Jennifer Markas is the executive director of the Women’s Jewelry Association (WJA) and the former sustainability reporting manager for Tiffany & Co. The 2016 recipient of the New York Business Journal Women of Influence Award, her career has spanned the financial, creative and nonprofit industries—including as founder of Damsels in Design. “I've never been a jeweler, but I'm so excited to be around other creative people. That's really what's been fueling my desire to be in this space for a really long time,” Jennifer says. Bringing energy and perspective to themes of diversity, sustainability and connection, Jennifer joins host Courtney Gray to share about opportunities offered by the WJA in this entertaining For the Love of Jewelers third season podcast premiere.
Jennifer Markas is the executive director of the Women’s Jewelry Association (WJA) and the former sustainability reporting manager for Tiffany & Co. The 2016 recipient of the New York Business Journal Women of Influence Award, her career has spanned the financial, creative and nonprofit industries—including as founder of Damsels in Design. “I've never been a jeweler, but I'm so excited to be around other creative people. That's really what's been fueling my desire to be in this space for a really long time,” Jennifer says. Bringing energy and perspective to themes of diversity, sustainability and connection, Jennifer joins host Courtney Gray to share about opportunities offered by the WJA in this entertaining For the Love of Jewelers third season podcast premiere.
Courtney Gray:
Welcome to Season Two of For the Love of Jewelers, a podcast, connecting people engaged in the craft and industry of jewelry making, brought to you by Rio Grande Jewelry Supplies and hosted by yours truly, Courtney Gray. While navigating through this time, we realized the need to stay home, be safe and stay inspired. We are truly all in this together. I'm honored and excited to take you on this journey to discover not only the how, but why we make jewelry. My goal is not only to inform you but to empower you by sharing the passion, perspective and perseverance of your fellow makers and professionals in all facets of the craft. Let's dive in.
Courtney Gray:
Jennifer Markus is the executive director of the Women's Jewelry Association, WJA and former sustainability reporting manager for Tiffany & Co. Among her accomplishments at Tiffany & Co. was the development of a strategy to communicate the brand sustainable initiatives including workplace diversity and inclusion, human rights in the supply chain and global conservation efforts to its consumers, investors and employees. Jennifer's career spans the nonprofit and creative sectors, starting off as a financial analyst at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, then managing the business operations and project finances for the renowned New York city-based architecture firm, Thomas Phifer and Partners.
Courtney Gray:
Additionally, Markus is the founder of Damsels in Design, a networking organization fostering professional and educational opportunities for women in the design industry. She was the recipient of New York Business Journals Women of Influence Award in 2016. Jennifer's passion for women's issues coupled with an understanding of the jewelry and design industries uniquely prepared her to support and lead WJA's efforts to advance equality and diversity in the fine jewelry and watch industries.
Courtney Gray:
Hey, guys, welcome back to For the Love of Jewelers. I'm Courtney Gray. I have the extreme honor of meeting with Jennifer Markus today all the way from New York. Hi, Jennifer. Welcome.
Jennifer Markus:
Hi, so nice to be here. Thanks, Courtney.
Courtney Gray:
Absolutely. Thanks for making the time. Looking at your history and reading about all the wonderful things you've done, I imagine you have a lot irons in the fire most of the time, literally and figuratively. So Jennifer is now the executive director, is that right?
Jennifer Markus:
Yes.
Courtney Gray:
Of Women's Jewelry Association, the mother chapter we could call it.
Jennifer Markus:
The national organization, exactly.
Courtney Gray:
Tell us a little bit about what drew you to this work and what's going on with WJA right now.
Jennifer Markus:
Great. And thank you so much, I'm really excited to be representing the Women's Jewelry Association. I have the real privilege of working with so many wonderful men and women across the United States and abroad. We have been around for about 40 years, believe it or not, and the association is run locally by regional chapters in major cities throughout the United States. We have about 2,000 members and I run an international board of directors, local boards, a foundation board. So there's a lot of different people that I get to meet within the jewelry and watch industry and up and down the jewelry supply chain. So I am very proud to develop programming to help develop women in the industry.
Courtney Gray:
How many board members can you even count?
Jennifer Markus:
Oh, my goodness. Don't tell them, but it's almost too many. They're all amazing. We have about 32 board members on our association board and then we have a sister organization called the Women's Jewelry Association Foundation and that has about 10, 11, 12 board members on there.
Courtney Gray:
Wow, that's a lot to manage. A lot to keep out, like I said, irons in the fire. Well, that's amazing. I'm so glad that you've decided to do this work. I know it's one of my favorite organizations out there.
Jennifer Markus:
Thank you. It means so much. We love to be able to meet so many different types of people in different parts of the space. Everyone has a different story to tell and different assets to bring to the table.
