← Success With Jewelry
Success With Jewelry
115 - Laryssa and Liz Interview Morgan Miller: Empowering Jewelry Brands and Trade Show Tips
00:42:22
Welcome to the Success With Jewelry podcast, hosted by Laryssa Wirstiuk and Liz Kantner, two experts passionate about helping independent jewelry artists thrive. Welcome to episode #115! This week, we’re thrilled to welcome Morgan Miller, Sales...
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Transcript51 lines
- [00:00]
Larissa
Welcome to the Success with Jewelry podcast where we invite you inside our conversations about business success and marketing for jewelry designers and entrepreneurs.
- [00:09]
Liz
We're Larissa and Liz, jewelry marketing experts with a combined 16 years of experience in jewelry marketing and proven track records and helping jewelry brands meet their goals. When you listen to or watch this podcast, you get an intimate and exclusive peek behind the curtain of all the things you wish you could know about earning success in this industry.
- [00:28]
Larissa
Welcome to episode 115. This week we'll be chatting with Morgan Miller, sales director at Couture and Luxury Lifestyle at New York. Now we'll discuss the importance of education when it comes to emerging brands in the jewelry industry and share opportunities for designers to take advantage of. In the bonus segment, Morgan will share some of her trade show tips. Hey Morgan and Larissa, let's get into it.
- [00:52]
Liz
Yay. Let's get into it.
- [00:54]
Larissa
This is Morgan's first podcast and we're excited to have her. Why don't you go ahead and introduce yourself a little bit more?
- [01:02]
Morgan Miller
Hi. This is so. This is so strange just because I've never done it before. So I'm like totally at a loss of how to communicate effectively. But for lack of a better expression, my name is Morgan Miller. I'm the sales director for both Luxury Lifestyle at New York now and for the Couture show. I've been in the jewelry industry for close to 15 years now. My background prior to being on the trade side was I had done wholesale for different brands and had kind of had the in house experience for independence. So in terms of those trials and tribulations of really how to make your brand stand out, how to wholesale effectively, figure out how to communicate with, you know, your direct customers and your retailers were all things that, you know, I had to experience in my previous role and I met Liz through, through that and we became, you know, dear and fast friends and flash forward, Liz is a huge, if not the reason why I'm doing the job that I'm doing now. And in the role I have with both Couture and with New York Now, I have the pleasure of working with smaller independent designers, emerging talent, mid sized companies and larger scale businesses and work to help them meet their strategic goals through the platforms of shows.
- [02:28]
Larissa
That was a great introduction. You did a great job.
- [02:31]
Liz
She's done podcasts.
- [02:33]
Larissa
I know. Get out of here.
- [02:35]
Morgan Miller
I listen to podcasts. I've never. And that's usually the side I think I'm the most effective at is the consumption of the material as opposed to being the One contributing.
- [02:46]
Liz
Well, you've soaked in the good introduction. I think that was great.
- [02:52]
Larissa
Larissa and I actually did a episode about an elevator pitch, because somebody who had done an elevator pitch and felt like she just didn't do her best asked us about it. And it's such an important part of it is, like, to be able to explain who you are and what you do.
- [03:11]
Morgan Miller
Yeah. It's not an easy one to describe who you are and what you do, because they're not necessarily one in the same. But I think for so many of us in this industry, our identity is very much wrapped in what we do here, and it translates into how we live our life as well. So I always find that question kind of hard to answer because I'm like, I kind of am. The thing that I'm doing for better or worse, and how you describe that to people is always. I mean, I need to work on my own. Elevator pitch is basically what I'm saying. I tell this to designers all day, every day, and yet I have not effectively been able to encapsulate my own.
- [03:56]
Liz
Yeah, I think.
- [03:57]
Larissa
Yeah, it's tough to talk about yourself, but I think something that we're all passionate about, and I know this is, like, what really brought Morgan and I together is our passion for independent jewelry brands. And then once you took on the role with couture and the shows, it was kind of like our passion to, like, make sure they succeed or, like, provide education and support. And Larissa is the same way. She's providing education through her podcast platform. She has a separate podcast outside of this and through tons of resources and stuff like that. So I think this is the perfect group to be talking about education.
