Founder Stephanie Gottlieb: ‘To get to the next level, you need to change your strategies’

Summary

The Glossy Podcast: Founder Stephanie Gottlieb on Elevating Strategies to Reach New Heights

Episode Title: Founder Stephanie Gottlieb: ‘To get to the next level, you need to change your strategies’
Host: Jill Manoff
Release Date: December 18, 2024

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Introduction

In this insightful episode of The Glossy Podcast, host Jill Manoff sits down with Stephanie Gottlieb, the founder, CEO, and designer behind Stephanie Gottlieb Fine Jewelry, a New York City-based brand launched in 2013. Stephanie shares her journey from a diamond wholesaler to building a renowned jewelry brand that savvy leverages pop culture and social media to stay ahead in the competitive fashion and luxury industries.

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Early Career and Founding Stephanie Gottlieb Fine Jewelry

[02:13] Stephanie Gottlieb:
"I started working in the diamond wholesale industry right out of college, where I absorbed everything about diamonds and the luxury space. Two months in, I was hooked."

Stephanie recounts her initial foray into the jewelry world, working for a family-owned diamond wholesaler. This experience provided her with comprehensive knowledge across marketing, sales, and production. Her passion for trend-focused design led her to launch her own brand, aiming to cater to a more fashion-forward clientele compared to the classic aesthetics of her previous employers.

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Building a Brand on Trends and Personalization

[05:05] Stephanie Gottlieb:
"I used the fact that I was a woman who understood what women want to carve out a space for myself in a male-dominated industry."

Stephanie highlights the importance of understanding her target audience—primarily women—and leveraging her unique perspective to create jewelry that resonates with their desires. Starting with bridal and custom pieces, her brand quickly gained traction through personalized and bespoke offerings.

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Evolving from Bridal to Collections

[06:13] Stephanie Gottlieb:
"Bridal is where I started, and it remains a significant part of our business. We've recently shifted to designing in collections, which allows us to stretch our creativity and build around our iconic pieces like the Slider Bangle and the Candy Button."

Initially focused on one-off bridal pieces, Stephanie transitioned to developing cohesive collections after appointing a brand president. This strategic shift enabled the brand to sustain growth by emphasizing signature items and expanding their creative horizons.

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Harnessing Social Media for Brand Growth

[10:39] Stephanie Gottlieb:
"I really built this brand by harnessing the power of social media. Our community engagement has been such a blessing over the years."

Stephanie credits social media as the backbone of her brand's growth, facilitating direct communication with customers and enabling a personalized client experience. While the brand account now serves as a sophisticated landing page, Stephanie herself maintains a strong personal presence, reinforcing the brand's authenticity and relatability.

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Team Building and Strategic Leadership

[12:09] Stephanie Gottlieb:
"To get to the next level, you need to change your strategies. Rebuilding our team and bringing in experienced leaders has been essential."

After eight years of organic growth, Stephanie recognized the need to evolve her business strategies. Bringing on a seasoned brand president, who is a lifelong friend and a natural problem solver, allowed her to delegate effectively and focus on her strengths in creative and product development.

[15:50] Stephanie Gottlieb:
"She's an incredible problem solver and has seamlessly integrated into our team, helping us become a better version of ourselves."

This leadership transition has been pivotal in restructuring the organization, enhancing financial oversight, and fostering a collaborative team environment.

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Navigating Industry Trends: Lab-Grown Diamonds and Colored Gemstones

[20:16] Stephanie Gottlieb:
"Lab-grown diamonds have confused customers, but our brand is committed to natural diamonds. We emphasize the emotional and symbolic significance of owning a natural diamond."

Stephanie addresses the rising debate between natural and lab-grown diamonds, reaffirming her brand's commitment to natural stones. She underscores the importance of educating customers on the unique value of natural diamonds and their enduring emotional significance.

[23:25] Stephanie Gottlieb:
"We're leaning back into color with increased demand for colored gemstones, which feels safer for clients amidst the lab-grown conversation."

Embracing trends, Stephanie highlights a renewed interest in colored gemstones and the popularity of stacking and layering jewelry, allowing customers to express personal style while maintaining the brand's commitment to craftsmanship and quality.

