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

Hi Shermineh, how do you think about risk?
I always think about risks as an opportunity to set myself up for huge growth opportunities and a way to experience new things. Every time I’ve taken a risk, especially in my career, I’ve been rewarded in ways that I couldn’t have predicted. The first risk I can think back to was deciding to not continue grad school for Psychology, and making an intentional shift to direct my career towards fashion and retail. I had absolutely no experience within the industry, and had no financial safety net. So I started a personal style blog just to create my own version of a ‘resume’ that showcased the knowledge of the industry that I had, and took a waitressing job to financially support myself. Had I not taken the leap into fashion, I wouldn’t have had the rich experiences I’ve had up through today. I was able to start from the ground up at Stitch Fix, a personal styling service, who went public in 2o17. At Stitch Fix, after 6 years of growing my career on the Merchandising team as a Women’s apparel buyer, and launching our Plus Size business, I decided to make the intentional shift, another risk, to start building a career in tech, and became a Product Manager focused on the tools and technologies the Merchandising teams would use to curate their assortments. In my role as a Product Manager, I learned how impactful technology can be to make a business sustainable and less impactful on the environment and it’s people. These are all lessons that I’ve put in place to launch Talāyee Fine Jewelry. On the outside, the business may look like a small jewelry business based in San Francisco, but behind the scenes, all the lessons I’ve learned as a Merchant and as a Product Manager, is shaping how the company grows and scales. I take sustainability into account with every decision made. My styles are made to order and heavily influenced by what our customer says they want, minimizing waste from excess inventory, our precious metals are recycled, our gems are ethically sources or vintage, and our studio footprint is small. Had I continued down the path of establishing a career in Psychology, and not taken a risk and trusted my capabilities and drive, I wouldn’t be able to say that I am a founder and owner of a fine jewelry company- and that’s pretty empowering for me to continue to take risks.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I’m so proud of Talāyee Fine Jewelry and what the brand embodies. In the jewelry industry, it seems as through you either pay a lot of money for quality that lasts generations, or you pay less for jewelry that is mass produced and won’t last after 10 showers. At Talāyee I want to make quality fine jewelry, that is made sustainably and ethically, accessible to as many people as possible. I firmly believe that while jewelry can symbolize so many important moments like engagements, what makes it really meaningful and special is when it actually symbolizes and embodies a person, not an event. I wholeheartedly believe that you don’t need a significant other to buy you a fine piece of jewelry for a momentous occasion, and that it’s something you can treat yourself to whenever the moment strikes. What I’m most excited for is to see all of the empowered, bad-ass people who will end up buying a Talāyee piece. I’m excited to see how they wear it and make it their own, but I’m even more excited to see how they pass on a piece to a child or loved one in the years to come, because I design with longevity in mind.

The business has just started, so I’m anticipating many challenges to come! I see these challenges as new growth opportunities for myself. As an example, I’m now having to wear the hat of being my own marketer, something I’ve never had exposure to. So late at night I’m reading up on best practices, figuring out the ever changing algorithms on social media and how to increase my exposure. At the same time, being able to market myself on social media means I have to become an expert overnight on photography AND video editing. It’s a big learning curve, but a fun one.

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?
San Francisco is such an amazing city to visit. It’s small and fairly walkable, but every neighborhood is distinctly unique and filled with it’s own gems, so you never get bored. Starting in my neighborhood, the Outer Sunset, I would head to Ocean Beach and get a breakfast sandwich at Devil’s Teeth Bakery, or sit down for a nice brunch at Outerlands. When the weather is warm, the beach is such a relaxing place to spend a morning in after filling your belly with good food. Heading east into the city, my two favorite neighborhoods are Pac Heights or Hayes Valley for some browsing and light nibbles. Both neighborhoods are perfect for that, but have their distinct personalities. Pac Heights has more designer oriented brands lining the blocks so if you want to check out Rag & Bone or Freda Salvador that’s where you want to go. Hayes Valley has great one-off boutiques where you can find gems, my favorites are Reliquary and Metier. Any food option within those neighborhoods is a hit, but my personal favorite is a Mano in Hayes Valley. Heading further downtown you can’t skip the SFMOMA. I think it’s a perfect museum to visit and even if you have 1 hour, you can see a ton. I can’t forget about the Mission District in San Francisco. It has an amazing food and bar scene and is a great place to head to in the evening for dinner and drinks.

Being in San Francisco also means that you have access to awesome hikes and general time in nature. Muir Woods, Muir Beach, Angel Island, Marshall, and so much more is perfect for a day trip, and a lot of them offer great seafood options. We’re well known for our oysters.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are so many people who have helped me get to where I am today. First and foremost, my mom has always been one of my biggest supporters, even when she doesn’t agree with the decisions I make (which is most of the time). Her faith in my capabilities only makes me believe in myself more. My partner, Kyle, is another person who continues to encourage any crazy idea I have, and is always willing to help in anyway he can. Currently he helps me pack all my shipments- the least glamorous part of the job. And finally, every strong, driven, ambitious woman I have encountered throughout my career, whether it’s a CEO I’ve worked for or merchants who I worked alongside. Every one of them has taught me something, intentionally or unintentionally that has shaped me. The best piece of advice I had been given, from one of these incredible colleagues, is to never dampen yourself or your ideas so that someone else can understand you- it’s ok to be ahead of the curve. It’s a lesson we can all remember!

Website: https://shoptalayee.com/

Instagram: @talayee_jewelry

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shermineh-ghane-67a12852/?msgControlName=null&msgConversationId=6788482900389109760&msgOverlay=true

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.