Lily & Jenny Monbouquette of Monbouquette Jewelry

1: What is your greatest fear, and how do you manage it?

Jenny: My biggest fear is that somebody I love gets hurt. Once you have kids, I feel like everything changes, your greatest fears shift to being about your children. All I think about is their safety and their happiness, and whether or not they're in their best place. But ironically, I squash that fear by not putting it out there, and not allowing myself to dwell on those thoughts when they arise. I also squash that fear by staying connected to my children, I talk to them, or at least text them every day.

Lily: I think we all have that fear of something happening to our loved ones, but I’d say the greatest fear I battle with is the fear of not feeling fulfillment in my life. The idea of something that brings me so much joy right now, no longer making me feel that way is really scary to me. Our jewelry business is one of those things, it brings me so much joy - it’s my passion. It would crush me to lose the joy I get from my work. I've learned to manage this fear by staying devoted to our brand and acknowledging that our business is its own living, breathing entity that’s constantly evolving. Even me, as a human, I’m growing and evolving. So instead of trying to control things and resist change, I embrace it. I embrace all of the growth and evolution around me, and try to enjoy every moment of it the best that I can.

2: How do you define success?

Jenny: I measure success in happiness, and getting to share that happiness with others. I strive to enjoy every day for what it is and be happy, and I try to bring that joy and happiness to the people in my life. It’s not about money for me, it’s about surrounding myself with people, places, and things that bring me joy. I love creating and surrounding myself with beautiful environments, rituals, and adornments, and then getting to enjoy these experiences with the people around me.

"Taking that leap of faith, and trying over and over again until you get the outcome you desire. I believe that risks should be taken for things that bring you joy because those endeavors usually end up bringing joy to other people as well, and that’s the greatest success of all."

Lily: For me success is the pursuit of a goal or a dream, and being brave enough to just go for it. Taking that leap of faith, and trying over and over again until you get the outcome you desire. I believe that risks should be taken for things that bring you joy because those endeavors usually end up bringing joy to other people as well, and that’s the greatest success of all. There’s also successes that come out of the process of just going for it, even if the end result wasn’t what you anticipated. For example, a while back I was working for Tommy Hilfiger and I entered into a sort of TED Talk competition they put on. I submitted an idea for a TED Talk and then had to present it to hundreds of Tommy Hilfiger employees, including the CEO, at an auditorium in Time Square. It’s a bit cringy looking back on it - I felt like a kid on that stage presenting to all of these highly successful people. I didn’t make it to the finals but the outcome was still wonderful - everyone in the company knew my name after that and I received a lot of praise for my presentation. So success is just going for it, playing the long game, trying again and again after failure, and not giving up.

3: Who are your real-life heroes?

Jenny: I’ve got a few! My parents who are no longer with us were definitely my heroes, and still are. They always supported me in everything I did. There’s this famous quote, “my father was a warrior, so his son could be a merchant, so his son could be a poet”, and that's how my parents treated me. They just wanted me to live out my dreams, and they worked hard so that I could have those opportunities. My best friend since childhood is another one. She’s a physician at a family clinic in Venice that serves underrepresented communities and she’s just so altruistic - I really admire her. Then there’s my business mentor, Tressa Miller, who shared her expertise with me and taught me how to just always love what I’m doing. I’m really grateful for her. And lastly, Michelle Obama - she’s my role model. I appreciate how she recognizes problems and issues in the world from a big picture viewpoint, and takes a positive, people-centric approach to resolving these issues. She’s also such a promoter, even of fashion and the arts.

Lily: My parents because they’ve set a really high bar for kindness, fairness, and hard work. As I've gotten older, I've realized how rare people like my parents are, they truly are exceptional humans. They’ve always supported my freedom to explore all of my weird curiosities, and never pushed or pressured me into doing anything. I feel very lucky to have them as role models. Then there’s my older brother - he’s definitely my hero. I don't think I’ve ever met another person that can read and command a room better than my brother. He’s really great at connecting with people, whether it’s through kindness, intelligence, or by just being really hilarious. And for business, I’d say Meredith Melling, who used to work at Vogue. She’s well regarded in the industry, her brand has exploded, and she’s a mom of four, yet she still finds the time and humility to be a good human. That’s inspiring.

4: What is the best gift you've given yourself?

Jenny: So when my kids went off to college they wanted to get me a dog to keep me company. They did a bunch of research on different breeds, found a great breeder, and convinced me to get a dog. I consider it a gift to myself because I was the one who ended up paying for the gift! But it was the best gift I could have asked for - Gus is such a love bug, he’s 12 years old now, and still sleeps in bed with me. My husband wasn’t thrilled at first, but I think he realized me having a dog took some of the heat off of him now that my kids were out of the house. Now my husband adores Gus too, of course.

"The best gift I’ve given myself is not caring what people think of me..."

Lily: The best gift I’ve given myself is not caring what people think of me, which is something my parents taught me to do. This has really helped me in the design world because I feel like the best creativity comes out of you when you’re not trying to please other people or just follow trends - just allowing the creativity to flow from within.

5: What was the last win you celebrated?

Lily: Whenever we do have a big win or hit a milestone we get a new piercing together - it’s a fairly new ritual of ours. Our biggest win this past year was in January when Vogue featured us as one of their favorite jewelry brands for 2023. It was so exciting - we were honestly just losing it when we found out. I got a cartilage piercing and my mom (Jenny) got her second lobe piercings done. It’s just a fun way to commemorate our wins and the piercings serve as a reminder of that accomplishment.

"Whenever we do have a big win or hit a milestone we get a new piercing together - it’s a fairly new ritual of ours."

Jenny: We should have gotten a tattoo to celebrate the Vogue win! Lily and I like to celebrate our wins. Sometimes we’ll do a spa day. Any money we make goes back into the business, but some of it definitely goes into celebrating, as it should.

About Monbouquette Jewelry:

Stealth statement-makers that go from minimal to mesmerizing with just a quick touch. Earrings designed by the mother-daughter duo, can be worn at varying lengths for a little edge or recoiled back for a paired down look. The interchangeable designs make day-to-night easier than ever. A collection of earrings, rings, and necklaces where form and function meet fun.

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