Success With Jewelry, Episode 153

Liz Interviews Laryssa About Building Joy Joya, Reinvention, and Finding Joy in Business

Release Date: December 8, 2025
Hosts: Laryssa Wirstiuk & Liz Kantner

Episode Overview

In this special year-end episode, Liz turns the tables and interviews her co-host, Laryssa Wirstiuk, digging into her journey of launching and building Joy Joya, her dynamic reinventions, and what keeps her joyful in the business of jewelry marketing. Together, they reflect on Laryssa’s path from creative writing professor to jewelry marketing strategist, discuss the evolving landscape of jewelry marketing, and share honest takeaways on joy, burnout, and what success looks like—both professionally and personally.

Laryssa’s Path Into the Jewelry Industry

[03:21-05:45]

• Unlike many in the industry, Laryssa didn’t come from a jewelry family nor was she a maker.
• She always had a fascination with jewelry as an accessory, learning about gemstones and design out of genuine enthusiasm.
• Before entering the industry, Laryssa worked as a creative writing teacher at Rutgers and others—but felt unfulfilled and was ready for change.
• Her move to Los Angeles was both a lifestyle pivot and a career leap; she prepped by working retail in a jewelry store to gain firsthand experience.

Notable Quote:
"My path to the jewelry industry is unlike a lot of people's... For me, I just always really had a passion for jewelry as an accessory and always looking at it and learning about gemstones and getting excited about learning about designers." — Laryssa [03:45]

Starting and Evolving Joy Joya

[07:05-08:09]

• Joy Joya was Laryssa’s first step into entrepreneurship, launched upon her LA arrival in 2016.
• Initially, it was more of a freelance umbrella—she held full-time marketing roles while taking side clients.
• Early services were focused on content (blogging, product descriptions, social media) rather than today’s emphasis on email and revenue generation.
• The business has undergone countless transformations alongside Laryssa’s personal growth.

Notable Quote:
"I really feel like I've lived a thousand lives and I've become so many, like, different iterations of myself and my business has become so many different things." — Laryssa [08:26]

Personal Growth & Lessons Learned

[08:19-09:39]

• The biggest lesson: embrace change constantly—especially in digital, tech-driven fields.
• Burnout is a risk, but stagnation is fatal: "You cannot be afraid to... keep evolving and you have to kind of keep looking ahead to the next thing." [08:55]
• Reinvention isn’t a one-time event—it’s continual.

The Uniqueness of Jewelry Marketing

[09:44-10:58]

• Jewelry purchases are emotional, non-essential, and story-driven.
• Marketing must capture intangible feelings and personal meanings; education is also vital due to common consumer lack of knowledge.
• This dual need for story and education sets jewelry apart from other retail industries.

Notable Quote:
"It's not like marketing a vacuum cleaner... The reason people buy jewelry is for an emotional pull, an emotional reason, a story, meaning, a memory. And those things are so intangible." — Laryssa [09:44]

Key Challenges for Jewelry Brands

[11:06-12:19]

• A main stumbling block: a lack of genuine differentiation.
• Brands must dig deep to articulate true unique value—not just surface aesthetics.
• Without real differentiation, even great marketing won’t create lasting impact ("you're just competing in... a red ocean" [11:58]).

Writing Her Book & Creative Roots

[12:19-13:51]

• Laryssa’s background in creative writing (including a graduate degree) underpins both her agency and her book.
• The book project was a COVID-era undertaking but was a natural extension of her podcast and content marketing philosophy.
• Publishing a book was both a content strategy and a way to establish authority.

Balancing Creativity and Strategy

[13:53-15:19]

• Running Joy Joya has strengthened her strategy muscle; in business, creativity needs a framework.
• She leads with strategy, then allows creativity to play a role within those parameters.

Notable Quote:
"Unfortunately, you have to, like, wrangle [creativity] into a strategy... In business, I think it really needs to come through that lens." — Laryssa [14:21]

Behind the Podcast: Collaboration & Evolution

[15:19-19:41]

• Success With Jewelry began as Liz and Laryssa’s private weekly industry calls, then evolved into a podcast to foster greater community.
• Their alignment in values (“no scare tactics, no bro-y marketing”—[16:29]), holistic approach, and friendship makes for natural collaboration.
• Podcasting has made Laryssa a more confident speaker and forces her to stay current and adaptive ("even if you are the most successful content creator today, a month from now, you might have to rethink everything" [18:27]).
• Being a content creator herself enables her to empathize and innovate alongside her clients.

Defining Success, Joy, and Life Outside Jewelry

[19:43-21:59]

• Laryssa sees success as simply being happy and fairly compensated.
• Acknowledges the ongoing nature of fulfillment, including dealing with burnout and aligning work with values: "You have to enjoy the day to day. Like you. This is, like, your life, you know. And I don't know the answer to that question yet." [20:23]
• Outside work: enjoys time with her mini dachshund Charlotte, cooking, eating, tennis, and leisurely walks.

Quickfire Favorites & Fun

[22:01-23:41]

• Favorite jewelry trend: "bolder gold," chunky and statement-making, though conscious of rising gold prices.
• Favorite leisure podcast: enjoying Spanish-learning podcasts such as "No Hay Tos."

Memorable Quotes

• "You cannot be afraid of change and you have to kind of keep looking ahead to the next thing... that's what's required to like be a digital business today." — Laryssa [08:55]
• "If you sound like everybody else, you could do all the marketing in the world and it's not going to work." — Laryssa [11:19]
• "Running Joy Joya has strengthened and amplified that strategy part of my brain... In business, strategy comes first and creativity fits within that." — Laryssa [14:21]
• "We’re not quick fix, scare tactic bro-y marketing people... We’re very holistic and grounded." — Laryssa [16:29]
• "Ultimately I just want to be happy... and being compensated fairly." — Laryssa [20:01]

Resources & Recommendations

• Jewelry marketers and entrepreneurs: Focus on uncovering and clearly articulating your brand’s truly unique story.
• Spanish language learners: Check out "No Hay Tos" podcast.
• For more insights or community: Join the Success With Jewelry Patreon or reach out via their website/socials.

Key Timestamps

• 03:30 — Laryssa’s origin story: East Coast to LA and pivot to jewelry
• 07:05 — How Joy Joya began (and what it looked like then vs now)
• 08:26 — Lessons learned: embracing change and reinvention
• 09:44 — What makes jewelry marketing special
• 11:06 — Challenges brands face (differentiation and storytelling)
• 12:19 — Writing a book as content authority
• 13:53 — Creativity vs. strategy in the agency world
• 15:19 — Origin of the podcast and value alignment
• 17:29 — Podcasting’s effect on business approach
• 19:43 — Personal and professional definitions of success
• 21:23 — What brings Laryssa joy outside business
• 22:06 — Favorite jewelry trend and podcast/book recs

For Listeners:

If you have questions for Laryssa or want to share your own journey, reach out via email, DM, or participate in the Success With Jewelry community.