Meet Michelle Heravi | Founder of Vii Jewelry

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

Hi Michelle, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I feel that my experience with entrepreneurship and starting a brand is a bit “untraditional”. Instead of wanting to launch a business and filtering through ideas, I had such a vested interest in jewelry that starting my own business was the most sensible choice in bringing my goals to fruition. I am a firm believer in the saying “do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life”. I knew that in order to succeed in anything – whether it be my jewelry brand or my law career – it was of utmost importance that I am excited and passionate about what I do. Since I have always had a love for jewelry and its design, starting Vii was an obvious choice for me.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
As I reflect on the past 21 years of my life for this interview, I have to mention how grateful I am for the many opportunities I’ve been blessed with along the way. I believe a key to my successes thus far is that I have taken advantage of as many of these opportunities as possible. At times it was overwhelming and stressful to undertake multiple tasks – such as school, my business, and my leadership positions in various organizations – but every minute of my experiences has shaped who I am today and the professional I will be in the future. I consider myself an extremely ambitious woman, and my own tendency to race through various stages in life has accumulated to certain periods of overworking myself. While I have always been aware that I need to overcome this obstacle as I take on greater responsibilities in my future, I think Vii Jewelry has a lot to do with my increasing patience and balance. When I started Vii, I was unaware of the numerous compounding details that must be taken into consideration. From design, to manufacturing, website design, retail, and more, it was a learning experience above all else. I learned the importance of diligence coupled with patience, and the need for flexibility in planning. I am beyond excited to see the future direction of the brand as I continue to grow along with it.

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?
If my best friend was to visit Los Angeles for a week, I would be overwhelmed with the amount of places and scenes to cover. One of my favorite parts of LA is our lively restaurant scene – for the delicious food and drinks, the ambience, and the social aspect. I would have to make reservations at some signature fine-dining places, such as Ysabel, and my all-time favorite, Elephante. I am also a huge fan of some local “hole-in-the-walls” and family-owned, generation-old restaurants. We would have to visit Venice Beach, Santa Monica Pier, Malibu, Melrose, Downtown, and so much more. I could really go on and on.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Regarding every success, triumph, project, and such, I am forever grateful for the incredible support I have received from family and friends throughout my entire life. Beyond their support in my business or academic endeavors, my friends and family foster an inspiring and motivated environment that serves as a driving force for every endeavor in my life.

If anyone deserves a special shoutout, it is my parents and four younger siblings. My parents have always instilled in me a sense of independence, ambition, and goal-focused growth, both in my career and personal life. They exemplify hard work, perseverance, and love – 3 facets of life I value immensely. My four younger siblings are my reason for everything. Being a good role model to them has forever been my most important responsibility, and they have been the biggest motivation behind all my accomplishments thus far.

Website: www.vii-jewelry.com

Instagram: @viijewelry

Image Credits
Shereen Kheradyar