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A Defining Moment: Taylor Swift and the Global Halo Effect

[26:12] Stephanie Gottlieb:
"When Taylor Swift wore our 87 necklace at the Super Bowl, it was surreal to see our piece on such a globally recognized icon."

One of the episode's highlights is the story of how Stephanie's varsity lettering collection caught the attention of Taylor Swift, leading to the iconic moment of her wearing the 87 necklace during the Super Bowl. This exposure resulted in a significant uptick in international interest, particularly in London, illustrating the profound impact of celebrity endorsements.

[28:55] Stephanie Gottlieb:
"Taylor Swift took the brand global. It was the finishing touch to her ensemble, and people immediately recognized the personalization we offer."

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Collaborations and Expanding Market Reach: The Partnership with Studs

[21:16] Stephanie Gottlieb:
"Our partnership with Studs marries our colorful designs with their ear-piercing expertise, creating accessible fine jewelry pieces for new markets."

Stephanie discusses her brand's latest collaboration with Studs, marking the first time she's ventured into the piercing category. This partnership aims to attract a younger audience, particularly Gen Z, by offering stylish yet accessible fine jewelry pieces that complement modern self-expression trends.

[22:44] Stephanie Gottlieb:
"Collaborations will continue to focus on the jewelry space, aligning with our strategy to attract future buyers."

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Challenges and Strategic Responses

[29:30] Stephanie Gottlieb:
"Standing out in a crowded market requires more creative marketing and unique product offerings. We remain committed to quality despite rising material costs."

Stephanie candidly addresses the challenges facing her business, including market saturation and increasing costs of materials like gold. Her strategy involves emphasizing product quality, maintaining a focus on natural diamonds, and exploring innovative marketing techniques to differentiate her brand.

[30:45] Stephanie Gottlieb:
"We're excited to highlight our iconic pieces like the Slider Bangle in upcoming marketing campaigns, giving them the hero moments they deserve."

Looking ahead, Stephanie plans to enhance marketing efforts around her brand's signature items, ensuring they receive the spotlight needed to maintain and grow their market presence.

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Future Plans and Expanding Presence

[31:35] Stephanie Gottlieb:
"We're looking to engage in more eventing in key cities like Dallas and Miami, leveraging our collaborations to activate and connect with new audiences."

Stephanie shares her plans to expand her brand's physical presence through trunk shows and events in major cities, fostering deeper connections with existing and potential customers.

[32:13] Stephanie Gottlieb:
"Our team is excited to see how our new offerings, especially through partnerships like Studs, will resonate with our audience."

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Conclusion

Stephanie Gottlieb's journey from a diamond wholesaler to leading a dynamic fine jewelry brand underscores the importance of adaptability, strategic leadership, and leveraging modern marketing channels like social media. Her commitment to natural diamonds, personalized customer experiences, and strategic collaborations positions Stephanie Gottlieb Fine Jewelry for continued success in the evolving luxury market.

Notable Quote: [12:09] Stephanie Gottlieb:
"To get to the next level, you need to change your strategies."

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Stephanie's story is a testament to the power of evolving business strategies and maintaining a clear vision while embracing industry trends. Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur in the fashion and luxury sectors or a jewelry enthusiast, this episode offers valuable insights into building and sustaining a successful brand in today's competitive landscape.

Transcript

[Jill Manoff]

This episode of the Glossy Podcast is brought to you by Triple Whale. Struggling to make sense of your data, Triple Whale offers a range of solutions designed to streamline your e commerce operations. With Sonar, for instance, you can transform your brand's meta campaign performance in just a few clicks. Learn how brands like Zox Allen and paw.com get increased conversions, accurate attribution, and higher ROAS. Visit triplewhale.combackslash meta to learn more. That's T R I P L E W h a l e.com meta thanks for tuning in to the Glossy Podcast. I'm your host Jill Manoff, and today I'm sitting down with Stephanie Gottlieb, the founder, CEO and designer of Stephanie Gottlieb Fine Jewelry, which launched in New York City in 2013. 13 Stephanie has successfully leveraged pop culture to her company's advantage, building up her own social media presence and getting the right jewelry pieces on the right stars at the right time. Think the 87 necklace worn by Taylor Swift at the Super Bowl. She has also become known as a jewelry trend expert and that expertise has been reflected in her brand's evolution. I wanted to get Stephanie's take on the rise of lab grown diamonds, silver jewelry, all the tennis pieces, and to what extent she's leaning into these trends. I also want to inquire about her brand's new product collaboration with the earring piercing brand studs. What's the goal and what does it say about her company's direction? Welcome Stephanie. Thanks for being here.

