Episode 213: How Two Best Friends Built a Jewelry Brand With a Cult Following | Carolina Cordon-Bouzan & Gayle Yelon | Montserrat New York
What happens when two stylish best friends join forces to build a jewelry and fashion brand that’s equally bold, beautiful, and sustainable? Carolina Cordon-Bouzan and Gayle Yelon, co-founders of Montserrat New York, are proving that self-made women can do it all, with lab-grown diamonds, jetset-inspired fashion, and a whole lot of entrepreneurial grit. In this episode, we talk about building a business from scratch, redefining success as a creative entrepreneur, and why community, mindset, and personal growth are essential parts of the journey. Whether you’re a fashion lover, business coach for women, or someone exploring lifestyle and culture through a personal development lens, you’ll walk away inspired by their clarity, style, and action.
“What’s really fun is creating our own trends influenced by the runway and in collaboration with our customers.”
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CHAPTERS
00:00 Meet Carolina and Gayle, co-founders of Montserrat New York
01:45 From friendship to co-founders: how it all started
03:30 Designing for the woman on the go: from gym to cocktails
05:10 The fashion philosophy behind Montserrat NY
07:15 Creating their own trends by listening to their customers
10:00 Entrepreneurship and mindset coaching for women
12:45 Family legacy and becoming self-made women
15:00 The power of network and asking for support
18:20 What makes a powerful woman in business today
22:00 Busting myths about entrepreneurship and fashion
25:15 Redefining success through purpose and sustainability
27:30 What they’re manifesting next and how you can help
We have a lot of moments where we're like, can we do it? And I think a lot of the times it toggles between the two of us saying we can do anything. Whether it's me saying it to Carolina or Carolina saying it's me.
That's Carolina Cordon-Bouzan and Gayle Yelon. Founders of Montserrat New York. I'm Kara Duffy and this is The Powerful Ladies podcast.
Welcome to The Powerful Ladies Podcast. Thanks for having us. Let's begin by telling everyone who you are, where you are in the world, and what you're up to.
Sure. So I am Carolina. I'm founder, creative director designer here at Montserrat New York.
And I'm Gayle Yelon. I am co-founder and chief marketing officer of Montserrat New York.
And. We're here in New York, in Midtown,
in our office, and it's where we're every day of the week.
Yeah. For people who don't know, what is Montserrat New York? It
is a lifestyle brand of ready-to-wear and jewelry. Where we're focusing on lab grown diamond jewelry, freshwater pearls, and also our ready to wear sets, which are called the jet sets.
And we design everything really for those on the go. It's really, we like to say from the plane to the party, from the boardroom to the happy hour. So really something that transitions you throughout the day that you can dress up or dress down.
I love that. Who doesn't need that for their life. Exactly.
Where did this idea come from?
It really evolved quite like organically. Yeah. Between the two of us, I was designing more streetwear under a different brand name and I was in a showroom, and the showroom really wanted the brand to be something else, so I pulled out of the showroom that was in.
2018 and started rebranding to Montserrat New York and putting like more myself into the brand. Montserrat is really like my two worlds. It was my grandmother's name and then in Barcelona, and it's also a mountain in Barcelona, and then combining it with New York. Really putting my two worlds together since my family.
From Spain, but I was born and raised in New York and around that time is when Gayle and I were becoming friends through our mutual friend Emily. Shout out to Emily. She was my really good friend from college and Gayle's friend from life and. We just started like chatting about it one weekend, one girls' weekend in the Hamptons, and she came over to my apartment that following week and we just started working together and clicked so easily that
yeah, it's been like ever since then.
We just like. Our minds work really well together, and we both really love to work and we love to create and we're really passionate about it. And it was exciting. And then it turned into a real job and it's now our real jobs. And we always have these pinch us moments where we're like, we cannot believe, like from a conversation in your apartment like however many years ago to now.
We have employees. It's it's crazy. Yeah,
And so many people get nervous going into business with a friend. I often coach people, if that's the person, do it regardless of who it is. Of course you're gonna need different levels of communication when it's work and friendships mixed and combined.
Were you guys nervous about that? And what have you done to make sure that you can honor both of your spaces that together?