- [04:30]
Morgan Miller
Sounds like it. I feel like I'm sitting with the big dogs here.
- [04:34]
Liz
Big dogs. Morgan, I'm just curious for my own curiosity, as you were talking, I was wondering, like, what is your team situation look like? Do you have people working with you? Are you mostly solo in what you do?
- [04:46]
Morgan Miller
Yeah, so I'm on two separate teams. There's a little bit of a Venn diagram overlap. So my. You know, when I started working for Emerald, and Emerald is. Who owns both Couture and New York Now, I had exclusively worked on the couture team for eight years prior to joining the New York now team. So the couture team, you know, we're. We're a small but mighty team, but we are a very small team. Considering the size of what our event production looks like for New York now, we're. I'd say we're also a small team and that requires everybody to be super nimble across both, both teams. But there are members that I work with on New York now that also work on Couture, but there are people that I work with on Couture that don't work on New York now. So it's really, you know, you're kind of flipping different hats and different roles. But we, we are a team for sure. Everything that we do is a team effort. So it's all about we.
- [05:51]
Liz
Does that work happen? Sorry, go ahead.
- [05:53]
Larissa
No, go ahead, Laura.
- [05:54]
Liz
This is me just being curious, like, because obviously the trade shows happen only a few times a year. Is the work for both happening year round? Consistently, yes.
- [06:04]
Morgan Miller
And now that I work on two events, there is not like a moment where there, that isn't the case. So Couture takes place annually, so it's, it's once a year at Wynn Las Vegas. The dates are typically fluctuating between the end of May and the beginning of June. But that's a 365 day production for that, you know, four day event. So 361 other days to work on four days of show, which is, you know, it is a incredible event to produce. The team works tirelessly. And it's interesting because of course, you know, when clients show up and people are asking about, you know, what it was to produce it. My favorite question facetiously is what do you do for the rest of the year? Which is a very common question that we get asked. And the answer is this, this is what we do all year round. Before you even consider thinking about 2026 or 2027, well, we're already there. We're already thinking about the way that our event can evolve and grow and how we are anticipatory with the market and not reactive in terms of market needs. So the same as, you know, I'd say the same for New York Now. New York now is interesting because we're a biannual show. So that show takes place in February and in August. So you are having to consider the both segments of your marketplace. You know, February is such a consideration around replenishment post holiday. You're thinking about how retailers are forecasting their budgets and what they think they're open to buy could look like. So it's a really interesting like advantageous time in that sense. It's also a timing where you can get things like seasonal stores. So when you're thinking about stores that are in places like Nantucket or Stone Harbor, Martha's Vineyard, you're really thinking about a seasonal based retailer. And so those timings, you know, I'd say February, the time of all of that is kind of taken encapsulated into consideration. And then when you get into a time like August, you're really thinking and gearing up for that holiday season. And that's really going to be a critical mass and like legwork to get to the place where you're having those orders delivered in time for that October window. So you're really for near now you're in two places at once. So as I'm thinking about and getting into a place of working with clients on February, I'm already having conversations with those same clients about August. But I'm also having conversations with perspective people who have maybe not come to the show before, people who want to come back. We also have a couple of clients who can only do one event a year. So if I was thinking I have a client who's an Australian brand who they're not a jewelry brand, but they're a luxury textile company. August has a luxury textile show in Australia. They cannot do August, but they come every single February. So you already have to take into consideration that that person has to be re added to your floor plan. So the game of shows is so unique. It's like a lot of it is Tetris in addition to curating and merchandising and thinking about how you position things as the way a retailer would buy. But it's a definitely you're in more than one event at any given time. I always think about it the way if you're a Mac user and you use the F3 button and all of the screens kind of move around, you're flipping back and forth constantly.
- [09:58]
Larissa
Even what you just shared here about trade shows. And obviously I know this because I've worked with trade shows, but it's so interesting for designers. And I think that not many people understand the scope of couture, for example, like the events that are a part of it, like just all that goes into it and then also like just what goes into the show team getting ready for a show like New York now. But let's kind of talk a little bit more about that and education and why is it so important for new designers? Because I think there's an issue where designers like aren't sure what trade show to do and they just sign on to one. But then maybe they aren't sure exactly how to go about it. They think they can just show up. Why is it so crucial?