[Stephanie Gottlieb]

Thank you so much for having me.

[Jill Manoff]

I'm excited to chat. I can't believe we've never talked before. I hear your name always.

[Stephanie Gottlieb]

Well, here we are. We're finally doing it.

[Jill Manoff]

Here we are. You. This is not new. You've been at your business for like nothing to sneeze at 2013? Over 10 years.

[Stephanie Gottlieb]

Yeah.

[Jill Manoff]

Amazing. Tell me about your, your prior experience, what you were doing before launching your own business. And, and what was the opportunity you saw before we get into the the modern day stuff.

[Stephanie Gottlieb]

Sure. So I started in 2013. That was after having worked for a diamond wholesaler for five years. So I got the true 47th street experience and that that job really fell into my lap. That was my first entree into this industry right out of college. A family friend introduced me to this diamond wholesale company. They were looking for a summer intern and while I was applying to all of these glamorous dream jobs that I had in mind, mostly in editorial, I had always interned at different magazines throughout college and this just felt like an Opportunity to start working, do a little bit of something in the luxury space and see where I landed. And of course, two months in, I was hooked. And I was just learning so much about diamonds and this whole world that I never really knew existed. I had always been a jewelry fan and loved accessorizing from, you know, early childhood, but diamonds were not something I ever really considered, certainly not for a career path. And there was just so much to learn about the science of diamonds. And I was fascinated by all of it and just soaked up as much as I possibly could. And I was so fortunate to work for a small family owned business. They've been in business for 40 something years, three generations. And what was so wonderful was that they really allowed me to wear every hat. I got to experience marketing and sales and production and learn about loose diamonds and finished goods. And so this was really my jewelry 101. And at the same time, I was parallel pathing with the GIA courses, so I was getting a little bit of the textbook and the real life application of it all at the same time. And it was just so exciting. And when I left in 2013, it was really because I just, I saw an opportunity to be speaking to a different customer. They were really working with a lot of the mom and pop shops across the country. Very different aesthetics, very classic. And my aesthetic is a little bit more fashion forward and trend focused, and I wanted to be able to run with that. And when I left, it was the year I was getting married or I had just gotten married, and a lot of my friends were in that same space, so they were looking for, you know, how to buy a diamond and where should they go and what to prioritize. And I really became that go to, you know, diamond guru for them. And that's just slowly spiraled into what it is today.

[Jill Manoff]

Oh, my gosh. And what it is today. You were so early to the, like, pairing of traditional diamonds with, with trend forward design. So exciting. I have to ask you, like, circling back when you were coming out of school, like, was, are we talking like New York diamond industry, like male dominated uncut gems?

[Stephanie Gottlieb]

Oh, yeah, for sure. I mean, I was, I was working for three brothers and their father. I was pretty loud and carved out a space for myself there. But it was almost out of necessity because I was working with such strong male personalities. All of the vendors coming through our doors were male. And I, I was able to kind of use, you know, the fact that I was a woman and understood what women wanted. And by the way, hello, we're targeting Women with our jewelry. That's who it's for for the most part. So I had this unique advantage and I think that's what allowed me to really build out this space was that I was a woman making jewelry for women and really speaking to their desires and the things that they care about most.

[Jill Manoff]

Yes. P.S. when you. You were saying they let me wear all the hats, I thought you were. You were going to say, and they let me wear all the jewelry.

[Stephanie Gottlieb]

Well, that too.

[Jill Manoff]

Your. Your circle was getting married. Did you start with the kind of bridal is that. I mean maybe that's the typical path to launching a jewelry business, but like that was the go to and that is probably huge part of your business. Tell me about the importance of bridal.