I don't think we were nervous about it 'cause we didn't know what we were getting into. Can you, if you. We always say that's if you told us this five years ago, we'd be like, what do you mean?
Like, how did that happen? So I think we weren't nervous 'cause we had no idea. And I think to your point of, like balancing it, we have definitely learned on how to communicate to each other on like serious topics and touchy subjects and things like that. But at the end of the day, we're really able to like.
Have a martini and figure it all out. We really, I think communication in any real relationship business, life, relationships, communication is really key. And just making sure you're open with everything.
Yeah. The, what you guys are making is so beautiful.
The photography the branding you see online and all those social places, like it's so on point. How do you, are you guys staying current to what's needed by also honoring the vision that you have?
That's a great question. I think that, honestly, it's just, we say it often where we say okay, put your blinders up.
Like don't look anywhere else. Like just focus on what we're doing. Like to not get. Caught up. Caught up. Yeah. Like it is such a competitive
World. Any business industry can be competitive and then you can get in your own head or be like, oh, they're doing this. Should we do that?
But we've really been so good at staying true to ourselves and we're big believers and like you are unique. That's what makes you shine and stand for what you believe in. 'Cause nobody else is gonna be that way. So I think, and keeping our blinders up and staying on path and just focusing on what we're doing, we've been able to achieve that.
And then keeping in mind that. We do wanna make fashion forward pieces that are also still going to be classic and timeless and those heritage pieces that you are beginning for yourself and then your lineage, that then you are, it is going to last over time and generations and you'll be able to pass that down.
I dunno that question.
And I, oh, go ahead. Oh no, I was gonna say, I think Carolina's in all of that. And also what's really fun is creating our own trends. And talking to our customers in what we hear them and see them really gravitating towards. So if we see our customers leaning towards bigger, chunkier pieces and oh, that happens to fall in line with the runway shows we saw, in, in September. We're able to talk to the customer that way and to, to those trends and into that which is really fun. For us, that means our marketing calendar in March and April really looked like talking to, big is back eighties, are back, those statement pieces are back and that's really exciting to see and fall in line with.
And accessories are really prominent right now on the runway, which is so fun for us. Which is, it's just exciting.
I'm just excited to see runways being fun again in general because I feel like we go through phases where I, like all things do right? It becomes extravagant and ex extreme, and then it becomes so simple and monochromatic and back to essentials again.
But I like that there's play in it. Like when there's room to have things be ridiculous yes, I want an entire sequin pants suit. Yes, I do. Thank you.
Yeah, and we're seeing, I think like in general, like branding is evolving and I just read an article about how this kind of s. Stoic, very plain. That branded, we saw it in like the 2015 to now, those brands that evolved we're seeing excess come back and, loud branding and not afraid to not be so simple and clean and everything's getting a little bit busier, which is really great as a jewelry brand because we can accessorize more and we can have a lot more fun with that.
And I think we'll see more of that just in the next few years.
And I know for me personally as a shopper I worked in footwear apparel for a long time, so I'm a big sneaker person. And I like shoes being a statement piece in general. And like with it, shoes, jackets, and accessories, like they can always be ridiculous and work.
Yeah. Always. Yeah. Like when, when you're like, do you want gold hoops or that crazy one? I'm like the crazy one, please. Oh my God, I have 800 black T-shirts.
Yeah, shoes and accessories. I learned from an old boss of mine. Those really feed off of each other from like a trend perspective. So if you, whatever in an issue trend, you will see next year on the runway in a handbag trend.
So when. Fur is all over his shoe. Fur is all over a handbag the following season, so it's, it is cool to see that. And jewelry definitely, I think is involved in there somehow, but yes.
If we go back to eight, your 8-year-old selves, would they have imagined that this is how you get to spend your time and, have fun all day long?
No. Funny enough, actually, recent, recently I found this little like portfolio I had when I was probably around eight. And it was designs, it was all these like clothing designs and like jewelry designs and like colored pencils. And I couldn't believe it. I guess I like forgot. But being first generation American, my parents were like.
You're either a doctor, a banker, a lawyer, or a judge, and there was no wiggle room in there. And funny enough, my grandfather, my mom's father was a jeweler and his atelier was on 48th and Madison just blocks away from our current office. And Montserrat, my grandmother in Barcelona had a. Garment factory.