Courtney Gray:
That's what I love about it too is going to these meetups locally here anyway and I've been to a couple of the larger events. They're so empowering and just, you can feel the energy and all of those women and men, which I love. It's not just for women, you guys.
Jennifer Markus:
No men are some of our greatest advocates and I definitely believe that we need their support to be able to level the playing field and to progress throughout the industry, whether you're in a corporate setting or you're in a small business. There have been so many important relationships that have been built across those lines.
Courtney Gray:
Is there like a commonality between people who join the organization? Have you noticed any-
Jennifer Markus:
It's such a good question. I never get that question, Courtney. It's great. I would say that, again, our three pillars are community, connection and collaboration and I truly believe that the men and women and everyone else who identifies as a jeweler or someone in the industry, they're seeking out some type of community and that's what we provide and we've been providing it consistently for almost the four decades.
Jennifer Markus:
So I would say that they're looking for mentorship. They're looking for support. Whether they're looking for promotion within their company or looking to grow their own small business or large business, it really just depends, but I would say that that community, connection, collaboration is really a common denominator throughout.
Courtney Gray:
And it's not just jewelers. This is watchmakers. This is industry professionals. This is people who own maybe a small manufacturing company or large, right? So it's a great networking opportunity.
Jennifer Markus:
Absolutely. We really have great representation. It's very diverse in that way up and down the supply chain and some of the partnerships we have, which I'm so proud that our board has really been cultivating over the past couple of years, especially through COVID, things are so much more accessible online, but we have partnerships with associations like the Responsible Jewelry Council, we're able to really work with them on gender equality work and with the United Nations. We have other affiliations with some of the other industry associations. So it's so nice to be able to work together across those lines to really advocate and empower women.
Courtney Gray:
That's awesome. And I understand that WJA just recently launched a Diversity Committee focused on diversity and bringing people together. That was just 2020 of January, last year.
Jennifer Markus:
Yes. Before, Black Lives Matter surfaced in June which was so eye opening for, for all of us and again it's such a priority for not only our organization, but the entire industry. And we've really seen some great partnerships form out of the different associations. We're part of the Black in Jewelry Coalition, which I'm so proud to work with some of those amazing women who are part of the organization who started it. Some of them are members of WJA and it's really great to be able to propel each other forward with this work, but our Diversity Committee is really focused on developing best practices within our organization around diversity, equity and inclusion.
Jennifer Markus:
We provide training to all of our local chapter leaders, so antiracism training. We're looking at unconscious bias training, different types of best practices and really just building empathy across the organization. And I think that's something that everyone should be focused on, definitely moving forward, but just embedded in their DNA.
Courtney Gray:
It's too bad. It's just now really, coming to-
Jennifer Markus:
I know when we're so late to the game and again the support that we've seen across the space has been really just really heartwarming because again it is about learning. It's a learning process and you never stop that learning, and we're going to continue on it for as long as we need to.
Courtney Gray:
I love that. Have you seen any really significant changes yet? I know it's a new committee. What's the most exciting thing that's come out of it so far in your eyes?
Jennifer Markus:
Again, we've had some great progress so far. We actually in building out the Diversity Committee, which is on our board of directors. We've brought different people across the industry. So people, directors that represent the supply chain so more on the ground, working with local minors and local people in some of these developing countries. We have people that are working in corporate spaces that are approaching diversity, equity and inclusion from a more strategic standpoint. And like I said, we have one of our members who is on the Diversity Committee who is a founder or cofounder of the Black in Jewelry Coalition. But I would say our work has really centered on the past year and a half, trickling down through the local chapters on these conversations in diversity, equity and inclusion.
Jennifer Markus:
And I am just so proud of our local leaders who have worked with us to bring together speakers from the LGBTQIA+ community to talk about deconstructing gender and jewelry. These are conversations that we should be having all the time. It's so interesting when you think about retail, the retail environments. How do we talk about jewelry? How do we talk about wearing jewelry, buying jewelry? This is not just about our industry. This is about the consumers and the people that are buying our products and so we want to be really mindful of that training and those best practices.
Jennifer Markus:
So we're going to continue to build out that series. We have some exciting partnerships coming down the pipeline for 2022 and we're building out continuing to build out our incubator program called The Jewelry Loop Project which started as part of our San Francisco or Northern California Chapter and we'll be recruiting more emerging designers to really go through that and train them. So they get the support and mentorship they need.
Courtney Gray:
That's a lot that you guys have accomplished.
Jennifer Markus:
Sorry, I just gave you the kitchen sink.
Courtney Gray:
No, It's perfect. It's like, wow, look how fast you're moving and I really enjoy hearing that. I know everybody does and this is great. It's great news. I think it's going to really change things and help a lot of folks, especially women who has come to light. There's a lot of these new groups forming, Kendria Smith with the Metalsmiths for Change.