[Stephanie Gottlieb]

It is. Bridal is where I started and custom and bespoke. So it was really the way that I built the business was on these one off pieces that then other people were interested in. So I never started the business with a collection in mind. And actually I never designed in collections until last year we brought in a brand president who said this is really nice launching one piece at a time, but certainly not sustainable to build a business plan around. So I need you to start designing in collections, which has been a huge shift for me and so much fun to really stretch my creativity in that way. But bridal is where it started. It is still a huge piece of our business. I think it's where we really can be a differentiator because we offer so much personalization and customization in our pieces that a lot of the heritage brands would never allow. So if you can dream it, we'll make it essentially. And that's been a big piece of building our customer base out is that they know that we have this finished collection, but they also know the opportunity to really dream up anything it is that they have in mind. And that could be as small as changing one gemstone to be a birthstone in a piece so that it can commemorate the birth of their child or adding a small engraving. The opportunity is endless to customize.

[Jill Manoff]

That's amazing. This shift to collections, are you doing four a year, two a year? How many? And like.

[Stephanie Gottlieb]

Well, don't ask my production manager because I'm driving her nuts right now trying to finish up 2025. But right now the plan is two collections while we continue to build out core. And for us it's really a big shift towards identifying the icons of the business. Things like our slider bangle and the candy button, the pieces that people really know us for. And really getting behind those icons and building collections around them.

[Jill Manoff]

Yes. That's slider bangle again. Personalized, customized. Yes. Oh, my gosh.

[Stephanie Gottlieb]

Can you hear it?

[Jill Manoff]

Fantastic. That beyond. Beyond Bridal, is that number two?

[Stephanie Gottlieb]

Yeah. I mean, slider bangle is sort of synonymous with Stephanie Gottlieb at this point. And it's really one of the pieces I'm most proud of. I think it's, you know, it's something that's so everyday and so wearable, but everybody really gets to own it and make it their own. And I think that's what makes it so special.

[Jill Manoff]

Yes. Tell me about your customer. I think that you have a huge customer base in New York, but obviously far beyond. But is that where a majority of or a large percentage of your customers are?

[Stephanie Gottlieb]

We definitely have a large east coast following and customer base and other cities. Dallas, Austin, Atlanta, Chicago, Miami, the major cities are really where we've infiltrated the most. But in this new chapter, it's really about reaching new customers and kind of building up that base so that just more people see the product.

[Jill Manoff]

Yes. And you have a beautiful website. Are they buying irl? Where are you distributing? I can't say this word. Distributing.

[Stephanie Gottlieb]

E Comm is really where our customer is shopping, which I think is. I still think is unbelievable that, you know, people will click and buy a necklace for $60,000 sight unseen. But I think that really speaks to our focus on the client experience and making sure that they are seeing the photos that they need to see and understanding dimensions and our transparency about quality. And, you know, social media has obviously played a huge role in that. Being able to really speak directly to the customer, I think provides some comfort level. But we truly are an E Comm business and hopefully one day that translates into a retail store too.

[Jill Manoff]

Yes. Let's talk about getting your name out there and. Well, first of all, personally, like, when you look at your Instagram following, it far exceeds the businesses following which. But your posts are largely about the business. So tell me about how you're balancing those worlds and the importance of you posting regularly, talking about the new pieces and what that does. I would think that that's a huge traffic driver and. And revenue driver.

[Stephanie Gottlieb]

Yeah. I mean, I really built this brand by harnessing the power of social media. And our community engagement has been such a blessing as the years have gone by. We've really expanded our efforts across different platforms into both organic and paid to attract new audiences. The Stephanie Gottlieb person is essentially the brand. And in 2025, 2026. There's definitely more of a strategy to create a brand that's not so much about the person. And that started this year by featuring models for the first time in our campaigns and showcasing different skin tones and body types. Not just showing everything on my body because, you know, it means that we're only really speaking to one woman. So that's been an exciting shift. I think the brand account is a beautiful landing page that shows the best of it, shows what we're doing, and it's kind of the best of the best representation of what our brand is. But the personality is definitely something that people are drawn to and intrigued by. And I always resonate with a founder more than brand content. So I think it's nice that we have both and that they get to speak to each other.

[Jill Manoff]

Yes, absolutely. What's happening with the business? You're building out your executive team. You've got these high level campaigns where you're rolling out. Has there been some new funding that is really like buoying all of this or. Yeah, you're just kicking it into high gear and throwing crush into the wind.

