The diamond industry is deeply entrenched in long-standing gender biases, with a few powerful families dominating the business for generations. Leadership roles are overwhelmingly held by men, despite the fact that women are the primary consumers of fine jewelry. Even though more female jewelry designers are making strides in the field, the top positions remain predominantly male. If you’ve visited jewelry counters at Jared, Zales, or Kay recently, you’ve probably noticed that many designs look similar and somewhat basic. In my view, much of the mass-produced jewelry worn by women is designed by older men who don’t understand what it’s like to wear their pieces daily.
Now, let’s delve into the challenges of breaking into a male-dominated industry as an entrepreneur. Women in the US oversee over 14 million small businesses, constituting nearly 40% of all enterprises nationwide. They significantly contribute to the economy, generating a substantial $2.7 trillion in annual revenue and employing nearly 12.2 million people. Despite these contributions, women often face obstacles when entering industries typically led by men. Gottlieb shares firsthand experiences about the hurdles women entrepreneurs encounter, including limited access to funding and resources, as well as societal expectations and biases. She candidly discusses her journey and offers actionable solutions to help women overcome these challenges and pursue their entrepreneurial aspirations.
Gottlieb reflects on the humble beginnings of her company, which she started in 2013 with a slow and steady approach. She built her business through word-of-mouth marketing, engaging friends and family through trunk shows and pop-up events. Without a fancy office or substantial funding, she relied on minimal initial investment and worked from home. Gottlieb made only a few samples for herself to wear and leveraged connections with industry vendors to work with their products on consignment.
