Founder Reflections

The story should remain alive. The meaning should remain active. The adornment should do more than decorate...

What bothers me about other business owners taking my work and going so far as to have it manufactured is that they generally have no idea what they are actually copying.

There are moments when I wish every customer could see a PinMe 1913 design before deciding whether to purchase it. Not because the photographs aren’t good. But because sometimes a photograph simply isn’t enough. There is something that happens when light catches the stones. There is something about the weight of a piece in your hand. There is something about seeing the scale, the dimension, the craftsmanship, and the details with your own eyes that no image can completely cap

Embracing the Journey of Creation One of the greatest lessons I’m learning as a founder has nothing to do with design. It has everything to do with restraint. When I begin thinking about a collection, I rarely see one piece. I see ten. Sometimes, I see the entire collection before the first design has even been produced. It’s a gift. It’s also a challenge. Because when I see the whole story, I want to share the whole story. I’ve realized that I don’t naturally think in single

For a long time, I introduced myself as the Chief Creative Officer and owner of PinMe 1913. Then one day, I changed one word. I stopped saying “owner.” I started saying “founder.” To some, it may seem like a small distinction. To me, it changed everything. There is absolutely nothing wrong with being an owner. Owners build incredible businesses every day. But I realized that “owner” didn’t fully capture my relationship to this work. An owner can purchase a business. An owner

As founders, it can be tempting to spend too much time trying to force harmony where there is constant friction. We become attached to the potential of an idea, a partnership, or a collaboration, believing that with enough effort everything will eventually click.

A Juneteenth reflection on freedom, culture, civil rights, legacy, and the ongoing work of building a more equitable future.

This Road to 10K Diary is the story behind the numbers, documenting the moments, lessons, and milestones that shaped PinMe 1913 on the journey to 10,000 orders. Entry 01 • VIP 113 Entry 02 • Lessons from Custom Entry 03 • The People Who Believed First Entry 04 • Beyond the Product Entry 05 • The Designs That Make the Cut Entry 06 • The Third Thing Entry 07 • Showing Up Entry 8 • The Pop-Ups Entry 9 • The Order That Took PinMe Abroad Entry 10 • What You Don't See Entry 01 • VI