So design really was in me. And I grew up in those spaces, but I, my, I always interned like in medical labs or at a law office, like anything but jewelry design. So I don't know if my 8-year-old self would've believed it, but I think that's also part of the process. If I hadn't had those experiences.
I don't think I would've gotten to the point where I did, where one day all of a sudden I said to my doctor, dad, I was like, I need to be in fashion. I think that's really where I belong. But I really think it took having all those experiences to really realize that's truly what I wanted, even though I didn't think it was even possible.
I love that. I think for me I think my 8-year-old self would. Be like, okay, good. You did it. Good job. Because I really knew from a young age, I was so obsessed with like culture and New York and fashion and knowing who the coolest people were and knowing what they were wearing and knowing where they were going out for dinners, like I was obsessed with the lifestyle.
And I knew I wanted to be in it, and I didn't know what avenue. I would go down, I love to shop. I love to wear beautiful things, and I love just the whole culture and world of it. So yes, I think my 8-year-old self would be like, damn, you did it. So
yeah, it was in me. It was definitely in me.
What has surprised you guys the most about this business and your journey in the business so far?
Surprised the most. The whole process, I
guess The fact that it exists. The end, yeah. I don't
know. I think for us it's and I'll speak for me, and I also think you would agree, is really how much access we have just by reaching out to the right people and knowing the right people.
I think for us, we say we wanna do something and we really do it, and it's using our network and using our friends and people we know and really leaning on. Just our experiences. Like nothing, I think nothing is too big or too far of a reach for us, and I think that's what really keeps us going.
So it's a surprise, but it's also a constant reminder that we can really do anything we set our minds to.
Yeah. We're lucky to have such a great system of support when it comes to business mentors or advisors or friends or other. Women in business in our industry or others to lean on and gain support or advice or just help in really any area.
Yeah, so we are lucky in that sense,
and I love that you brought that up. I am constantly telling clients that the most powerful resource you have after yourself and believing in yourself is the network and community that you have. And so many people are nervous to. To ask for the help. Like I have every client always do a like business birth announcement, email.
'cause I think parents are genius marketers. I'm like, everyone you've ever met needs to know that you just had a business. Everyone. Yeah. And people get so nervous to do that exercise. They're like, no. Like that random guy I haven't talked to in a hundred years. Or they were just a consultant I met somewhere.
Or why would my ex-colleague care? I'm like. Every person you've ever met needs to know immediately. And it changes things like it's so great to see people get surprised by who supports them and who cheers you on or recommends somebody else. Because often, like who we think is gonna help isn't, it's like the people who change your life and your business are people you would've never imagined.
But they need to know that you exist first. So where did the confidence come from to. Use your network and rely on it? Was that just how you guys operate or did you really have to say we have to do this to take it to the next level? Was there a hurdle for you from a mindset perspective, or that's just how you guys operated already?
I think like for us, like really, we have a lot of moments where we're like. Can we do it? And I think a lot of the times it toggles between the two of us saying we can do anything. Whether it's me saying it to Carolina or Carolina saying it to me, like in, in times of doubt or questioning ourselves, we really lean on each other for the courage to be like, oh no, we could do this.
Let us remember who we are. And really we're lucky to have each other to say no. Snap out of it. We can do it because we've gotten this far. Yeah,
but I will say I totally agree with you that you will most likely be surprised in who comes out of the woodwork to help you or is willing to help you.
And it's such a fun and nice surprise, and then that creates a whole new relationship that never existed before with someone that you already knew. And we've seen that happen with like multiple people. People have known. I knew in high school that then Gayle knew through work that then helped us with advice.
Yeah.
It becomes very interconnected, which is very cool and amazing. And at least like for me it did take a little while for me to like actually be confident enough to seek out advice and help from older people especially. But it is so important to put it out there that you do have a business or what you are doing, and then really surrounding yourself.
I'm a big believer in surrounding yourself with people who have skills and knowledge that you don't.
So
that you learn from them and you can lean on them and vice versa. They will lean on you for things that they don't know or advice they need. I do think that opening yourself up and becoming comfortable with your network and seeking advice and flexing your network is so bene beneficial to yourself and your business.