Jennifer Markus:
Yes
Courtney Gray:
These are all kind of baby organizations that are forming from these changes. So I'm excited to see those collaborations evolve and it sounds like-
Jennifer Markus:
Oh, my gosh. Me too and we've also hired on an outside diversity consultant and that has been a very eye-opening process as a third party coming in, really analyzing our operations, our processes, our terminology even, our mission, how all of these things are in a connected and how we can be more inclusive in the approach moving forward. I'm really excited about what's going to come out of those partnerships.
Courtney Gray:
That's exciting. And Women Jewelers Association has been known for the grants that the organization offers and maybe share with the community a little bit about these grants that are available and any new things, so they're aware of the opportunity and maybe feel a little less scared to apply.
Jennifer Markus:
Oh, my gosh. Well, all I can say to listeners is free money. That is what this is all about and we are so glad to give it away. We have a wide variety. So every year, if you're a member, you can apply for $500 to be used towards your business, towards education, really in whatever manner you see fit. So $500, it's an easy application. It's giving your name and information. And then we have other grant opportunities with some of our corporate partners. So we just launched, I am just thrilled about this one. It's really near and dear to me, Platinum Guild International, they have partnered with us to provide two scholarships for study in sustainability at New York University.
Jennifer Markus:
And so we have a partnership not only with PGI but also with NYU, which is one of the top sustainable business programs in the world and we're really pleased to be able to meld these really important institutions together, PGI, longing for bringing up and advocating for more sustainability champions in NYU as this great research center, this great educational resource. So we're really excited about that. Those are really simple applications. You can go online. We have all of them live right now. That's one course fully paid for. It's all online, runs from January to May of 2022 and that's going to be the first cohort. So you're going to have access to NYU's alumni online. You're going to have access to some of our sustainability partners and we're really, really excited about what's to come for that. It's the first of its kind in the jewelry industry, so we're really pleased to be able to promote that.
Courtney Gray:
That's exciting. Yay.
Jennifer Markus:
I know, so many. And then just if I may, one more grant we have or actually two more, Jewelers Mutual every year sponsors a female veteran grant, women's veteran grant, for a female veteran who is seeking to develop their business or to enter the jewelry industry. So we're really excited to be able to continue partnering with them. This is such an important piece of our work. And then the third piece is the Carelle grant. So we partner with Carelle Manufacturing Company over many, many years to provide a grant for business development. And this year, we've kind of changed the criteria to innovate with the times.
Jennifer Markus:
So we're really looking for grant applications and candidates that are to innovate their business through a technology lens. So investing in ecommerce solutions, investing in different sorts of training, different sorts of business development training. So that's $7,500 this year. We're really just so pleased that we're able to grant that amount through Carelle and partner with them continuously. So please apply. It's totally free money and it takes like maybe 20 minutes.
Courtney Gray:
So it's really not that extensive of a process to apply.
Jennifer Markus:
No, again most of the information that's required is what you would have in your portfolio or what you would have in your bio, what you would have in a boiler plate. We do have some additional application questions, but for this amount of money, they're not prohibitive, right? We really want to make it as easy and inclusive as possible to apply.
Courtney Gray:
And you do this every year in case this publishes after the date?
Jennifer Markus:
Yes, but we do have scholarships that come out in spring. So we have two different types of giving. We have the grants really for business development and business education training in the fall so that people can budget in for the next year and prepare and then we have scholarships in the spring for students who are enrolled in gemology courses or jewelry design and technology courses. And those will be available in the spring.
Courtney Gray:
Free money, you guys.
Jennifer Markus:
Free money.
Courtney Gray:
5,000 for the veteran grant, the female veteran grant which is amazing and that's for beginner is what I'm reading. And then the Carelle grant is more if you're deeper into your business five to 10 years, right?
Jennifer Markus:
Yes, exactly. We've extended the criteria really to support more mid-stage companies and mid-stage jewelers and designers who might need that extra bump as they go along.
Courtney Gray:
Don't we all. Don't we all. Websites are easier to get your ecommerce going. There's a lot of makers out there who have a difficult time doing that on their own and nor should you necessarily. There's a point where you need to outsource things and take those funds and hire a professional to get it done and you go back to the bench and continue working.
Jennifer Markus:
Oh, my goodness. No, absolutely. And really it's about training and about to understand the process of launching a company of growing your business. You have a talent, right? If you're a designer, you have a talent and like you said, Courtney, that should be used in making and designing the jewelry and there's some other things that you should just be able to delegate.
Courtney Gray:
I love the WJA Chapters. You guys, check them out in your area. I know there's more reasons to join beyond just these grants because those are for members only, correct?