- [10:42]
Morgan Miller
I think Education for anything, you know, whether it's trade shows or just like how to run your business is so integral to the potentials that can, you know, happen for your business. So I think if we were to look back 20, 30 years ago, the concept of trade shows felt really simple. They felt very straightforward in that you secured space. It didn't necessarily even matter exactly where you were positioned and you bought your location and you showed up and the people who came and you met with bought things. And it was pretty straightforward. There wasn't a lot of, I don't want to suggest that there wasn't planning that was taken into consideration, but in terms of how you were really strategic around how you, what you did with your time and how you took advantage of it and made the most out of it was light years difference to where we are now. I mean, we've had more than essentially more than one recession, we've gone through global pandemic, we've had, you know, geopolitical unrest. We've had multi, especially if we're talking about the US not to get political, but like we've had very changing administrations. And so that all comes into play in terms of how trade shows and how retailers and designers are all engaging with each other through certain platforms. And so I think the elephant in the room is also like always talking about, you know, things like consignment, which I'm happy to talk about at a later stage, but I just want to like, you know, at least Easter egg it. And that that has changed the way that certain, the, the rules of engagement have shifted. And so the rules of engagement in general have changed over the last 20 to 30 years. But when you think about getting ready for a show is you can't just show up. The way that maybe you could before is now you have to really think about what does outreach look like? What does my prospect universe look like? Who is my target audience market? Not to get very businessy, but a tam and understanding what your TAM is is really important. Who are the types of stores that you think that you could be aligned with? Where do you see your product selling? Who is your customer? And these questions were important in the past, but they're nowhere, they were never anywhere near as important as they are now. Which you really should have some semblance of what your customer looks like. And as a result, you can kind of work forward and backwards. Once you know who your end consumer is, you can kind of figure out the stores that populate to that. And the same goes for once you figure out your stores, you can kind of figure out who your customer is. So that is a really important educational element that really somebody should be thinking and taking into consideration when they think about what shows they might want to do. So if you have a show that, you know, the retailer community is, you know, all American handcrafted, it's art galleries, it's museums, and you have a product that is, you know, manufactured overseas and doesn't have those value propositions like that's not going to be the right show for you. It doesn't really matter if they have a really great attendance base or you hear how strongly these retailers are coming to buy. That is probably going to be not a successful event for you because how you run your business to who's coming to buy from businesses don't line up. And so that's the number one thing that I think ends up being a pitfall for people is they're not aligned with the event that best services their needs and that shows are really meant to be that platform. They're meant to help you. They're meant to help you be. It's a conduit, it's a bridge, it's connecting people together in a particular place and time. But it's how you take advantage of being there and how you make the most of it that's going to be the determination around what success metrics look like. I think education and, sorry, this is super long winded, but I think education is just incredibly important of understanding what shows make sense for you and why, but also how you educate yourself to get ready for a show as well. And that those two things are two different levels of education, but they're both a necessity for figuring out how to make the most out of an event. And I, I strongly believe that events are one of the, if not the strongest, way of being able to create in person meaningful engagements and connections.
- [15:49]
Larissa
I think a common misconception about shows too is it's so much a marketing expense and it's so much of building relationships. And at the end of the day, the jewelry industry is always going to be a handshake business. Just it. It always will be. We can't get need to meet in person. You need to meet people in person. Maybe your sale isn't happening right when you do your first trade show, but it will happen eventually. Once you meet somebody in person and.