You mentioned the impact of your grandmother, and obviously you guys are two powerful ladies working together. How have other women shaped and influenced your personal journeys and the journey of Montserrat New York?
I would say a lot that there are countless women who are coming to mind, who all I can think of is that they are powerful and they are confident, and I think that, at least for me personally, they have taught me and supported me to become more confident and go for what I want and speak up for myself.
Know my own worth and then the worth that I bring into, not just the world, but the company as well.
Yeah. Yeah. There's so many women. It's, it almost comes in like snippets. For it could come from like a Peloton instructor that I take a classwork with and they'll say one really powerful, like one of the things that they.
One of the instructors says is turned out into determination and it stuck with me and she's a powerful woman. And I don't even know her other people that I don't have connections to. Just reading about women in history in fashion. We both recently read the Anna Wintour biography and Anna didn't even get her foot in the door at Vogue until she was 30.
And we both turned 30 this year. And there are things in that book of her drive and determination in her entire career and her. Failures and her successes that really inspired me, both of us, and really it. It, they led the path there. There are women that in fashion that led the path that we read their stories and it's really inspiring and encouraging.
In the fashion world and in the entrepreneurial world, there's so many myths and legends, and there's also a lot of just complete bs. So what are some stories people think are true about being an entrepreneur or in fashion? That are accurate. And what are some that are just complete falsehoods that you're like, that is so not what it's like on a regular basis?
I think
starting with falsehoods because I feel like that a brand like makes it overnight that's not true. There is like a moment, but like it's years and it's blood, sweat, and tears and it is. An emotional rollercoaster. Yeah. Yeah. So that's I think one really big one where it's no, it doesn't just happen overnight, it's
years.
Yeah. I would agree. Definitely. And I think for the things that are true, it's like. It rocks. Yeah, it absolutely rocks. We love our work. We love our jobs, we love our company. We adore our employees. And we'll do anything it takes to be successful.
Yeah. Like it's, it is as glamorous as it can be, and often that's not a hundred percent of the time.
Because you're also like on the floor unpacking things, boxing things like I don't think people realize how dusty and filthy you get in the fashion world sometimes, because you never know when you're gonna have to like climb into a closet or. You're like, oh, we're doing a photo shoot outside, so guess we're kneeling on the ground to figure this out right now.
And but then at the same time you get rewarded with oh yeah, I was at that party. Yep. It was fun. Yeah.
Like the
perfect
like ju juxtaposition of it all where Yeah, it has its glamorous moments and then you're so right. Like we always joke that we're doing, like we're working out in heels when we have to carry, oh my God.
Like big boxes or shipments that come in or, yeah.
So it really is like the two, but even extreme. And
even those parts are great though, Yeah. Like we love, like the other day we were doing a sendout and we were tying bakery string around these PR send outs and I was like. I'm sitting on the floor tying bakery string for three hours.
No it all looks really great and it is, but you look back and you're like, I love it. And it's like a tough moment. '
cause you're tying bakery string, but like you're, it's like also team building, but you're like, God,
how lucky am I to tie bakery string? This is mine. It's my bakery spring.
Yeah, definitely.
And hence the emotional rollercoaster. Yes. Yes.
Yeah. Yeah. What was there ever a moment in this journey where you guys thought I don't know if we're gonna make it like cashflow inventory your sanity? Like where was that moment when you had to like really lean on each other to.
Stay on the course.
I think there are a lot of moments. Yeah.
And like it wouldn't be normal if not, I would say. But we're very good about like leaning on each other or I don't know what kind of happens so organically. If one of us is having a moment, the other one like really picks it up and balances.
But of course there have been moments of like doubt. And I think if not, then it, like whoever's saying that there isn't is Yeah. Lying to you. Yeah. But just having the support system of each other is so important and has been like, honestly, like the bedrock of it all.
Yeah. Have you had a product or like an event, horror story where like product came back and it was all wrong or.
It was damaged. Like I've had, I've had a shipping container fall into the ocean full of shoes. So yeah, you're like, wait, what? Like the entire quarter worth of shoes is now at the bottom of the ocean. Okay. What do we do now? Yeah.