Jennifer Markus:
Yes.
Courtney Gray:
And the new things that you guys are adding every year. Tell us about the history. How did this start?
Jennifer Markus:
Oh, my goodness. Way before my time.
Courtney Gray:
Mine too.
Jennifer Markus:
I've been with the organization just a couple of years, but the organization actually started in the Boston area with women in retail who are working on the sales floor, who really didn't have any camaraderie or community alone and they wanted to be able to get together and talk about some of the challenges they face with selling with not being able to move up the ladder and it just kind of grew organically into this national and now international organization, which again has gone through many iterations, but we're really pleased to see where we are now and we're very excited to be in the midst of our strategic directive, which over the next couple of years, we have really major goals to partner with entities outside of the jewelry and watch community to really bring more education and leadership development opportunities to our members.
Courtney Gray:
That's exciting, Jennifer, and you're steering the ship, so let's see what you'll accomplish.
Jennifer Markus:
I have an amazing board and amazing staff and so it would not be possible without them.
Courtney Gray:
I bet that's very true. We cannot do it alone. I'm so curious about you, Jennifer, I'm reading your background with Damsels in Design and I would love to get into that. With your background, I'm curious what your very first job was.
Jennifer Markus:
This is going to go back.
Courtney Gray:
Was it the pizza joint or was at Whole Foods?
Jennifer Markus:
No, you know what? I was actually a Hallmark Card employee.
Courtney Gray:
No way.
Jennifer Markus:
That was my first job at the age of 14 or 15 and I worked in a mall and it was very tedious and actually very tiring, but at the end of the day, you memorized all the sentiments. So it's good for letter writing. It was good for letter writing later on.
Courtney Gray:
That is fun. I've never heard that one before. I feel like every job we have ... I was telling my son anyway that he's looking at his 15, he's ready to work and I said, "Every job's going to stack on each other and get you to this different place."
Jennifer Markus:
Absolutely.
Courtney Gray:
It's such a journey.
Jennifer Markus:
I know you're bringing me back, Courtney. I've not thought about that for 20 years.
Courtney Gray:
I like to do that. It's part of the fun of this. So who were some of your biggest mentors or influencers would you say?
Jennifer Markus:
Oh, my goodness. One of my biggest, I think pivotal life moments, I was working probably at my third job or maybe second or third job out of college and I was working at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and I was a financial analyst. I studied finance in college and part of my job was to go into like the deep dark dusty archives and do insurance measurements or insurance appraisals. So we had to go and report on all the work that wasn't showed in the galleries, etcetera. And I would always hang out in this one curator's office because she had all the cool books and I was like so into midcentury design before it became cool. And she said, "Jennifer, I don't think you're working. I don't think you're actually doing your job." And I was like, "Oh, my gosh, Carol that's not right. I love this stuff," and of course, she was teasing me.
Jennifer Markus:
And she said, "You need to apply to grad school. You need to go study material culture. If you love furniture, if you love all these decorative art objects, etcetera and this time period, I highly encourage you to go to New York." And so I applied to half a dozen schools and I settled on Parsons School of Design here in New York city and I enrolled and I got my master's degree in decorative arts, history and design with a minor in architectural history. And so there's so many different parts, but I took many jewelry class, many different history of jewelry courses. And a part of all those studies really learn about accessories, learn about the body, learn about decoration in general. So it's been really fascinating to go from finance to art and everything in between.
Courtney Gray:
That's such an interesting combination, but there's so much you have done and can do with that. It's unique. I love hearing the history. You're a jeweler. Do you still practice at the bench? Do you still have time for that?
Jennifer Markus:
No. I have never been a jewelry maker actually. No, really just more of the historian background. I thought was going to move to New York and become the director of the MoMA which hasn't happened yet. It's probably never going to happen. I don't know if I want Glenn Lowry's job.
Courtney Gray:
Right.
Jennifer Markus:
But no, I've never been a jeweler, but I'm so excited to be around other creative people. That's really what's been fueling my desire to be in this space for a really long time.
Courtney Gray:
Oh, my gosh. I need to bring you back on at some point in the future and talk about the history of jewelry. Wouldn't that be fun?
Jennifer Markus:
Oh, my gosh, yes. Sign me up.
Courtney Gray:
Really? Be careful what you ask for. I would love that. I always thought it was one of the most ancient money-making crafts. It's like been here and it's not going anywhere and it's only developing and growing new technology and it's pretty interesting when you think about how far back this goes.
Jennifer Markus:
It's just thousands of years, fascinating.
Courtney Gray:
Do you feel like sharing with us a little bit about your vision and success behind Damsels in Design?
