At Brilliant Earth, we are passionate about our mission to transform the jewelry industry. We not only aim to provide the best experience to our customers, but we value our employee experience as well. With the help of our leadership team, our Co-Founders, Beth Gerstein and Eric Grossberg, established Brilliant Earth's Pillars of Culture which are brought to life every day through our passionate team members. Our leadership team took time to reflect on the inception of Brilliant Earth's Pillars of Culture and share the significance the pillars play in our culture.
The Start
"When we founded Brilliant Earth, we had the idea that responsibly sourced jewelry could be a tool for social change. Our culture has been instrumental to our success, and has helped shape the company that we are today. Several years ago, while we were still a small team, we decided to more specifically define the Pillars of Culture that would guide us all in our day to day work. We wanted to ensure the mission, goals and values of our company would remain through the growth we were experiencing. We chose the Pillars: Mission Mindset, Commitment to the Customer, Partnership and Positivity, Bias Toward Action, Embrace Growth and Change, and Ownership," shared Brilliant Earth CEO Beth Gerstein.
The Day to Day
Jaime Yas, SVP of Human Resources, chimed in sharing that "The Pillars of Culture are the core values that encourage the entire staff to remain focused on our customers, celebrating each other and encouraging growth and development across all teams. It is inspiring to collaborate and work side-by-side with individuals that deeply care about our customers, each other and the success of the business. I enjoy coming to work knowing that my colleagues are going to bring a positive, collaborative and forward-thinking attitude each and every day."
"Brilliant Earth has one of the most collaborative cultures I've been a part of. It is strongly encouraged to partner on initiatives cross-functionally and build teams to solve tough problems. Our collaborative environment allows team members to work together and have their questions answered quickly. The feeling of support, friendship, and working toward a common goal is palpable and makes this a special place to work," said Sharon Dziesietnik, SVP of Customer Operations.
Jeff Kuo, Chief Financial Officer, expressed that, "The Pillars of Culture are critical in fostering the collaborative, positive and fast-paced work environment we have here at Brilliant Earth. One that stands out for me is Embracing Growth and Change. Always looking for opportunities to operate more effectively is very deeply ingrained in how we work. It is very energizing to work with a team that is continually improving and growing."
Growth & Measuring Success
Our goals reach every part of our organization, from our Board and the CEO to our teams: Responsible Sourcing, Merchandising, Product Development, Marketing, Sourcing and Production, Operations, Customer Service, and Human Resources. "Our team likes to set goals that are 'SMART' – Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. This, along with establishing clear owners and conducting recurring progress updates, allows us to set ourselves up to success for key accomplishments that we want to achieve throughout the year," shares Annie Chen, our SVP of Merchandising. Merchandising and Planning, alongside many other teams, play a pivotal role in setting and implementing strategic direction of our product and category lines and look to measurable data to inform our creative decisions.
The Pillars of Culture are also a key part of our annual review process in measuring and evaluating employee performance on the pillars further reinforces their importance within our organization. This pillars are also used to identify and celebrate success – for example, each month we celebrate a "Time to Shine" recipient at our all-staff meeting. This award recognizes an employee who has gone above and beyond to embody our Pillars of Culture in their day to day work. Read more about one of our Time to Shine recipients, Gina Fahnestock!
"Because we embrace and embody these core values, we are able to accomplish so much each and every day. This makes me proud to contribute to meaningful actions and initiatives that keep our mission at the forefront of what we do while driving the business forward to impact the jewelry industry," said Yas.
Which pillar is your favorite?
Beth Gerstein: Embrace Growth and Change
"We pride ourselves in staying at the forefront of advances in the eCommerce and jewelry industries. We ask our team to be champions of continuous improvement. Every team member is encouraged to look for new opportunities to support our goals and mission. This has allowed us to grow as an industry leader, and pushes us to continue achieving a higher level of success as an organization."
Allison Charalambous: Mission Mindset
“I was attracted to the company for its Mission Mindset, but I ultimately ended up joining Brilliant Earth because of its Commitment to the Customer. Unfortunately, there is widespread exaggeration in sustainability and environmental claims, a.k.a. green washing. And so, it was important to me to work for a company that was transparent and accountable for their claims. As I interviewed for my position and learned more about the company, I was very impressed by the processes Brilliant Earth had in place to verify the brand’s claims, hold vendors accountable, and uphold a commitment to the customer. It was this commitment that brought me to Brilliant Earth, and it is this commitment to our Mission and our customers that is so rewarding in my day-to-day work here. When we make a commitment, we keep that commitment,” said Allison Charalambous, VP of Responsible Sourcing and Sustainability.
Chris Saggio: Commitment to the Customer
“The Pillars of Culture are such an important part of the fabric that makes up Brilliant Earth.They are our guiding principles in our day-to-day business practices, as well as provide the framework of how we show up for each other every single day.
One of my favorite pillars is Commitment to the Customer. It is the single most important reason we are here every day. What sets BE's commitment to the customer apart from other retailers is that it allows us to be a part of the full customer journey. From the nervous excitement of their very first appointment to receiving the photos from that special proposal moment, we are with our customers every step of the way. We have the honor of being a part of someone's love story and this is a responsibility to my team and I take very seriously.
This pillar reminds us that our priority is the customer and that every decision we make prioritizes them...it truly is the best part of the job!” said Chris Saggio, Associate Director, Customer Experience.
Briana Baker: Ownership
“Ownership is a Pillar of Culture that I enjoy because it encourages me to not be afraid to think outside the box and take pride in the work that I am putting forward. Being able to work in a collaborative environment, where my colleagues and I are encouraged to bring big ideas to life, has allowed me to see the impact in the work we do each day. Working at a company that emphasizes the importance of taking Ownership in your work, has allowed me to learn, grow, and develop into the leader that I am today and motivates me to strive for more!” said Briana Baker, Customer Experience Regional Manager.
Bianca Avanceña: Partnership and Positivity
Working for Brilliant Earth means working for a company that aims to be at the forefront of providing a luxury shopping experience, both online and in our showrooms. This means that our teams are constantly working together on ideating and delivering on these game-changing initiatives. We would not be successful without Partnership & Positivity as a pillar of culture, as fostering a community of collaboration, respect and encouragement provides us with an environment conducive to constant cross functional work, across levels, locations and time zones. It's important to be surrounded by teammates who will celebrate your wins, but it is special to have a place where you are encouraged to keep going through challenges and mistakes,” said Bianca Avanceña, Senior Director, Operations.
Our Pillars of Culture are the foundational of our success and drive our day to day. We are always looking for team members who embody these pillars and bring them to life!
Are you interested in joining the Brilliant Earth team? Apply on our careers page!
