# Responsible Luxury

> Responsible Luxury is a podcast, platform, and curated community hosted by Lauren Petrovic, exploring the people and ideas shaping the future of luxury.

## Responsible Luxury

URL: https://responsibleluxurypod.com/

Redefining What Luxury Means Next

Where global leaders, creators, and innovators come together to shape a more intentional, human, and future-forward luxury world.

Luxury is Shifting - quietly, powerfully, and with deeper intention.

Responsible Luxury is a podcast, platform, and curated community exploring the ideas, people, and innovations redefining modern luxury. Created and hosted by Lauren Petrovic, we bring together the leaders shaping a more intentional, human, and future-forward industry through intimate conversations, invite-only salon dinners, cross-sector roundtables, and gatherings.

Latest Conversations

Honest, intimate dialogues with the leaders reshaping luxury. Hear from founders, leaders, designers, technologists, investors, and cultural visionaries.

A Global Community Shaping the Future of Luxury - Together.

A trusted network of founders, creators, investors, and cultural leaders gathering around one shared vision: to shape a more intentional, human, and future-forward luxury world.

Community Benefits

High-touch, invitation-only events that bring diverse leaders into meaningful dialogue

Founder & Innovator Circles Curated spaces for entrepreneurs, creators, and executives to share challenges, insights, and opportunities.

Cross-Sector Connections Thoughtfully facilitated introductions across luxury, tech, sustainability, finance, and design.

Early Access to Events & Experiences Be the first to receive invitations to salons, roundtables, live recordings, and special events.

Intimate Gatherings with Global Impact

Our gatherings are designed for depth, not scale. No panels. No presentations. Just meaningful human connection - across luxury, culture, technology, sustainability, finance, and design.

Curated explorations into the themes defining the next era of luxury.

Where the future of luxury meets the founders, leaders and technology transforming it.

Exploring the ideas and leaders building a more responsible, regenerative future for luxury.

A celebration of the creators shaping modern luxury through artistry, storytelling, and cultural expression.

Voices & Ideas Shaping What's Next

Lauren Petrovic

Founder of Laurenti New York, creator of Responsible Luxury, and a voice shaping the future of intentional leadership, Lauren Petrovic brings together global change makers across luxury, culture, sustainability, and technology. Instagram @laurendpetrovic LinkedIn Lauren Petrovic

Partners & Collaborators

Brands and organizations aligned in building a more responsible, innovative, and culturally relevant future for luxury.

Trusted by Leaders Shaping the Future of Luxury

Elevating the global conversation around craftsmanship, culture, sustainability, and innovation.

18+ Countries

Listeners in Countries

A global audience spanning luxury, design, tech, sustainability, and culture.

Top 10%

Global Podcast

Recognized for thought-leadership, depth, and cultural relevance.

250+

Industry Leaders

From founders and business leaders to investors, technologists, and cultural innovators.

Be the first to receive new episodes, event invitations, and insights shaping the future of luxury.

## About

URL: https://responsibleluxurypod.com/about

Redefining luxury for a new era.

Responsible Luxury is a global thought-leadership platform, podcast, and curated community exploring the ideas, people, and innovations transforming the future of luxury - with intention, humanity, and purpose at the center.

Reimagining the Future of Luxury

Luxury is evolving - shifting from status to meaning, from excess to deeper intention.

At Responsible Luxury, we see this as an invitation: to rethink how luxury is created, experienced, and led.

We believe the future will be shaped by founders, technologists, artisans, and leaders who understand that luxury is not only a product, but a cultural force. A force that can drive trust, transparency, elevate sustainability, honor craft while embracing innovation, and bring humanity back to the center of creation. Our vision is to convene the people building this future - the thinkers, doers, creators, and leaders redefining what luxury means today and why it matters for tomorrow.

Because luxury is no longer just an industry. It is a responsibility, a reflection, and a blueprint for the world we choose to build next.

A platform at the intersection of luxury, innovation, culture, and community.

Responsible Luxury is more than a podcast. It’s an ecosystem of conversations, people, and experiences designed to spark collaboration and shape a more conscious, human-centered future of luxury. Through intimate conversations, roundtables, salon-style gatherings, and in-depth interviews, Responsible Luxury opens the door to the ideas, innovations, and intentions transforming the industry from the inside out.

In-depth interviews with global leaders driving innovation in materials, technology, culture, design, and responsible business.

Invite-only experiences where ideas flow, connections form, and meaningful dialogue unfolds.

Cross-sector discussions bringing founders, executives, investors, and creators together to explore the evolving luxury landscape.

Focused explorations of the themes defining luxury’s next chapter - including innovation, circularity, craftsmanship, leadership, and the Diamond Salon Series.

Luxury, at its core, is human.

It lives in the conversations we hold, the relationships we nurture, and the ideas brave enough to reshape what comes next.

At Responsible Luxury, we believe the future won’t be defined by excess - but by depth. By presence. By leaders who listen as deeply as they build.

Our ethos is simple: Create spaces where people feel seen. Elevate ideas that move culture forward. Champion a more intentional, human, and responsible world of luxury.

Whether through dialogue on the podcast or connection at a salon dinner, every moment is designed with purpose - to inspire clarity, spark collaboration, and remind us that luxury is not just an industry, but a way of leading.

This is luxury, reimagined from the inside out.

Lauren Petrovic

Founder of Laurenti New York, creator of Responsible Luxury, and a voice shaping the future of intentional leadership, Lauren Petrovic brings together global change makers across luxury, culture, sustainability, and technology.

Instagram @laurendpetrovic LinkedIn Lauren Petrovic

Exploring the themes reshaping modern luxury.

How technology, investment, AI, and new business models are transforming the industry.

The evolution of sourcing, transparency, and environmental leadership.

Where heritage meets innovation - and the artistry behind modern luxury.

The people building new systems, new brands, and new definitions of value.

A deep dive into the origin, artistry, and future of natural diamonds.

We're building a future where luxury becomes a force for good.

Responsible Luxury exists to elevate the global conversation, empower the next generation of leaders, and encourage a deeper, more intentional approach to how we create, design, innovate, and consume.

This is the movement redefining modern luxury - one conversation, one community, one idea at a time.

## Community

URL: https://responsibleluxurypod.com/community

A Global Community Shaping the Future of Luxury - Together

A global network of founders, creators, investors, and cultural leaders gathering around one shared vision: a more intentional, human, and future-forward luxury world.

Luxury Begins with People - Not Products

The Responsible Luxury community was built on a simple truth: the future of luxury will be shaped by the people willing to think differently, create boldly, and lead with deeper intention.

Here, founders, artists, technologists, investors, and cultural voices come together to exchange ideas, build relationships, and reimagine what luxury can look like when purpose, creativity, and innovation meet. This is where conversations evolve into collaborations - and where the next era of luxury begins.

Curated spaces for connection, collaboration, and conversation.

Salon Dinners, Special Events & Cultural Gatherings Leadership Roundtables Founder & Innovator Circles Live Interviews & Fireside Conversations Diamond Salon Series

Designed for leaders who value depth, intention, and meaningful connection.

Salon Dinners & Gatherings High-touch, intimate, invitation only events that bring diverse leaders into meaningful dialogue. A Global Network of Visionaries Curated spaces for entrepreneurs, creators, and business leaders to share challenges, insights, and opportunities. Cross-Sector Connections Thoughtfully facilitated introductions across luxury, tech, sustainability, culture, finance, and design. Early Access Be the first to receive invitations to salons, roundtables, live recordings, and special events.

A cross-industry tapestry of leaders shaping what comes next.

Our community brings together: founders, designers, sustainability leaders, investors, technologists, cultural thinkers, and luxury executives - Bound by a shared intention: to build a more conscious, collaborative, and culturally relevant future of luxury. Here, legacy and innovation coexist. Here bold ideas become real-world action. Here, luxury returns to its truest form: intentional, human, responsible, and built to last.

A Glimpse Into Our World

What Makes us Different

Curated by Intention We admit members by alignment of values, vision, and the desire to create meaningful change in the luxury sector. Cross Sector Thought Leadership Members come from luxury, tech, sustainability, design, finance, culture, and innovation - creating a uniquely powerful environment for idea exchange. Human-Centered, Off-the-Record Dialogue Our gatherings are small, private, and designed for deep connection. No panels. No agendas. No noise. Real Collaboration, Not Networking We create conditions for lasting relationships - collaborations, partnerships, investments, creatives, alliances, and cultural impact. Global Vision, Local Intimacy Salon dinners, roundtables, and curated meetups in New York and select cities worldwide.

Voices of the Community

Be Part of the Conversation Shaping the Next Generation of Luxury.

Request an invitation to our community and receive early access to gatherings, conversations, and thought-leadership.

## Contact Us

URL: https://responsibleluxurypod.com/contact

Get in Touch

The most meaningful conversations start with a single message. Contact us if you have any questions about our events or feedback

Join the Responsible Luxury Community

Want early access to salon dinners, roundtables, and the 2026 Sustainability Summit?

## Where Ideas Become Experiences 

URL: https://responsibleluxurypod.com/events

Where Leaders Gather to Shape What Comes Next

Our events bring together global leaders, founders, creators, technologists, and cultural voices for conversations that shape the future of luxury - in rooms designed for depth, connection, and transformation.

Curated, Intentional, and Designed for Impact

Responsible Luxury gatherings are more than events - they are cultural catalysts. Every dinner, roundtable, and salon is crafted to spark meaningful dialogue, unexpected collaboration, and a deeper understanding of the forces reshaping luxury today. We convene across disciplines because breakthroughs rarely happen in silos.

Annual & Ongoing Event Series

Intimate. Human. Unforgettable. Immersive evenings designed for depth, collaboration, and cross-disciplinary thinking - creating the kind of conversations that rarely happen in public rooms.

Intimate, off-the-record gatherings shaping the future of luxury. We gather experts, thinkers, and practitioners to explore topics like sustainability, circularity, mining transparency, craftsmanship evolution, and emerging technologies. By invitation only.

A new blueprint for the next era of luxury. A multi-sector forum convening leaders across fashion, jewelry, hospitality, beauty, technology, and finance to advance a more responsible and circular future.

What Makes Our Events Different

At Responsible Luxury, we believe that when leaders gather with purpose and authentic connection, everything changes - industries, systems, and the very definition of luxury.

Intimate, intentionally curated, designed for real conversation - not networking.

We bring together worlds that rarely meet: luxury, sustainability, tech, culture, and finance.

Every gathering ends with ideas, collaborations, and next steps - not just inspiration.

Themes We Explore

The New Luxury Economy Sustainability & Circularity Ethical Sourcing & Mining Craftsmanship & Design Evolution AI & Emerging Tech Leadership & Founder Journeys Consumer Culture & Values Material Innovation Transparency & Traceability Legacy, Identity & Meaning

Ready to Be Part of the Conversation?

Responsible Luxury events are curated with intention and offered by invitation or application.

## Request Invite

URL: https://responsibleluxurypod.com/request-invite

Request an Invitation

Meaningful gatherings start with intentional people. Responsible Luxury events are intimate by design - curated to bring together founders, creators, technologists, investors, sustainability leaders, and cultural voices shaping the future of luxury.

To ensure each gathering is thoughtfully composed, we review every request with care.

If you feel aligned with the mission and want to be considered for upcoming salon dinners, roundtables, or the Sustainability Summit, please complete the form below. We look forward to learning more about you.

## The Economics of Luxury with Paul Zimnisky

URL: https://responsibleluxurypod.com/episode/the-economics-of-luxury-with-paul-zimnisky
Published: 2026-08-18
Audio: https://content.rss.com/episodes/247478/3075933/responsible-luxury-with-laurenti-new-york/2026_08_18_00_46_13_18b7d4af-1270-4a7f-8cc8-482b25f768ef.mp3

What makes something truly valuable - and what happens when technology makes it possible to replicate almost anything? In this episode of Responsible Luxury, Lauren Petrovic sits down with Paul Zimnisky, one of the diamond industry’s leading independent analysts, to explore the economics of diamonds, scarcity, desire, and the forces reshaping the future of luxury. With a background on Wall Street and more than a decade analyzing the global diamond market, Paul brings a rare financial lens to an industry built as much on emotion and provenance as it is on supply and demand. Together, Lauren and Paul examine whether diamonds can truly be considered an investment, the disruption caused by lab-grown diamonds, what separates an asset from something genuinely investment-grade, and why provenance and emotional value can sometimes matter as much as financial value. They also explore how AI and customization could transform the jewelry industry, why financial freedom may be the ultimate luxury, and Paul’s belief that as our lives become increasingly digital, natural diamonds and gemstones may become even more desirable. At a turning point for the diamond industry, this conversation asks a much bigger question: in a world where more and more can be manufactured, replicated, and experienced virtually, what will we choose to value? X: @paulzimnisky Paul Zimniski Paul’s Podcast: Paul Zimnisky Diamond Analytics Timestamps: 00:00 Why Natural Wins 00:24 Meet Paul Zimnisky 02:15 From Wall Street 05:00 Luxury Is Emotional 06:09 Gold Versus Diamonds 09:14 Who Sets Prices 11:59 Diamonds As Investment 16:46 What Creates Value 18:14 Lab Grown Misconceptions 20:44 Lab Diamond Price Crash 21:31 Why Diamonds Are Slowing 22:15 Human Nature Lessons 23:31 Passion Over Prestige 24:06 Global Industry Mosaic 25:09 Advocates And Resilience 25:36 Customization Future Retail 26:59 AI Opportunity And Risks 30:33 Luxury Means Freedom 31:05 Celebrities Drive Demand 32:06 Digital Life Natural Craving 33:48 Emotional Value Wins 34:31 Closing And Next Steps

## Luxury After the Age of Hype with Jacob Brown

URL: https://responsibleluxurypod.com/episode/luxury-after-the-age-of-hype-with-jacob-brown
Published: 2026-07-14
Audio: https://content.rss.com/episodes/247478/2953208/responsible-luxury-with-laurenti-new-york/2026_06_30_04_03_39_c9ee5e73-87e6-4ca2-9044-bcd729b025ea.mp3

For decades, a small group of editors, magazines, and cultural institutions shaped what the world paid attention to. Today, the gatekeepers are gone. Jacob Brown has spent his career inside some of the world's most influential cultural institutions. From Vogue, The New York Times, Style Magazine to Condé Nast. Today, as Creative Director of Maxwell Social, he is helping build a new model for luxury rooted in conversation, creativity, and human connection. In this episode, Lauren Petrovic and Jacob explore how culture is evolving in a post-gatekeeper world, why luxury is moving beyond hype-driven marketing, and why "the product is the influence" in an age of AI and infinite content. They discuss: The rise and fall of cultural gatekeepers Why "the product is the influence" The future of luxury and consumer trust Founder-led brands and personal branding Creativity as a business advantage AI, media, and the future of culture Building communities through meaningful human connection The vision behind Maxwell Social and Café Society A conversation exploring what creates cultural relevance, earns trust, and shapes the future of luxury. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 02:46 Jacob Brown Origin Story 05:15 From Vogue to Maxwell 08:58 Who Controls Culture Now 13:33 Product Over Marketing 15:01 Founder Led Brand Debate 19:54 Maxwell as Modern Salon 25:49 What Is Creative Director 27:39 Editor In Chief Mindset 28:05 Writing Finds The Logic 29:26 Reading And Real Ideas 30:33 Why AI Writing Feels Off 33:16 Creativity Vs Business Levers 35:25 Taste As Discernment 36:16 Café Society Vision 37:06 Debate And Intellectual Freedom 40:21 Op Ed Magazine Approach 42:22 Mad Men Rewatch Culture 44:12 Growing The Hat Market 46:34 Culture Is Not Transactional 47:21 Responsible Luxury And The Future 50:47 Closing And Where To Find Them 51:26 Final Takeaways

Transcript:

[00:00:00] The product is the influence now. In the luxury space, we're seeing the death of hype. Marketers can't really pull the wool over someone's eyes anymore. The gatekeepers are gone. Every artist in any medium has access to every cultural consumer in the world. Culture is not transactional. The way I define our product is that it's IRL, human connection. [00:00:23] An LLM doesn't actually know what it's writing about. It's just next token. The human has come up with the idea in the first place. Every new medium starts with slop and ends with opera. Hello and welcome back to the Responsible Luxury podcast. I'm your host, Lauren Petrovic, founder of Laurenti. For decades, a small group of editors, magazines, and cultural institutions shaped what the world paid attention to. [00:00:50] Today, the gatekeepers are gone. But what happens to culture when the gatekeepers disappear? Consumers have direct access to information, creators have direct access to audiences, and luxury brands are being forced to rethink how they build trust, relevance, and influence. [00:01:08] To help us make sense of this shift, I'm joined by Jacob Brown, creative director of Maxwell Social and former creative leader at Vogue, The New York Times, Style Magazine, and Condé Nast. In this conversation, we discuss the death of gatekeepers, why the era of hype may be ending, the future of creativity in the age of AI, and why human connection may become luxury's most valuable asset. [00:01:35] So please enjoy my very special conversation with my dear friend, Jacob Brown. Hi, I'm Jacob Brown, and welcome to the Responsible Luxury podcast. Jacob, it's such an honor, and I'm really excited to have you on the podcast because where our worlds collide between media and fashion and luxury and jewelry is quite fascinating. [00:02:00] And I found, from the moment I've met you and Wendy introduced us, I found you to be just such, very few people I'll say this about, but there's a creative brilliance that few people have. And it's, not to put you on the spot, but I think that it's rare to have both the creative capacity, but then also the business acumen to blend and bring inside of an organization. But before I jump into you, you know, let's take a step back. [00:02:28] You've had such an impressive career background starting at Times, you've worked at Condé Nast, you've done some incredible projects with Vogue, your own independent consulting company as well. So take us back to the beginning. How did you get started in media, and what got you where you are now? Yes, my first magazine job was actually, I started a magazine at Cornell while I was a physics major, and I changed to economics. [00:02:56] But then, with my friends, Katie Liederman and Donald Montenegro Johnson. Donald's now the partner at Luring Augustine Gallery in New York, so he's also big in the art world. But yeah, we started a magazine at Cornell. And I don't know, I had gone to college for STEM, and I just at some point was like, actually, I want to be around, I guess I would, now I would say culture. But really, at the time, I just want to be around cool people who are like interesting. [00:03:26] So I guess that's culture, but it was a little bit more just instinctual at the time. So I, you know, we did the magazine in college, and then I came to New York, and there's this thing called the Columbia Publishing Course, formerly the Radcliffe Publishing Course. I don't know how relevant it is today, but at the time, I was like the gatekeeper for getting publishing jobs. And then, it was really like a networking thing. [00:03:50] So I came, and you know, it was very low-key, but it would be like every day, it would be an editor from a different magazine or a different book publishing house. And they would come give a little lecture, and then you'd have drinks with them afterwards. And, you know, it wasn't like a... Make connection. Yeah, it was very much a networking kind of little thing. And then I was briefly an assistant at Esquire. I was a terrible assistant. That didn't last long. And then I got hired at Paper Magazine. And I was there for like four years, and I was at V Magazine. [00:04:18] So I did the indie small publishing. I eventually became the editor-in-chief of V Man, which is the men's magazine of V, working with Stephen Gann. And then Sally Singer hired me as her features director when she became the editor-in-chief of the T, the New York Times style magazine. And I think around that time, right? I think while I was at V, I had my first consultant client. I did a lot of work with Ben Gorham when he was starting Byredo, the fragrance, the Swedish fragrance company, which is, of course, huge now. [00:04:48] But at the time, it was very small. And I was helping him name a bunch of the fragrances, actually. And I don't know if he still does this, but at the time, he included sort of little poems, like little bits of writing in each kind of to express, I guess, how he felt about each fragrance. I would interview him and get his kind of personal take on things and then construct a little narrative, kind of a, not really a poem, but a bit poetic in the language. [00:05:15] So then I went to the New York Times, was there for 30-something issues. And then Sally went back to Vogue and basically started Vogue.com. And so I worked for her there for about 12 years in various capacities and did a lot more brand consulting at that point, did a lot of video work. [00:05:38] And towards the end of my time there, I got really involved in the branded content for Vogue. At the time, that was really editorially directed. Like, again, Sally Singer was basically doing all of the branded content along with being the creative director of Vogue.com. And she needed help with that. And then when she left, I kind of just took over that. And through Reorg, I was basically working on Vogue, GQ, and all the other kind of fashion titles and fashion advertising clients. [00:06:07] So that was, you know, people like Marc Jacobs or Swarovski or Cartier, but also like Adidas and eBay. Right. Who wanted to do something narrative or culturally driven that wasn't advertising to connect with the Condé Nast audience. And then I went in-house at Theory for a little while. And now I'm the creative director of a private club in Tribeca called Maxwell. [00:06:32] And I have a consulting company called Guest Editor that I'm doing with Susan Kappa, who's the former head of luxury at Condé Nast. The Maxwell opportunity, finding herself in that position was also pretty serendipitous. Yeah. I mean, I don't even know if I should talk about this, but I'm just going to anyway because it's interesting. But a friend of mine who is the publicist of Neuhaus last summer had asked me, like, she needed a moderator for a panel that they were doing. [00:07:01] And, like, I guess their moderator dropped out and she, like, kind of last minute asked if I could do it as a favor. I did. And, you know, it went really well. And so she's like, you know, we've been wanting to start a podcast here at Neuhaus. Would you want to do that for us? And I was like, yeah, of course. And I got really into it. And we were out to dinner, like, signing the deal. And she gets a call and it's, oh, we're going, like, going back, going, locking the deal. Neuhaus is gone. I mean, I guess it's sort of back now. [00:07:26] But then I was like, you know, I wonder if I could find another private club that wants to engage culturally as a way to help define who they are and also communicate to a wider, the wider world. Like, a private club is weird because it's quite closed off and small and inaccessible. But for various reasons, you want people to know what you stand for. [00:07:53] And it was appealing to me because I realized that I love making magazines, but it's not, it's the business model is very, I mean, there aren't really, like, the kind of magazines now like there were when I was in my 20s. So, you know, I'm doing a magazine called Cafe Society for Maxwell. Which we'll get into. Yeah, I mean, I can tell you more about that later. [00:08:14] But essentially what's interesting from the business model point of view is that there's a lot less advertising pressure on the magazine or even chasing algorithm stuff. Like, I don't need to do a Kardashian story to get clicks because the purpose is just if we can create a really beautiful, interesting, editorial, independent magazine that it reflects the values of Maxwell, but it's not really an advertising product. That accomplishes what Maxwell wants. And it's also very creatively interesting to me. [00:08:41] So that's a good place I want to dig deeper is looking at the culture of Maxwell. You take the communication strategy of the magazine launch is one thing, and you've had experience with more boutique independent brands, bigger institutional brand names. If I ask you a question, who controls culture today? And is it the consumers of the media that you're creating? Is it the creative director? Sure. [00:09:12] Well, I think I'll get maybe get to an answer. But I think the thing kind of defining what's changed is helpful, I think, which is pre maybe like 15 years ago and earlier, pre social media, pre kind of democratization of information. You had sort of a monoculture. Most people accessed culture through media. Right. There was really that was all there was. There was, you know, mass magazines, radio, TV. [00:09:42] There was independent media, but it was still pretty limited. There was still like a print magazine that you either subscribe to and got in the mail or went to the newsstand and bought. And just to give that a little bit more color. The first things I used to read, my earliest writing was about bands, about music. I was mostly interested in the way they looked and what they were wearing. But that's what I wrote about. Yeah. [00:10:05] And if you wanted to know about a new band, the only way you would know about that is either it got played on the radio, which is like, you know, top 40. Or you read about it in a magazine. There's no really was no like discovering things online. Right. [00:10:22] So as a writer or someone in, let's say, in umbrows as cultural curation, like I would go hear the music in a studio, like a Sony studio in Midtown. And like no one else in the whole world had heard it at that point. Or maybe like 15 people had. And that was like, that was a very different model. So you had, it was the kids would call it gate kept or gatekeepers. [00:10:48] But I think what it also meant is there are all these subcultures and niche cultures and they're all trying to get attention. And they all were like really isolated because there was no way to access them unless a gatekeeper promoted them. And then occasionally one would get picked up and, you know, take off and the rest would die out. [00:11:11] And so you would have a lot of like very, if you imagine kind of like a botanical metaphor here, you'd have a lot of very stunted plants that were like desperate for light. And then a few of them would get really tall. Now everything has access. Every artist in any medium has access to every like cultural consumer in the world immediately. So you not. So no one is really hurting for an audience, but also no one's getting that kind of super charge that they would have gotten from a gatekeeper. [00:11:41] In the days of gatekeeping. It almost seems now there's so much opportunity for artists and people to get discovered, but it boils down to how can you decipher between mass attention and true influence? And culture is such a fragile, very challenging thing to build and the easiest thing to knock down with mistrust with consumers, your clients, your audience. [00:12:03] So you look at where we are today with media and it's like, if we wanted to start, let's say we wanted to start a band or something tomorrow and we can access anyone we want all over the world. How do you balance between the mass attention and then influence as an emerging artists or a brand and culture today? Yeah, I mean, well, again, let's use this general comparison. [00:12:31] I think the idea of influence used to really what that meant was like someone was influential because they controlled the flow of information. Right. That's what that used to mean. You were a journalist or you were the booker at a venue or you were a gallerist and you could just promote a put an artist on and like everyone would go to your gallery or any other kind of in these positions of power where essentially there was a pretty large imbalance in information. [00:13:00] So curators, journalists, gatekeepers, they had all the information and the culture consuming public only had what they were shown. Now that power doesn't really exist. So the curator, the journalist, the venue book or whatever, whoever it is, they don't really know anything more than their audience who they're selling to. So I think that influence is maybe an outdated term, to be honest. [00:13:27] I don't think there's any switches or levers to be pulled. I don't think that's how it works. I think the two things are the product is the influence now. In the luxury space, I think increasingly we're seeing the death of hype. [00:13:45] I think that was a ploy by an increasingly ineffective ploy to use high follower count personalities to drive sales of expensive things. I think that at the end of the day that it ends up all canceling out. [00:14:04] And that's what's happening now is everyone's, you know, it was interesting to see whoever wearing whatever bag or shoe or slightly accessible element of a luxury house is offering. But now that doesn't really work as much anymore. And you see LVMH pulling back and shedding assets. And I think that most people agree that it's the consumer is always going to, at the end of the day, come back to the product. [00:14:32] Marketers can't really pull the wool over someone's eyes anymore. It's just not. And particularly in the fashion space where really 20 years ago, it used to be about the image that got projected was everything. And I think now it's the piece of clothing is everything. And it's the fabric. And it's these things that you can communicate around them effectively and you can make sure people know about them. But you can't really. There's a level of trust, I feel like, that consumers today are becoming more evolved to be responsive to. [00:15:01] And how do you build trust with the modern emerging consumer today? One thing that's very clear and obvious right now is the rise of founder-led brands. And you look at these more institutionalized household luxury brands. So why do you think founder-led brands feel more relevant than bigger household name brands? Yeah. I mean, I'll just be honest. I hate founder-led brands. Why is that? [00:15:30] I mean, I don't like telling consulting clients who are founder-led that they have to get on TikTok every day, even though they do, to be effective. I think it's... I guess the reason I hate it is because... And I don't mean that I hate small brands led by their founder. I hate this idea that the face of a kind of oversharing founder who's on social media all the time. Although it's very effective and it works. Like, don't get me wrong. I think what I don't like about it is two things. [00:15:58] One, it means that it's a strategy that only works for some founders. Like, not everyone can do that. And so I'm not sure that if we're talking about a company that makes jewelry, I'm not sure that every brilliant jewelry designer is going to be someone who can, like, go online. And, like, a lot of great creatives are not so good at speaking to the public. The other thing I don't like about it is I think it puts pressure... [00:16:29] Well, then the founder has to have something interesting to say every single day. And I think it's borrowed from a non-luxury space. I think it's borrowed from brands that are making widgets that you actually, you know, it's like it's more technical and it's more like, oh, it's less poetic when you're making a soda or a, you know... T-shirt. A T-shirt or an app or a, I don't know, a tech, some tech thing or whatever. [00:16:57] Then it's, yeah, there's, you know, plenty of weird technical stuff to talk about every day. But I think if you're, I don't know, if you're making velvet slippers in Italy and you just have one really great product, basically. Like, sure, you could talk about it every day. But it's almost like, it's like another one of these things like the kind of hype thing where I think it's a shortcut. And I don't know if it's appropriate, it's appropriate. [00:17:25] But I hate this, this kind of like, I think a lot of people feel like that is the only way to go. And I just don't think it is. That's a really good insight. And it's important to recognize. It's like a self-awareness piece of knowing your industry and knowing your product and knowing your client. And it's, you have to know if you're in the luxury space and you're talking front-facing, it almost loses a sense of novelty and specialty. You want to focus on the craftsmanship. And like you said before, you want to focus on the product and the quality of the product. [00:17:55] And from my experience, I've been testing out different content models too. And the highest type of content is the behind the scenes of the jewelers and the craftsmen working on the pieces behind the scenes. That stuff is interesting. When you say that's the most successful, what do you mean? Highest engagement post. And does that lead to a long-term customer or is this the highest engagement? Highest engagement in terms of, I look at that as top of funnel. And they get interested. And they look through maybe the Instagram page or go on the website and then make an inquiry. [00:18:23] But it's an interesting insight. Yeah, I mean, that's the way I look at it too. I think it's important to be somewhat skeptical of the kind of like funnel paradigm with luxury particularly because I don't know that every luxury customer behaves that way. It's the funnel paradigm, I think, works really well for non-luxury goods. [00:18:45] I mean, if you're selling, I don't know, Burger King, everyone can buy Burger King, every single person in the country. So if you can get as many eyeballs on Burger King, some percentage of them will then eventually go buy a Whopper. Right? And this is, I think, what the hype thing with luxury, the kind of rabbit hole that luxury houses fell down is it's like, yeah, you can get a celebrity or whatever it is and get that super high engagement content. [00:19:15] Not all those customers are, that's not necessarily appealing to your final customer. Right. Like what percentage of the final customer saw that? I think that's like a really important metric because I'm thinking about this a lot with Maxwell right now is that we can certainly do things that get a huge top of funnel. So are those, first of all, do those people live in Tribeca? You know? Yeah. [00:19:42] Do those people really, do they have the financial situation to join a Prime Members Club? I think it's important. The funnel model works, but I think it's important to constantly question it also. Yeah. So you've seen culture, again, from different angles inside major institutions, taking your lessons from New York Times, Condé Nast, Black Book Theory, Vogue, and now Maxwell. [00:20:07] And creativity now, I feel, is such an asset in today's market. And creativity also takes a certain leader to be able to bring that into an organization. And there's an execution component there as well. So what does Maxwell understand about culture that most brands and institutions don't? [00:20:31] You invited me to Maxwell a few months back and you walk in and there's just this, there's such a special energy to it. And you mentioned it's almost creating this modern salon, this intellectual environment for interesting people to come together. Yeah. [00:20:50] Well, I think at Maxwell, the thing, just what I experienced when I'm hanging out there, I think there's something about the design and the space. And it's a very kind of maximalist, like velvet and curtains and hand-painted wallpaper murals. But there's, I'm not sure I could exactly break it down scientifically, but something about the way it's set up is very, this really lends itself to conversation. [00:21:20] Like you kind of, I always feel like I'm at a, more like a dinner party at someone's really amazing house. Yeah. Like it has that kind of like, you just sit down and start talking either to someone, a friend or a stranger. I mean, oftentimes for me, it's someone I don't know that well, because I'm usually maybe there a couple nights a week and I'm talking to members who maybe I've talked to you once or twice before. But you end up having like a, like a two hour long conversation. [00:21:43] So I think the way I was mentioning this before, but at Maxwell, I think the way I define our product is that it's, it's a luxury product and it's IRL human connection. Yeah. So it's, it's a space that like a physical space where your phone, you don't have to put it down, but most people, you know, you're not looking at your phone there and it's, it's luxurious. It's really high end food or drink, depending on what the night is really high end decor. Yeah. [00:22:13] But all of that is crafted and curated together in a way to facilitate conversation. And so something that we're increasingly focusing in on is we know that our members enjoy that and we're trying to curate a lot more, whether it's a very small, like very member driven. There's now a classic literature book club. There's nonfiction and political debate dinners. Yeah. [00:22:40] And it's kind of like, I don't know, it reminds me a little bit of like being in college and like going to dinner and you like debate on Bobaholics. I mean, I feel like people are scared to kind of, in most environments today, people are really scared to speak their point of view or speak their mind on things unless it's, they know everyone's going to agree with them in the first place. The intellectual friction can be really good for evolving conversations and perspectives. Yeah. [00:23:02] It's, I think it's unusual to have kind of a luxury, I mean, at the end of the day, Maxwell's a, it's luxury hospitality, but I think it's, it's unusual to find oneself in a space like that. And also find oneself in a space where you can, in a friendly collegial way, be a bit heterodox and spout off and have someone think you're wrong, but it's okay. And have that kind of really free flowing intellectual stimulus and environment. [00:23:29] And I mean, in fact, so Maxwell's named after Elsa Maxwell, who has sort of helped coin the term Cafe Society, but the magazine is called Cafe Society. And it's really based on that idea of free flowing ideas. [00:23:42] So think about the Cafe Society era in Europe, and you've got, I don't know, you know, just wildly different intellectual currents getting crossing paths in these cafes in Vienna and Paris, Berlin, what have you. And for better or worse, it would like just germinate a million movements and a million great and terrible things. And I think it's fascinating. So that is our product. [00:24:10] And there's a lot of ways to communicate that. But I think the best way to communicate is actually just to make the product really good. And then the communication is quite easy. I think usually when a brand or someone I'm working with or myself is banging our heads against the wall trying to figure out communication, it's because the product isn't right. And, you know, a lot of times that's been that's just where you are. [00:24:37] Like that's sometimes that's just the reality of business. When you say the product isn't right, meaning you have a good grasp on your. Community, but you're saying the product doesn't fit your target. Well, it's just product market fit. So like, actually, if the product's not right, you also don't have a grasp on your market. Right. Maybe you have sales, but I think particularly now there's so much change occurring. [00:25:03] So like in the fashion space, there's a lot of usually fashion brands have a lot of tension between retaining legacy customers, which might be a huge amount of revenue. But that is on a downward trajectory and then acquiring new customers. But what if what it takes to acquire the new customers turns off the old customers? So there's a tension there. Right. [00:25:25] And that's that's something probably like the C-suite is often wrestling with, which is we know that our customer base is shrinking, but it's still a huge amount of revenue. And we know this is our new customer and it's growing, but it's a tiny amount of revenue. If we push the push down the gas pedal for that new customer, what if we do it the wrong way, we lose our old customers. And then then we're just out of business. [00:25:49] It's like you think about a creative director and people who aren't working in the space or haven't worked with a like a tastemaker may not know exactly what it is. So from a very basic standpoint, what is the role of a creative director today and the responsibilities they have inside of a company? Yeah, I know. I'm like so I feel like I'm so argumentative. And difficult, but I like hate the term I like there's so many things I hate. I don't like the term creative director. Okay. I just think it why I don't know what it means. I don't think it's kind of bullshit. [00:26:15] It's like suddenly fashion direct does like fashion designers started calling themselves creative directors. Bros in Brooklyn called themselves creative directors. Like I guess I'm the creative director of Maxwell. But like, what is that? I don't I think of myself as a writer. I've always thought of myself that way in the magazine world. You're a writer. You're an editor. You're at some point when you get close to editor in chief, then the art department of the magazine answers to you. [00:26:44] So you're, you know, maybe you're commissioning a profile on a actor and you want a