Jennifer Markus:
Sure. Damsels was such a fun time for me that lasted almost a decade really and I started it after grad school. After graduating, I felt like I had this great community during graduate studies. I met all these incredible professors and curators and just very cool arty people and I missed that. And I started working in an architecture firm actually and I ran their business. I basically did all their business management and finances. And so I wasn't really feeling creative and I got together a group of women, maybe it was seven, eight, nine, 10 women and we started meeting for weekly, biweekly, happy hours and then I started adding educational components.
Jennifer Markus:
I started asking people to bring their friends and I found all these really cool designers from different areas, not just the jewelry or fashion areas, but interior design, product design, sound design, from everything. We've really covered so much during that time and I was so pleased to be able to bring all these different types of creatives together to learn from one another. Because at the end of the day and this is the same for WJA members, at the end of the day, it's all about your creative process and what inspires you. And I think learning what inspires other people gets your wheels turning and makes some connections and sparks.
Jennifer Markus:
So it was a great networking organization. I'm so proud to have run it. And it really was the impetus to get me to really join WJA and really lead something that was more official, more structured and had a great history behind it.
Courtney Gray:
That's awesome. And so I was reading 150 events over five years. I was thinking, "My Lord, yeah." I know there's a lot that goes into that, but also the importance of networking and you just touched on that perfectly, Jennifer. I would love to dive deeper into that. I think some of us don't know what to do or how to connect with other creatives or where to, for that even and how to show up, when to show up and what's it all about to be in a network, I think. Would you share with us a little your thoughts on just networking as a general?
Jennifer Markus:
Oh, my goodness, absolutely. One of my many jobs, I was an adjunct at LIM College in New York City for a few years and I was in charge of their career internship coursework and so I had a couple of classes that I was able to teach how to connect with one another. To lay the record straight, I can't stand the term networking. I know we use it, but I find it so salesy, it's so unnatural, but I really love the term connection and that's also in our three pillars for WJA. And my advice to everyone, again, I'm a pretty extroverted person and I love meeting people. I thrive off of learning about different paths and careers and ideas and things, but again, it's very, it's very difficult to go into a room, not knowing anyone.
Jennifer Markus:
The pieces of advice I have are coming with three goals for the evening and this is what I would actually tell members when I used to run Damsels in Design, "Coming with three goals for the evening, who are you going to meet? What's your pitch going to be and what do you need and what can you give?" So I think that those aspects of knowing why you're there not just to go to meet people, but really knowing why you're there gives you purpose and that purpose is going to drive your experience during the event. So again, have your boilerplate down, have your little spiel, your elevator pitch, they say, but also a couple of things that you can give back, right?
Jennifer Markus:
So people come to me all the time, "Jennifer, do you know this? Do you know this type of artist? Do you know this per person?" and it feels good to give back. I think that's what we're all seeking is how to contribute back to society. And if you come in with those different aspects, I think you'll be really successful because you won't be lost in the fray.
Courtney Gray:
And have a goal. I've never thought of it that way. A little bit of fly by the seat of my pants kind of person, so I just go in and just see what happens, but for-
Jennifer Markus:
There are those nights too, absolutely.
Courtney Gray:
Sure. I think for extroverted people who are more extroverted or can access that part of ourselves, it may be a little easier, but for the more introverted or those of us who spend a lot of time at the bench, it is, that's a great idea. And I also love, agree that the word networking can be a little turnoff. If you don't think about being about connection and collaboration and potential for collaboration.
Jennifer Markus:
And having a really good question to ask. This is what I learned at least. You never ask what you do at a dinner party, right? You ask like, "How do you know the host?" or, "How is your holiday?" like what are things that get people to talk about themselves and not their identity as it relates to necessarily their business. So for example, for jewelry and watches, if you're a bench jeweler, "What are your favorite material to use? How did you find this supplier?" I think it can be a little bit more creative and that actually gets people thinking and makes you more interesting at the end of the day.
Courtney Gray:
You brought up a really good point too discussing connection and networking about bringing something to the table as well. Whenever I build partnerships or have in the past, really it's relationships. You're building a relationship. So it's a give and a take, so you need to have something. I always like to start with the give like, "Hey, I have this idea. How would you feel about out us working together on this?" And then, you find that win-win so to speak, right?
Jennifer Markus:
Absolutely. It's a 50-50. I'll never forget, I used to work at Citibank. I worked at Citi Foundation in their giving unit and I used to go all these networking events. This one gentleman comes up to me and just hands me a business card and walks away. And I was like, "Wait, who are you? You're just giving me a piece of paper. I'm not going to call you. I'm not going to email you. I don't know what you do." And I think that's so old school, is that we think if we have a business card, it makes us important, but I think really having story, why you're there like you said, having that research behind it, if you've researched the person a little bit. That's why I always say when you go to a lecture or symposium, look up the keynote. You want to talk to them. You want to be in the front row and when they're ready to come off stage, you want to have the best question to ask them because they're going to remember that. They'll connect with you. And I've had that happen many a time.
