We recently connected with Jessica Santander and have shared our conversation below.
Jessica, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?
The purpose behind my company is to uplift women specifically through the concept of joy. Joy, itself, is a way of life that can change from one chapter to the next and be that inner source of strength we need to believe in ourselves. I have experienced several moments in my life that challenged me to hold onto positivity and allow that to be the energy to carry me forward. Hence, our jewelry brand is actively involved in inspiring joy into the lives of others both through our storytelling collections and with our philanthropic efforts. It’s important to me to ensure our brand walks our talk and helps our customers be a part of something bigger. This purpose all ties back to my childhood, when growing up, my parents always instilled within me a sense of compassion. My parents are from South America and come from humble backgrounds, and from this, I, too, have an appreciation for the opportunities to study and create a career path that I love. I want to make my parents proud and continue to honor their life lessons by always being a helping hand for others and inspiring others to go after their greatest dreams.
Jessica, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Growing up in Delaware and surrounded by a passionate Hispanic culture, I’ve always known I wanted to live a creative life. More specifically, I’ve held an utmost fascination for the world of acting and fashion ever since I was a little girl, yet decided a degree in Marketing and International Business would be a safer bet for me. It didn’t take long for this blazing passion for the arts to re-connect with my journey when I landed my first corporate role upon graduating with my Masters. I knew I had to tap into this dream of mine and give myself the chance to believe in my wildest imagination of what’s possible. I launched my handmade jewelry business in December 2018 (4 months after my job letter of acceptance) with a driven focus to create a passionate and deep-rooted community for all jewelry lovers to feel uplifted and inspired to re-imagine joy today. 4.5 years later, I’m so proud of all the scary leaps of faith taken, especially during the pandemic, and have collaborated with incredible brands as NYNOW for its sustainable luxury panel. There’s still much to conquer, but for now, I allow the passion to keep growing and the great vision to keep shining forward for our brand and community.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
The entire year of 2020 was the moment in our journey that challenged me the most in all aspects. This year would mark our 1st year in business and I was primarily relying on in person markets for brand awareness and sales. Then everything came to a halt in March. No markets, no sales, just silence. This moment pushed me to think creatively about how our brand can still be purposeful with our online community. Co-creation projects such as DIY bracelet designs with our online audience and IG lives definitely brought me out of my comfort zone to show up and be present.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
I’ve had to unlearn to let go of expectations throughout my 4.5 years in business. This lesson primarily comes from the first tradeshow that we participated in during the pandemic. Gowing into the market, I had certain goals and expected certain outcomes. After living this out, it’s a golden rule for any new adventure I take on within my business to let go of expectations and focus on the relationship building aspect. 
Contact Info:
- Website: https://jessicasantander.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessicasantander_designs/?hl=en
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicasantander1290/
Image Credits
Chanel Fernandez Photography for model photos