portrait. And so you work with the art department and then at some point you're like doing fashion shoots and it's based on your ideas about what's going on. In fact, you've just been to the shows. And so you come up with the idea. And so in the magazine world, the great editors also work the creative director of the magazine essentially. But that wasn't their title. [00:27:12] Their title was editor, editor in chief, whatever. I think that what does a creative director do? I guess it's I guess it's just what it says. It's not an art director. Like an art director has hard real skills in terms of they've probably studied graphic design and they know they can tell a, you know, a 10 point font from an 11 point font. And they'd probably call it a typeface, not a font or something. They have real technical skills. [00:27:39] I think some creative directors have that, but I don't really think that's what's useful. I think it's for me what I think I'm good at. Maybe I'll answer it that way is kind of being the editor chief of whatever I'm working on. So it's like, what is the cultural element? What is the visual element? How do we want to word this? What does this mean? I think I always talk about. An architect in a way. Yeah. You've been called brand architect. Well, yeah. I don't know if someone's ever called me that. I think that's what I have on my LinkedIn, which is whatever. [00:28:06] But I think something about write, when you write something, it doesn't be an article. It's anything. You have a blank piece of paper in front of you and you start putting the words together. A lot of times in your head, and everyone knows this, in your head, you think you kind of have to understand what you're, I don't know if you're, whether it's a pitch or a story or an email to your boss or whatever. When you start writing in your head, it all makes sense. And then you put the words down and you realize it made no sense at all. That's what's hard. [00:28:34] The thing that's hard about writing isn't the craft of stylish word assembly, which that is important, but that's not what's hard about it. What's hard about writing is actually figuring out what you want to say and have it be logical. A lot of times you have a vibe, but then when you actually put the words together, you realize the logic doesn't all connect. There's huge leaps and gaps and white spaces. [00:28:58] And so I think that kind of writerly, like I think a writerly approach to anything, whether it's visuals or social media strategies, really what that is, is like filling in the logical steps. Do you practice writing every morning? That doesn't intentionally is not supposed to go out, but just to help you refine it. Oh, like the writer's way or the artist's way? The artist's way, the morning pages. Have you done practice it? Yeah, I've dabbled in that. I started that a couple months ago. [00:29:26] As a writer, what do you find helps you find inspiration to write well and write interesting things and also help refine your writing capabilities? I mean, if we're just talking about pure writing, the best way to refine your writing capabilities is to read, for sure. Taking in as much inspiration. Yeah, I think it's sort of, it's a bit like being a chat GBT. Like you need to train yourself on good material and you absorb the rhythms and the way constructions happen. [00:29:55] I think like if you're a talented writer, like a great writer, then you've really internalized the art of putting. I mean, it's not just a assembling words. That's the thing is it's an idea and the idea has to be really great. And then if the idea is really great or the story is really great or the plot point is really great or you're really sticking the knife in your boss and that email or whatever it is you're writing. Like it's got to be really, you know, good, the good writing only happens when the idea is great. [00:30:25] And then you know how to structure, structure a sentence or an analogy or whatever to elevate that. It's kind of an aside, but like a lot of times what people, when people reckon, like when they're like, oh, this, this is like AI writing. A lot of what it is though, AI is, I think the term is over indexing. I'm not sure, but it's basically looking at the greatest writers in the world and the way they construct a sentence. Right. And, and they might, the best sentence might, I don't know, let's say someone's writing about the brilliance of Barack Obama. [00:30:55] Okay. And the best sentence about the brilliance of Barack Obama. And then you're writing in the email, a cover letter to apply for a job at about how good you are at Excel spreadsheets. And it takes that sentence about Barack Obama and that style of writing. So it's taking all of these flourishes and constructions and ways of making comparisons. [00:31:16] And it just puts it on every single stupid piece of sentence that, that, and that's at its core, why AI, LLM writing is kind of over indexed. It's focused on the, on the structure of a great sentence without the content of the great. An LLM doesn't actually know what it's writing about. [00:31:34] Right. It's just, it has no awareness. I mean, there's a, I think there's a similarity between the way a human writer's brain works and an LLM in that they've read and absorbed all this great writing. They have their own style and their own preferences, but they've absorbed all these structures and ways of constructing sentences. [00:31:55] And so in that sense, there's something LLM like in next token prediction model, like about the act of writing where it is a human brain can remix all these past things. The difference, the biggest difference is that an LLM doesn't actually know what the content is. I guess it's just next token. Whereas a human is. Has a level of discernment. Well, it, the human is coming up with the idea in the first place. [00:32:21] So it's, I'm probably, I, you know, I've had this argument with tech people, so probably some of them are going to disagree with me, but I think I'm a pretty solid backing with that or solid ground with that. You know, it's annoying because it's like for a while there was that whole M dash thing, which is like, you know, every magazine writer uses M dashes all the time. I love M dashes. And that's why, but that's why LLMs took it up, started using them because they're trained on all this M dash writing. But then they put it into every sentence that like doesn't need it. It's easy. [00:32:49] Like it, it looks at a, this is a great thing. It looks at a magazine, piece of a magazine, great magazine, New Yorker article or something. And it's uses M dashes and it's a great sentence. But then you write a simple sentence and it changes it to an M dash construction when there was, it's better without it. But it doesn't know the difference. It just knows that great sentences have M dashes. Um, anyway, we're on a tangent right now. I want to get back into the creativity. [00:33:16] And I think that creativity is often treated like a soft skill in business. Again, going back to the role of, you don't like this word, but creative director in a way, and you're dealing with the business side of the company. Why do you think creativity is misunderstood in business today? Well, there's a few things. I think a lot of non-creatives in the business world are looking for a lever to pull or a button to push. [00:33:42] Like, okay, let's say you're looking at your quarterly results and you're planning your next quarter or whatever. And it's very, well, we, can we just increase sales of this category by 10% and we'll be great. That'll, so that'll make our quarter great. Okay. And if you're used to dealing with things like supply chain and cutting costs, like cutting costs is a very linear way of thinking. Like, okay, so that means we have to fire people or whatever, you know what I mean? [00:34:11] Um, but if, if you're looking to grow a products market share or something, um, particularly in a kind of hard to quite grasp world of fashion, luxury arts, whatever, then you need to make it appealing and it's not linear. So I think that creates, um, that's a tension in the world of art and commerce. Right. [00:34:36] That's an interesting point too, because to move culture, like move the needle of culture, even move influence of a brand today. I think that you do need that true, that raw creativity to be able to get attention. Cause there's so much people doing the same of everything. People copying, uh, the latest trends and doing things that necessarily don't fit their brand or their company. [00:34:55] I was speaking to a jeweler named Martin Katz and he's like, you really want to find what you're good at and really create cause otherwise it'll turn into a commodity in any industry that you're in. So I think it's like creativity is, it's the rawest form of creation obviously, but it's something that AI technology can never take away. That is one thing that humans can, that's like a super skill of humans today. Um, and, and something that technology can never take away, the human creativity. [00:35:25] What do you think taste itself has been, has become a competitive advantage? Finding a deep level of curation, deep level of discernment of looking at Maxwell today, knowing how to curate a room or curate the members or even this new magazine. Yeah. I mean, I'm a kind of two minds of it. My general knee jerk to the questions like that is just to be like, I think taste is bullshit. Like what does that even mean? [00:35:54] Um, then on the other hand, like if, like if I'm tasked with hiring people to like help with something, sometimes the taste level just isn't there. And there's like no other way to like, I think it's, it's both not that impressive to have a good taste. You need it and it's essential and you either have it or you don't. I also just think people like pat themselves on the back about it way too much. Let's get into Cafe Society. You just launched a magazine, what is it two months ago? A month ago. A month ago. [00:36:24] So what was, what is the vision behind Cafe Society? Yeah. Um, so, you know, the historical Cafe Society was basically 1900s, early 20th century. And you had artists, politicians, revolutionaries, academics. The coffee house was like a gathering point. Right. So that was Cafe Society. And then it kind of evolved a bit into be more socialite. [00:36:53] And that's where Elsa Maxwell kind of got involved, namesake of Maxwell. But the thing I like about that era is it was socializing. It was very intellectual. Debate was almost like a mating ritual. What do you mean? So debate is almost like a mating ritual. Yeah. I mean, I'm being a bit facetious, but it was like, that was a, it was a way to relate [00:37:18] to other humans was to like, sit down and play devil's advocate and challenge, be challenged ideas, be challenged. Like kind of this, what's the tech phrase? Strong opinions held lightly or something. What is that? Just tech, tech people like to talk about if you have an idea, like really advocating for it, you're in a meeting about your product launch and maybe Cupertino or something. [00:37:46] And if you have an idea, just advocate for it fully. Don't, don't soft pedal. But then if someone else's idea is better and they also advocate strongly, then you just give, you just completely surrendering. You know what I mean? So don't try to form consensus by everyone soft pedaling, everyone fully advocate their idea. And then when you recognize that someone else is better, then you just like, you're like over your idea. Cause at the end of the day, it's like, you're trying to better the ecosystem, whether that's a company or an idea. So don't take it personally. Yeah. [00:38:14] I mean, they do this in the security culture of like in the, I don't know which departments, but in Israel, they always have a designated devil's advocate basically. So no matter what one person has to disagree. But anyway, I just like, I enjoy debate and argument and disagreeing with people. I like to hang out with people who have like a really different views than I do in all directions. But I think most people, a lot of people don't enjoy that today or are scared of that today. [00:38:44] I think, you know. I think it's such a flaw in our society. Yeah. I mean, I think it's, this is all wrapped up in the politics of the day and the people are really worried. There's a lot of like heavy consequence for misspeaking basically. And so intellectually, intellectual freedom is, I'm not talking about sort of censorship and the things that people talk about on, about campuses and stuff. I'm just talking about like with your friends. I think people are a little less, a little more guarded unless they're around people they know they agree with. [00:39:13] They need, they want to feel that social acceptance. And I think that when you, if you say something that may be triggering or say something that might be a bit polarizing. Yeah. It's almost like you have to be courageous to say something. Yeah. Or it's just not polite anymore. There's less room for that sort of like kook at the dinner party who offends everyone. And, but everyone's still like, there's just that, there's a lot of that kind of, there's a lot of homogeneity. Yeah. [00:39:39] I think the intellectual stimulation point is, we've talked about this before, is certainly missing. And that's such an important gap that you're filling at Maxwell is like getting that creative intellectual hub together all in one. You're bringing back what was such a successful model back in the late, early 19th century and 20th century. And I think I'm excited for that because I think that we're also at a point of, you know, if like models are changing, businesses are changing. [00:40:09] I think people are evolving and waking up in so many different ways. And the more we can get interesting people and interesting discussions together, I think the further along we can push together as a society. I mean, what I do know is that at the scale of a private social club, there's a huge appetite for what Maxwell offers. And I do know that at the scale of a independently published magazine, which is the scale of Cafe [00:40:36] Society, there's a huge appetite to read that. And so, I mean, the other thing with the magazine that I should say is that's the inspiration is the Cafe Society era. Sort of the editorial lens is I cover everything in the magazine pretty much, but I want it to be fodder for the best dinner party or cocktail conversation you've ever had. So there's always a point of view or an opinion. Like we don't just write about cultural happenings. [00:41:08] It's not just reporting you're saying. In other words, it's not just reporting. It's like taking strong view. Yeah, it's very op-ed. And sometimes that's more pointed. Sometimes that is verging into politics. Sometimes it's much more personal. We had a cover, the cover story was about Joachim Trier, who just won the Academy Award for his film Sentimental Value with Stellan Skarsgård. [00:41:36] And Maya Singer wrote the cover story and she had, he just has like a really personal relationship to Joachim Trier's full oeuvre of films. And so she touches on why they resonate in society right now. But it's also like really just her personal opinion on what his films mean. And I think you could probably read her article and not have seen his films, but be at a cocktail [00:42:05] party and kind of score a point by borrowing what she had to say. You know, she talks a lot about how watching cinema is connected to memory and the films of Joachim Trier are all about memory, particularly Sentimental Value. Sentimental Value takes place kind of in this family home over a few generations. I had a writer rewatch all of Mad Men. And I did that because I knew it, you know, Mad Men just went on HBO for the first time. So it's in 4K, you can rewatch all of it. [00:42:33] And so I was like excited to watch it. It just so happened pretty much the entire world had the same idea at the same time. Jon Hamm rewatched it. So when that came out, everyone was like, how did you know? You know, I didn't really know. It was just instinct. But why re-binge a show? Because you watch something 20 years later and suddenly everything has a different kind of cast or color to it. I love the idea of like, and we'll do this in every issue, but like re-watching one of the, like the classic prestige. [00:43:01] First of all, prestige television as a category is brand new, right? It's only 15 years or so. So going back and re-watching prestige TV is like a new idea. It's kind of like watching old arthouse cinema over, like from like watching new wave films. Like it's that kind of vibe, but TV is so typically so connected to critique of what's happening in society. It's really interesting. Like re-watching Mad Men, you can be like, oh, holy shit. Like I love Betty Draper now and I hated her the first time around. [00:43:30] Or like now I have a totally different take on why Joan decided to sleep with the Jaguar dealer or, you know, there's just all of these things where the color on it, it's the same. And knowing the ending, living in a different world than when the show came out, you can really just completely have a new perspective on it. And so that's a fascinating thing. It's fascinating to have a writer's perspective on that. And I love the idea that someone reads that and then maybe watches it and maybe barres [00:43:59] some of the ideas and takes, goes to a cocktail party or dinner and gets into an argument with someone about Mad Men and can maybe get into a little like intellectual jostle with someone. So I have an old friend named Gigi Burris who's a milliner and she, like if you've ever seen a hat on the cover of Vogue, she probably made it. I mean, her hats are incredible and everyone should check it out. [00:44:25] But Susan Kappa is my business partner that we were talking to Gigi about how we might be able to help her. And she was kind of talking about how, you know, basically talking about market share in the hat world. And I had this insight, which I was like, Gigi, if you can increase your share of the hat market some percent, that's great, but that's a tiny market. And so a small increase in a small market is like, really, what if you could just increase the market size a little bit? [00:44:54] Not necessarily for yourself, but if you could actually grow, you really, you're competing against people who don't wear hats, you're not competing against other milliners. Right. So we came up with this kind of man on the street, TikTok, Instagram reel series, where she has a, she has kind of a talent who just goes out on the street and tells people basically they kind of, they look great except for because you don't have a hat, you look terrible. She basically nags people. Like she's like, you're almost, you're almost there, but your look kind of sucks, but I can fix it for you. [00:45:23] I mean, she's, it's much more polite than that, but that's kind of the, uh, the gist of it. And she was, you know, a little unsure about it, but decided to go with it. And it's been a huge success for her. I mean, 300 increases in engagement level stats. Like she's released a video where it was like the people, the random person she stopped. She said the thing about, started talking about hats and they were like, oh, you're that we know you, we've seen your videos before. [00:45:48] So suddenly she like that realization that like, what, I mean, it's kind of goes back to that top of funnel thing. I was, we were talking about where it's not always just for her to just do content that's going to increase her top of funnel isn't necessarily the most effective thing. But if she can do top of funnel content that grows the size of the New York woman who wants to wear a hat every day, like if a small percentage of people start wanting to wear hats every day, [00:46:17] that can have a huge impact on her business. It's a trickle effect. It makes a cultural impact. I mean, people are going to recognize on people on the street who get stopped now kind of sometimes know what's coming because they've seen these videos that have gone viral. So that's cultural, but also it changes the, it changes the shape of the marketplace for her. And something that I want to pull practically for founders listening today is for founders who want to shape culture intentionally. [00:46:42] What's a piece of advice that you would give them just like one of your clients with that? Yeah. I mean, I think. You know, Gigi is an artist, so I didn't have to over-explain, but I think for non-artist founders, the first thing I try to impress is that culture is not transactional. So it's really, you've got to kind of go into it wanting to actually just make something cultural with the kind of goodwill and self-assurance that it'll come back to you. [00:47:11] The second you try to lock it down and make it contractual and then it kind of takes the air out of the tire, so to speak. So tie everything back together here for us, thinking about culture and where you see it going. And I want to tie it back into the philosophy of responsible luxury. From a high level, I think about people ask me, what does responsible luxury mean? And I tell them responsible luxury today, I think humans' tastes are evolving, people's desires are evolving. [00:47:40] I think two of the largest pillars is trust and human connection. And I think those two pillars are very important for building culture inside of a home, inside of an organization, inside of a brand. So I want to turn it back to you and ask, if we're looking back in like five or 10 years from now, where would you like to see our culture be evolving towards? Towards a more like responsible way of leading their lives, a more responsible way of leading businesses. [00:48:09] And where would you, you know, where would you like to see us living in five or 10 years from now as like a cultural legacy? I don't know the answer to that. I mean, I think there's a few things there. Like I think luxury, the luxury business is generally by nature somewhat responsible. I think that it's easy to be like, if we're talking about real luxury, it's a very small scale. [00:48:30] It tends to be focused on like cashmere or linen that's very carefully farmed. There's no industrial scale anything. I think it's the accessible luxury that is, tends to be really problematic in terms of ethics or what have you. The scaling of luxury creates issues because then you're trying to, you're trying to get margin where it doesn't exist. [00:49:00] But if you're a small time leather crafter or sweater weaver, then the years, luxury should be small scale. So there shouldn't, the second it's an issue for ethics, I think you're probably not really luxury in terms of where culture is going. I think we don't know that. I think that the clock never gets turned back. So we don't know where AI is leading. We don't know if, you know, I interviewed a futurist recently named Daniel Keller, who [00:49:29] used to be a fine artist. Now he's in VCAI. And he, you know, he made this point to me that every new medium starts with slop. When the movie camera was invented, they just sat the camera in front of a play and filmed it. We don't know if AI just leads to slop forever or if some new genre is going to come out of it that we're, I think the way Daniel said it was that it starts with slop and ends with opera. I think it's a beautiful way of looking at it. And we don't know. So will the new, will AI start with slop and lead to opera? We don't know. [00:49:59] In a broader sense with culture, the gatekeepers are gone. Everyone thought that things like Substack and podcasting would step in, but actually on creators who have no guidance and no editorial, like no editors telling them what to do, end up just making boring same crap again. So we really haven't solved it. We don't know where, what replaces gatekeeping yet. In general, all of this stuff figures itself out. [00:50:27] Like, you know, people were really worried when the printing press happened because no one memorized long poems anymore. You know what I mean? Like, so when Daniel was saying slop and then you get, you start with slop and end up at opera. That's, that is historically true. And it's impossible in the moment to see where it's going. Yeah. It's such a universal principle that people can take away from today's episode. Um, and I just wanted to thank you, Jacob, so much for joining me this morning. And we must plan another episode because we did not have enough time to cover everything today. [00:50:57] Yeah. And for viewers and listeners today, are they able to access Cafe Society? Yeah. Cafe Society mag.com. Amazing. And subscribe and get the next issue in the mail. And where's the best place for people to find and connect with you after the show today? Uh, I guess LinkedIn would be best. You can search me on LinkedIn. Yeah. Brilliant. Or Instagram, I guess. Amazing. LinkedIn. Let's keep it business. LinkedIn. Very good. Jacob, you're amazing. Thank you so much. Thanks. Thank you. [00:51:26] Thank you for joining me for this conversation with Jacob Brown. One idea that stayed with me throughout this discussion is that culture cannot be manufactured through attention alone. It is built through trust, creativity, meaningful products, and genuine human connection. As luxury media and technology continue to evolve, perhaps the most valuable skill isn't simply reaching more people, but building and creating spaces, experiences, and ideas [00:51:54] that people genuinely want to be a part of. If you enjoyed today's episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who is interested in the future of culture, creativity, and luxury. You can learn more about Jacob's work through Maxwell Social and Cafe Society Magazine. And as always, you can find Responsible Luxury wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. And check us out on Instagram. Until next time, I'm Lauren Petrovic, and thank you for listening.