- [16:11]
Morgan Miller
Maintain that relationship, it's still such a handshake business. You know, it's a business that's built on trust. That's the foundation of it. And if People looked back historically is everyone, you know, regardless of sort of socioeconomics, has, has typically had like a family jeweler, like whether it's jeweler in the area that people are just familiar with and that's where you go to take, you know, your rings to be cleaned or you need to go get something sized or it's somebody's monumental occasion. Maybe it's a birthday, an anniversary. It's like there's somebody that you know to go to and it's a word of mouth and it's typically because you know that person is going to do a good job. You know that they're a place that you can trust and you can see them face to face. And that's still, that still applies to brands and retailers. That's not just an end consumer based on confidence, it's a relationship building industry. And all industries are about relationship building. But when something that is so fundamentally profound, precious, valuable, not just in terms of the way people take, take the time to create it, but it quite literally has intrinsic value, is you want to know the person that you plan on working with in this way. It's kind of like being in a relationship. You know, you want to meet the person before you know, even if you're online dating at some point you'd like to meet the person that you've been in an exchange with. So I always think about trade shows and relationships with designers and brands and retailers as like it really is about being in a partnership. It's about basically being in a relationship. And relationships can start hot and heavy and they can also end in divorce. But ultimately it is very much about relationship building. And I think there's a lot of fundamentals around education that play into how to best navigate that. But yeah, it's a hundred percent. You will not be able to replicate the ability to have an in person exchange and connect in that way. Especially not through images. I mean we're an industry where besides the actual product itself, the image is the most important thing. Images are great. They really don't tell you the story. The way that seeing everything, touching things, talking to the designer, understanding their intention, their brand values, you cannot get that outside of being able to engage in person.
- [18:52]
Larissa
Yeah. And we're going to get into chatting more about curated, but something that kind of came through in all of the interviews we did this past season was like the retailers, they want to know the artists, they want to know their values, they want to know their story and they want that person that they're working with to be easy to work with. And you can't necessarily learn that from an email. Email correspondence.
- [19:13]
Morgan Miller
No, definitely not. And I love that you bring up wanting, you know, people being easy to work with. That is so critical. I think if we think of any relationship that we have is typically the people that are people want to work with nice people, people want to work with people who are easy. And that's not because that means being overly accommodating. It just is. Life is challenging enough as it is. If you're able to have somebody where you have, like, a symbiotic relationship with and it feels like you're both aligned, things are just going to be infinitely easier in terms of how the relationship is going to go if. And you will very. You will much more likely be the type of person that someone is going to come to rely on for an opportunity that comes around. I mean, people who aren't nice and people who are difficult. You have better have a really dynamic product on your hands because it's 2025. This isn't the big mistake huge moments anymore where people can be nasty and unkind. It's just you really do need to practice what you preach. And I think that that's the easiest thing that a brand can do is to make themselves available, make themselves accommodating. Again, not being a pushover, but just making sure that they're resource oriented. Like, how can I figure out a way to make this easier for you? Is our words to somebody's ears at this point. So, yeah, I think that, that. That what you said makes a lot of sense to me.
- [21:06]
Larissa
Yeah, that was just my biggest takeaway. So just to get into it, curate it at Luxury Lifestyle at New York now is a program that launched a year ago. And we're on our third show cycle coming up February 2nd through 4th, and we're really excited. It's a really strong group of designers. Actually, Larissa texted me the other day and she's like, I'm in love with all of these designers you're featuring.
- [21:25]
Morgan Miller
That's awesome. I love that. It's so good. Yeah, well, I mean, it might be helpful, actually. I don't. I'm assuming that people know about Couture and New York now, but that might have been an incorrect assumption on my behalf. See, this is again, podcast newbie, so I'm just assuming that everyone's on the same page. But it's funny because I think we assume too.
- [21:51]
Liz
But maybe we should give, like, a little brief summary.
- [21:54]
Larissa
Yes, definitely.
- [21:57]
Morgan Miller
So Couture is, you know, the leading Designer branded fine jewelry and luxury timepiece trade event. New York now is the leading lifestyle, home gift, jewelry and accessories trade event that takes place biannually couture annually within New York. Now we have different ways of exhibiting, but there is one area in particular that you know, I oversee and I'm working on called luxury lifestyle. Luxury lifestyle is meant to be sort of a show within a show experience. That's this kind of oasis space where designers and brands really are looking at how they empower themselves through the visuals and brand storytelling and really are looking to foster a sense of community over competition and really look to align strategically with their positioning as individuals but also cross leveraging as you know, the sort of entity as a whole. So within that three, this will be our third cycle, but we launched what originally was called the emerging fine jewelry designer incubator efjdi which was a mouthful to say the least. It was then sort of repositioned and rebranded to Curated. So Curated is within luxury lifestyle and it is this three show cycle emerging talent educational cohort that then culminates in the opportunity to present a collection. So for as much as it is tied to an event and tied to exhibiting at a trade show, it is far greater than the sum, like what is that expression? It's greater than the sum of its parts. That is a part of it and it's an exciting part that is culminates in that. But it is, you know, Liz and Robin Kramer, who if anyone is not familiar with, is also an amazing consultant that works in the industry. Her company is Red Boot. What is it? Red Boot Consulting.
