“Marrin Costello is the face of her global luxury lifestyle brand. This Tuesday, she’s ready to share her journey, joys, and aspirations. Preparing for our interview, she confidently said to us … “Nothing is off limits. I’m an open book. I can share the challenges I face. We can talk about relationships, body image, how to stay away from negative people, whatever.” Join our conversation and learn how this smart and genuine businesswoman is building a global luxury lifestyle brand whose mission is to help people feel like the best versions of themselves.”
Yesterday I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Marcy and Alison - the lovely ladies and founders behind Revel Coach - an inspirational platform that brings entrepreneurial women together who want to inspire and be inspired.
While the interview itself was live, Marcy and Alison sent over preliminary questions to help guide the Q+A. Here are the questions and answers that I prepared for our live interview call:
Tell us about MARRIN COSTELLO INC — how you got started and what your journey has been like so far?
Started with a bead kit, now we’re here! :)
Making jewelry has been a hobby of mine since before the age of ten… and has grown organically into an entrepreneurial venture now for 20 years.
The journey has been quite beautiful — very supportive from my ever-growing network combined with the brand’s own organic growth way before it turned into a business.
But as in any startup environment, there have been growing pains as well.
The hardest part of the journey, to be quite honest, was committing to jewelry becoming my profession — because rather than being an outlet of pure joy and meditation for me, it inevitably invited other financial and operational pressures that come with any business.
But even with said pressures, I wouldn’t change a thing. I am so beyond grateful for the opportunity to live my dream and make people feel like the most beautiful versions of themselves on a daily basis. It’s truly remarkable and I count my lucky stars that my life is this beautiful.
At the center of the brand's mission is to help people feel like the best versions of themselves. Can you tell us more about your mission?
As a successful businesswoman in fashion in LA, I could imagine there are subtle pressures to always looking “runway ready”. Do you ever struggle with body image or do you have an approach to staying true to who you are?
Body image is a struggle that I have worked through my entire life. As someone who hasn’t always been comfortable in her own skin, getting dressed used to be hugely emotional painful.
It wasn’t until recent years (specifically within the last year) that I have become more comfortable with the body I was blessed with. And that’s exactly what it is — a blessing. Through my challenging journey of self-discovery, I realized that my confidence and self-worth exists on the inside — and that that radiates outward.
As far as being “runway ready” — I love fashion. I own a fashion brand. Looking presentable on a daily basis is something I take great pride in and something that gives me life. And I now get dressed up as often as possible, simply because it brings me joy. In becoming a woman and realizing (slash perfecting) my personal style, I have, in the last couple of years, curated my closet to *only* contain pieces that make me feel like a bazillion dollars. And because the curation process has forced me to try on every single element of fashion in my closet, I know every article of clothing I own. On a seasonal basis, I make sure each piece aligns with my brand, my personal style, my lifestyle, and the vision of where my personal brand is going.
What’s more — since using myself as my own guinea pig, I have since been sought after as both a personal shopper and a wardrobe stylist — enabling me to style extraordinary women in their everyday lives to editorial campaigns to celebrities walking the red carpet.
How do you manage stress & stay inspired? How do you start your morning?
Hands down, I handle stress by working out — supplemented by therapy, chats with my closest friends/fellow entrepreneurs/family members, energy healing, dancing, and the like. My go-to workouts in LA are Barre Belle and Cycle House.
I have also learned the hard way that eating well and drinking a ton of water play a HUGE role in everything I do. Food is both fuel and medicine, and I now take a lot of pride in taking care of myself.
While mastering my morning routine is in constant evolution, these are currently on my am to-do list:
Get up, bathroom, make bed, write down dreams from the night before.
Drink celery juice, take vitamins, pack lunch, drink Four Sigmatic coffee, meditate, review my day ahead, confirm all time-blocks and to-do’s, and then head out the door to the office.
A sure recipe for gaining inspiration includes traveling, meeting new people, getting out of my comfort zone, scouring vintage stores for hidden gems, looking through archives of vintage jewelry, and the like. The more I ‘get out’, the more I am inspired.
When do you get frustrated or uninspired?
All. Day. Long.
Unfortunately, the memes on the internet about bipolar emotions that come as a byproduct of entrepreneurship are all, in fact, true lol!