## Trust Is the Asset: Olivia Landau on Building The Clear Cut

URL: https://responsibleluxurypod.com/episode/trust-is-the-asset-olivia-landau-on-building-the-clear-cut
Published: 2026-05-05
Audio: https://content.rss.com/episodes/247478/2794656/responsible-luxury-with-laurenti-new-york/2026_05_05_03_33_11_7030f24b-4319-41ea-8e70-ef2c9f7cb8f5.mp3

Lauren Petrovic sits down with Olivia Landau, founder and CEO of The Clear Cut, to unpack what it really takes to build trust inside one of the most opaque industries in the world, and turn that into a multi-million dollar business. From her early days on the bridal floor at Tiffany & Co. to launching an educational blog that evolved into a category-defining brand, Olivia shares how transparency became her competitive advantage. This conversation goes beyond diamonds. It explores conviction in leadership, knowing the “hill you’re willing to die on,” and building a company rooted in non-negotiables. Even when the market pushes in the opposite direction. They also dive into the evolving definition of luxury, the rise of bespoke experiences, and how trust, rather than product, is becoming the true currency of modern brands. 00:00 – Opening: Trust in one of the most opaque industries 01:00 – Olivia’s founding story & early exposure to diamonds 03:00 – From Tiffany & Co. to the Diamond District 04:30 – The Clear Cut begins as an educational blog 05:30 – Turning a side project into a real business 06:30 – Inside the diamond industry: relationships, trust, and opacity 08:00 – Educating the modern consumer 10:00 – Misconceptions about natural diamonds & supply chains 11:30 – Visiting diamond cutting facilities in India 13:30 – The global diamond supply chain explained 14:30 – Building proprietary tech (GEM platform & AI layer) 17:00 – Market insights: what clients are buying today 19:00 – Natural vs. lab-grown diamonds: long-term implications 20:00 – Leadership under pressure & decision frameworks 22:00 – Standing firm on non-negotiables 23:00 – Building a company with your partner 25:00 – Parenthood and redefining “balance” 27:00 – Seasons of life and work 29:00 – The future of luxury & shifting consumer behavior 31:00 – Experience vs. product in luxury 32:00 – Trust as the foundation of modern brands 33:00 – What Olivia is most proud of (Columbia Business School case study) 35:00 – Legacy, impact, and long-term vision 36:00 – Non-negotiables: honesty & authenticity 37:00 – What luxury needs today: personalization 38:00 – Jewelry styling & closing reflections

Transcript:

[00:00:10] What does it actually take to build trust inside one of the most opaque industries in the world and turn that into a real thriving business? How I've operated my life and business is know the hills you want to die on and know who you are. And that was the hill I was willing to die on. I was like, I'm not compromising. [00:00:31] Welcome back to the Responsible Luxury podcast. I'm your host, Lauren Petrovic. Today I'm sitting down with Olivia Landau, founder and CEO of The Clear Cut, and one of the most trusted voices in the diamond and jewelry space. While working on the bridal floor at Tiffany, she started a blog and began breaking down how diamonds actually work, building trust with clients before they ever made a purchase. [00:00:56] That blog turned into a community and ultimately a multi-million dollar company. In this conversation, we talk about what it really looks like to build inside of a legacy industry, how to stay clear on your decisions when the market pulls you in different directions, and why knowing your non-negotiables defines everything in business and in life. We also get into partnership, parenthood, and the reality of balance as a founder, and how Olivia is thinking about the next chapter, [00:01:26] from AI to becoming a Columbia Business School case study. I'm excited to have her here for our first in-person podcast recording. And before we get into today's episode, please don't forget to like and subscribe. So let's get right into it. Hello, good morning, Olivia. Welcome to the Responsible Luxury podcast. I am so grateful to be sitting with you here this morning in New York City. I'm happy to spend this time with you today. [00:01:55] Thank you so much for having me. I'm really excited to be here. Me too. Starting this podcast early on, it was always a vision of mine to bring together the brightest minds and leaders of the industry. And you are someone I've had my eye in for a while and admired. That's so sweet. And I think that your journey in entrepreneurship and business in the industry is something that deserves a spotlight. So today is about trust. [00:02:20] And it's about creating trust as the asset and creating trust in business, creating trust in your personal life. Why don't we kick things off and tell us the founding story behind Clear Cut? Sure. So I grew up around diamonds and jewelry. My dad's side of the family were all diamond cutters and dealers from Antwerp. My mom and my dad had an independent antique jewelry business. [00:02:45] So I always grew up surrounded by it, but I never thought I would get into it myself, mainly because they always told me it was a dying, terrible business and I shouldn't get into it. They were like, you know, we didn't go to college. We didn't have any choices. This is like what we fell into. But I'm first generation American. They said education was a big focus and they were like, live like the corporate American dream. So that was the plan. But I graduated from NYU and I was a little bit confused on what I wanted to do as a career. I want to extend schooling a little more. [00:03:15] So I asked if I could go to GIA to get my graduate gemologist degree. And it was kind of the best decision ever. While I was there, I fell in love with diamonds and gemstones. I also met my now husband and co-founder while I was there. So I was like, this is it. I will be in the industry. I probably won't do what my parents did, but I want to find my place. My first job was at Tiffany on the engagement floor. [00:03:40] And that's where I really fell in love with diamonds specifically and bridal jewelry and working with clients to pick out their rings. But I wanted to get a little bit more hands on. So then I worked in the diamond district on 47th Street in a wholesaler and very different vibe. But I learned so much. And at the same time while I was there, Kyle went to business school at Columbia and all of his friends were like, hey, do you know a guy that can get me a good deal on my engagement ring? And I became like the go-to guy for everyone there. [00:04:10] I helped educate them, pick out their diamonds, create their settings. And that's when I decided to start the Clear Cut. It was 2016 as an educational blog. And it was really just meant for like our friends, his classmates to read about like the four C's, what I would recommend do's and don'ts before coming to work with me. Then through Instagram, I started posting some of the designs I was making on social media. And it kind of blew up from there. People started following the account, asking if I could create their custom ring. [00:04:40] So it turned into this accidental side business that I was doing before, after work, during my lunch breaks. And Kyle was graduating from business school and was like, I think you have business on your hands. Maybe we should do this together. Mind you, we weren't engaged or married or anything. We were just dating. But I was like, I don't know if this is my hobby. I really enjoy it. I don't know if I want to be an entrepreneur and do this full time. But there was clearly a white space in the market, like an opportunity. [00:05:06] So in 2018, we got into a tech accelerator called Techstars. And I said we got in. I would quit my job and like give it a go and see what would happen. And that's where we like took that leap of faith and started doing our custom bespoke diamond engagement ring business that was like fully remote at the time. And during the time when you were doing the blogs and you were posting the designs on Instagram, no intention of starting a brand or a business. It really just organically sprouted. [00:05:35] No, I was bored at work. And I just needed a creative, fun outlet. And blogging was more of a thing then, obviously. And I think Instagram was fairly new. There weren't even stories or anything. I was just posting some designs. So it was just a fun thing I was doing. And I was like making extra money on this side. And I got to work with clients. And that was really fun for me. But I never thought that was going to be a full time thing. [00:06:01] I, being in the business, there's such special nuances to the industry that people outside the industry don't see or appreciate. I'm curious. Growing up, you watched your parents with their antique jewelry business. And you watched your father with the diamond cutting. What's something that surprised you most about the industry, the way that it operates? Well, I think I had, like obviously I learned a lot. [00:06:25] But I had a pretty, especially working in wholesale, going from like luxury retail to wholesale was the biggest learning curve for me. Just how the whole industry operates. It's relationship-based. It's trust-based. A lot of things are done with like handshakes or like agreements, like not like contracts or anything like that. So what I learned is it's really about the personal connections and the trust that you have not only with your clients but also your suppliers. That's kind of everything. It's all about the relationships you maintain. [00:06:55] The industry itself is somewhat still antiquated. Yes. We're talking taking thousands of dollars of merchandise and your signature on a piece of paper is what's... Like a scribble-scrabble. So again, the human connection. We talk about luxury and what is trust and what's shaping the future of luxury today. And it really is that human connection piece and the trust. [00:07:15] And it is an opportunity for companies like the clear-cut and for the broader diamond jewelry industry to really push that forward and define and help lead luxury forward. And I think what's a little bit unfortunate for like the diamond industry in particular is that there can be negative associations with like how opaque it is, how like it isn't a very trustworthy industry, especially deception to like clients. And I think that's something when I got into it, I really wanted to change. Like we started as an educational blog. [00:07:45] Still, our content on social media is very driven to being transparent and empowering our community to make the best decision for them. And I think historically it's like, no, you don't want to give your client too much information. You want to like swindle them in some sort of way. And a lot of the industry is still doing that in other ways. So I think that's something that's like core to like the ethos of our business. The transparency piece is key. Educating your consumer, educating your clients to feel empowered. [00:08:14] Let's say I'm a new client of yours coming in. What do you think are the most important points to educate your clients about diamonds? But people first and foremost have to know what they're buying. So that's where it comes down to. What are you buying? Are you buying a natural diamond? Are you buying a synthetic lab grown diamond? And if so, if you are buying a natural diamond, what's the lab that graded it? Is it GIA certified? Is it EGL certified? Is it IGI certified? [00:08:42] Because the grades don't matter if you don't know what you're buying. And then once you have the basics down, then we can get into areas you want to prioritize and where you want to compromise. So there are layers to it. There are the big overlying things. And then you can get very, very niche and nitty gritty. And also like natural diamonds are, it's not an exact science. It's more like an art. Each one is special and unique and one of a kind. Even if it has the same grade on a paper, that doesn't mean it's going to look the same. If it's the same carat weight, doesn't mean it's going to present the same way. [00:09:11] So we have to go, once we get the top line basics, we got to go like deep, you know, to understand what do you want? Do you want finger coverage? That's not necessarily about the carat weight. It's about the dimensions. Right. But you don't want to lose the sparkle. But what kind of ratio do you want? So there's a lot to unpack there, of course. 10 years of content that people can go back and see. Yes. The industry itself is still relatively opaque. [00:09:36] And that's why I love what you've done, putting information and education out there for consumers to see. And there's a lot of misconceptions about the natural diamond industry, about the supply chain of jewelry. What would you say are one or two misconceptions by consumers? Well, I think for natural diamonds, the industry for a long time just, I don't want to say they [00:10:02] were like a bit lazy, but they were a bit lazy because they thought that, you know, there was always going to be like demand for it. It was unnecessary to tell the story of them. And so that left a lot of gaps where, you know, people that weren't part of the industry are like trying to create their own narratives filled it in for them because actually we're the natural diamond industry is so regulated, so ahead of its time, but like so behind on telling the story. [00:10:31] So I think the blood diamond narrative is still out there. Like you see it in my TikTok comments like every day. It's like, oh, like a child slave like died for this. We're in like reality. Entire African nations rely on this natural resource to fund like free health care, education, infrastructure like Botswana. So it's actually the complete opposite. Not buying a natural diamond, you're actually hurting an African child versus if you were, [00:10:56] which I think is kind of mind blowing for the average American consumer because we don't tell the stories of country of origin. And the fact that now we have amazing technology like Tracer where you can literally trace the exact diamond you have from the country of origin, the exact rough it came from, how it was cut, polished and planned. Sometimes the exact person who polished it and everything is completely traceable on the blockchain. [00:11:21] So we're actually way ahead of our time where I think the synthetics and lab grown marketing kind of filled in a void saying lab grown diamonds are more ethical when they're in fact mass manufactured in factories in India and China with much less regulation than the mines. I've been to lab grown factories. I've been to natural diamond mines and there's a stark difference between the two. And just working conditions in general. We were talking a bit before the podcast today about visiting India. [00:11:48] Tell us a bit about visiting some of these diamond cutting facilities for people outside the industry just to paint a picture and give some color to what these working conditions are like. Yeah, most diamonds, whether natural or lab grown, are manufactured, so cut and polished from rough in Surat, which is a sight to see. It's incredible to see the level of craftsmanship, attention to detail. The operations are insane. [00:12:14] The amount of wealth that is given to this country and these cities because of this industry, which is kind of sad because when you see it in decline, you see real suffering from people who rely on the natural diamond industry. I also went to a lab grown factory there and you can see how something can be grown in kind of a microwave over a few days and then treated to be manufactured for perfection. But it's a commodity. I mean, it's not really. [00:12:44] It's a mass manufactured product without inherent rarity or value. So it's just as beautiful once it's finished and cut and polished, but they're completely different in terms of what they represent and the value that they hold. And the amount of wealth it's created for so many new generations too. Things that I was most impressed by, some of these huge sideholder diamond manufacturing companies in India, [00:13:10] the way they live their lives and operate their businesses is unlike anything like I've seen in the U.S. They are driven by higher purpose. A lot of these companies, they pay for their employees to have housing and homes and cars, and they always donate money back to like having clean water or just helping their community. There's like a really strong sense of building a lot of wealth and being profitable, but giving back to the local community. [00:13:39] And I think it's such like a beautiful thing. And I think it's part of just like the culture in India. Tying that back to the consumer standpoint, just to paint a picture of the supply chain for the consumer about mine. Yeah. Say like for natural diamonds, most natural diamonds are going to be mined in Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Canada. I think now there's more production in Angola. They're doing incredible things there too. [00:14:04] Most of these diamonds are going to be cut and polished and manufactured in India, mostly in Surat. And then they come to the U.S. or to other major wholesaling outlets. Here is New York. I think like 85% of all loose diamonds are going to flow through 47th Street at a certain point. And we only work with GIA certified loose diamonds. And you guys are also working on some proprietary technology inside of the ClearCut. [00:14:31] So tell us about what the impetus of starting this, the technology and the vision for this and how your consumers and clients can interact with this new interface. Yeah. I mean, we actually started building it in 2020. So it's our gem software. Basically, when we started, it is extremely difficult to scale human interaction and like a bespoke process. So we did everything super painfully, really unscalably. [00:14:57] And how most private jewelers do it through email, text message, DMs. And I was like, you cannot scale a business this way. So we looked on the market to see if there was any technology existing out there that we could plug and play. And it didn't exist. So we had to build our own. And gem is our proprietary internal software. There's a ton of backend tools that are really important for us. So inventory management, we have an API with GIA. So everything flows really seamlessly. [00:15:24] We build tools for our manufacturers and vendors because I don't feel comfortable having something just on a scribble scrabble and calling up every couple weeks to be like, oh, is this ring done? Like now QR codes are made for every single piece that's sent out? We know everywhere in the process it is. And on the front end, it is basically the goal of democratizing the private jewelry experience no matter where you physically are. So if you don't have the luxury to come and like sit in person with a private jeweler, you can have that exact same experience. [00:15:52] So we make every single one of our customers schedule an initial phone consultation with myself or one of our gemologists, understand who they are, what their preferences are, be able to answer their questions. Then they get set up in a gem portal. So they have their own personal portal where they have direct access through messages with their gemologist. They can always book a call with their gemologist. And then we actually curate a selection of diamonds specifically for what they are looking for. So they don't have to sift through like hundreds of thousands of options. [00:16:20] We have in person, we have our eyes on it. It has our stamp of approval. Very collaborative. We work together to, you know, get feedback on the stones, narrow down, get more diamonds until we find the right one. And then we design a custom ring for it. Everything can be paid for there. They can access their GIA certificate. They can schedule their shipping. Everything is done through the portal. And that is our gem software that we've been operating on, obviously like tweaking and making better since 2020. But that's kind of like our secret sauce. [00:16:48] Then this past year, we launched Eunice, which is our AI tool named after the first female gemologist, who's built on top of gem basically to take all of that data that we have on diamonds, on clients, on interactions from the past six years of building it and giving us information on what types of diamonds are selling. Where are they selling? How quickly are they selling? What do we need to give the information to our manufacturers on what's missing in the mix of natural diamonds? [00:17:16] Because we saw there was a lot of demand for certain goods and oversupply in others. So we needed to have that data to communicate. And then also able to train our new gemologists and staff to what are the best client interactions looking like? How should you be speaking? What are like things that are working? How can you identify, you know, how serious a client is in the process? Because we're dealing with lots and lots of people. So we needed that extra Eunice to help us with that. For us in particular, I think we have a unique clientele because we are only natural. [00:17:45] We dabble with a bit more unique stones. But what we've been seeing is something Eunice told us the other day. We have 115% increase in K to O colors, which is very interesting because clients are embracing lower colors and more. And then we have seen a huge shift towards larger carat weights. And then historically, two and a half carats to four carats is kind of a sweet spot for us now, where before we did a lot of one and a half to three. Now we've just seen a shift to that. [00:18:14] Elongated cushion cuts, antique old mine, old European cuts have been very popular, specifically with longer ratios, like a one to four, which is really difficult to find. So yeah, that's kind of been the shift we've been seeing, which is very interesting. And I think it tells a lot about where we are culturally. I think with lab-grown diamonds having entered the market, being so easily available, all being like DEF, VVS quality, [00:18:42] anyone can have like a six carat D color diamond on their hand. It's tempting for a lot of these consumers. I think people don't know that they're $50 a carat. Also, we were the first company to ever offer a free lab-grown diamond for a travel ring, just to show that they are complementary products, but not the same thing. So I think now with the prices going down, there's a lot more competition. Everyone wants something unique, something that immediately looks natural or just something different. [00:19:10] So I want to transition over to talking about leadership, specifically leadership under pressure. You know, thinking about your last since 2016, really, when you started building the ClearCut, almost been 10 years now, thinking about leadership under pressure, you've started with the blog in the early days and things started to evolve from hiring your first employee to starting to grow and scale the company. How do you balance leadership under pressure? [00:19:39] A lot of times when we're faced with hard decisions, do you have a decision framework or core principles that you live by? I think pressure, I always think is like a privilege to be able to be under pressure. So I work really well under pressure. I think how I've operated like my life and business is know the hills you want to die on and like know who you are. There was so much pressure in 2022, 2023. [00:20:09] Everyone was like, you're so like stubborn. You're going to make a huge mistake. You should be selling lab grown. There's so much margin. This is the future. You're not embracing technology when we're embracing it in a different way. And that was the hill I was willing to die on. I was like, I'm not compromising. I will let the company die on this. So the way I saw it as a gemologist, taking a step back on why I felt so strongly on it. [00:20:35] When you're at GIA doing your colored stones, half of the entire thing is identifying what stone it is. Is it synthetic? Is it natural? What is the process? Like, you know they're different and you're trying to decipher the differences. And you understand that synthetic gemstones have been around for over 100 years and what the trajectory was for that. No one like looks back on history. So you see, okay, it's hot. Everyone thinks it's going to be the new thing. It's going to replace it. Then they flood the market. [00:21:04] They're really inexpensive and no one wants it. And the market bifurcates. You can get it on HSN or QVC, but it's not stopping these Colombian emeralds from selling at Christie's. So I knew that was happening. And yes, you could do a short-term money grab like every single other person did. But then what happens to your customer that you sold that two-carat lab grown for $10,000 when they come back or who they referred their customer to when you're... And you're already seeing a lot of these companies try to circle back to do natural. [00:21:33] And it's just like you lose that trust. So I was like, I've always been honest with my consumer, my audience. The whole thing is about being transparent. And you have to know the hill you're willing to die on and be willing to die on it. Yeah. I think that's a really important lesson because whether we're looking at our industry in the diamond and jewelry space or beyond, taking an early stance even when people tell you that you're crazy, aren't you following the easy path forward? [00:22:00] But it's keeping that long-term vision and knowing your DNA for the company. And I actually think looking back, I was just so principled right off the gate. But I think like, yes, there's a huge market for lab grown. I think it's an amazing alternative for like cubic zirconia or moissanite fashion jewelry. There is Zara and there's Laura Piana. And you don't sell like an Hermes bag. Like you don't go to Hermes and see a Birkin and a dupe right next to each other at the sales counter. [00:22:30] There are different places for them and they're not interchangeable. But that's the problem with what was happening. It was getting too muddied. So if I was to ever get into it, I'd be like, oh yeah, if I wanted to do like a fashion line, but that's like a whole nother business. Create a separate subsidiary. Yeah, that's a whole thing. But you can't like sell them side by side. And there's so many different parts of the industry, but it just got too muddied and people got a little greedy. Got a little greedy. Exactly. [00:22:56] Looking at the clear cut today, you've really built this business out of college, out of one of your first jobs at Tiffany's and then starting to build it alongside your now husband and building a company with a significant other. How was your experience with that? Well, it's something I always said I would never do because my parents had a business together and they're no longer together and it didn't work out for them. So I saw that and I was like, I will never go into business with my husband. [00:23:24] So when he proposed going into business together when we were just dating, I was like, absolutely not. But we do make a very good team and we have very different skill sets. So I think that's how it works out. He's like doing the accounting, the business. I trust him with that. And he trusts me with design, diamonds, products, like client stuff. And then we actually have a lot of shared interest on like the content creation. He has like a lot of good ideas. We call him like the Kyle Jenner behind everything. He's always like. [00:23:54] So I think it's great because we have respect for each other's lanes. We don't really overstep. And we have it's kind of romantic. We have this shared goal. And a lot of people are like, oh, it's really hard to go into business with your spouse. But I think it's hard to go into business with like anyone, a friend co-founder, because a lot of times like we are like in lockstep with like our vision, what we want. But if you have a co-founder that's your friend and they get married or they move away or they're just like in a different phase of life, they may not want the same things for the business [00:24:24] or for their life. So I think it's actually easier, at least in our situation, that we are married. I mean, all of our eggs are in one basket. But, you know, it's it's I think it's quite special, too, because, yes, when you get into business with someone, you actually are so integrated. And I mean, it's a business marriage. The key is having that shared and common vision and keeping that same vision in mind and intact and continuing to build together. And we love talking like everyone's like, oh, do you ever like separate work? And we're like, no, we don't. [00:24:53] I mean, if we're not talking about work, we're talking about our kid. But like there this is like our first child, you know, your your son is so handsome. Oh, such a cutie. Can you share a bit more about the parenthood shift? Oh, my God. Having a kid is like it's it's harder. It's so much harder. A lot of people aren't talking enough about it. Like balance. How do you achieve balance? There is no balance. And honestly, like props to like all like business owner moms, working moms. Like it's I truly underestimated it. [00:25:23] It was like insane. Well, we were like so hardcore, like live, breathe nonstop like the business. And I think having a kid like forces you to take a beat and take a step back and just surrender a lot of things. I'm a control freak and you can't control everything. And that has taught me a lot. And you have to find like some sort. There's no balance. But like on the weekends, I'm not dealing with the emails. I'm not looking at anything. I'm like all in 100 percent with my son. [00:25:53] I'm like fully focused. And then during the week, like I'm all in on work. So it's just about, you know, in balance in a sense of like you're all in on one thing or another. I never want to be like not present with him, you know, never want to be on my phone, like looking at something with him there. If I'm with him, I'm like with him all in. But then if I'm working, I can't have him around. And I really underestimated. I was like, oh, yeah, just go right back to work. I brought him to the office every single day of his life for the first like three months [00:26:22] after I gave birth. I didn't take a maternity leave. And that was wild. I like will never do that again. Wow. That must have been really intense too at the office. I think like my employees were like, what is going on? This lady is crazy. You're a dedicated thing. I wasn't interviewing. I was interviewing people with him like strapped to my chest and they were like, what's the maternity leave policy? And I was like, not this. Whatever. It's not this. So I think that there's also something that a lot of founders, CEOs and business owners carry. [00:26:53] There's like an invisible pressure in a way to show up fully as running at the company, but then also showing up as a parent or even as a partner. So talk a bit more about some pressures that you want people to have more conversations around. Like even just like feeling comfortable, like to want to have those chapters and those seasons of life to take time off and maybe start to focus on the family or even those seasons [00:27:19] of life where you're like all in on the business and you're going 110 miles an hour. Exactly. It's all about seasons. And I think you're never going to be like perfectly balanced at any one time. There's going to be a part of your life where you're going to have to work so hard and work harder than anyone else. And you're going to have to put in those hours. And when you're starting a business, you have to like build it from the ground up. You can't just be part time if you want it to be successful. [00:27:47] You will be forced to take a breather and break when you have a kid, like physically, mentally. You cannot operate at that same level that you were before. So take advantage of those times when you can. But life is about ebbs and flows and different pressures at different times. But I think the most important thing is having a vision or a goal of where you want to go and [00:28:13] having a clear direction and having that North Star kind of keeps you in track throughout whatever life is throwing at you. Like I do really believe in visualization, manifesting, like gratitude. And so like I am big on visualizing my goals of where I want to go and manifesting it. So I think like that kind of keeps me. I walked into your office a few months ago and I walk in and it's like this balanced, [00:28:41] zen, white candles, crisp. I'm like, this is the ideal office environment. So it reflects truly on you too, because I think it's important with your environment. You want it to be a reflection of how you feel. We want clients to not feel like people can get really like stressed out when they come or like nervous. So we want to feel like as calm as possible. Well, you guys are doing a very good job. Thank you. I want to switch perspective and look at the luxury industry itself. [00:29:09] The world is changing very quickly, especially the luxury industry. Where do you see things breaking off from the traditional luxury model? And what's something that's breaking traditional luxury? Breaking traditional luxury? Well, I think like it's interesting. Everyone talks about this K-shaped economy. And I think that is kind of what's happening. There are more upper middle class millionaires coming in every single day. [00:29:37] But then we're like losing the middle class. But there's more people that are interested in investing in luxury than ever before in the U.S. at least. International markets are different. And there's like, you know, their own set of things. A whole different things. Like China isn't what it used to be. I don't know if it will come back in the same capacity. But we're seeing a lot of people invest in luxury experiences, I think, more than anything. [00:30:05] Luxury hotels, luxury vacations, business class travel. That's where we're competing with share of wallet for, I think, in terms of physical goods. You guys do such a superb job with bringing the experience in. Because now I've been noticing, too, like looking just purely at luxury goods shopping. Clients and consumers are tired of going into a store, buying something off the shelf. [00:30:32] And what they're craving now is something that's more one of one bespoke and custom and tailored towards them, which you guys have been doing since you guys really have been early movers on this since the early beginning. I think it is all about the feeling that comes with the purchase, the memories, that experience. And that's what's so special, I think, about bridal in particular, like your engagement ring. [00:30:55] Working with your partner, like picking out the diamond, creating a one-of-a-kind setting, maybe with hidden details that are special for you. And then obviously, you know, having that moment, that proposal where a lot of people do travel for or have family or friends around. And it's just a moment to remember in your life, which kind of coincides with like those luxury experiences. I think also you're seeing like a lot of people just in terms of the handbag experience, right? Like handbags have been like in. [00:31:25] But in particular, people are really into getting a Birkin or a Kelly bag or a Hermes bag. And it's the experience around, oh, I have to buy like this certain things or I'm in Paris and I got a leather appointment. And then let me tell you the story of like what was, you know, offered to me. It's all about the storytelling, the experience around the luxury purchase. No one's just like, I'm going in, here's my credit card walking out. That doesn't feel good, you know? And you can't make a TikTok about it. You can't. Exactly. It's not Instagrammable. [00:31:53] I think that's interesting because jewelry itself is a collectible. I see this emerging trend of diamonds, jewelry becoming more of an asset class. So I think that there's right now, there's a lot of mistrust in the diamond industry. So a lot of people aren't necessarily investing into jewelry as much as they were before. I think a lot of branded jewelry is getting, people are getting tired of it. It's getting like oversaturated too. [00:32:19] Like once the Cartier Love bracelet was a status symbol or the Van Cleef Alhambra. I think everyone's kind of tired of that. And that comes to be a question. Is that true luxury when everyone can access it? Tying it back to the trust piece. One of the things that you guys do very well is building that trust with the client. And I think trust is one of the core pillars of this new model of luxury today. And looking at trust as part of the experience with the customer. It's that human to human interaction. [00:32:48] Being in the jewelry business, it's one of the most personal one-on-one connections. Clear Cut has built and been successful in one of the most trust-based industries and categories of all time. What are you most proud of with what you guys have built? I think I'm most proud of that we've built a business and a company that you know what we stand for and you know who we are. [00:33:16] I always say when you're building a business or a brand, you can't be everything for everyone. Because you lose your sense of self or your identity or who your core community is. So I'm really proud of the community that we have around us, our amazing team, and all of the incredible advancements we built for the industry being like who we are. [00:33:37] And one thing I'm really proud of that just got launched and is coming out is we have a case study at Columbia Business School about our business and being an only natural company and the history of the natural diamond industry with a focus on Botswana. And it will be taught in the core curriculum this coming fall to all Columbia Business School students. So I'm really proud of that. [00:34:00] It's kind of like everything that all of the hard work we've been doing working with like countries of origin or like Tracer, De Beers and educating the consumer and building technology. It's all kind of encapsulated in this. Going back to what you said before, it's putting that flag on the ground and dying on that hill that you chose. And it's remarkable because now it's getting into this case, which, by the way, I want a copy. Okay. [00:34:25] I think it's a nod to standing true to your thesis, your vision, your core beliefs as a company and not veering away from that. Because like you said, it's very easy to be distracted and want to be everything for everyone as a company. You see like, oh, like this person's doing that. I want to do that. Or this looks cool. Like, I want to do that. It's just like, does that fit into... Anything's going to look attractive on the outside. It's really understanding and knowing who you are. [00:34:52] I want to jump forward into the future and talk about a feeling. We're having the same conversation in 10 years from now. What's a feeling that you want to leave with your clients? A feeling you want to leave with your employees? A feeling you want to leave with your family after the end of building? I want to leave a feeling of legacy that we've made like a mark and an impact in the industry. Helping it turn around. [00:35:18] Helping it make its way into the future, to the next generation. Shaping the way how people look at diamonds, buy engagement rings forever. Give us one or two of your non-negotiables. My non-negotiables are being honest in anything. In business, in your relationship. Being honest with yourself. I can't handle inauthenticity, I guess that's the word. I don't think it gets you very far and it's only doing a disservice to yourself. [00:35:48] People feel it right away too. Yeah. Your community feels it. You feel it like it's not good for you. You know? Yeah. Honesty. Transparency. And that's my one non-negotiable. I don't know if I have anything else that's like a leading thing. Sleep, but I don't get a lot of it now. Sometimes you can control. Authenticity and trust plays one-on-one together. Trust isn't built by something you could say. It's not built in one single decision, but a series of micro decisions made every day. [00:36:18] And that's how you build. That's how you get into where you guys are today and really defines building something that will last beyond you, I think is really the goal. Yeah. Especially in the jewelry industry, because we're dealing with multi-generations of companies, which is really, really remarkable. I think business and life intertwine. There's always trust at the center. I think building from that, going to your non-negotiables of always being honest, always being authentic. It's building from that core. [00:36:46] Every ripple effect outwards is going to, it's like even the micro interactions between your clients, your suppliers, your customers. It's like always operating from that core. Everything else seems to really work itself out. So, Olivia, one last question for you is, if you were to describe the luxury industry today, if you were to create like a billboard campaign for the diamond and jewelry industry, what would be on the billboard? Oh, my God. [00:37:15] I think it's all about making luxury fun. You have to make it like something people want to experience, want to invest in. Making it personal, you know? Yeah. Luxury has to be a personal. Creative expression too, which is the luxury today. These diamonds are specifically for you. This ring was made for you. This moment is for you, you know? Yes. That's what it's about. [00:37:45] Luxury has to be personal. Make it personal. Yeah. I'm looking at your jewelry today and I want to put a quick plug in the clear cut. Show us some of the things you have on today. Right now, I'm wearing, because I feel like it's like getting warm out. I really love a little like dainty lariat when it's like warm out. And I'm really loving a pinky ring moment these days. I'm wearing our lunar ring with an oval. And just like some, I'm like experimenting with different like ring stacks. Some attorney bands and fun things. [00:38:13] I've been loving the ring stacks lately. I love like a very clean, elegant outfit. I'm always seeing like photos with my hands. So I, for a long time, was like just wearing my engagement ring. And I was like not a ring stack person. But I admire people who can like stack and layer. And I made a decision one day. I was like, I don't care if I have to take my rings on and off all day. I'm going to be a ring stack and ear stack girly. I just got my third holes pierced as a 35-year-old. I was just like, one day I was like, you know what? I'm going to go get this during a lunch. And I went and got it. [00:38:42] And I've been loving it. It looks lovely. And I get to like switch it out all the time. And they have, I mean, it's great talking points too. Yes. Well, Olivia, thank you so much for spending this time with me today. And it's really exciting because this is a first in-person podcast. I know. I'm so honored to be the first in-person guest. And I'm so honored to be able to share this episode with you. So I'm just, I'm happy to be able to. Thank you. Incredible, incredible job. I admire you so much as a founder, as a mom. Thank you. And just as a wonderful person. [00:39:11] Thank you so much for being open and sharing your journey with us. Thank you for joining me on the Responsible Luxury podcast. If you're building or thinking about building in the future of luxury, this is where we have those conversations. Make sure you subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you stream your favorite podcasts so you don't miss what's coming next. Trust isn't something you can manufacture. It's built over time through decisions and consistency. [00:39:41] Olivia has done exactly that with the clear cut. This is what Responsible Luxury is about. Understanding how trust, leadership, and long-term thinking are shaping where this industry goes next. We're also taking this beyond the podcast with more in-person recordings, private salons, and a lineup of conversations I'm very intentional about curating. If you want to be a part of it, join us through the Responsible Luxury newsletter. See you in the next episode.

