Women in Business welcome the founders of Gorjana to campus

Gorjana Jewelry co-founder Jason Reidel will speak to the Women in Business Club on April 3 in the Elkins Auditorium. Jason Reidel said that being passionate about your work is crucial for a business. Photos courtesy of Ava Hoffman

The Pepperdine Women in Business Club welcomed Gorjana Jewelry founders Gorjana Reidel and Jason Reidel to Elkins Auditorium on April 3. The two said learning to overcome obstacles and following their hearts has helped grow their business.

Gorjana Jewelry was founded 20 years ago from Reidel’s apartment in Laguna Beach, California, but now has 50 stores nationwide, according to the Gorjana website.

“We were so happy when they agreed to come and speak,” says Ava Hoffman, Women in Business Club president. “Just because it’s a female-owned business and they have such a strong hold in the community.”

The event started with Gorjana Reidel and Jason Reidel explaining how they started their business. Jason Reidel said it was during law school that he realized he wanted to be an entrepreneur instead of working a “day job.”

After trying many different things that ultimately didn’t work, Jason Reidel said he started helping Gorjana Reidel sell jewelry. Gorjana Reidel would make the jewelry and Jason Reidel would market it. They originally thought this would only last about a year, but after working together the business started to take off.

“You have these milestones early,” Jason Reidel said. “I remember our first order for $1,000. It was really a big deal. ”

One lesson Gorjana Reidel said they both had to learn was how to deal with adversity. Instead of feeling sorry for themselves when faced with a challenge, they came to understand that obstacles are an opportunity.

“We didn’t really have a choice,” said Gorjana Reidel. “We had to get through it. Once you have an obstacle, you think, ‘Okay, how do we get through this, how do we solve it, and what have we learned from it.’ It just became a natural process.”

Gorjana Jewelry co-founders Gorjana Reidel and Jason Reidel will speak with the Women in Business Club on April 3 in the Elkins Auditorium. Gorjana Reidel said people starting a business should see challenges as opportunities.

One aspect of their business that Gorjana Reidel and Jason Reidel say is important to them is their “bleeding heart,” because they always say “yes” to donating. In any given year, the two will donate about $1,000 to various charities.

“(For) anyone who has a charitable function and needs donations, we donate,” Gorjana Reidel said. “There are some things we just do automatically.”

One piece of advice that Jason Reidel believes is crucial for entrepreneurs is ‘doing’ instead of ‘talking’. People who want to become entrepreneurs often spend too much time talking about their plans instead of putting them into practice.

“You wait for that perfect moment to start something, and you just have to take it one step at a time,” Jason Reidel said. “And just put one foot in front of the other and realize that there is more action involved than trying to plan everything out.”

The Reidels also said it is crucial to understand that no matter what people do in life, they should follow their passions. Instead of focusing on money, they should focus on growth and purpose.

“If you make your decisions with your heart, you’re good to go,” Jason Reidel said. “If you have a good idea, just listen to your heart.”

Hoffman said the Women in Business Club will apply what they learned from Gorjana Reidel and Jason Reidel by instilling confidence in each member.

“We will continue to inspire our members,” said Hoffman. “We continue to remind people that they are unique, and that what they bring to the table doesn’t take away from what anyone else brings to the table. It’s about using your skills and what those unique qualities are.”

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