The number 8 is known to be an auspicious number related to abundance, infinity and balance.

For Heyjow’s 8th anniversary, it seemed fitting to call the Anniversary Collection “Celebr8” - a celebration of the brand’s evolution from its conception inside a small condominium unit in 2013 into a community of women who share a love for versatile accessories and inspired living.

Modern Parenting recently asked Chief Jeweler Joana Gube about the lessons she’s learned as a designer and early e-commerce adopter and what has helped the brand stay relevant amidst trends that change at a dizzying pace.

Here are some snippets from the interview:

 On Heyjow’s brand update: “I’ve always been a fan of the creative duo behind CraftsmithGuild. Their design tastes mesh with ours, so we sought to work with them for this brand update. It was essential for us to keep, and further accentuate, the aura of the Heyjow brand; the aura of elegance and being down-to-earth. We feel that our new look communicates this concept well.”

On present and future inspirations: “If we look at Heyjow pieces throughout the years, we’ll see this consistent thread of elegance, spontaneity, and uniqueness counter-balanced with practicality and versatility. We pride ourselves in designing unique but versatile pieces that can be an accompaniment in any occasion; pieces that won’t look out of place in a boardroom meeting, at the beach, at a wedding, or a casual date with your significant other.”

Zuri necklace and pendants from the Celebr8 collection

“In all of my design concepts, the woman is the centerpiece, and the jewelry simply accentuates the beautiful and amazing woman that’s already there. So you probably won’t see me wearing (or creating) excessively ostentatious designs that take attention away from the centerpiece (the wearer).”

“That idea of elegance and versatility will always remain in our designs, and what you can expect in the future are different and creative ways in which we express that core concept.”

“We’re thinking of venturing beyond fashion jewelry because we feel that the Heyjow design philosophy will work well in other contexts. It’s a bit too early to get into specifics because we’re still very much in the early stages of this idea, but I hope to share more about it soon!”

On the top lessons she learned as an entrepreneur: “The biggest lesson I’ve learned in the past eight years is the need for constant innovation. Never stay the same. Never rest on your laurels. Stay hungry, and outside of your comfort zone. In business, I’ve found that stasis is the same as deterioration. It’s essential to find ways to provoke the status quo in order to spur innovation.”

“The lesson I’m still learning relates to focus and prioritization. I tend to be overly enthusiastic about many ideas and projects; it’s just my nature. However, it’s also my nature to be a doer, and when something grips my imagination or an opportunity presents itself, I have to act immediately. As a result, I find myself over-committing constantly. Throughout the years, I’ve learned how to better identify and prioritize the most essential ideas.”

“I wear many hats and juggling all of those roles can be overwhelming, and, by necessity, I’ve had to learn and evolve into a person who can focus her efforts on the key things that matter most.”

On her advice for entrepreneurs who are also family men/ women: “You can be an excellent entrepreneur and have an equally excellent family life. It can be challenging at times, but with hard work, resilience, and faith, you can achieve anything!”

“The most essential trait of an entrepreneur is that she’s a challenge-seeker. Successful entrepreneurs love challenges; it’s what drives them to work hard. They love being faced with a tricky situation or a setback and then–armed with their creativity and ingenuity–recast the situation into a growth opportunity.”

“To make it all work, you must first know what is valuable to you. You’ll have to say “no” a lot, not only to opportunities other people offer you, but also to yourself, and to most of your ideas.”

On what she’s most proud of about Heyjow: “To be able to bring so much joy and smiles to thousands of women throughout the years is what I’m most proud of.”

“Every day, I get messages and read posts from my clients about how happy a particular piece made them feel, or how wearing a Heyjow piece brightened up their day, or how confident and “normal” it made them feel during a tumultuous period in their lives. It’s an indescribably fulfilling feeling.”

“I made a lot of new friends too who helped me a lot with my journey as a mom and entrepreneur. Throughout the years, we’ve also been so blessed to collaborate with some amazingly creative people and brands such as Aranaz, Rajo Laurel, Zarah Juan, the late MikkaPadua, and so many more spectacular individuals. Heyjow pieces have been worn by extremely talented and beautiful women such as Joey Mead King, Maggie Wilson-Consunji, and Pia Wurtzbach. Whenever I think of all the great people we’ve had the chance to work with, it’s like a dream; I still can’t believe it!”

On what’s inside her jewelry box: “The pieces in my own closet consist of design prototypes–works-in-progress–of what may or may not eventually become Heyjow pieces. I’m always testing new materials and new design ideas, so my personal collection doesn’t stay the same for long.” 

“The only jewelry in my collection that aren’t Heyjow pieces is my wedding ring and engagement ring. I love these pieces because they’re made up of several of my mother-in-law’s old jewelry that we reformed and redesigned into my wedding and engagement rings.”

On coming up with design concepts: “I stay deeply tuned into the Heyjow community and I try to notice how we’ve collectively evolved throughout the years. Since Heyjow has been in business for eight years, I’ve been a witness to the milestones of thousands of Heyjow women, including my own milestones and evolution. Being attuned to the community helps me come up with my design concepts. I also receive plenty of feedback from my clients, and many of my design ideas have come about as a result of those conversations.”

On what entrepreneurs can cling onto during these trying times:

“A positive outlook is essential in these trying times. Always keep in mind that challenges are the drivers of growth, learning, resourcefulness, and creativity.”

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Read the full article on Modern Parenting here.