[Stephanie Gottlieb]

I think, you know, for the first eight years, everything was done extremely organically through social media. And we are so lucky that it took us that far, especially for a new business that didn't need to spend a dollar on marketing for that many years. It's pretty unique and rare and we're very lucky and fortunate that we were able to build that way. To get to the next level, you need to change your strategies. And the first part of that 2023, 24 was really focused on rebuilding our team. I brought in my brand president almost two years ago. She restructured the entire org chart, brought in some new talent at more senior levels. And that's been very rewarding to see. You know, to walk into a room with other extremely educated, experienced people who know what they're doing, who have a vision, who understand your vision and want to help you get there. So that's been amazing. And the next year is really about focusing on creative and product. And that's my wheelhouse and falls on my shoulders. So lots of pressure, but I'm ready for it and excited and we have a very clear vision of where we see this thing going. So I'm excited for everyone to see that roll out. And that's as minute as new packaging and as large scale as these beautiful campaigns that we're starting to create.

[Jill Manoff]

Yes. So your new president sounds amazing. Where did they come from? Was this a poaching situation?

[Stephanie Gottlieb]

She is a unicorn. And she is amazing. So I was very fortunate to have this friend who I grew up with. We met in the first grade and went to school together. And I've always been so impressed by her work ethic. She is someone that I rekindled with after many years. After college, we were both in our own, you know, professional lives, early years, and we would meet once in a while for coffee or a lunch, and I would share a lot of the growing pains of building the business. And she just always had the right answer. And so slowly over the years, I guess I was romancing her to join me, and, you know, maybe I just broke her down at the end, but the timing felt right for her to try something new. She is someone who is a problem solver, so she likes to come in, find the problems, and fix them. And I am so grateful for her because everything she's good at are the things that I like to do the least. Yes. I mean, she's incredible at managing people and really building a team and morale, and so that's what she's done. And, you know, in the first two years, she entirely turned over our team. She's given me a strategy for product, really taken a close, deep dive at our finances. And she's just cleaned up a lot of the messes that I made in the first eight years. But she does so with such grace and, you know, no blame. And it's just. It's been a really easy transition, although, you know, moments have been rocky. Anytime that you're making a change, it's going to be challenging, but she's made it as seamless as it could be. And I feel really good about her kind of staying as long as she needs to to make it feel like a better version of Stephanie Gottlieb than when she started. And because we have this personal connection, a lot of the kind of dancing around a new person that you have to do in the beginning, we kind of got to cut through a lot of that pretty quickly. And so for that, I'm very grateful to her.

[Jill Manoff]

Oh, my gosh. The importance of good people, the power of wooing them. You got her.

[Stephanie Gottlieb]

I broke her down.

[Jill Manoff]

So cool. So your team's, like, settled. Everyone's in place. Any more hires coming up? That would be amazing.

[Stephanie Gottlieb]

We always. We look at the org chart and we're like, yeah, we're good. And then we're like, but wait, we need X, Y and Z. And what about this and what about that? And so I do feel like we're always kind of morphing and the business needs are constantly changing. For early 2025, the focus will be building out design and production because we just want to move faster and there's only so much I can do by myself, so I'm excited to build that team out.

[Jill Manoff]

Amazing. Well, you've done great by yourself. So so far we're going to take a quick break to hear from our sponsor. What's stopping you from delivering your best Meta campaign performance this holiday season? A more complete view of your customers and how they purchase. With Triple Whale's sonar integration with the Meta Conversions API, you can send enriched first party data back to Meta to help you optimize your marketing mix. That way you can identify more customers, improve your targeting and drive a higher return on ad spend. And it's as easy as flipping a switch. See for yourself and discover why leading brands like Zox Allen & Paw.com Trust Triple Whale to transform their growth. With deeper insights, you could have your best Q4 yet. Visit triplewhale.com meta to learn more. That's T R-I P L-E W H A L E.com meta. You're a shopper, very loyal.

[Stephanie Gottlieb]

Yeah, yeah, we're very fortunate. And again, I think that comes back to being a social media born brand. There really was this, you know, one to one connection between me and the customer and to this day I'm still the one communicating with people via dm. So there really is a direct line and I think, you know, that helped me shape what the product looked like and what people wanted and where we should show up for eventing. And that's played such a big role having that community there for sure.