Thankfully
no,
but like we've had a few like crisis moments, but we're, I think one of our strengths is problem solving.
Staying calm. And there's also, we know. It's not the end of the world. Yeah. And there are a lot of, there are a lot of things happening in the world that we really check ourselves to say, okay, we have our problems, but they're not real problems. Yeah. And just being aligned on that as a team and that we'll figure it out no matter what.
Yeah. Yeah.
What's your favorite, oh, sorry. No. I was just saying we are very good with problem solving and checking ourselves and making sure the team is.
Aligned. Yeah. What's your favorite part in the annual calendar for your business?
Ooh, I, oh, there's like kind of a lot like holidays. Really fun.
Holidays fun.
But then also, I guess for me in terms of 'cause I guess our calendars are like same, but different. 'cause I have the design calendar, so it's the moments when I'm starting a collection and deciding like who the muse is and like what the collection theme is gonna be, and then getting so energized and designing a ton.
So that usually happens like around like now and. It happens two times a year. So like for the fall winter collection and for the spring summer collection, those are my favorites outside of when holiday hits and all that fun stuff.
For me it's, we did an event in Paris last year and planning that was just the highlight and fall in general, I think.
The brand has grown to love Fall. I know. Yeah. Like we were not the brand started out as a very summer forward. Like the pieces were super summery and now we've grown up a bit to really. Have such strong pieces for fall, winter, and that was so evident this year. We threw an event in Paris to launch international shipping.
It was during Paris Fashion Week and I love to plan and I love to come up with crazy ideas and it was just so fun. So anything that's around planning an event or having a kitschy moment, like a Valentine's Day and thinking outside the box and doing things like that for me is really my favorite.
What are you guys excited about for this year? What's coming up next?
Ooh we have a really big launch next week.
Of, I don't know if I can say what it is, but it's, by the time this podcast comes, yeah, it'll probably be out. So we're launching rings on March 1st, and it's our first time launching rings.
Obviously having any kind of rings in the collection, so I'm. Really very excited about that. And the designs are fun and I'm just excited to see which designs our customers really gravitate towards. And then off of those.
Yeah. Yeah, I'm excited about that. I'm excited for. The potential of something in person for us.
So whether that's a popup or a store or starting to chat through that and what that would be and what it would look like and really. Doing it in a Montserrat way and doing it in a way that's not just your average run a show store. So we've got some conversations happening that are really exciting.
Obviously running a business and all the challenges go through the rollercoaster. You talked about you transform so quickly as leaders. How, what are you proud of? About yourselves of like how you evolved and changed when you look back at who you were when you started this business and who you are today.
Oh wow. That is like a loaded question. I think we've done such a great job as evolving into leaders then. You're right, it has to happen like rather quickly.
But at the same time, like we are still learning, at least like I can speak for myself in terms of being a manager and like being in that type of position and taking step backs and trying to look at things holistically and strategize and taking myself like out of the weeds.
Is difficult and something I am like trying to learn how to do every day. But it's a fabulous and really rewarding challenge and I love our team so much and they teach me so much every day. So I'm proud of how far I've come. We've come, the brand has come, but of course like still learning and still growing in that sense.
I think for me as a leader. I love to teach people what I've learned along the ways, and I think one of, I, I think yes, agree with everything Carolina said. We've definitely both grown into the leaders we needed to become quickly and. We also are you're able to see things differently when you're leading someone else and you have to see things differently.
But really for me, re the most rewarding thing is hearing our team learn from us and say things like, Ry one of our, one of the. People on our team wrote me a card or the two of them wrote me a card for my birthday and they wrote thanks for always teaching us. No is not an answer, it's an opportunity.
And that to me was like. That I learned that from someone who managed me and taught me. And to hear them say that I was like, wow, that is very cool. And very rewarding. And just like exciting and
yeah. So that's cool. How amazing. When you think of the words powerful and ladies, do they mean something differently when they're by themselves?
And does the definition change when those words are put next to each other?
