Ep.10 Jessica Hendricks Yee / Jewelry Designer & Founder
/ On Celebrating Heritage, Appreciating The Innocence of Business Beginnings And The Power of Context
Our roots and our heritage can offer us many things — timeworn traditions, special rituals, and intentional practices passed down through our lineage, bearing rich meaning and beautiful depth. But a portal to our purpose and life’s work in the world? 🤔 After planning her Chinese/Jewish wedding, Jessica Hendricks Yee launched her jewelry business, Zahava, to celebrate the beautiful collision of heritage with who we choose to be today — modern, multicultural families and global citizens with deep roots. Jessica joins Ewelina on the podcast today to share her inspiring story of Zahava, how her entrepreneurial spirit was born, the humble beginnings of business, and why celebrating who we inherently are and where we come from is beauty in its purest form.
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Enamored by design and travel from a young age, designer Jessica Hendricks Yee was born in Paris and grew up outside Manhattan with eyes glued to the cases in her mother’s jewelry shop.
While receiving her BFA in Drama at NYU Tisch School of the Arts, Jessica became fascinated by indigenous cultures and spirituality. After teaching English in South East Asia, Jessica launched her first line - The Brave Collection, jewelry handmade in Cambodia to support local artisans and empower women against human trafficking. She was named a Forbes 30 Under 30, interviewed by MSNBC, collaborated with designers such as Tory Burch and Rachel Zoe, and invited as a guest to the White House.
After planning her multicultural wedding, she was inspired to create her second line, Zahava, to celebrate the beauty of cross cultural wisdom of the past. Zahava is worn by incredible women across the globe including Sophia Bush, Zosia Mamet and Sophia Amoruso, and has been covered by publications including Goop and Allure, and named one of Glamour’s “Best New Fashion Brands of 2018”.
breakdown of topics covered:
0:00 Introduction
12:29 Jessica’s story and the background behind Zahava
17:54 How Jessica’s upbringing, context and travels connected her deeper to her Jewish heritage
23:24 The origins of Zahava — how Jessica’s entrepreneurial spirit was born, how she got connected to jewelry, and the nostalgic, humble beginnings of her business
29:54 The fears Jessica navigated around her first launch party and around the origins of Zahava
32:55 What helped Jessica push through doubt and uncertainty
36:50 The mindset needed to run a small business
41:09 Embracing deeper appreciation for the beauty and innocence of the early days of business
43:15 How Jessica cultivated her entrepreneurial spirit and the “knowing” she wanted to be a business owner at 14
46:25 What surprised Jessica since starting Zahava
53:20 How living in Mallorca for almost 3 years impacted Jessica and her business
55:11 The power of context and the influence it has on our work and lifestyles
1:05:00 Words of wisdom for anyone navigating fears around starting a personal project or venture
1:08:36 What purpose means to Jessica
1:11:55 What home means to Jessica
Connect with jessica:
Website: zahava.com
Instagram: @zahava_heirlooms