## Can Luxury Lead the Way? Iris Van der Veken on Building a Legacy of Purpose, Responsibility, and Transparency

URL: https://responsibleluxurypod.com/episode/can-luxury-lead-the-way-iris-van-der-veken-on-building-a-legacy-of-purpose-responsibility-and-transparency
Published: 2025-09-23
Audio: https://content.rss.com/episodes/247478/2225243/responsible-luxury-with-laurenti-new-york/2025_09_21_00_24_22_fc7be852-513a-4cbc-9d79-ebf03a29e861.mp3

What if the future of luxury isn’t about exclusivity, but radical inclusivity? In this powerful episode of Responsible Luxury, host Lauren Petrovic sits down with Iris Van der Veken, Executive Director of the Watches & Jewellery Initiative 2030, for a bold and timely conversation on redefining what leadership looks like in today’s global luxury landscape. Together, Lauren and Iris explore: Why trust is now the defining currency for business. The evolution of leadership from hierarchy to inclusivity. How women’s empowerment and climate action are deeply interconnected. The role of luxury brands in setting standards for transparency, traceability, and sustainability. The importance of collaboration, mentorship, and building ecosystems where creativity and accountability thrive. Collaboration across industries is necessary for progress. Whether you’re a CEO, creative entrepreneur, or emerging leader, this conversation offers both practical insights on what it means to create a lasting legacy. Links & Resources Mentioned Watches & Jewelry Initiative 2030 UN Women – Women’s Empowerment Principles UN Global Compact Follow Iris Van der Veken on LinkedIn for updates on her work. Connect with Responsible Luxury Follow Lauren Petrovic on LinkedIn Follow Responsible Luxury on Instagram Explore Laurenti New York Stay tuned for upcoming events during Climate Week NYC 2025 Chapters [00:00] Introduction and Background [03:11] Leadership Evolution and Principles [12:03] Social Impact and Early Influences [16:30] Transition to the Diamond Industry [21:23] Driving Change in the Industry [27:32] Children's Rights and Global Compact [31:34] Collaboration with UN Women [38:46] Watches and Jewelry Initiative 2030 [40:42] The Importance of Nature in Business Resilience [43:38] Governance and Multi-Stakeholder Engagement [46:39] Collaboration Over Competition [51:54] Cultural Perspectives on Sustainability [56:54] The Interconnection of Climate and Gender [01:00:53] The Future of Responsible Luxury [01:05:56] Empowering the Next Generation of Leaders [01:08:21] Legacy and Impact in the Industry

## How Watches Became the New Asset Class: Jake Plonskier on Disrupting Luxury Markets

URL: https://responsibleluxurypod.com/episode/how-watches-became-the-new-asset-class-jake-plonskier-on-disrupting-luxury-markets
Published: 2025-05-27
Audio: https://content.rss.com/episodes/247478/2043113/responsible-luxury-with-laurenti-new-york/2025_05_24_18_46_09_148c84eb-cb70-40b9-95f4-3a3511b3f4f8.mp3

What if your Rolex could be as liquid as your stock portfolio? In this episode of Responsible Luxury, host Lauren Petrovic sits down with Jake Plonskier, founder of Watches.io, to uncover how the luxury watch market is being transformed into a dynamic asset class. Together they discuss: Why trust and transparency are the missing links in luxury markets How blockchain and data are unlocking the $30B+ watch industry Rise of liquidity in the watch market The parallels between watches, diamonds, and fine art as alternative investments What it takes to build a responsible, scalable business in an industry built on legacy From blockchain-backed authenticity to the untapped potential of resale markets, this conversation offers a masterclass in rethinking legacy, ownership, and value in the luxury world. If you're curious about the future of luxury, alternative assets, or just love a good founder story - this one's for you. Timestamps: 00:00 – 02:15: Welcome and episode introduction 02:15 – 08:45: Jake’s journey: From traditional finance to luxury watches 08:45 – 14:00: The vision behind Watches.io: Liquidity, transparency, and access 14:00 – 20:30: How Watches.io is building trust in a skeptical market 20:30 – 26:00: The intersection of blockchain, data, and luxury authentication 26:00 – 31:00: The parallels between watches, diamonds, and art as alternative assets 31:00 – 36:30: Building an ecosystem of responsible luxury: Lessons from the journey 36:30 – 41:00: Rapid-fire round: Jake’s favorite timepiece, top leadership advice, and legacy reflections 41:00 – 43:00: Closing thoughts and how to connect with Watches.io

## Live from FIT’s Sustainable Business & Design Conference: Powering the Next Generation of Responsible Luxury

URL: https://responsibleluxurypod.com/episode/live-from-fits-sustainable-business-amp-design-conference-powering-the-next-generation-of-responsible-luxury
Published: 2025-04-22
Audio: https://content.rss.com/episodes/247478/1994778/responsible-luxury-with-laurenti-new-york/2025_04_20_22_15_52_ec4c1e5c-d4e1-4fc4-9a6a-94e3abbbd586.mp3

In this special episode, host Lauren Petrovic takes you behind the scenes at the 19th Annual Sustainable Business and Design Conference at the Fashion Institute of Technology, where she moderated a dynamic panel on “Powering the Next Generation of Responsible Luxury.” Joined by industry leaders Tiffany Stevens, Malyia McNaughton, and Wendy Waugh, this conversation dives into how luxury brands are redefining sustainability, not as a trend, but as a core business imperative. Together, they explore: Transparency in the supply chain, from diamonds to fabric mills The rise of upcycling, heirloom redesign, and secondhand markets Consumer expectations and the future of ethical sourcing Private equity’s growing role in ESG accountability How the next generation of creatives is shaping luxury’s evolution This episode is a call to action for leaders, students, and consumers alike to reimagine what responsible luxury can look like in 2030 and beyond. * Featured Panelists: Tiffany Stevens - Chief Business Officer and Global Head of Sustainability, International Gemological Institute Malyia McNaughton - Founder and Designer, Made by Malyia Wendy Waugh - Founder, Golden Collective * Follow Us: @laurendpetrovic @tiffanycstevens @madebymalyia @responsibleluxurypod On LinkedIn: Tiffany Stevens Wendy Waugh Lauren Petrovic * For comments, questions, or speaker ideas: Follow @responsibleluxurypod on Instagram and LinkedIn Subscribe to The Responsible Luxury Podcast wherever you listen. Share this episode and join the conversation on what responsible luxury means to you.

## Kat Weymouth - Sustainability, Transparency, and the Future of Ethical Luxury

URL: https://responsibleluxurypod.com/episode/kat-weymouth-sustainability-transparency-and-the-future-of-ethical-luxury
Published: 2025-04-01
Audio: https://content.rss.com/episodes/247478/1964286/responsible-luxury-with-laurenti-new-york/2025_03_30_15_28_40_619e85dc-ffac-40f7-906b-74bcef6e10e1.mp3

Ep. 24: In this episode of Responsible Luxury, Lauren Petrovic sits down with Kat Weymouth, Director of Jewelry and Metals at SCS Global Services, to discuss the evolving landscape of sustainability and transparency in the fine jewelry industry. Kat shares her journey from growing up in a multi-generational jewelry family to leading auditing and certification programs that ensure ethical sourcing and responsible practices. We explore the rise of consumer demand for sustainability, the importance of third-party verification, and how new technologies like blockchain are transforming traceability in the supply chain. Whether you're a jewelry professional, a luxury lover, or a conscious consumer, this episode provides valuable insights on identifying truly responsible luxury brands and the future of ethical sourcing. * Guest Speaker: Kat Weymouth, Director of Jewelry and Metals at SCS Global Services Website: SCS Global Services Kat Weymouth: kweymouth@scsglobalservices.com * For comments, questions, or speaker ideas: Email: lauren@laurentinewyork.com LinkedIn: Lauren Petrovic Instagram, X: @laurendpetrovic, @responsibleluxurypod Timestamps: 00:00 – Introduction 02:00 – Kat’s Journey into the Jewelry Industry 06:30 – Transition to Sustainability & Compliance 10:00 – Understanding SCS Global Services & Its Role in Jewelry 14:30 – Consumer Preferences & The Rise of Sustainable Jewelry 19:00 – How Consumers Can Identify Ethical Jewelry Brands 24:00 – The Future of Transparency & Traceability in Jewelry 28:30 – SCS & iTraceit Partnership for Blockchain-Based Transparency 31:00 – Kat’s Personal Passion for Sustainability 33:00 – Defining Responsible Luxury 36:00 – Final Thoughts & Advice for the Next Generation 38:00 – Where to Find Kat & SCS Global Services

## Kendel Neidermyer - From High-Fashion to High-Stakes Luxury Real Estate

URL: https://responsibleluxurypod.com/episode/kendel-neidermyer-from-high-fashion-to-high-stakes-luxury-real-estate
Published: 2025-04-01
Audio: https://content.rss.com/episodes/247478/1964300/responsible-luxury-with-laurenti-new-york/2025_03_30_15_39_48_43e54409-b7d0-48d0-890a-b72c98029c76.mp3

Ep. 25: In this episode of Responsible Luxury, Lauren sits down with Kendel, a powerhouse real estate broker with the top-performing Singer Team at Brown Harris Stevens. But Kendel’s journey to the world of high-stakes real estate is anything but ordinary. From her early days as a competitive gymnast to launching a career in high fashion, designing for renowned brands like Halston and J. Mendel, Kendel has always thrived in fast-paced, competitive environments. She later founded her own luxury fashion brand, F.WORDS, before making a bold pivot into luxury real estate, where she now helps high-net-worth clients find their dream properties in New York City and South Florida. Lauren and Kendel discuss the parallels between fashion and real estate, the importance of building trust and authentic relationships, and Kendel’s mission to empower more women to become homeowners. Plus, Kendel shares insights on the future of luxury real estate, including the rise of wellness-certified properties, and opens up about her personal life, marathon training, and finding balance in a high-pressure career. This conversation is filled with inspiration, strategy, and an inside look at the world of luxury. You won’t want to miss it! * Guest Speaker: Kendel Neidermyer Websites: Brown Harris Stevens, F.WORDS, Singer Team Real Estate Instagram: @kendel_runs_realesate LinkedIn: Kendel Neidermyer * For comments, questions, or speaker ideas: Email: lauren@laurentinewyork.com LinkedIn: Lauren Petrovic Instagram, X: @laurendpetrovic, @responsibleluxurypod * Timestamps: 00:00 – Introduction 02:00 – Kendel’s Journey to New York 06:00 – Breaking into the Fashion Industry 10:00 – Launching Her Own Brand, F-WORD 15:30 – Transition from Fashion to Real Estate 20:00 – Navigating Luxury Real Estate in NYC & South Florida 25:00 – Empowering Women Homebuyers – 30:00 – Building Client Trust in Real Estate – 35:00 – Personal Life & Lifestyle Balance 40:00 – Coping with Loss & Finding Meaning 45:00 – Favorite NYC Spots & Safe Havens 50:00 – The Future of Luxury Real Estate 54:00 – Final Thoughts & Where to Connect

## Isabelle Grosmaitre on Courageous Leadership and Transforming Business for a Better Future

URL: https://responsibleluxurypod.com/episode/isabelle-grosmaitre-on-courageous-leadership-and-transforming-business-for-a-better-future
Published: 2025-02-11
Audio: https://content.rss.com/episodes/247478/1888686/responsible-luxury-with-laurenti-new-york/2025_02_09_20_35_37_a890e439-34e4-45e7-a704-cc41cd5f0b25.mp3

#23: In this episode, join Lauren and Isabelle as she shares her inspiring journey towards responsible luxury and purpose-driven business practices. From her early aspirations to her impactful work with global organizations, Isabel discusses the importance of courageous leadership in driving positive change. She delves into topics such as the shift from shareholder to stakeholder economies, the significance of purpose in business DNA, and the role of boards in sustainable governance. Through her insightful conversation with Lauren, Isabelle sheds light on the pivotal role of businesses in shaping a more sustainable and inclusive future. Tune in to explore practical strategies, transformative insights, and actionable advice for companies looking to embrace sustainability and make a difference in the world. * Timestamps: [0:00] Introduction and Isabelle's Journey [6:32] Shift from Shareholder to Stakeholder Mindset [10:48] Purpose as a Compass for Business Decisions [12:11] Aligning Purpose with Business Operations [16:22] The Evolution of the Responsible Luxury Industry [21:43] Challenges and Opportunities for Legacy Companies [25:47] Reinventing Board Governance for Sustainability [27:05] Balancing Short-Term and Long-Term Goals [32:03] Financial Incentives for Sustainable Business Practices [33:00] Policies and Incentives in Europe for Sustainability [36:23] Brands as Symbols of Sustainability and Purpose * Guest Speaker: Isabelle Grosmaitre Website: https://goodnessandco.one/ LinkedIn: Isabelle Grosmaitre Isabelle's Book: Business as a Force for Good * For comments, questions, or speaker ideas: Email: lauren@laurentinewyork.com LinkedIn: Lauren Petrovic Instagram, X: @laurendpetrovic, @responsibleluxurypod