[Jill Manoff]

Well, we're coming to the end of 2024. I have to ask about like the year that was because we're hearing, you know, luxury is skyrocketing and then and then kind of tapering off in terms of growth. But that's more so like on the fashion front, but then also, gosh, in your world, I feel like jewelry brands are popping up left and right, probably more competition and maybe it's like a case of rising tide lifts the boats or whatever. But tell me about what you've experienced.

[Stephanie Gottlieb]

I do think the marketplace is very crowded, but I think we have a client who continues to come to us to celebrate life's most meaningful memories and milestones. We've really built a loyal following. So they are starting with us from that engagement ring moment and really growing with us to first child and second child, five year anniversary, ten year Anniversary. And, you know, now is the time that I'm actually starting to see these milestones hitting, because here we are 10, 11 years later, and so much has happened for my clients in their lives. And we're so lucky that we've been along for that ride. You know, I think the convenience and accessibility we're offering clients around the world by being an E comm focused business definitely helps us mitigate some of what has been rocky for a lot of retailers who have that overhead of retail stores. And I think that from the beginning, we made virtual consultation such a focus of the business that our customers really on board for it. So even though many of our clients are visiting us in our New York showroom for bridal and custom, we do have that robust piece of our business that is virtual via video, like this one. But I mean, to answer your question, the luxury market definitely has had its up and downs this year. I think, you know, we're just seeing a shift in customer behavior, but they're not going anywhere. And that's. That's the good news.

[Jill Manoff]

Yes. That's great. What are. What is your take on. Because you're from this traditional diamond background, like the rise of lab grown diamonds. I'm hearing a lot about this.

[Stephanie Gottlieb]

Yeah, it's a hot topic, and that could be an entire podcast episode. But to keep it succinct, I think, you know, lab grown diamonds have definitely impacted the industry. They have confused the customer in a huge way, which I think is really unfortunate. But our brand is fully committed to working exclusively with natural diamonds. So we educate our clients on their unique value, and we we really just emphasize the emotional and symbolic significance of owning a natural diamond and having this piece of nature's history, essentially.

[Jill Manoff]

Yes. That's great. Well, speaking about coming to the end of the year, I would think Q4 is the super bowl, the big time. What's working? What are you putting out there for Holiday to cut through the noise? I would say.

[Stephanie Gottlieb]

Sure. So Holiday's actually really exciting for us. We have a partnership launching next week with Studs, which is really exciting. It's their first collaboration with a fine jewelry designer.

[Jill Manoff]

Amazing.

[Stephanie Gottlieb]

So, yeah, we've created 13 pieces to really marry our signature, colorful and playful designs with the studs expertise in ear piercing and earscaping.

[Jill Manoff]

Yes.

[Stephanie Gottlieb]

So creating earrings that could be worn in a new piercing and for years after this is something new for us. We've never entered the piercing category, so that's been exciting for me to have a new offering for our clients.

[Jill Manoff]

Oh, great.

[Stephanie Gottlieb]

And I think you know, for them, it's offering this higher price point, fine jewelry. And for us, we're able to offer a more accessible price point, smaller scale than we usually do. So it will be really exciting to see the customer feedback.

[Jill Manoff]

Amazing. And, yes. Are collaborations going to be a bigger part of the business again as you're evolving and moving fast?

[Stephanie Gottlieb]

You know what, we did so many partnerships in the earlier years of the business, and they weren't jewelry focused. I mean, I did everything from denim with Joe's jeans to cashmere and sandals across all different categories. I got to, you know, really understand the customer through those collaborations. I think at this point, we're laser focused on product and jewelry. So if there will be collaborations, they'll certainly be in the jewelry space.

[Jill Manoff]

Yes. When I think studs, I think, like, Gen Z is reaching a younger audience a big part of that strategy.

[Stephanie Gottlieb]

Yeah, it is. And I think it's a strategy for everybody. You know, they may not be our current buyer, but they're certainly the future buyer. And having this entry price point to really bring them into the brand is definitely part of that strategy.

