We had the good fortune of connecting with Jenifer Thai and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jenifer, can you share a quote or affirmation with us?
I am stronger than my strongest excuse. I actually have quite a few affirmations but this is what I’ve been going by. Sometimes, as an entrepreneur and small business owner, it’s so easy to find excuses to get out of things whether I’m unsure or just am not ready or afraid. So finding an excuse is the perfect solution, especially when I have no accountability for anyone else but myself. So with this quote, it reminds me to just power through all the excuses I have for whatever reasons that may be and continue to pursue and strive for success. I’m my worst critic and my biggest cheerleader all at once.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I started by making all my own pieces and design, from wax carving by hand and casting pieces to polish jewelry and stone setting. That was my absolute favorite part of my job, but as I got busier, the more I had to design, do customer service, and run production became a bigger part of my work. A huge challenge I face is if I still want to sit at the bench to create every piece myself, I’m not able to take up many orders that aren’t sustainable to keep up with demand; I had to outsource and trust other bench jewelers. Every day is still a learning curve as I learned that if I want things done my way and how I designed it, micromanaging is totally necessary. Also, in this line of work, relationship building is so important.

I want the world to know that every piece you purchase is quality controlled by me, even if I couldn’t actually make the piece anymore. I have the highest standard for every piece of jewelry as I believe it’s meant to be passed out generations after generations.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I work in Los Angeles but live in Orange County so I find I have the best of both worlds. I would start the weekend by taking my best friend hiking at Runyon and go to the observatory to see LA. It’s quite a scene there. After, we’ll definitely grab some Korean BBQ at Quarters in K town and end our night at L.P. Rooftop bar.

The next day, we’ll go stroll Treasure Island at the Montage in Laguna beach. It’s my family’s favorite beach and the view is breathtaking. We’ll probably grab some grub at Javier in Newport beach after for some lobster enchiladas then make our way down to Huntington Beach and just walk around at Pacific City and probably grab some coffee. For dinner, we are definitely going to grab Vietnamese food at one of my favorite seafood places, Oc and Lau, and grab boba at 7 leaves. Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to dedicate my shoutout to all my family and friends who have supported my small business all these years. Honestly, without their encouragement, support and referrals – I wouldn’t be where I’m at today.

Website: www.iocollective.co

Instagram: iocollective

Image Credits
Bridal photos: Photography: @tiffanylephotography Bridal gown: @madebride Florist: @thefloraltheory Ribbon: @honeysilksco Makeup: @carotakahashimua Hair stylist: @harleydoeshair_ Jewelry: @iocollective Rental: @tremaineranch Couple: @samanthairenewhite @matt_h46 Film lab: @goodmanfilmlab The other ones: Photographer: Roman Yee Pictures of me: Photographer: Zachary Gray

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