## Adriano Mol & Christine Puleo Reis - Uncovering the Global Gemstone Market with Cruzeiro Mine

URL: https://responsibleluxurypod.com/episode/adriano-mol-amp-christine-puleo-reis-uncovering-the-global-gemstone-market-with-cruzeiro-mine
Published: 2025-01-24
Audio: https://content.rss.com/episodes/247478/1860886/responsible-luxury-with-laurenti-new-york/2025_01_23_01_22_49_eb1a6ae8-9c7f-4e97-a15c-6c018e6e96c4.mp3

#21: Join us as Lauren Petrovic sits down with Adriano Mol and Christine Puleo Reis from Cruzeiro Mine during New York City Jewelry Week. We take a deep dive into all things colored gemstones and explore the global gemstone market, tokenizing gemstones, and Cruzerio's recent partnership with IGI bringing more traceability to the jewelry industry. * Timestamps: [0:00] Legacy of Neves Family Mine [03:46] Sustainable Practices and Community Engagement [06:16] Transforming Experiences in Mining [12:54] The Future of Cruzeiro Mine and Market Trends [14:23] Traceability and Transparency in Gemstone Sourcing [16:37] Embracing Technology in the Gemstone Industry [20:35] Looking Ahead: The Future of Gemstones and Sustainability * Guest Speakers: Adriano Mol and Christine Puleo Reis from Cruzeiro Mine Team Website: https://cruzeiromine.com/ LinkedIn: Adriano Mol, Christine Puleo Reis Instagram: @cruzeiro.mine, @adriano_mol, @christinepuleoreis * For comments, questions, or speaker ideas: Email: lauren@laurentinewyork.com LinkedIn: Lauren Petrovic Instagram, X: @laurendpetrovic, @responsibleluxurypod

## Douglas Neves x Cruzeiro Mine - Exploring a World Beneath, Leading a Global Mining Operation, Intuition Mastery, Next-Gen Leadership Advice and More

URL: https://responsibleluxurypod.com/episode/douglas-neves-x-cruzeiro-mine-exploring-a-world-beneath-leading-a-global-mining-operation-intuition-mastery-next-gen-leadership-advice-and-more
Published: 2025-01-24
Audio: https://content.rss.com/episodes/247478/1858907/responsible-luxury-with-laurenti-new-york/2025_01_21_21_47_35_36732a79-3412-4dd5-b31c-b05b99ff8ef0.mp3

#22: In this episode, Lauren Petrovic sits down with Douglas Neves, CEO of Brazil’s renowned Cruzeiro Mine. A family-run gem operation founded in 1940 is now one of the most prosperous gem operations in the world. While being the third generation leading the mine, Douglas shares his remarkable journey in the industry, highlighting the intricacies of mining one of the world’s most prosperous mines. As Douglas puts it, it’s truly a combination of local knowledge, intuition, and science. Known for producing top-quality gemstones like tourmaline, quartz, morganite, aquamarine, and rubellites, Cruzeiro Mine has become a global leader in the industry. Through their recent partnership with IGI, they aim to enhance traceability and transparency in the gemstone sector. * Timestamps: [0:00] Introduction [1:57] Unique Qualities of Cruzeiro Gemstones [5:21] The Ethical Mining Process [8:07] Day-to-Day Operations in the Mine [8:32] Intuition in Mining [11:40] Transparency in Sourcing and Production [15:15] Building Relationships with Jewelers [16:34] Advice for the Next-Generation Leading with Responsible Luxury [18:02] The Philosophy of Responsible Luxury * Guest Speakers: Douglas Neves, CEO of Cruzeiro Mine Website: https://cruzeiromine.com/ LinkedIn: Douglas Neves Instagram: @cruzeiro.mine, @douglaswn * For comments, questions, or speaker ideas: Email: lauren@laurentinewyork.com LinkedIn: Lauren Petrovic Instagram, X: @laurendpetrovic, @responsibleluxurypod

## Ian Bone and Brian Cook - Part 3 Ethical Gem Suppliers

URL: https://responsibleluxurypod.com/episode/ian-bone-and-brian-cook-part-3-ethical-gem-suppliers
Published: 2024-11-26
Audio: https://content.rss.com/episodes/247478/1771648/responsible-luxury-with-laurenti-new-york/2024_11_25_23_31_10_2b86ec93-34fb-4c92-9c45-b3f245635397.mp3

This week, Lauren Petrovic is live with Ian Bone and Brian Cook from the Ethical Gem Suppliers collective. Tune in as they explore the essence of sustainability within the gemstone trade, its global implications, and societal significance. Guest Speakers: Ian Bone, Co-founder of Capricorn Gems Website: https://www.capricorngems.com.au/ Brian Cook, Founder of Natures Geometry Website: http://www.naturesgeometry.com/ * For comments, questions, or speaker ideas: Email: lauren@laurentinewyork.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-petrovic/ Instagram: @laurendpetrovic, @responsibleluxurypod

## Stuart Pool and Eric Braunwart - Part 2 Ethical Gemstone Suppliers

URL: https://responsibleluxurypod.com/episode/stuart-pool-and-eric-braunwart-part-2-ethical-gemstone-suppliers
Published: 2024-11-14
Audio: https://content.rss.com/episodes/247478/1754086/responsible-luxury-with-laurenti-new-york/2024_11_15_03_40_33_7841598b-798e-4bec-a021-25ea10b47147.mp3

This week, Lauren Petrovic is live with Stuart Pool and Eric Braunwart from the Ethical Gem Suppliers collective. Tune in as they explore the essence of sustainability within the gemstone trade, its global implications, and societal significance. Guest Speakers: Stuart Pool, Co-Founder of Nineteen 48, Fair Luxury, and a key member of Moyo Gems Website: https://www.nineteen48.com/, www.fairluxury.co.uk, https://moyogems.com/ Eric Braunwart, Founder of Columbia Gem House Website: https://columbiagemhouse.com/ * Resources: https://www.delvedatabase.org/ * For comments, questions, or speaker ideas: Email: lauren@laurentinewyork.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-petrovic/ Instagram: @laurendpetrovic, @responsibleluxurypod

## Monica Stephenson and Jay Moncada - Part 1 Ethical Gem Suppliers

URL: https://responsibleluxurypod.com/episode/monica-stephenson-and-jay-moncada-part-1-ethical-gem-suppliers
Published: 2024-11-12
Audio: https://content.rss.com/episodes/247478/1747996/responsible-luxury-with-laurenti-new-york/2024_11_12_04_56_38_e9fca98d-babd-4dff-b06a-2f87edc76cc0.mp3

This week, Lauren Petrovic is live with Monica Stephenson and Jay Moncada from the Ethical Gem Suppliers collective. Listen to them as they dive into the essence of sustainability within the gemstone trade, exploring its global implications and societal significance. Guest Speakers: Monica Stephenson Website: https://www.anzagems.com, https://moyogems.com/ Instagram: @idazzle, @anzagems @moyogems LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/monicastephenson/ Link to Monica’s documentary ‘Sharing the Rough’ Jay Moncada Website: https://www.perpetuumjewels.com/ * For comments, questions, or speaker ideas: Email: lauren@laurentinewyork.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-petrovic/ Instagram: @laurendpetrovic, @responsibleluxurypod

## Toby Pomeroy - Revolutionizing Gold Mining, Integrating Bitcoin, Redefining Consumption and More

URL: https://responsibleluxurypod.com/episode/toby-pomeroy-revolutionizing-gold-mining-integrating-bitcoin-redefining-consumption-and-more
Published: 2024-10-29
Audio: https://content.rss.com/episodes/247478/1722950/responsible-luxury-with-laurenti-new-york/2024_10_28_02_06_21_b7f21513-8cff-4ab6-b58e-d119d5a5db19.mp3

In this enlightening episode, Lauren Petrovic sits down with Toby Pomeroy to delve into the world of ethical gold and mercury-free mining. They explore the intricacies of mercury-free mining practices, the challenges surrounding responsible gold sourcing, and the pivotal role of technology in promoting ethical mining endeavors. The discussion also delves into the impact of consumer choices on ethical practices, the future of the jewelry industry in conjunction with blockchain technology, and the vision for responsible luxury. The episode concludes with insightful final thoughts and a discussion on future directions in the ecology of commerce. Tune in for a deep dive into the evolving landscape of responsible practices in the jewelry sector. Show notes: [00:00] Introduction to ethical gold and mercury-free mining [03:34] Toby’s journey into the jewelry industry [07:37] Understanding mercury-free mining practices [13:04] Challenges in responsible gold sourcing [17:57] The role of technology in ethical mining [30:50] The Impact of consumer choices on ethical practices [39:52] The future of the jewelry industry and blockchain technology [40:45] The Vision for Responsible Luxury [50:46] Final Thoughts and Future Directions * Guest Speaker: Toby Pomeroy LinkedIn Website Email: toby@mercuryfreemining.org * For comments, questions, or speaker ideas: Email: lauren@laurentinewyork.com, concierge@laurentinewyork.com LinkedIn Instagram: @laurendpetrovic, @responsibleluxurypod

## Part 1: Responsible Luxury Roundtable and Dinner - New York Climate Week 2024

URL: https://responsibleluxurypod.com/episode/part-1-responsible-luxury-roundtable-and-dinner-new-york-climate-week-2024
Published: 2024-10-08
Audio: https://content.rss.com/episodes/247478/1690320/responsible-luxury-with-laurenti-new-york/2024_10_07_23_47_15_fd400eb6-cbf1-4659-a9c3-98107c76b6f6.mp3

Show notes: This episode features live interviews by Lauren Petrovic and special guests recorded during the Responsible Luxury Roundtable and Dinner during New York Climate Week 2024. * [03:06] Malyia McNaughton - Designer at Made by Malyia Instagram Website LinkedIn * [13:16] Lisa Koenigsberg Founder and President at Initiative in Art and Culture Instagram Facebook LinkedIn * [18:38] Welcome Toast by Tiffany Stevens - Chief Business Officer & Head of Sustainability at IGI and Tehmasp Printer -Managing Director and CEO at IGI Website LinkedIn Instagram: @tiffanycstevens, @igi_gemgrams * [20:55] Michelle Graff, Editor-in-Chief at National Jeweler LinkedIn * [30:13] Samantha Ory - Founder and General Partner at Ouroboros Group Instagram LinkedIn Website * [30:13] Serene Wang - Founder and CEO at EliteLink Education Instagram LinkedIn * For comments, questions, or speaker ideas: Email: lauren@laurentinewyork.com, concierge@laurentinewyork.com LinkedIn Instagram: @laurendpetrovic, @responsibleluxurypod

## Part 2: Responsible Luxury Roundtable and Dinner - New York Climate Week 2024

URL: https://responsibleluxurypod.com/episode/part-2-responsible-luxury-roundtable-and-dinner-new-york-climate-week-2024
Published: 2024-10-08
Audio: https://content.rss.com/episodes/247478/1690376/responsible-luxury-with-laurenti-new-york/2024_10_10_20_28_59_5ce06c1c-4bbc-48a5-a299-8707aae49640.mp3

Show notes: This episode features live interviews by Lauren Petrovic and special guests recorded during the Responsible Luxury Roundtable and Dinner during New York Climate Week 2024. * [2:33] Iris Van der Veken - Executive Director at Watch & Jewellery Initiative 2030 Website LinkedIn * [14:20] Rosena Sammi - Founder and CEO at The Jewelry Edit Website LinkedIn Instagram * [22:43] Monica Stephenson - Founder and President Anza Gems Website LinkedIn Instagram: @idazzle , @anzagems * For comments, questions, or speaker ideas: Email: lauren@laurentinewyork.com, concierge@laurentinewyork.com LinkedIn Instagram: @laurendpetrovic, @responsibleluxurypod

## Kotryna Jukneviciute - AI Powered Fashion, Emerging NYC Fashion Tech Culture, Building Community, Advice for Early-Stage Founders, and More

URL: https://responsibleluxurypod.com/episode/kotryna-jukneviciute-ai-powered-fashion-emerging-nyc-fashion-tech-culture-building-community-advice-for-early-stage-founders-and-more
Published: 2024-09-10
Audio: https://content.rss.com/episodes/247478/1651586/responsible-luxury-with-laurenti-new-york/2024_09_10_23_08_21_521fe859-7be9-42a7-b216-34d5bb0f2c89.mp3

Timestamps: [00:00] Introduction [06:18] Early passion for Fashion and Entrepreneurship [12:46] Meeting Co-founders and Starting Arête [15:39] Pivoting to Personalized Discovery for Emerging Designers [17:15] The Power of AI and Machine Learning in Fashion [23:11] Observations on the New York Tech and Fashion Scenes [24:59] Challenges and Triumphs of Fundraising [27:50] Building a Fashion Tech Company [30:30] Challenges and Opportunities in Fashion Tech [33:51] Virtual Try-On Technology [38:41] Responsible Luxury in Fashion Tech [39:32] The Future of Fashion and Tech * Guest Speaker: Kotryna Jukneviciute Website: https://areteforyou.com Instagram: @arete_ai Tik Tok: @arete_ai LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kotryna-jukneviciute-09a56ba5/ * For comments, questions, or speaker ideas: Email: lauren@laurentinewyork.com, concierge@laurentinewyork.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-petrovic/ Instagram, X: @laurendpetrovic, @responsibleluxurypod

## Angelo Palmieri - AI Disrupting the Diamond Industry, Innovation in Diamond Grading, Enhancing Consumer Experiences, Partnership Between GCAL and Sarine Technology and More

URL: https://responsibleluxurypod.com/episode/angelo-palmieri-ai-disrupting-the-diamond-industry-innovation-in-diamond-grading-enhancing-consumer-experiences-partnership-between-gcal-and-sarine-technology-and-more
Published: 2024-08-06
Audio: https://content.rss.com/episodes/247478/1599739/responsible-luxury-with-laurenti-new-york/2024_08_05_22_51_02_b4ab95c6-6713-4553-b2df-ec072ddae042.mp3

On this episode, we explore the latest diamond grading innovations, including GCAL's introduction of the 8X standard in 2021, surpassing traditional triple excellent grading. GCAL, a major competitor to GIA, is revolutionizing the industry with advanced technology and transparency. Their partnership with Sarine Technology in 2023 aims to reshape the industry with cutting-edge traceability technology and AI-based grading systems. Timestamps: [05:00] Introduction to Angelo Palmieri [07:21] Building Trust and Relationships in the Jewelry Industry [15:15] The Value of Accurate Diamond Grading [17:30] The Partnership Between GCAL and Sarine Technology [20:44] Combining AI and Human Expertise in Diamond Grading [32:55] Challenges and Opportunities in Increasing Sustainability and Transparency [33:13] The Trading Nature of the Diamond Business and Traceability Challenges [40:52] The Importance of Trust and Transparency in the Diamond Industry [41:01] Enhancing the Consumer Experience with Technology [45:12] Differentiating Diamonds with the 8X Certification Process [50:45] The Future of the Diamond Industry: Innovation and Transparency * Guest Speaker: Angelo Palmieri Website: https://www.gcalusa.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelo-palmieri-3428b07/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gcalbysarine/ * For comments, questions, or speaker ideas: Email: lauren@laurentinewyork.com , concierge@laurentinewyork.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-petrovic/ Instagram, X: @laurendpetrovic, @responsibleluxurypod

## Kunal Mehta - Evolution of the Diamond Industry, Luxury Market Cycles, Power of Trust and Transparency, Thriving Amid Market Turbulence and More

URL: https://responsibleluxurypod.com/episode/kunal-mehta-evolution-of-the-diamond-industry-luxury-market-cycles-power-of-trust-and-transparency-thriving-amid-market-turbulence-and-more
Published: 2024-06-25
Audio: https://content.rss.com/episodes/247478/1538013/responsible-luxury-with-laurenti-new-york/2024_06_25_01_08_07_b698633e-b0c0-4f10-9b6f-a3c3006258cd.mp3

Timestamps: [00:00] Introduction [01:16] Discussion on Early Years in the Industry and Transition to the Diamond Industry [05:18] Comparison between Dealing with Physical Assets in Real Estate and Diamonds [08:05] Explanation of the Complex Diamond Supply Chain [10:16] Impact of Russian Sanctions on Diamond Distribution [12:39] Advice for Consumers Seeking High-Quality Diamonds [14:08] Discussion on Natural Diamonds vs. Lab-Grown Diamonds and Differentiating Between Them [24:38] JCK Conference Overview and Market Sentiment [36:00] Future Predictions for the Diamond Industry and Strategic Focus [43:46] Imagining the Future of the Industry in a Creative Manner [49:38] Final Thoughts and Closing Remarks * Guest Speaker: Kunal Mehta For diamond and gemstone needs, visit stardiamondsandgems.com. Instagram: @kunal826 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kunalmehta3/ * For comments, questions, or speaker ideas: Email: concierge@laurentinewyork.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-petrovic/ Instagram: @laurendpetrovic, @responsibleluxurypod Stay tuned for future insights and discussions on responsible luxury.