Courtney Gray:
Preparation, that's big. That is really good advice. Here's another one. We're going to have to bring you back. I'm just going to have to get you your own microphone.
Jennifer Markus:
We'll start our podcast series, Courtney.
Courtney Gray:
We'll start our own little talk show about networking because we haven't even touched on leadership and mentorship. If you are up for it, I would love to talk a little bit about what those two things mean to you because I know not just with the work that you're doing with WJA, but the things and positions you've chosen throughout your career which is extensive. How many jobs have you had?
Jennifer Markus:
Oh, my God. I've had so many jobs. I know, but it's all building up on one another. It's all for goodness.
Courtney Gray:
Exactly. And they do ... We were saying ... I hate the word stacking. They build into, it's like, "Oh, okay, now I'm ready for this chapter. I'm ready to do this type of work." What can you say, you have to hire people and train that's part of what you, and not just with WJA, but you built teams?
Jennifer Markus:
Yes, absolutely. And I've been really blessed, I came in with an amazing colleague to WJA, but again I think it's the same principle about helping to build a board, helping to cultivate a board. That's the same type of principle that we try to instill in our local chapter leaders for WJA, but I think it's really hard. It's hard to admit this, but it's the truth. It's really hard to build interested people, right? I don't know a better way to say that. There has to be some inherent type of motivation for yourself to want to be better, to want to grow and want to learn and those individuals I think make the most exciting collaborators, exciting partners and are the ones that are really malleable and you can help mentor and you can help train.
Jennifer Markus:
We have mentorship program within WJA and I've heard amazing successful stories and then I've also heard, "Oh, my mentee didn't show up," or vice versa, "My mentor didn't show up." And so if you're not showing up, there's something missing there, right? It's like you're not ready or you don't have the motivation to do that right now or you really don't know the questions to ask and you need more guidance, so there's that.
Jennifer Markus:
But I think leadership, it's really about being well rounded in all honesty. And for me, I joke about having so many jobs, but I also believe I'm a really well-rounded individual who can speak to so many different types of people and so many different types of experiences because you've been there, done that and it gives you more empathy, right? Leadership is all about to me at least emotional intelligence. And again, you have to be able to read people, you have to be able to work with people. So many different types of personalities, so many different types of up and down, a supply chain for example, right? You have different people who do different things, and if you don't know how to speak to different types of people, your management style is huge.
Jennifer Markus:
And so that's what I'm really excited to work on in the new year always with our chapter leaders that come on board is they want to grow as well. They're in the position to lead and they need the guidance of how to develop. And so managing and learning how to manage I think is a huge part of leadership development.
Courtney Gray:
That's a full time thing.
Jennifer Markus:
Oh, my goodness.
Courtney Gray:
Management and mentoring too. You do have to show up. I think that's a really good point. If both sides aren't ready to grow together and to collaborate in that way, it may not be the right fit. I think that's a big one. A lot of folks out there ready to start organizations of their own, pulling together a board like this or just hiring for the sake of being able to double their workload or produce more work and their jewelry craft. It's a challenging one. So I love that WJA has this mentorship program, other women and men who have been in this role that you're describing, the management role.
Jennifer Markus:
Absolutely. We're just building off of that. During the last year, we launched our WJA masterclass series. So that's all about leadership development. It's about building soft and hard skills. So things like how to project manage, right? We brought in an expert project manager who has her credentials from the Project Management Institute to talk about how you organize information, how you organize your projects, how you organize processes. And then we have public speaking experts, how to actually give a presentation that is compelling, that's meaningful, that's going to close a deal. So we're very excited to build that out and we have different sponsors coming on for 2022 to really serve as those experts in their fields.
Courtney Gray:
I want to get personal with you again, not super personal, personal professional, but I'm curious, we've done so much. You've worked with like we said earlier corporations, creative, nonprofit. You've crossed all those streams. How do they compare in your eyes? This isn't the personal part, but I do have that question too. I'm curious about how you would compare. Do you have a favorite place to be or style of work or form? I'm not forming that question well, but you get the point.
Jennifer Markus:
Yeah, I totally know what you mean. And it's so interesting because for me at the end of the day, whether you're a nonprofit, whether you're a big corporation, whether you're just a small business or even having your own side hustle, at the end of the day, it's all a business. It's all time spent to cultivate assets, cultivate things that you either want that are nonmonetary or definitely monetary when you work in those types of environments. So it's just about really figuring out how to work with people and I think just nonprofits by their nature, they're more grassroots-y or they have fewer resources just because the profits go towards back into the organization and to programming, mainly corporations, you have a lot of hierarchy to deal with.
