Lisa - Dear Darling Berlin
You may have already discovered that we have put together a fine selection of great pieces of jewelry for you in our online shop. Who is behind this company and what does sustainability mean in the jewelry industry? We asked Lisa, the founder of Dear Darling Berlin.
How did the idea for Dear Darlin Berlin come about?
Being my own boss - that has always been my dream. At the end of 2019, I was still employed full-time at a large start-up in the beauty segment and was very happy there, but over time I realized that I wanted to go my own way and so I founded the company alongside my main job. Jewelry is a matter close to my heart because it has so much meaning. Each of us probably has 2-3 pieces of jewelry at home in our jewelry box that we associate with a special memory of an event or person. I also just love dealing with beautiful things and creating something with love for others.
I founded Dear Darling without much prior knowledge and had to get to grips with the topic of sustainability! Because 3 years ago hardly anyone had heard of "sustainable jewelry", let alone knew what it meant. Today things are a little different and I think that's good. More attention to the topic is important and we can only achieve that together. Back then, my motivation was to found a high-quality, stylish label that bears my signature - and that's how the idea for DEAR DARLING BERLIN was born.
Why is sustainability such an important issue when it comes to jewelry?
The jewelry industry is one of the largest and most complex in the world. From the extraction of raw materials in the mines to production and sales, there are countless companies that are part of the cycle. Three of the biggest challenges here are the transparency of supply chains, ensuring safe working conditions and fair pay for everyone involved. But beautiful things should not only shine on the outside. That is why we are committed to sustainable, responsible jewelry production and why it is so important to focus on sustainability in this area. Not as a trend, but as a standard.
What does that mean exactly?
For us, when it comes to sustainability, it is not enough to simply use recycled/recyclable shipping boxes and DHL GoGreen, where companies pay compensation for the CO2 consumption generated during shipping, which in turn supports reforestation projects and other environmentally positive projects. In our opinion, sustainability must be viewed holistically. So when we went looking for suitable manufacturers for our jewelry, we focused primarily on the topics of raw materials , production and longevity . For example, it was important to us to use recycled materials that are already part of the cycle (e.g. old gold and silver that is reprocessed in refineries and is available to us as recycled raw materials for production).
But the questions: WHO produces our jewelry and WHERE is it produced also played a big role for us. We therefore deliberately focused on countries such as Germany, Italy and Spain, which not only stand for high working standards, fair pay and safety in the workplace, but also for exceptional craftsmanship in the jewelry sector. Incidentally, we do not simply assume the areas mentioned above on paper, but we have already got to know each of our productions personally and also know the conditions on site. The fact that we are always warmly welcomed there, that we can see transparently through all the individual production steps and speak not only with the "bosses" but also with the employees - that creates trust for us. And we can then pass this trust on to our customers.
What does female empowerment look like to you?
For me, it is important to say that this is not about excluding anyone, but on the contrary, about bringing everyone to the table - inclusive and diverse. I think the term is often misunderstood or misinterpreted, which has given it a bit of a bad reputation in recent years. For me, one thing is clear: even today - in 2023!! - women still have too little visibility. This affects not only entrepreneurship, but also politics, medicine and much more. I am convinced that we have to work together to change the things that are important to us. And that can be done on a small and large scale! You can sign petitions (such as a great petition on maternity protection in self-employment), draw attention through your reach (we do this on Equal Pay Day, for example, or through our Female Founder Stories, in which we present a new founder and their idea every month) or simply recommend female colleagues! There is so much we can do.
For example, when I plan collaborations for Dear Darling, I prefer to first contact brands founded by women and read about their personal stories. That doesn't mean that there aren't male-run companies - but it's important to me to support other women and to learn from them/grow with them.
What was your biggest challenge as a founder?
Phew, that's a good question! And I think I have to answer it more generally than as a "founder" per se: Money, money, money. As an entrepreneur with a jewelry business and not a potential tech unicorn, it's really much harder to get money. Many funding programs are only for tech stuff (fair enough) but there is a lack of monetary support for "normal" and down-to-earth companies. In my case: fashion and accessories are often founded by women - but are not really taken seriously by the investors (and that's despite the fact that they are often profitable more quickly ;))
How can the corporate world become more founder-friendly for women?
I think it's great that there are more and more networks by women for women. Even if I don't believe that there have to be networks ONLY for women or ONLY for men - it's the mix that counts in the end, right? Nevertheless, I think many women simply feel more comfortable in women's networks at the moment - and that's totally okay. Open exchange and networking can have a big impact.
Overall, I just want an open, fair and tolerant, diverse and inclusive world of startups - for men, women, for everyone. I also want investors to be aware of how diverse teams are in companies and to invest explicitly in women-led startups! Oh yes, and I would love it if the moderator wasn't always the only woman at podium discussions and panel talks and all the guests and speakers were only men. Pay attention, that is far too often the case (and feel free to talk about it! It has often helped organizers to become aware of this fact). There are endless clever, inspiring women - let them speak!