## Ask Lauren Petrovic, Highlights of Season 1, What's to Come in Season 2, and More

URL: https://responsibleluxurypod.com/episode/ask-lauren-petrovic-highlights-of-season-1-whats-to-come-in-season-2-and-more
Published: 2024-06-11
Audio: https://content.rss.com/episodes/247478/1521547/responsible-luxury-with-laurenti-new-york/2024_06_11_21_12_56_4f5c2e44-8d9b-4aa5-a7da-47fef35d82fe.mp3

This week, Lauren Petrovic shares her idea of responsible luxury, highlights from season 1, her start to the industry, and what's to come for future seasons. For comments, questions, or speaker ideas: Email: concierge@laurentinewyork.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-petrovic/ Instagram, X: @responsibleluxurypod, @laurendpetrovic

## Monica Stephenson - Artisanal Mining in East Africa, Tracing the Mine-to-Market Journey of Gemstones, Radical Changes in Mining Communities, and More

URL: https://responsibleluxurypod.com/episode/monica-stephenson-artisanal-mining-in-east-africa-tracing-the-mine-to-market-journey-of-gemstones-radical-changes-in-mining-communities-and-more
Published: 2024-06-04
Audio: https://content.rss.com/episodes/247478/1507687/responsible-luxury-with-laurenti-new-york/2024_06_03_00_13_40_1cd37523-3ec7-4aa1-9b82-a6f1136a9169.mp3

Timestamps: [00:00] Introduction and Background [06:00] Discovering Artisanal Mining in Eastern Africa [12:13] The Journey of a Gemstone from Mine to Market [21:46] Sustainability and Responsible Luxury in the Jewelry Industry [26:16] Challenges and Opportunities of Blockchain in the Gemstone Industry [30:12] Challenges of Implementing Blockchain [35:17] Bringing Transparency and Traceability [39:09] Honesty and Transparency in the Industry [44:02] Consumer Awareness and Demand [45:14] Progress and Future Plans * Guest Speaker: Monica Stephenson Website: https://www.anzagems.com, https://moyogems.com/ Instagram: @idazzle, @anzagems @moyogems LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/monicastephenson/ Link to Monica’s documentary ‘Sharing the Rough’ * For comments, questions, or speaker ideas: Email: concierge@laurentinewyork.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-petrovic/ Instagram: @laurendpetrovic, @responsibleluxurypod

## Tiffany Stevens - The Evolving US Legal System, Best Practices in High-Stakes Environments, the Powerful Narrative of the Jewelry Industry, and More

URL: https://responsibleluxurypod.com/episode/tiffany-stevens-the-evolving-us-legal-system-best-practices-in-high-stakes-environments-the-powerful-narrative-of-the-jewelry-industry-and-more
Published: 2024-05-21
Audio: https://content.rss.com/episodes/247478/1487186/responsible-luxury-with-laurenti-new-york/2024_05_21_02_21_59_e6afcc8b-5aa5-4e67-a468-cbe4d09b0a0c.mp3

Timestamps: [00:00] Introduction and Background [06:46] About JVC's Ethics in Action [11:53] G7 Sanctions [20:17] Jewelry is Slow Fashion [26:00] The Liability of Greenwashing and the Importance of Clear Claims [32:22] The Role of Technology in Ensuring Traceability [42:56] The Power and Magic of Jewelry * Guest Speaker: Tiffany Stevens Website: https://jvclegal.org/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiffstevens/ Instagram: @tiffanycstevens, @jvclegal * For comments, questions, or speaker ideas: Email: concierge@laurentinewyork.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-petrovic/ Instagram, X: @laurendpetrovic

## Rosena Sammi - A Journey from Law to Design, The Power of Jewelry as a Storytelling Tool, Celebrating Diversity, Heritage Brands and More

URL: https://responsibleluxurypod.com/episode/rosena-sammi-a-journey-from-law-to-design-the-power-of-jewelry-as-a-storytelling-tool-celebrating-diversity-heritage-brands-and-more
Published: 2024-05-14
Audio: https://content.rss.com/episodes/247478/1478670/responsible-luxury-with-laurenti-new-york/2024_05_14_11_34_41_c595cd37-1531-4763-bca8-8dffda19ea12.mp3

Timestamps: [00:00] Entering the Jewelry Industry [07:20] The Power of Jewelry as a Storytelling Tool [12:32] The Mission of The Jewelry Edit [15:38] Measuring Sustainability in Jewelry [21:02] Connecting Customers to the Story of Jewelry [24:04] Engaging Customers Through In-person Events [26:03] Challenges in Promoting Sustainability in Jewelry [27:03] The Evolving Consciousness of Younger Generations [29:37] Understanding Fair-Mined Gold and Recycled Gold [32:03] The Challenges of Fair-Mined Gold and Recycled Gold [33:03] The Higher Cost of Sustainable Products [35:34] Challenges for Downstream Businesses in the Jewelry Industry [38:37] The Future Plans of The Jewelry Edit [42:44] Educating Customers on What to Ask in Jewelry Stores [46:07] Integrating Blockchain Technology in Jewelry Sales [48:53] The Importance of Authenticity in Jewelry [52:10] Jewelry as a Medium for Storytelling [53:41] Connecting with The Jewelry Edit * Guest Speaker: Rosena Sammi Website: https://thejewelryedit.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rosenasammi/?hl=en, https://www.instagram.com/jewelryedit/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rosena-sammi-9305b831/ * For comments, questions, or speaker ideas: Email: concierge@laurentinewyork.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-petrovic/ Instagram, X: @laurendpetrovic

## Tian Ong - Renewable Long-Term Energy Storage, Combating Climate Change with Emerging Tech, Making a Difference and More

URL: https://responsibleluxurypod.com/episode/tian-ong-renewable-long-term-energy-storage-combating-climate-change-with-emerging-tech-making-a-difference-and-more
Published: 2024-05-07
Audio: https://content.rss.com/episodes/247478/1464791/responsible-luxury-with-laurenti-new-york/2024_05_04_02_20_56_f1c5f694-1763-48e2-8bac-b418937cd39d.mp3

Timestamps: [00:00] Introduction and Path Into Renewable Energy Space [09:28] Overview of Energy Storage Technologies and Benefits for Sustainable Development [15:02] Challenges and Opportunities in Implementing Renewable Energy Solutions [24:31]The Future of Energy: Advancements in Technologies and Impact on the Global Community [31:26] The Ideal State of the Energy Industry: Collaboration and Puzzle Pieces [33:01] Individual Actions: Making a Difference in Sustainability * Guest Speaker: Tian Ong LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tianong/ Website: https://www.maltainc.com * For comments, questions, or speaker ideas: Email: concierge@laurentinewyork.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-petrovic/ Instagram, X: @laurendpetrovic

## Melanie Grant - Breaking Barriers in Jewelry, Uniting Through Responsible Business and Shared Beliefs, Importance of Mentors and More

URL: https://responsibleluxurypod.com/episode/melanie-grant-breaking-barriers-in-jewelry-uniting-through-responsible-business-and-shared-beliefs-importance-of-mentors-and-more
Published: 2024-04-30
Audio: https://content.rss.com/episodes/247478/1445210/responsible-luxury-with-laurenti-new-york/2024_04_20_15_36_49_314e0d8c-12a1-4f76-b2fd-381f94d4468d.mp3

Timestamps: [00:00] Introduction [03:26] Melanie’s Journey Into the Jewelry Industry [09:18] Inspiration, Motivation, and Challenges in the Industry [11:55]The Responsible Jewelry Council (RJC) and its Mission [14:15] Addressing Russian Sanctions, and Promoting Ethical Practices [15:26] Defining Sustainability and the Journey of Continuous Improvement [20:17] Effective Communication of Sustainability Commitment [21:24] The Significance of Emotion Expression in the Diamond Business [29:08] Opportunities and Challenges for Women in Leadership Roles [30:23] The Importance of Mentors [34:32] Collaborations Across Sectors [39:48] Traceability Initiatives and Sustainability [46:48] Addressing Future Challenges [49:58] Starting the Sustainability Journey [51:57] Balancing Practicality and Creativity [53:41] The Ideal State for the Industry [55:11] Final Thoughts and Insights * Guest Speaker: Melanie C. Grant Website: https://melaniegrant.co LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melanie-c-grant-635344124/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melaniecgrant/?hl=en Link to Melanie’s book ‘Coveted’ * For comments, questions, or speaker ideas: Email: concierge@laurentinewyork.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-petrovic/ Instagram, X: @laurendpetrovic

## Shreyans Dholakia - Taking on a Global Family Business, SRK's Timeless Principles, Social Good, Future Innovations in the Diamond Industry and More

URL: https://responsibleluxurypod.com/episode/shreyans-dholakia-taking-on-a-global-family-business-srks-timeless-principles-social-good-future-innovations-in-the-diamond-industry-and-more
Published: 2024-04-23
Audio: https://content.rss.com/episodes/247478/1449047/responsible-luxury-with-laurenti-new-york/2024_04_23_12_32_27_58d82d61-5978-4949-ac28-755a1e5d4842.mp3

Timestamps: [00:00] Introduction and early years of SRK [10:21] Involvement in the Family Business [11:28] Shaping the Brand Identity and Vision for SRK [16:52] Community Engagement and Philanthropy [19:36] Building Temples and Removing Ego [40:48] The Power of Being Egoless [46:42] Traceability and Responsible Sourcing in the Diamond Industry [56:14] Towards Net Carbon Zero: SRK’s Sustainability Journey [1:07:39] Balancing Economic Incentives with Social Responsibility [1:13:53] Ensuring Traceability Downstream in the Diamond Industry [1:16:52] The Future of the Diamond Industry and SRK’s Role * Guest Speaker: Shreyans Dholakia LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shreyansdholakia/ Website: SRK.one * For comments, questions, or speaker ideas: Email: concierge@laurentinewyork.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-petrovic/ Instagram, X: @laurendpetrovic

## Parag Shah - Career as a Diamantiare, Evolution of Mid-Stream Markets, Remembering Quality, Lab Grown vs Natural Diamonds, Sustainability, Traceability and More

URL: https://responsibleluxurypod.com/episode/parag-shah-career-as-a-diamantiare-evolution-of-mid-stream-markets-remembering-quality-lab-grown-vs-natural-diamonds-sustainability-traceability-and-more
Published: 2024-04-16
Audio: https://content.rss.com/episodes/247478/1438688/responsible-luxury-with-laurenti-new-york/2024_04_16_02_21_06_eb53417e-70b5-47ea-9c82-ee3b8544ba42.mp3

Timestamps: [00:00] Introduction and Background [05:13] Evolution of the Diamond Industry [06:30] Career in the Diamond Industry [11:00] Remembering Quality that Lasts [16:04] Understanding the Jewelry Industry [22:07] Lab-Grown Diamonds vs Natural Diamonds [27:58] Impact of Russian Sanctions [34:54] Value of Diamond Origin [39:42] Sourcing Protocol and Transparency [43:51] Sustainability in Small and Medium-Sized Businesses [50:45] Sustainability in the Broader Luxury Market [52:30] The Future of Traceability [01:00:15] Challenges in Achieving a Better Future [01:04:57] Ideal State for the Industry * Guest Speaker: Parag Shah LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/parag-shah-54012b21/ * For comments, questions, or speaker ideas: Email: concierge@laurentinewyork.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-petrovic/ Instagram, X: @laurendpetrovic

## Avi Kravitz - Unlocking the Diamond Journey, A Deep Dive Into People and Stories Behind the Industry, Ethical Considerations, Sanctions, Consumer Narratives, and More

URL: https://responsibleluxurypod.com/episode/avi-kravitz-unlocking-the-diamond-journey-a-deep-dive-into-people-and-stories-behind-the-industry-ethical-considerations-sanctions-consumer-narratives-and-more
Published: 2024-04-09
Audio: https://content.rss.com/episodes/247478/1414975/responsible-luxury-with-laurenti-new-york/2024_04_06_20_26_51_5b190b71-2837-4f06-abac-20419f614be6.mp3

[00:00] Introduction and personal journey into the industry [06:05] Transition to Independent work [08:27] Insights for non-industry listeners [13:12] Changing public sentiment and ethical considerations [22:26] Russian Sanctions and Supply Chain Impact [29:49] Expansion of Sanctions [30:04] Challenges of Implementing Traceability [31:05] Opportunities for data-rich storytelling [33:48] Role of Midstream Market and Small Businesses [35:36] Traceability as a Selling Tool [34:40] Traceability and Digital Product Passports [37:28] Telling an interesting narrative for consumers [39:11] Lab-Grown Diamonds vs Natural Diamonds [42:03] Ideal State for the Industry * Guest Speaker: Avi Krawitz Website: https://www.avikrawitz.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/avikrawitz/ Instagram: @avi_krawitz * For comments, questions, or speaker ideas: Email: concierge@laurentinewyork.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-petrovic/ @laurendpetrovic

## Edahn Golan - Navigating Data in the Diamond Industry, G7 Sanctions, New Traceability Protocol, Building Trust, Opportunities for Sustainable Developement and More

URL: https://responsibleluxurypod.com/episode/edahn-golan-navigating-data-in-the-diamond-industry-g7-sanctions-new-traceability-protocol-building-trust-opportunities-for-sustainable-developement-and-more
Published: 2024-04-09
Audio: https://content.rss.com/episodes/247478/1415544/responsible-luxury-with-laurenti-new-york/2024_04_06_20_28_02_6e90fbb5-dfe0-466f-a366-9e2eda2b0ac8.mp3

[00:00] Introduction and Edahn’s Journey into the Diamond Industry [03:29] Data Research and Analysis in the Diamond Industry [03:29] Edahn starts his company [07:18] Current state of the Global Diamond Industry [13:15] Impact of US Presidential Elections on the Diamond Industry [17:34] Industry Practice and Ethics [32:53] G7 Sanctions on Russian Diamonds and Kimberley Process. [40:32] Chain of Custody and Traceability Protocol [42:07] Consumer Perspective and Retailer Opportunity [43:07] Proving Ethical Activity and Addressing Criticism [46:23] Opportunities for Brands and Retailers [47:36] Preparing for Upcoming Regulations [48:09] Building Trust and Liability [48:51] Digital Tracking and Storytelling [52:04] Future Opportunities and Aligning with Russian Sanctions [01:01:09] Consumer Demand for Sustainability [01:03:22] Future of Sustainability in the Diamond and Jewelry Industry [01:03:48] Key Factors for Long-term Sustainable Development [01:11:50] Transparency and Communication * Guest Speaker: Edahn Golan Website: Edahngolan.com Website: Tenoris.bi X: @edahn * For comments, questions, or speaker ideas: Email: concierge@laurentinewyork.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-petrovic/ @laurendpetrovic

## Vivien Zhang - Retail Revolution with Solaire, Web3 Adoption, NFT Paris, Secondary Markets and More

URL: https://responsibleluxurypod.com/episode/vivien-zhang-retail-revolution-with-solaire-web3-adoption-nft-paris-secondary-markets-and-more
Published: 2024-04-09
Audio: https://content.rss.com/episodes/247478/1415410/responsible-luxury-with-laurenti-new-york/2024_04_06_20_41_36_d0a2f461-b75a-4d2c-8e31-fc732c70fa1d.mp3

[00:00] Introduction and Personal Journey [04:40] Inspiration for Solaire [06:55] Mission and Vision for Solaire [09:45] NFT Paris and Web3 Adoption [12:00] Digital Product Passport (DPP) [13:58] Future Impact of DPP [16:40] Role of DPPs in Responsible Consumption and Production [17:48] Challenges in Retail [26:40] Secondary Market as an Extension of Business [27:32] Different Resale Solutions [28:33] Solair Solution for Authenticated P2P Resell [29:04] Meeting Consumers Where They Are [30:20] Influencing Resell Behaviors [31:34] The Future of Markets and Social Commerce [32:00] Rise of Social Commerce in the Secondary Market [32:50] Embedding Resell Listings in Social Content [33:10] Expanding Auction Networks [34:02] Challenges in Technology Adoption [35:10] Understanding NFTs [44:42] Sustainability in the Fashion Industry [46:16] Embracing Change in the Tech Industry * Guest Speaker: Vivien Zhang Website: https://www.mysolaire.xyz LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vivien-j-zhang/ X: @Solaire_web3 Instagram: @solaire_official * For questions, comments, or speaker ideas: Email: concierge@laurentinewyork.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-petrovic/ X: @laurendpetrovic Instagram: @laurendpetrovic

## Welcome to Responsible Luxury

URL: https://responsibleluxurypod.com/episode/welcome-to-responsible-luxury
Published: 2024-01-21
Audio: https://content.rss.com/episodes/247478/1310043/responsible-luxury-with-laurenti-new-york/2024_01_21_16_03_33_0b175949-77b5-4962-8d78-911b1d100d7b.mp3

Responsible Luxury with Laurenti New York is a transformative series focused on the diamond and jewelry industry. Each week, Lauren Petrovic, will unite with leaders navigating a rapidly changing landscape, while fostering collaboration and driving innovative strategies for enhanced transparency and sustainability. Each week, we'll bring you in-depth conversations and unique insights from stakeholders across the supply chain, giving you a comprehensive overview of the industry from mine to market. The series explores jewelry-related activities such as mining, ethical sourcing, production, emerging technology, traceability, gender equality, and jewelry consumption. Join us as we unite to transform the future of responsible luxury. The Responsible Luxury Podcast launches in April. Subscribe now to never miss an episode. For comments, questions, or speaker ideas, please email: concierge@laurentinewyork.com.