Definitions change. I think that like at the root of both of those, what comes to mind to me is passion. And I think that to be a powerful lady to feel like you are a powerful lady, all it. Takes is passion for something. It doesn't matter what it is. If you are passionate about that thing you are doing, whether it is being a stay at home mom, whether it is being a CEO, whether it's driving a race car, like it doesn't matter what you're doing, but if you are passionate about it.
You are a powerful lady. In my book at least.
I love that. I would agree. I would definitely agree. Passion is behind everything and power a powerful lady. A powerful woman, like the definition I also think the way that people think of that has changed so much over the last 20 years, 50 years and a hundred years ago that didn't exist that term.
I think, yeah, just being driven and not being afraid of that power and owning that as a woman is like. Is what's probably changed and has evolved for the better, which
is amazing. And then how would you describe the Montserrat New York customer? Who is your dream target customer?
Carolina and I say that the Montserrat at Babe.
Has evolved just as we have evolved and grown up. And I think it is for the babe on the go, the hustler the person that's at Martinis and then at work the next morning or at the gym and is hustling and is driven and is, hungry for life and hungry to. Be a success in whatever that is in motherhood, which we're seeing now in our years in career, which we're also seeing now. So it's really for the babe on the go from the plane to the party, from corporate to cocktails because we really Carolina really designs for that, all of her pieces. They're great 'cause you can look fabulous in a meeting and look fabulous on a date in two hours.
So it, it is, that's who I would say it's for.
And it's such a relief to have a brand that you can go to, to know that whatever I choose, I'll look fabulous. Like it's so nice to not have to think less. 'cause there's so many choices that powerful humans have to make today that if you have a brand like yours, it's a no-brainer.
Like whatever I choose it is going to make me feel good and look good. Like it's a relief. Like it's such a relief to have those go-to pieces.
Yeah, we wanna make sure that every piece is versatile and that you're going to get so many wares on it and in different ways, like whether it is dressed down or dressed up.
And that, yeah, we make your life as easy as possible while looking as fabulous as. The next, that's the day before. Yeah.
That's what's great about jewelry and same, I feel the same way about shoes. 'cause I'm such a, I'm such, we're both such people. It's you. It doesn't matter if your feelings a certain way or a shirt feels tight or whatever.
Jewelry. It always fits and it always makes you feel good and it always looks fabulous, seasonless. And it's just. It's just the best. So it is fun to have that for our customers.
So you guys are, powerful ladies running business by day, being glamorous by night. What else are you doing? Are you going to yoga?
Are you meditating? Like, how are you making sure that you have a full and complete life and you are at your best selves to keep charging forward with this business?
I am laughing because we are like polar opposites when it comes to we're not polar doing work. Like I love watching tv, like my.
Self-care is like a Saturday watching Bravo, like just catching up on Bravo or like watching Sex in the city or just watching tv. And if my brain needs to not be on screens, like if it's I had this on Saturday where I was like, I cannot look at TikTok or Instagram or TV again for I need a minute.
So I sat and read a book and I just read an entire book on Saturday. Like I. I am very like homey, couch potato. If we're, if I'm not like out and about. At night or at work?
Yes. And I am the complete opposite. I don't watch any tv. It's so bad. They, everyone in the office talks about tv. I'm like, I have no idea what that show is.
No. I am a big I love to exercise. I grew up. With a parent. My mom exercised every day, so I became obsessed and I love to run. I ran the marathon this past year and the year before the New York Marathon. Congratulations. Thank you. Yes, and I love it. I love exercising so much. It is just the greatest gift.
I think we have for our bodies. I'm trying to convince others always to exercise. I'm like the, I push exercise, which I need to not, but no, that's good though. It's good. Yeah. As well. Health as well. But no, I loved, I love, love, loved exercise and I really, I. Love to be out with friends. I'm a big, I love to go out and just socialize and we
both
do.
I would say.
Yeah. There are so many people who reach out to me on a regular basis and who, especially in the past couple of years, are thinking, now is the time to finally start this business idea that I've had. What is some advice that you would give to people who are currently deciding should they jump into the entrepreneur pool or not?
I say go for it. No one's gonna give you anything. So if you want something, you have to go out there and make it happen. So if it is something you want to do, just start. You can start little by little. We started in my apartment. Yeah. And I was making the jewelry by hand. So like any, anything is possible really.
