We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Katie Wright a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Katie, so great to be with you and I think a lot of folks are going to benefit from hearing your story and lessons and wisdom. Imposter Syndrome is something that we know how words to describe, but it’s something that has held people back forever and so we’re really interested to hear about your story and how you overcame imposter syndrome.
As a self-taught designer, stepping into the world of fine jewelry has made me feel like an imposter more times than I can count. I don’t have formal design training—though I’ve always loved collecting, arranging, and creating beautiful things—and for a long time, I dreaded the question, “So where did you get your training?”
It used to feel like getting caught doing something I wasn’t supposed to, which I guess is the definition of imposter syndrome. But then I had a realization that completely shifted my perspective. I noticed that when I told clients I didn’t have formal training, they didn’t walk out of my studio—instead, they felt inspired.
The idea that I was designing fine jewelry without traditional schooling made them wonder: If she can do this, what’s stopping me from opening that restaurant I’ve always dreamed about? Or picking up a paintbrush even though I’ve never taken an art class?
Seeing that reaction in people really shifted it for me. Not only did it make me proud of my own path, but it also made me excited to spark that same sense of possibility in others with my story!
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
In November, we opened our first brick-and-mortar studio in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and the response from the community has been incredible. It’s been especially meaningful because, honestly, starting this brand has been one of the hardest things I’ve ever done.
I launched Moonryvr about four years ago with my husband, Will, right after our son was born. We sold our house in D.C. and moved to the countryside when he was just eight days old, pouring everything—our energy, our time, our savings—into building this business. Almost immediately, I realized I had postpartum depression, which made the already overwhelming challenge of raising two babies under two while trying to scale a brand-new company even harder.
Neither of us had any prior experience in the jewelry or luxury space, and it quickly became clear that this was going to be a much steeper climb than we had imagined. There were a lot of sleepless nights, a lot of late-night work sessions that ended in tears (mine). In the beginning, it felt like one step forward, two steps back.
But now, less than four years later, I am so proud of where we are. Last fall, we opened our first design studio—a beautiful space where I spend my days sketching and dreaming up new pieces for our collections, and where we welcome clients who want to create heirloom-worthy custom jewelry.
Lately, custom design has been my favorite part of what we do, because while we make beautiful pieces, it’s not really about the jewelry—it’s about the moment. People come to us when they’re so in love they’ve decided to spend their lives together. Or when they’ve welcomed a new baby, celebrated a milestone, or lost someone they love and want something to remember them by. It still amazes me that people walk into our studio and trust me to design a tiny piece of art in metal and stone to honor these incredible life moments. It’s such an honor.
At the same time, the style of Moonryvr has evolved and become more distinct. I love that each new piece I create feels more and more like it belongs to Moonryvr—not just to me. The brand has taken on a life of its own, and watching it step into its own identity is so exciting.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
At this point, I don’t really think of myself as a designer as much as an entrepreneur. The truth is, designing is the easy part—it’s inspiring and fulfilling. But entrepreneurship, while incredibly rewarding and something I wouldn’t trade for anything, can be brutal at times.
When I think about what’s helped us succeed, I don’t necessarily credit my design abilities as much as the fact that Will and I just refused to give up. The number of mistakes we made in the beginning still makes me feel sick to think about. There were entire months where we were focused on the wrong things, and reflecting on that is hard. But from early on, we poured everything into Moonryvr and never considered any other option except making it thrive.
I still struggle with this, but having faith in ourselves and our vision—even before that vision looked anything like reality—has been crucial. Believing in something before it exists, and believing that you are the one who can bring it to life, is unbelievably challenging. But I think it might also be the most indispensable part of entrepreneurship.
We’ve all got limited resources, time, energy, focus etc – so if you had to choose between going all in on your strengths or working on areas where you aren’t as strong, what would you choose?
I don’t love this, but I’ve come to terms with the fact that if I want to keep growing—as a mom, an entrepreneur, a wife, a designer—then I have to keep confronting my weaknesses and working on them. I’ve decided that if I want to be successful, I just have to keep doing the hardest, most tedious things that no one else wants to do. Because if I don’t push myself to grow, I’ll stagnate. And I want to grow.
That said, I also happened to marry (and turn into my business partner) an incredible person who takes things off my plate—especially the things I’m not great at or just flat-out don’t enjoy. We can call that balance… or hypocrisy. Either way, it helps!
Maybe the answer isn’t to just lean into your strengths but to work on your weaknesses, too. And along the way, find a partner—whatever that looks like for you—who can help make sure that in the process of addressing your weaknesses, you don’t end up crushed by them.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://moonryvr.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moonryvr
Image Credits
Katie Wright
Dasha Crawford
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