- [24:09]
Larissa
Red Boot Consulting. And she has the Red Boot Intensive. But she's like the wholesale expert, she's like the go to for wholesale support.
- [24:16]
Morgan Miller
So between, you know, we are really fortunate to work with both Liz and Robin on Curated. And the process is really, you know, it's. We have X amount of spaces for brands over these three cycles and the brands are, you know, embodying the most distinctly unique points of view within the applications that we're receiving. And these companies are going through an educational syllabus as well as really developing their, their voice, their narrative as individual brands, but also how are they working together as a community. And it's been such an honor and privilege to watch these different designers really come into their own and be able to develop something like an elevator pitch, be able to work and refine online sheets, how they do outreach to retailers, how they look at a showcase and strategically lay out their visual merchandising. And how do they work on pricing and think about their cost structure so that they're paying themselves along the way and how are they reaching out to press, how are they trying to take advantage of that? We have such great trade press in the industry and much of it is not pay to play. So how are you making sure that you're staying on top of being on the radar? And there's so much that comes with participating in this program, one of which is just happens to be exhibiting at a show. So I think that was a really big fundamental building block for us in developing, curated and working to really help bring to life much of Liz and Robin's vision collaboratively is education is the missing puzzle piece for shows. It is like the thing that often is, I wouldn't say it's even overlooked. It's that, you know, we, all of these companies that run events like the teams are finite. There's only so many hours in the day in terms of things like being able to client manage, etc. And liaise with people and make sure that they're fully wrapped up, baked in, set up. It's challenging to then like also consider how you create all of this additional information, but it's so rewarding. It's so it's necessary, I think that there's no event at this point that really is moving forward and moving the needle in a way that is maintaining relevance. And again, I'm a big believer in being anticipatory and not being reactive is like this is something that people need. It's been clear based on what is going on on social media and hearing designers like trials and tribulations and the pitfalls that they're experiencing and people are actively seeking out the answers. As much as this is a business based on trust and a handshake business, it is also an industry kind of shrouded in secrecy. It has been historically having an element of really what's like a lack of transparency and people feeling comfortable to share those resources. And I think that's what makes luxury lifestyle and curated so special, is that's not the belief of how this community operates is that what I know is what you know and we're greater and stronger together as designers and individuals and businesses and people out in the world. If we are collaborative as opposed to I'm not sharing my Storm Dealer with you because only I can get gemstones from that person or I'm not going to share with you what the example of my line sheets look like when I know they've been successful with stores and I've gotten positive feedback because I don't feel the need to do that. That's not something that happens here. And that's really, I think, the tonality that has been set by the New York now team and really especially with Liz and Robin and their years of expertise and just the way that they approach from a global view of how we need to be making changes and strides as an industry.
- [28:46]
Larissa
Yeah, while you're speaking about all of that, I was just thinking about Cindy Edelston because I feel like she did this in some sort of capacity, not as formally, but she, she was very much helping emerging brands make their way in the industry, supporting them in trade shows, like providing some education in a less formal way. And then I also did it with the New Designer Gallery at JA New York, but we've never, I've never seen it done this way. That was, it's like an actual, like, syllabus with, you know, really great, you know, segments that help people through creating their line sheet and merchandising and pricing and all of that, but also really incredible speakers and something that. Another big takeaway from past, like, you know, year of doing this is that people are so open with information. Even like top retailers, top editors, top designers, they are more than happy to share and they are so authentic with how they share this information. And they're really open to helping emerging, emerging brands find their footing.