You just have to start. You just have to have day one, and then it's all. History from there.
Yeah, I would agree. You just have to want it and it's just you have to want it and just do it. Go for it. Exactly what Carolina said.
We ask everybody on the podcast where they put themselves on the powerful 80 scale.
If zero is your average everyday human, and 10 is the most powerful lady you can imagine, where would you put yourself on that scale today and on an average day?
Whoa. Today being on the podcast, I definitely feel higher on the scale. Yes,
that's true.
But I think it would range like on the day to day.
There are days where, I personally feel like a two, and there's days I feel like a 12. Like it's depends on the day. But today's a is a good day, I would say.
Okay. Yeah, I would say we're pretty powerful. If we want something, we get it. I would say I couldn't, get the president on the phone, but I could get you a great dinner reservation.
But yeah, I would say some days I'm a 10, some days I'm a four, but on a. We're on average. I'm a five to a seven, but I'm looking forward to becoming a 10 to a 12. Always. Yeah,
love that. And you just don't have the president's number yet. You know what? I will get it though.
I'm pretty good.
Direct line. Yeah. Patch me in. Patch Me in.
It's one of my favorite games to play and I was, I did a workshop about the power of proximity last fall, and I was, talking about we joke about the six degrees of Kevin Bacon. I'm like, guys, anyone on this call right now is two degrees away because I'm one degree away from Kevin Bacon.
He's my client's client. So like you never know who is right there. Like we're always looking at ways to be more sustainable, more ethical, more all the things in the fashion world. Why lab grown diamonds? I don't think enough people know that's a thing or an option.
Yeah. We were introduced to lab grown diamonds via our strategic investor.
His family was in the diamond industry for 50 plus years. We started to learn about the material and the process, and we were like, why don't more people know about this? Why don't more people buy lab grown? Knowing what we know from pop culture, from reporting on diamond mining, it feels, wrong.
And we really became just enthralled in the process and in the product. Yeah.
And yeah, to Gayle's point, like it's almost crazy to me that people don't know about it. And the fact that. Later grown diamonds are a hundred percent scientifically, chemically, physically the same as a mine diamond.
They're just grafted and grown as opposed to being excavated from our Earth. And it, we really very much believe in lab grown diamonds as being the future in jewelry. And the jewelry industry really is so ripe for change and we're really excited to be involved in that change by bringing fashion forward.
Diamond pieces in this alternative state that is lab, no diamonds, that. Yes, they are an alternative to mine diamonds, but really more than being an alternative. They are the future of diamonds and jewelry and this industry in general. And we are really big believers in that. And we're, we feel very lucky and we're really excited to be at the forefront of this, what we believe to be a new movement in the fashion.
Jewelry industry and space.
And I think it also speaks to what you said earlier of you're not creating fast fashion, you're creating family legacy pieces. Yeah. And it's a whole different level of the cycle of use and wear and all the effort, because of course there's the physical resources that go into all of your products, but there's also all the other resources from your team.
Shipping and time, and there's, it touches so many hands along the way that I'm really amazed when there's brands that today aren't making things that they hope outlive themselves and outlive generations. I really do think it's such a big responsibility that if we're business owners, how can we bring in our values into our brand in such a way where it's just what it is and it's not.
It is not a leading marketing story, right? Like you guys lead with these products are amazing and they're beautiful. You're welcome. Oh, and by the way. Not only have we now made you something that will make you look great and feel great, it's also gonna check up all these other things that you're worried about also.
Exactly. Gayle says it all the time with the comparison of Prius and Tesla.
Yeah. I talk about this a lot when we're talking to, investors of ours or just people wrapping their head around this idea.
It's like looking at the history of electric cars.
You saw Prix come into the picture and people they led with it being this, you. Earth friendly, electric, no emissions vehicle. People didn't really wanna buy into that. They thought it wasn't cool enough. They thought it wasn't sexy enough. And then Tesla comes around and they're like, Hey, we're a really sexy, techy car.
Oh, and by the way, it's electric. And I think understanding the consumer in a new space or in a kind of untapped space is really crucial. And I think what we do well is just, that is leading with style, is leading with the lifestyle of the Montserrat at Babe. They're. Cool.