However, just as quickly as I can become frustrated or uninspired (which usually have a very short lifeline), I can become inspired and positive just the same.
So many things that school didn’t teach you, parents didn’t teach you. For the women on the phone who have daughters, what’s one thing you wish you had learn?
Oh my goodness, there are SO many things that I am just now learning — about myself, about adulting, and about navigating the world.
If I had a daughter, I would teach her so many things…
On a personal level — how to confidently accept compliments. That she is graceful, strong, powerful, and unstoppable. How to listen to her intuition. How to love time alone and being by herself. To have her own opinions, but not force them on others. To have standards and uphold them, even if others don’t. That other people’s opinions of you have nothing to do with her and are truly none of her business. That anything is possible and that she can do absolutely anything for a career and be successful at it — simply if she strives to achieve excellence. That working isn’t everything, and that having a life is important — a lesson of which I continually need to remind myself. That the opposite sex is an accessory but isn’t necessary. That she is a queen. That health and self-care is something that she deserves on a daily basis, and that everything else falls into place perfectly when her cup us full.
On a practical level — I would teach my daughter about finances. I would have conversations with her about money, what to do with it when you have it, how to build wealth. And should she choose the entrepreneurial route for her respective career, I would absolutely guide her through the process of starting, building, and maintaining a business.
As an entrepreneur, we’re always seeking the balance of learning how to do it all & how to stay inspired in the face of doubt.
In regards to facing doubt — the more time you spend doing and executing, the less time you have to think and doubt yourself. My immediate go-to when doubt starts to creep in is to start doing anything because movement begets movement.
In regards to seeking balance — what has given me peace is the realization that living life is a constant balancing act. I used to feel pressure to achieve perfect balance — which doesn’t exist — at least in my case. I find that trying to get into flow is much more attainable on a daily basis. And when feeling ‘off-balanced’ — all I personally need to do is take a second, breathe, recalibrate
There’s the good, the bad & the ugly as an Entrepreneur. Can you share any advice?
Never doubt your resilience. In fact, the moments in which I have felt like giving up are most often the exact moments that change happens, shifts happen, and magic is presented on the other side. Understand that there is no ‘get rich quick’ tactic — and that true entrepreneurship is a game of longevity. Know that things are happening FOR you and not TO you. I would also say to love on your clients — and that quality is better than quantity. Develop relationships with your clients, get to know them. Because a loyal client is priceless.
What’s a common challenge that women face & any advice to overcome that challenge?
Being in a man’s world. Even the jewelry business, wherein the majority of product both is marketed and sold to women, is mostly run by men. And this is purely an observation (without judgment) to help me maintain awareness of my surroundings and understand how to navigate circumstances gracefully and assertively in the event that gender roles are brought to light.
You’ve been in business since you were a teenager. How has the growth of digital media affected your marketing and sales strategy? What’s changed and what has stayed the same?
I am so grateful to be running a business in the digital age — wherein the world is so much smaller, the floodgates have opened for new connections to be made, and the separation between business owners and their respective targets (clients, retailers, press, influencers, celebrities, etc) have essentially become null. It has given me invaluable insights on who is buying the product and what products my clients want to see.
What is next for Marrin Costello?
Oh my goodness, so many things!!
In terms of accessories — mens, bridal, kids, pets, and other categories (such as belts), and so many more collections for my ladies that I am ecstatic about.
Alongside the product-based brand, we have also begun to offer services — both in styling and business/brand consulting. Throughout the years of growing the jewelry brand, I have inevitably become a wardrobe stylist in creative directing all of our company shoots, as well as a go-to person amongst my network for all things business and brand related. Both of these service-based businesses are growing exponentially under the MARRIN COSTELLO INC umbrella, and I couldn’t be more excited about them.
Just the same, my personal brand has also gained a lot of attention. Not only have I had the opportunity to collaborate with other like-minded brands, but I have also recently been signed to a talent agency and am in pre-production for a radio show to launch in Fall 2019.
Marrin Costello Inc is becoming a lifestyle brand and an umbrella company for so many wonderful divisions underneath the MC name. I’m truly proud of what we’ve accomplished and where it’s going.