Jennifer Markus:
You have a lot of the corporate noise and just even being an entrepreneur. I don't consider myself one, but when I had Damsels in Design, that was all about hustling, right? You hear the term bootstrapping and it's so true. You are trying to sell something. You're trying to sell yourself. You are your own brand. And I think that I heard something this morning ... I was on a call with some other executive leaders and you're always your own brand. So even myself, Courtney, you, every time we get on the phone with someone, how do you answer the phone? How does that sound? That's part of your calling card, right? That's your business card. So if you don't sound friendly, if your tone and style don't match up to your goals, then you really need some guidance there.
Courtney Gray:
We are our own brand. And it's scary at first. It's like putting yourself out in front of the public and standing behind yourself and behind your work too if you're selling a product of any kind of jewelry, etcetera, but I think being able to get up, and like you said earlier, do that 11-second speech of, "Well, here's what I do," or somebody comments on a piece of your jewelry, you speak up. You say, "Hey, I made that." And the conversation begins there with just, "Hey, I'm owning this. This is part of what I am and do."
Jennifer Markus:
Exactly. I think it's so important to have that part of you, and again going through those exercises, that's why people hire brand strategists. That's why they exist. That's why it's a job because it is a really deep core exercise. It's something that changes as you evolve, as your business evolves. It's something that changes even when you're talking to a different audience, right? So I say to people, some other young people that I mentor, if you're going to get a new job, you need to create a new resume that speaks to the new role. You're not going to send in the same resume to a hundred companies. It's really about cultivating a sense of who you are and being able to story tell that to different audiences.
Courtney Gray:
And at first guys, it can be a little nervous. I always say practice with your family or friends because they're a little more approachable. And I guess I'm speaking right now to the students still, I used to run a school and so I was coaching a lot of the students to, "Where do I begin? I don't know what to do." "Your first clients are your family and your friends and sell them and sell them for full price. Don't discount." So how do you find balance with all of the things, all the irons in the fire? I can tell you enjoy working, Jennifer, and you enjoy this, the networking and the connection.
Jennifer Markus:
Definitely.
Courtney Gray:
You just got married, so got to make time for hubby.
Jennifer Markus:
Yes, the past year and a half has been really full of many blessings. We actually got a dog too, so we're raising a puppy, living in New York. There's never a dull moment. Even during COVID, there's so much to really see and do. To be honest with you, I have never been the best at work-life balance. I run a nonprofit and it's all the time, but again, that's part of why I chose WJA because it's something I believe in. So really again, the line between working and personal life, a lot of the issues that were addressing within the organization, gender equality, leadership development, etcetera, these are things that I enjoy doing in my spare time. So I've been able to meet people that I would probably have met in my personal life and now it's like business and it's between the hours of 9:00 to 5:30 and it's great because I just get all of it done during then.
Jennifer Markus:
It's a lot to balance and I think I have some different techniques that we've taught to WJA members. I think one of my favorites is the Pomodoro method. I call it like the tomato method and you put your timer on for 20-25 minutes and you get a project done. And if it's not done, you move on to something else and you come back to it. And I think those types of techniques really, those are investments in yourself and learning your personality, right? There are types of people that need to take a lunch break. Personally, I eat through lunch. I will be watching a video or I'll be watching a webinar and I think that those are just things that enrich me and that's how I feel fulfilled.
Jennifer Markus:
But the one thing is definitely making one day a week that you turn off at 5:00. So if that's your Wednesday, if that's your Friday, whatever day, I do have one of those days. And that's where I'm able to spend some personal time catching up on just rest.
Courtney Gray:
Just Jennifer stuff.
Jennifer Markus:
Jennifer stuff, exactly.
Courtney Gray:
Thanks for you that nurture you and hope you slow down for a minute. I was just discussing that with some friends and colleagues and it's perspective time. You need that step away and I noticed sometimes the longer that is the better, the perspective or the more intense the perspective is. You can't just go, go, go all the time.
Jennifer Markus:
No.
Courtney Gray:
There's got to be those pauses to say, "Okay, step back. Let's look at this."
Jennifer Markus:
Exactly. I know I did go on almost a month-long honeymoon, so I probably used up all of my time in that month, but I absolutely agree. And again, I think it's so interesting when I meet different creatives, those designers who are working on the bench or students or those that are running their businesses. That's one of the biggest questions is that, "How do I get everything done?" And to me, you can't get everything done, right? That's where we delegate and that's part of managing and that's part of developing your managing style. So there are people ... I have to admit, I'm very type A. I like things a certain way, but I've had to force myself to delegate and it's been all the better for it. I've been all the better for it because I would not be able to do what I do without having some of that freedom to think and to strategize and to do.
