection and add charms over major life milestones.

6. Expansion: Retail as a Growth Driver

• Retail’s Unexpected Power: Opening brick-and-mortar locations, starting with Charleston, proved pivotal.
  • “Retail may outpace e-commerce this year. We're really bullish and it also has the halo effect." (19:34)
• Celebrity Boost: Gigi Hadid and Taylor Swift were spotted wearing Heart's jewelry, spiking awareness and sales.
  • “Gigi Hadid came to our Charleston store…and she was photographed wearing her charm necklace with Taylor Swift. That was a total like ‘I'm dead’ moment." (19:44)
• Flexible Store Models: Gradual steps from pop-ups to trunk shows to short-term leases and retail incubators.
  • "The first phase is local events… The second is trunk shows… and the third is these short-term leases." (21:15)
• Market Adaptation: Adjusting collections and merchandising city by city.
  • "The Charleston woman loves to get dressed up… The New York woman loves the gemstone collection." (24:06)

7. Leadership Evolution: CEO with Purpose

• Earning the Title: Curry took the CEO role seriously, waiting for a key scaling milestone.
  • “It felt right as soon as we signed a 5,000 square foot lease for our headquarters and fulfillment.” (24:52)
• Working On vs. In the Business: Moving from hands-on tasks to strategic, long-term visionwork.
  • “I really feel like my job is to listen and support… We run our business like an inverted pyramid where all of our employees are at the top.” (10:27)
• Systems: Using entrepreneurial operating systems (EOS), annual leadership planning, and Vision Traction Organizer (VTO).
  • “The Vision Traction organizer has been really integral for us to map out where we see ourselves in three to 10 years.” (26:24)
• Mantra: “Begin with the end in mind”—starting every meeting and project with a clear sense of purpose.
  • “I have a sticky note on my computer that says begin with the end in mind.” (27:20)
  • Ironically, for company destiny: “The irony is… we don't know what the end is. We just know… we're good at creating best in class fashion jewelry…” (27:40)

Memorable Quotes

• On Partnership:
  “There's an undeniable beauty to a business that is run by two people who are family members." (04:13)

• On Values-Based Hiring:
  “How we measure success is how we made the customer feel.” (11:57)

• On Retail Growth:
  "Opening the Charleston flagship was a huge pivotal point. Another major moment for us…Gigi Hadid…was photographed wearing her charm necklace with Taylor Swift. That was just amazing." (19:44)

• On Leadership:
  “I like to think of myself as a full time integrator right now than a taskmaster.” (25:23)

• On Mantras:
  “Leap and the net will appear. It’s all about taking risk and just going for your dreams… Amor Fati…just to love your life and accept your fate. And… Life is the best party I’ve ever been invited to.” (28:14)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:10 – Curry’s introduction and Heart’s growth overview
• 01:20 – 03:45 – Heart’s pivot to customizable charm jewelry during COVID
• 04:13 – 05:39 – Family dynamics and complementary partnership roles
• 05:45 – 08:10 – The visionary/integrator leadership model
• 09:05 – 12:20 – How systemization and delegation fueled growth
• 12:36 – 14:32 – Hiring for values and cultivating homegrown talent
• 15:09 – 16:50 – Evolution of the company’s team and hiring mistakes
• 16:50 – 18:23 – Customer connection and brand experience
• 19:00 – 21:15 – Inflection points: retail expansion and the power of celebrity moments
• 21:15 – 23:57 – The brand’s stepwise approach to retail store launches
• 24:06 – 24:41 – Adapting retail experience to local markets
• 24:52 – 26:09 – Earning the CEO title and shifting to strategic leadership
• 26:24 – 27:40 – Planning, vision, and “begin with the end in mind”
• 28:14 – 28:56 – Curry’s favorite mantras

Final Thoughts

Heart’s journey offers a masterclass in intentional growth, values-driven hiring, and partnership synergy. Curry Haggerty and her sister have scaled their business without losing sight of customer connection, team culture, or the emotional core that made Heart’s jewelry resonate in the first place. Their flexible, customer-responsive retail model and people-first leadership are central to their $20 million—and counting—success.

Notable Mantra to Remember:
“Life is the best party I’ve ever been invited to.” – Curry Haggerty (28:56)