- [29:47]
Morgan Miller
I think it's. That's sort of the. We're. Again, this is sort of that collective. We're. We're stronger together than we are apart. And, and I think I've noticed that in retail, I feel like earlier than I saw this sense always of camaraderie on the other side is for a lot of these, A lot of these retailers is like, we're friends. You know, Paul, Paul from Twist is, is friends with Jay from Marissa Collections, and they're friends with Laura from Broken English. And it makes sense that they are all collaborative with one another. I mean, retailers, retail. So the challenging things that one person is experiencing is very likely the challenging things that somebody else is. And how can we be a resource to each other so that any of the, like, if all of a sudden people are noticing that there is like a lack of consumer confidence, like that's, that's a collective issue. So, like, what have you done resource wise? Or maybe you're figuring out things in terms of how you're approaching your trunk shows or how you're reaching out directly to cl. Like they're all doing that with each other. And so it totally makes sense to me that designers would be embodying the same thing. And we've been fortunate enough to see that at Couture for. For the entire time that I've been there. I think that's really the entire ethos of this jewelry summer camp where everyone's, you know, stronger together. But that's been a really important thing to bring into a space for emerging talent, especially because it's the most volatile group in terms of being pushed to a place of, you know, let's call it what it is. The fight, like the financial constraints and the fine, like financial. I'm totally blanking. I really hope that for this part, you edit this or maybe not. I don't know. I don't know how it works. But I think this, like, emerging designers are the group that are going to be put at the greatest amount of risk. And so to be able to come up with a level of programming that tries to mitigate what those financial risks are and how to maximize on every single penny and every dollar that is spent, I think that that is. I think that that is a necessity to be doing. And I think that. I think events have the responsibility and owe that to designers at this point. I think we're all familiar with certain things that have been going on in the industry of entities that have claimed to be things that they're not. And people are paying for resources and not receiving back what they've paid for and what they've been promised and what they've been owed. And. And that, to me, really marks and shows how much of a void there has been, at least in a. In a way that is accessible. There's tons of things that exist that really, the more that you can pay for them, the greater the opportunities are. But when you're just starting out in the business and you want to be able to get mentorship and guidance from Mary Margaret, from tiny Gods, or you want to get mentorship and guidance from Simone Waldron from Viewpoint and from rap group like, that is not an easy thing to always figure out how you can gain that access. And curated has been. It is. It is like removing the veil. It is a lack of gatekeeping. It is about creating community and fostering that and luxury lifestyle. You know, I take my hat off to the amazing designers who had. Had created this like that. Luxury lifestyle was a destination born out of the desire of these designers and brands. They asked for it. They came to the show, they felt that this is something that they needed. And the show responded, which I think is a real testament to the. The voice and the empowerment that brands actually have and that they have the agency to be able to have real, frank and candid conversations. But like, women like Elizabeth Kellen and women like Annette Ferdinandson and Brooke Gregson and Julie Cohen, like, these are really amazing visionaries in everything that they do. And it speaks volumes to me that they've continued to make amazing strides in the industry, but they're really receptive and really responsive and so kind and gracious to give their time to the next generation. And to be able to have both sets of exhibitors being there side by side and supporting each other is just not something that you find in a typical trade show environment. And so I think that just speaks a lot about what curated is and what luxury lifestyle is as a whole. At New York now, it's so true.
- [34:53]
Larissa
Elizabeth Kellen was walking her retailers like, and this is a designer who's back to back with appointments during a show, and she's walking some of her retailers around the curated section because she believes in the emerging talent so much.
- [35:07]
Morgan Miller
And she's. I mean, they've been in business for. Dana Kellen's been in business for 30 years. I mean, it says a lot that 30 years in business that you have this. These amazing veterans who are still participating in shows, they're still working the room, they're still making these meaningful connections, they're still managing their existing accounts and making sure that they can meet all these people in one place. They're meeting net new. They're creating visibility and opportunity for both themselves and the next generation. And that way of working is just. It's like a dream come true. So for somebody to work on an event and to see that that's the organic way in which your community is. And community, I think, you know, if this was a drinking game, I'd say community a lot. You'd be very, very drunk. But that really is, I think, the key defining term, and that is the word I would use more than any other, is like, is creating and fostering a sense of community is going to be the driving force of any event and every individual who participates in it.
- [36:23]
Larissa
Yeah. And I want to ask Larissa, because she walked curated at Luxury Lifestyle in August. I mean, and I feel like we talked about it after and you felt that sense of community, but I'd love to hear kind of what you were thinking walking it.