[Jill Manoff]

Totally. So the little dainty earrings that all the Gen Zers are wearing, I mean, it's such a trend, and I know that you are such a trend expert, having followed you on Instagram, but. Yeah. What trends do you believe in? Do you follow trends closely and does that inform your. Your product development as you're. You're feeling this pressure to do more? But yeah, obviously silver, like, if I was wearing gold, my niece would like, say, ugh, you're so lame. But, like, anyway, talk to me about you, how you treat trends.

[Stephanie Gottlieb]

You know, I think like any other business, trends are definitely a big piece when we're considering design, but we've always tried to innovate in our space and be at the forefront of future trending. So, you know, Rainbow, for example, this is something that's core to my identity. It's something that I love and have since I'm a child, and it's still, you know, incorporated in my wardrobe and accessorizing. So that was a natural thing for me to introduce to the jewelry. The fact that everybody picked it up there after was just wonderful. You know, they all kind of got on board. So I think while we pay attention to the trends, we're also kind of thinking forward about what we see for the brand, you know, aside from what everyone else is doing. We are leaning back into color. It's something that I took a break from to really focus on our core bread and Butter, which is pave diamonds. But we've definitely seen an increased demand for colored gemstones, and I think that may have something to do with the lab grown conversation. Confusing the client. Colored gemstones maybe feels a little bit safer right now. And I love that people are embracing color again in trending. I think, you know, stacking and layering is something we're seeing a lot of our clients doing. And it's a fun way to do the high, low to wear the silver, but also have diamonds on. And that's. That's something that I've tried to find a happy balance with because so many people are leaning into fashion, costume jewelry and wearing brass instead of gold. So it's definitely a trickier line to walk when you're creating a fine product. And then there's a version that's costume for a lot less money. So again, I think it comes back to craftsmanship, standing behind natural diamonds and really enforcing the value of that. And then in bridal trends, interestingly, we've seen a shift towards a preference for lower color diamonds. And I think this is also a response to lab grown, because lab is not available in lower colors. So this is actually a very clear way for someone to say my stone is natural because you couldn't find it in lab. And that's been fun. Yeah, it's opened up a lot of doors for me to start playing with new things that I didn't really use before in our jewelry. But there's so much beauty in the warmth of these, you know, K to N color stones, even W to Z. Once you start getting towards that fancy yellow place, it's been a lot of fun for me to play with that.

[Jill Manoff]

No doubt. It's exciting. Tell me about this major moment with Taylor Swift. How did this come to be? And again, what was the halo effect? I guess.

[Stephanie Gottlieb]

Sure. So last year, I think it was the fall, right? It was about this time last year. Our brand president is a huge Chiefs fan, and, of course, everybody is seeing Taylor on the screen at every game. And I had in my pipeline this varsity lettering collection. Personalization has always been a huge part of what we do. You know, lots of names and initials and things like that. So the varsity was going to be my new font that came out for this year as kind of an homage to my cheerleading days in high school.

[Jill Manoff]

Me, too.

[Stephanie Gottlieb]

And there's. Did you. I love it. There's always. There's always going to be that small, you know, personal touch to what I do. And that was. That was the tie there. But she looked at me sometime in mid December and said, if you want to do this varsity, move it up, get it done quicker, and let's get one on Taylor. And so we did. And I think, you know, with three weeks to super bowl, we had reached out to her team through our PR and got the sign off to make the piece. There was no guarantee she would be wearing it, but there was an opportunity to give it to her, get it to her and let her decide if she loved it. And her stylist and she agreed that it was perfect for that moment. And, you know, I didn't know actually until 2 o'clock when I saw a blurry screenshot of her walking through the tunnel that she was actually wearing it. And it was just. It was just this surreal moment to see your piece on such an icon at one of the most highly watched televised moments of the year.

[Jill Manoff]

Amazing.

[Stephanie Gottlieb]

And what I thought was really amazing was even before I had said something, other people were messaging me. Is that yours? Like, there was. There was this immediate recognition that, like, we do personalization well, and that is something we would do. And they tied it to me. Even the tennis choker that she wore, which is one of our classic pieces, and like, very quintessential sg to take a staple like a tennis necklace and make it a little bit cooler by making it a choker.

[Jill Manoff]

So cool.

[Stephanie Gottlieb]

People were like, I saw the sparkle and I knew it was yours, and that was cool.

