Meet Mina Zimmerman | CEO, Fine Jewelry Line

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

Hi Mina, do you have some perspective or insight you can share with us on the question of when someone should give up versus when they should keep going?
“Do what you love, and you’ll never work another day in your life” This quote used to frustrate me to no end. My career started in healthcare, and I did truly love it but it always felt like work. I couldn’t figure out how to turn my passion for jewelry into work. Since I was a little girl, I have always been obsessed with jewelry. It started in my mom’s jewelry collection and grew as I grew up. At one point I my 30s my mom taught me the importance of investing in fine jewelry. It lasts forever and can be handed down for generations. And solid gold is truly an investment- solid gold holds value. I became so passionate about this and sharing this with anyone that complimented my jewelry. I knew I wanted to find a way to share this sentiment with as many people as possible. There are so many days that I wonder what I was thinking?! Owning a business is the hardest thing Ive ever done, and the main thing that keeps me going is that it is my passion. I don’t feel like its work when Im making clients happy with their new pieces of jewelry. And I know these pieces will last them a lifetime and possibly become family heirlooms for them and future generations.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I founded a fine jewelry line. The biggest challenge for me was believing there was a place for me in the jewelry industry. I truly believed the jewelry industry to be an oversaturated market, and kept talking myself out of starting my own brand. Then one day I realized there is a reason there are so many jewelry lines out there. It is the same concept as clothing, shoe or beauty brands. There are so many out there, and if you find a way to set yourself apart, then you will be successful. What sets me apart is my vision and my message. My vision is to help woman believe in the importance of solid gold and being able to mix casual pieces with more elegant pieces for an everyday look. I want people to believe that it’s not only about fine jewelry, its also about investing in your jewelry, like you would in art. The value of gold goes up and lasts forever. Sure, it is cheaper to buy gold plated or gold filled, but these are not true investments and will end up in the trash eventually. If you invest in fine jewelry, your grandchildren could be wearing these pieces! It’s about sustainability and buying pieces that last forever. These pieces can become part of your life story. My brand is also about the personal experience. I love helping my clients and have become friends with so many of them. I help them visualize how to wear jewelry, and I take the intimidation out of it. We have fun together with the whole process. So many clients apologize to me that they are taking too long to make a decision, and I have to constantly tell them that I am loving every minute of it! I want to make it fun and light and not a stuffy experience. Fine jewelry is no longer walking into that jewelry store we used to go to with our moms! It is about being with someone you are comfortable with and taking the time you need to select that piece of jewelry that speaks to you!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I live in the South Bay-Hermosa Beach, so we would start in this area! A few favorite things to do in my area are bike rides along the strand to brunch. I love going to Shade in Redondo Beach or Marthas in Hermosa Beach. Both are perfect bike riding destinations. Another favorite thing to do is hiking in PV and then stopping for lunch at Nelsons at Terrenea. There would definitely be a dinner at Fishing with Dynamite and another night at Sugarfish in Manhattan Beach. I also love hanging out in the Palisades Village; it would be fun to spend a day shopping there and grabbing dinner at the Draycott. Another fun destination is Nobu in Malibu. And, I haven’t been to the Getty Museum since Covid, but I used to always love taking visitors there. Such a beautiful building and amazing views of the city! There are so many amazing things to do in the city, I could go on forever, but that is an idea of some things I definitely do with a friend in town!

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?
This is such a tough question…there are so many people I would love to recognize. But if I had to narrow it down, I would say the group of woman in my life were my biggest source of encouragement. From the sidelines, I have watched so many equal minded woman hustling to make their dreams happen while being moms and running their households. I mentioned to a few of them that I wished I could do the same, and they all told me the same thing- you can and you should! I had some many girlfriends cheering me along from day one! And along the way, I have met so many woman that are in the same situation, and we all just lift each other up and are each others biggest cheerleaders. I am so grateful for all of them!!

Website: www.leosierracollection.com

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