- [36:37]
Liz
Yeah, well, it's interesting having that experience and now hearing you, Morgan, talk more about you as the. From the organizer's perspective. And Liz, and it's all kind of like coming together and I feel very warm and fuzzy inside because it is such an amazing thing. And the designers were all so supportive of each other too, and, like sharing experiences amongst each other.
- [37:00]
Morgan Miller
It's so amazing to watch.
- [37:01]
Liz
Yeah. And even, like, for me, I'm not involved in, like the wholesale side of the business, but I support brands with marketing. And some clients that I've worked with have participated in some of these initiatives. And seeing how this extra support gives them this like holistic 360 kind of thing that I myself cannot give them, but with the support of what you're doing, it just like rounds them out so nicely. And I'm very appreciative of that because it helps me do my job.
- [37:34]
Morgan Miller
Yeah. It's funny, we have like, our company has brand values and so it's agility, commitment and excellence. And then we think about things from the lens of 365 day engagement, customer centricity. And that really makes me think. 365 day engagement, customer centricitity, and totally can't remember the third value proposition. But essentially that's the way that I think that curated has really come about. And I think that's something that all of these designers really embody is that's really what they're looking to get out of it.
- [38:13]
Liz
Yeah. And not only having all. When you guys were talking about education, I'm thinking, yeah, there's a lot leading up to it and there's a lot of preparation. But even just the experience of being there, a lot of them hadn't realistically considered even the possibility of, like exhibiting at New York now before this kind of like, opened something in their minds that was possible to them. And the education of being there, getting the feedback in real time, seeing, like, what the people around them are doing and the experiences they're having, like, I think that that's a really invaluable thing as well.
- [38:49]
Morgan Miller
I'm really glad you brought that up because that is so critical. I think we all jewelry designers live in a silo. It's actually kind of a lonely business to often be a part of, especially if you're like an independent sole proprietor. Especially if you're doing bench work is like you're spending pretty much all of your time wearing that hat. And the likelihood is if you're, you know, quite emerging, it might just be you. Which means you're the person who is the designer, you're the maker, you are the manufacturer, you're the stone dealer, you're the marketer, you're the person who's facilitating packages and orders. Like you wear every single hat. And so it can be very hard to, for one, know who to ask questions to, how to ask for help, where you even go to find help, and for things like feedback, you know, because people are working and they're working independently with such laser focus. Is, is the collection that I'm making or the pieces resonating with the audience that I think they are, is are my prices in line with the market? Am I missing certain silhouettes so that a retailer can create a full story that's cohesive? Because I could have a collection of 20 pieces, the likelihood is somebody's still going to tailor that down maybe to four to six pieces based on who their audience is. I'm not going to have any of that information and any of those insights without being able to expose my collection to an audience that. That is able to engage with it and then provide me with that feedback. That doesn't necessarily mean, like, I'm getting a sale today, but the information that I'm walking away with is invaluable in terms of how I continue to propel my business forward. And so that's really another thing that I think is so valuable from a show perspective. And I'm really glad that you brought that up because it really is. You know, everything is an opportunity. Information is always something that's being gathered, and I think you gain a lot of that from shows. And it's. I love that Curated has existed and comes to be the way that it is, because I don't know that everyone realized that New York now really had a robust offering for jewelry the way that it does. And that's continuing to grow and expand, which I'm really excited about. And I think Curated has been an amazing driving force of that conversation. I think Luxury Lifestyle has been a huge contributor to that as well. And so to continue to be a place and a hallmark for emerging talent is part of our, you know, it's a core value for us in terms of how that business is being run.
- [41:46]
Larissa
And with this episode, we should be able to include the link to apply for Curated at Luxury Lifestyle at New York Now. So if that's something you're interested in, you can always message me or Morgan. And Morgan, thanks so much for being here. In the insider episode, we'll touch on some of the stuff we missed talking about.
- [42:03]
Morgan Miller
Thanks for having me.
- [42:05]
Larissa
Thanks for being here. You were great for your first podcast, by the way.
- [42:08]
Liz
Yes, A plus.
- [42:10]
Larissa
Are you an emerging brand seeking educational opportunities. Let us know. Visit successwithjewelry.com and if you love the podcast, we'd love to hear from you. Send us a message or leave us a review. Thanks for being a part of our community.