Ep 68 | Noura Sakkijha
Failing Your Way to Success
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Noura Sakkijha is the co-founder and CEO of Mejuri, a fine jewelry brand that introduces handcrafted, everyday jewelry without the traditional retail markups.
Looking from the outside in, entering the jewelry market can seem like a daunting endeavor. Not only is it seemingly saturated, but it’s also exceptionally expensive. Growing up in Jordan as a third-generation jeweler, Noura noticed that traditional high-end jewelry brands always targeted men, encouraging them to buy luxe jewelry for women. In 2015, Noura started Mejuri to change this narrative: A woman doesn't need a man to buy jewelry for her. She can buy it yourself.
Noura was able to successfully raise over $40 million for her jewelry brand and shine in a competitive market. Noura’s products have been worn by A-list celebrities like Selena Gomez, Lizzo, Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, Oprah, and more.
We’ll talk to Noura about the difficult lessons she learned early in the business, why self-care and therapy have been game-changing for her in both her personal and professional life, and what it takes to build a high-growth brand & sell over 1.8 million pieces of jewelry since inception.
Show Notes:
How Noura's upbringing in Jordan impacted the woman she is today. [3:29]
Noura recounts a very busy time in her life when she moved to Canada to be a consultant while simultaneously earning an MBA. [5:30]
How Noura started Mejuri with her husband and what prompted her to pursue it [6:45]
What gave Nourra the confidence to enter a market like fine jewelry production. [08:33]
Noura's decision to join FounderFuel and 500 Startups, two top accelerators, and what she learned from the experience. [10:33]
How Noura changed her mindset around failure and learned from the tech world’s view on failure as a data point. [15:41]
How Noura gained traction during the early days of her company. [17:33]
Attracting in-house creatives without the resources of a larger, more established company. [20:21]
How she managed her mental health during a burnout period while building Mejuri. [21:44]
Advice Noura's mother gave her that has helped her honor self-care. [23:35]
Noura's experience with the demands that come with motherhood [24:31]
How she raised funds for her business while in the later stages of pregnancy. [27:29]
Managing her optimism and resilience during the difficult, early days of fundraising. [30:00]
Insights into ensuring the foundation of your business in the early stages. [31:10]
The time it took to find product fit and transition to the PR stage of their business. [32:45]
How Noura's family reacted to her starting Mejuri. [33:57]
One of the surprising things that Nourra is most proud of. [35:14]
What wealth means to Nourra at this point in her life. [37:07]
What it’s been like for her and her husband to be co-founders and business partners. [37:45]
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Follow Noura:
Mejuri Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mejuri/
Mejuri Empowerment Fund: https://mejuri.com/info/ourcommitment
Website: https://mejuri.com/
