Seville Michelle, an Astoria jeweler, recently joined Netflix co-founder Marc Randolph on his podcast, “That Will Never Work.”
Born and raised in Astoria, Michelle is a self-taught jewelry designer whose designs have been worn by many major celebrities. Michelle travels between her place in West Hollywood and her apartment in Queens, and hand-makes everything herself.
On his podcast, the veteran Silicon Valley entrepreneur and adviser works directly with other entrepreneurs who have been told “that will never work,” helping them turn their nascent or struggling businesses into sustainable companies.
During the 30-minute episode, Michelle and Randolph discuss how Michelle can continue to grow and scale her company; how to maintain an authentic brand; and the importance of putting your head down and working hard.
“To even just talk to him is such a big deal for me because he’s got his stuff together,” Michelle said. “He’s someone who is so business-minded and getting his feedback and being in the same energetic space was really awesome.”
During their conversation, one piece of advice that stuck out to Michelle was never resting in her success.
“It was really valuable to have that kind of affirmation. It’s something I’ve always suspected in my 13 years as a jewelry designer,” Michelle said. “I really loved that he was actually listening to me speak and was quickly able to identify the core of what I do.”
Michelle started designing after coming out of a really difficult time in her life.
“I just started making stuff really in an effort to heal from trauma,” she said. “It was helpful and as soon as I started designing, my work reached all these amazing people I grew up listening to, and every time that happened, it healed me a little bit more.”
Her jewelry has reached many famous celebrities, such as Beyonce, Lizzo, Azealia Banks, Jennifer Lopez and Alicia Keys, but taking care of every customer is a big part of her brand.
“When one order comes in from a customer and it goes wrong, you have to treat that one customer like she’s a major celebrity,” Michelle said. “I always create jewelry so that the girl who drives the bus can wear it; the people getting on the bus can wear it; and the people they listen to in their headphones can wear it, too.”
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Much of Michelle’s brand and designs draw from her roots, as she grew up wearing large earrings and chains.
“My designs reimagine the jewelry of my youth,” she said. “To be where I am now creatively, to have these girls that are super famous wear my stuff and know who I am, is not that far-fetched from the inspiration I grew up around in Queens.”
Another part of her brand is that earrings come in all colors, shapes and sizes, just like people.
“Queens is one of the most culturally and ethnically diverse places in the world,” she said. “My classroom growing up looked like United Colors of Benetton, and we were all rolling in unison.”
When Michelle spoke with Randolph, her jewelry was only in 20 stores. Now, she’s in 90, with multiple showrooms around the country.
“I think what [Randolph] does is such a service to small business owners who are making their way and trying to figure everything out,” Michelle said. “He offers advice that if you listen can be instrumental in helping you move on and grow your business.”
