Let's Talk About Growth

When I started Made by Malyia, I had no idea I was creating a jewelry company or brand. Sometimes growth doesn’t feel like you're growing initially. I think that’s why many people quit or stop working towards their dreams. Time will go by and one day you will look up and years of work will finally start to pay off. They say it takes 10 years to be an overnight success. After 6 years of growing Made by Malyia into a lifestyle and jewelry brand, I fully understand what that means. I always knew I wanted to take the brand to the highest limits, but I would be lying if I didn’t say it wasn’t the biggest test of self-belief and faith. I had to work jobs I hated to pour into a brand I believed in. Constantly feeling like I was falling apart only to rebuild again. Growth is a sacrifice.

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frighten us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?" -Marianne Williamson

This quote embodies the struggles I faced to break through the fear to arrive at a place of self-love and power. As the only black woman in the room at the fashion companies, I spent years overlooked, undervalued, and my light dimmed. This caused me to question my talent, this is one of the reasons it is important for me to design jewelry that makes people feel empowered. If you ever question your power, I want you to put on a piece of Made by Malyia jewelry and remember how powerful you truly are. Growth is an act of self-love. 

It doesn’t matter how long it feels like it is taking, keep going. Real success isn’t instant. Growth is a gradual and slow process, one step at a time. 

My journey as an entrepreneur has been challenging. I continue to prove to myself that I deserve to be powerful beyond measure and so do you.

With love always, 
Malyia McNaughton
Founder and CEO of Made By Malyia 

How Jewelry Fosters Community

Community for me is an organic connection. We are drawn to a community because we see ourselves in the larger collective. I often say “Welcome to the tribe” when addressing new customers or clients because I see myself in the people who choose to support me and I learned from an early age that jewelry connects people. As a Jamaican woman, in my culture, we gift jewelry to young girls as a rite of passage; with the intention to connect women across generations. I still remember when I received my first piece of jewelry, a gold bangle, at 5 years old and how it made me feel linked to the women in my family. This bangle has become a part of my identity and was the first wink from the universe that would lead me into my destiny as a jewelry designer.

As a black female entrepreneur navigating the jewelry industry, my community helped me discover my voice as well as amplify me as a designer and a creative. They encouraged and supported my vision. There would be no Made by Malyia without community. Jewelry is what connects us, it's a web that links us together like a chain. Community for me is like the gold bangle my mother gifted me; it represents empowerment, support, and connection. We all need community now more than ever. I am so grateful for each of you.

With love always, 
Malyia McNaughton
Founder and CEO of Made By Malyia 

Why it's important to practice gratitude

What are you thankful for? Gratitude is the acknowledgement of things you are thankful for. I often reflect on how much gratitude I have for discovering my gift as a jewelry designer. Gratitude is an act of self-love, recognizing the progress you have made while granting yourself grace. I also think the practice of gratitude gives you space to receive more of what we desire. This season I am thankful for you, our Jewels, for your support over the past 6 years. I encourage you to spend time monthly, weekly or daily thinking about what you’re thankful for. It can shift the energy from a place of lack and replace it with a sense of appreciation. I think this practice is important now more than ever. Join me in spending a few minutes today reflecting on gratitude.