Courtney Gray:
And people bring different things. That was humbling for me when I was hiring my team was, "Oh, man, these guys are way better at this than I am. I'm going to let them come and help with this part because I don't do that well."
Jennifer Markus:
Well, there's a sense of freedom in that. I think when you really relinquish that control, it's like, "Okay, this is why I'm paying you and you don't have to worry. You don't have to keep checking on them." It's like they're the experts.
Courtney Gray:
Know your strengths and your weaknesses.
Jennifer Markus:
That's a good interview question.
Courtney Gray:
Yes it is. And we're going to run out of time. So we're going to have to meet again. Seriously, I'm going to buy you your own microphone or you're going to agree to do this like once a month. I do next year want to really launch some new, really focus in on some of these topics because I know marketing and hiring and all of these things that we're just bringing up and barely touching on today, Jennifer, are so important to so many people who are at any stage in their career, "I've been doing it myself for 40 years, but I really don't want to anymore or I can't physically," or whatever that might look like. So I love the idea of helping everybody move through those transition periods. They can feel very challenging.
Jennifer Markus:
Definitely. That's so exciting.
Courtney Gray:
What's next for you? What's the one thing you haven't done yet that you'd really like to accomplish in your life?
Jennifer Markus:
Oh, my goodness. This is a big question, Courtney. I did not know this one was coming. For me, I think it's almost ... I don't know. There's too many to name, but one of them, I've always wanted to do my own TED Talk. And I don't even know if TED Talks are a thing anymore, but I don't even know what the topic would be. I have no clue, but I love the idea of being able to memorize and really have it come from the heart with research. I've never actually done that before. So that's something that's definitely on my bucket list, along with a couple of other things.
Courtney Gray:
You would rock a TED talk.
Jennifer Markus:
That's so sweet. Look, I have one audience member. This is good.
Courtney Gray:
Well, it's broader than you think. Right now, it's just you and I. It's a good practice. We have one here locally in Austin, Texas. Pecha Kucha is what it's called.
Jennifer Markus:
I used to run a Pecha Kucha style events for Damsels in Design. Those were very fun.
Courtney Gray:
Cool. It's really fun. What a great format to get everybody and just really share quickly in what we're doing and practice that 11-second thing.
Jennifer Markus:
Exactly.
Courtney Gray:
"What am I about?" Get your pitches. That's a great-
Jennifer Markus:
And I just love that word too. It's so fun to say, Pecha Kucha.
Courtney Gray:
What does it mean, Pecha Kucha?
Jennifer Markus:
I don't even. I have no idea.
Courtney Gray:
I just like saying it too.
Jennifer Markus:
I've never looked it up. That's awful. I know I need to go look it up right now.
Courtney Gray:
I'm going to look it up too. Jennifer, I'm so happy that we were able to get this, get together today and share with our community. You guys, definitely check out the WJA website and consider becoming a member. Real quick, what would you say to have somebody wanting to join the board or to help in that way?
Jennifer Markus:
Well, I would say, first of all, wherever you're based, we have amazing local chapters, wherever you're based and we have a big online presence and our local chapters actually run local boards. So you are able to join and learn how that nomination process works, learn how to get involved. There are opportunities to help out with event planning, with developing out different board members, communications, etcetera. So there's so many endless possibilities of joining our community and really helping to promote and propel women forward in our industry. So I hope that you join, and if you have any questions, you're more than welcome to reach out to me. jennifer@womensjewelryassociation.com.
Courtney Gray:
You're going to be blowing up now. I love the website, guys. There's a lot of information there. You can dig in and read about these grants and the foundations that are involved, what's next, this Diversity Committee. I'm so excited to hear about that. Stay in tune with not only this organization, but other ones that relate to your goals that you might be able to find those mentors or mentees if you're at that stage. I love it, love it, love it and I always say onward and upward, is there anything that you'd like to share Jennifer before we say bye.
Jennifer Markus:
I'm just so grateful for the time today, Courtney. It's so lovely meeting you. It's so nice to talk to all the audience members and to share what leadership means and what management means and how to propel forward, so ever upward too.
Courtney Gray:
You too. Thanks, Jennifer.
Jennifer Markus:
Thank you.
Courtney Gray:
Thanks for tuning in, you guys. I hope you have enjoyed this episode of For the Love of Jewelers. Stay tuned for the next episode by subscribing through Spotify, iTunes or by searching podcast@riogrande.com. I encourage you to rate us, write a review and share with friends and colleagues. I hope you're all finding ways to stay inspired. I'm your host, Courtney Gray, until we get to connect again, onward and upward.