And they're going to parties and they're doing whatever but also they're sustainable. And that is really exciting. And so that's, that is a comparison I use often. And I think when people hear that, it really clicks. And they get what we're doing
well and study after study shows that when you look at just consumer reports, based on spending patterns, people don't care about sustainability.
Even though when you ask 'em their values, it tends to rate high. And I think that there has been this disconnect for so many brands who have had good intentions up to this point where to. As you said, they haven't led with what the real motivators are, which is this cool? Is this beautiful? Is it sexy?
'cause like you have to have that, like that's doesn't go to like option two. Yeah. And I correlate business and dating so often, like if you if all you saw at a bar were like, I don't know, people's values or their bank accounts, or are they, do they have big families? You'd be like, okay, that's great.
But I wanna see what they look like, because if they're not cute, it doesn't matter.
No, that's a great comparison. Yeah.
But yeah, it is true.
So
yeah, we'll do our best to look cool. To our best to save the world while looking sexy and cool.
Exactly.
Why not have both?
Why not? Why not? And I can see the entire super like making Earth Day a sexy marketing campaign. So I look forward to that. Yeah. I love that you guys just chase after what you want and you're like, just the fact I wish more women and humans in general knew that you can literally have anything you want.
If you're willing to figure out how to make it happen, and totally, I'm just glad that you're there and leading that by example. For everybody who wants to follow you, find you support you, work for you collaborate, buy, where can they do all of those things.
You can shop. Online@montserratnyc.com and you can follow us on Instagram at montserrat ny.
And you can. You can find us
there. Yeah. Amazing. We've also been asking everyone as our final question on the podcast, what do you need? How can we help? As we mentioned before, this community is powerful and you never know who has the next key. So what's on your wishlist, either to manifest or to just make sure happens this year?
Ooh.
I would say
I
just generally support the brand. And we love to hear from people. We're like very accessible through the brand also. But yeah, I think that would be like my one ask is, get to know the brand. Hopefully you like it. Hopefully you shop for yourself or your friends for whoever it may be.
And just help us in that way. Really, that's my ask.
Yes, that's, that is also my ask. My other ask is, if you're looking for a part-time social media job, you can definitely reach out to us to be, completely transparent. Yeah, we do. That's a true, that's a real ask. Yeah, that is a real ask.
So listeners. We are looking
perfect. That's, people have asked for all sorts of things to that question. I need someone to hang out with on Friday. I have an event, or I need a new CEO, or I need it's so broad, right? But there's so much power besides reaching out and finding the people who you need asking for.
What you really want is like the next, I think, secret to people who are truly successful that we forget. We do. We tell people what we're up to or what we need all the time, and you are like, yeah, now you have a whole army helping to make something happen, which is way easier than by ourselves. Yeah. Totally.
Takes a lot of courage to ask for what you want. And I think the more we do it as leaders, the more it will trickle down and younger people will start to do that as well. It's very, that's a very important thing. Yeah.
Thank you guys so much for taking your time today. It's been so nice to meet you.
I'm excited to be able to meet up and I'm next in New York. But yeah, what you are making is amazing and beautiful and I love seeing female entrepreneurs partnering together to make amazing brands and. You guys are just such a great example, so thank you for sharing your story today.
Thank you.
Thank you for having us. It's been very fun. Yeah, really fun. Thank you so much.
All the links to connect with Carolina, Gayle, and Montserrat New York are in our show notes@thepowerfulladies.com. Please subscribe to this podcast wherever you're listening, and leave us a rating and review. Come join us on Instagram at Powerful Ladies, and if you're looking to connect directly with me.
Visit Kara duffy.com or Kara Duffy on Instagram. I'll be back next week with a brand new episode. Until then, I hope you're taking on being powerful in your life. Go be awesome and up to something you love.
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Instagram: @gayle_____ @carolina_cordon_bouzan @montserrat_ny
Website: montserrat-nyc.com
TikTok: @montserrat_ny
Email: operations@montserrat-nyc.com
Created and hosted by Kara Duffy
Audio Engineering & Editing by Jordan Duffy
Production by Amanda Kass
Graphic design by Anna Olinova
Music by Joakim Karud
