Founder Reflections

The design pictured above is AKOMA NTOSO (“linked hearts”) from the Black Love Collection. Related to AKOMA, this Adinkra symbol consists of four interlocking hearts and represents agreement, understanding, and harmony within a community. You’ll find it on the favorites list this Thursday.

After more conversation, I realized the sample was not the design brief. It was the structure. Each charm would carry a different part of the story.

I’m often asked why more of my Delta designs don’t feature the Greek letters. There’s no particular reason. My designs simply hadn’t led me there. Lately, though, I’ve been curious about how I might interpret those letters through PinMe. That curiosity inspired my appreciation for classic silhouettes in my 2027 Founders Day offerings. The five pins embrace simplicity: familiar forms, thoughtful details, and space for the letters to speak for themselves. This direction feels m

Can we talk about this? It's Celebration time! There is an art to choosing, wearing, and making the most of the pieces you love. That’s what inspired The Art of Adornment, my new founder series from PinMe 1913. Through short videos, I’ll share practical advice, styling pinspiration, and insights drawn from designing, wearing, and loving statement pieces. The first episode, Bigger & Better, is here, and I’m starting with oversized pins and how to keep them secure while you wea

Today, I get to celebrate another year. And for the last few years, my birthday has also become a moment when I inevitably find myself thinking about PinMe 1913. Where it started. Where it is. Where I want it to go next. I am naturally a person who reflects, assesses, pulls things apart, puts them back together, and looks for another way in. It shows up in my work as an actor. It shows up in the way I study craft. And it absolutely shows up in PinMe, which probably explains w

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