[Jill Manoff]

That's a great.

[Stephanie Gottlieb]

Yeah. And so, of course, there was a halo effect. I think one of the biggest takeaways was that we had a huge uptick in interest from London. And I can only attribute that to her because we do have international business, but not at the level we do now. So I think just having that, you know, international celebrity wearing our pieces really brought awareness to a new market, and that was exciting.

[Jill Manoff]

Oh, my gosh. Taylor Swift took the brand global.

[Stephanie Gottlieb]

She did. She totally did. I think it's very cool. It was very hers. You know, she likes to dress the part, and it's almost like a costume she's putting on when she goes to those games. So this was really just that finishing touch.

[Jill Manoff]

It's so cool. What a moment it was. Yes. Well, going from the hottest moment that you've had in the last couple of years to. To tell me about some challenges. Like what. What's weighing on your mind? I mean, again, you're clearly in growth mode. I'm sure there's a lot that's included there.

[Stephanie Gottlieb]

Yeah, I think. I mean, we spoke about the crowded Market, I think standing out just requires being more creative with marketing strategies and unique product offerings. So, you know, my focus is really product, product, product. The lab grown piece has been complicated, so the focus is just educating clients on the value of natural diamonds. And you know, the last one, which is just kind of the icing on the cake is the rising cost of materials. I mean, gold is right now at an all time high. So this is directly impacting production costs. And you know, we're committed to, you know, creating things in fine materials and maintaining quality in our stones and metals. And so this has created some pricing challenges. The entire market is facing the same challenge. But you know, some companies are getting creative with using different materials and you know, lab grown to bring pricing down. So that's something we explore the materials. But our collection is 14 karat gold for the most part, and diamonds. And so we just have to mitigate those unforeseen circumstances.

[Jill Manoff]

Yeah, that makes good sense. Anything else you're looking for in the year ahead?

[Stephanie Gottlieb]

Yeah, I mean, I think it's exciting for me to really focus our marketing efforts on some of these heroes that have been around for a couple of years now. I mean, Slider, I think is almost eight or nine years at this point, but to really give it its moment in marketing. Because for the first eight years of the business, marketing was just Instagram. So there was no, you know, paid ads. There was no consideration for a New York Times ad or something in print. There was certainly not a thought of doing a bill. So to really build amazing assets around these icons that I've loved for so many years and give them that hero moment is going to be really exciting.

[Jill Manoff]

Oh my gosh. The customized pieces, I mean, I know charms are having a moment, but just it's about self expression.

[Stephanie Gottlieb]

Yeah, yeah, absolutely. And I am excited. We have plans to get out of New York and go visit some other cities, which is something that has really taken a backseat since COVID So I head to Dallas next week, which is one of our most meaningful locations outside of New York.

[Jill Manoff]

Amazing. Is it a trunk show?

[Stephanie Gottlieb]

Miami? It is a trunk show. Yes. There's an amazing jewelry store there. Then I head to Miami to activate around our Studs collaboration. So that's a trend that will continue to really do eventing in our key cities around the country. So I'm excited about that.

[Jill Manoff]

So cool. Well, last question. Very serious business. I know. I've talked to the Studs team and I was immediately inspired to get a ton of piercing. I didn't do it, but I'M like, I think I need that. Have you been pierced in the last couple of months?

[Stephanie Gottlieb]

So I have three on one side and two on the other, and my intention is to get another when my daughter is ready for her ear piercing. As you can see, I'm wearing her pink headphones. She's not quite ready, so I'm waiting, but my sister is signed up. All of the girls on our team are ready to get their full earscape of Stephanie Gottlieb for Studs. So I'm excited to see how people style them.

[Jill Manoff]

Yeah, I'm excited to see everyone else's excitement because I feel like it's gonna make a splash. Congrats.

[Stephanie Gottlieb]

That'll be a lot of fun. Thank you so much.

[Jill Manoff]

Yeah, thanks for being here, Stephanie. This was great.

[Stephanie Gottlieb]

Of course. Thank you for having.

[Jill Manoff]

That's all for this episode. Our theme music is by Otis McDonald. Be sure to give us a rating on Apple Podcasts or wherever you're listening to the Glossy podcast. See you next week.