Resilience and Radiance: An Inspirational Path from Tragedy to Purpose After 50
Join host Emily Bron as she interviews Marina Korneev. Marina, a San Francisco-based luxury pearl jewelry business owner, shares her inspiring journey from personal tragedy to entrepreneurial success. Discover Marina’s immigration experience, her evolution from pearl collecting to jewelry design, and how pearls became a symbol of resilience in her life. The conversation also delves into the sustainability of pearls, their history, and the jewelry market. Marina’s brand holds exciting plans for growth and innovation, promising an inspiring journey ahead.
Join host Emily Bron as she interviews Marina Korneev, a luxury pearl jewelry entrepreneur from San Francisco. Discover Marina’s journey from personal tragedy to success, her immigration story, and how pearls symbolize resilience in her life. Learn about pearl sustainability, history, and the jewelry market, plus Marina’s exciting plans for her brand’s future growth and innovation. Don’t miss this inspiring conversation!
TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 Introduction to Pearl Collecting
02:34 Introducing Marina Korneev
03:52 Marina’s Early Life and Immigration Journey
09:48 Discovering Pearls: A New Passion
13:39 From Hobby to Business: The Pearl Journey
22:37 Challenges and Growth in the Pearl Business
35:32 Future Plans and Inspirations
43:34 Advice for Finding New Purpose After 50
46:11 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
Emily: Hello, hello. It’s Emily Bron, and today I have with me my dear guest, Marina Korneev from San Francisco, USA.
In the wake of personal tragedy, Marina found solace, and a new beginning in the luminescent world of pearls.
What started as a grieving widow’s hobby in 2016, fueled by passion discovered through renowned pearl forum, has blossomed in Marina Korneev Fine Pearls, a luxury pearl jewelry business. Marina’s journey from collector to connoisseur and finally to an entrepreneur is a testament of resilience, passion, and transformative power of beauty.
And I would like Again, welcome you Marina.
Marina: Thank you. Thank you. Hi, Emily.
Emily: We are both immigrants. And I would like to start our conversation kind of from our first steps in adult life. Your journey from Odessa to San Francisco. And into the world, of course, is incredibly inspiring.
Could you share more about your life in Ukraine, immigration to the U. S., first steps in a new country, and how this immigration experience has shaped your life perspective and approach to your craft?
Marina: Well so my life in Ukraine. I have a very tight, a very loving and supporting family and like, my parents.
So my first education was Russian language and literature. And that was actually Happening when the Soviet Union collapsed and the life’s changed very much for all of us. So I never actually worked with my first, profession. And when my mom went to United States in New York in 1992, just to visit.
And when she came back and said, we got to go. And I’m very grateful for, it’s one of the probably two most important things in my life that she gave, that she gave birth to me. She, she gave me life and she gave me a new country to, to thrive and prosper. And so and when we actually decided as a family that we’re planning to immigrate, I changed my profession and I went to nursing school in Odessa because, my sister was a nurse. And when I finished we immigrated to the United States to San Francisco. I loved it from the very start. I knew it. Like, I never had the nostalgic. I felt like, oh, it’s a place for me. Never had, problem with connecting to people though. I was very shy and I , understood a lot of English, but I was, I was afraid to speak.
I was afraid to make mistakes. And at the time. It was a course for, foreign nurses here that actually helped us to ease into, into that society and, and get ready for the license, for the licensing exam. So I, I learned English. In for profession we had lots of training in the local hospitals.
It was great, but I, again, it’s never Transferred into profession. Another education I never worked in because at the time there was a, high tech boom and we were like, in the very middle, what, in San Francisco, in Silicon Valley, in the middle of that boom. So actually, my father came to me and said, Oh, you know what?
Why don’t you check out the Quality Assurance profession, and go this way? So I did and, and that was my actually I took a pretty comprehensive course on quality assurance because I was not tech shy, but I wasn’t tech savvy too much, but actually it helped a lot. And at the time, QA was like for everybody, people will like stop on the street and say, do you want to be QA?
And my first ever job in the United States was in quality assurance as a contractor. And my first salary I remember was like $25 an hour back in 1998.
Pretty decent for the first, ever. And I did it for a few years until the big crash, which left me again, again, the other crossroads in my mid thirties. And I my next step was. I actually went to retail and worked a little bit in retail in San Francisco and Nordstrom.
And they very quickly realized that I like luxury stuff, that I like very high end stuff. And they nudged me towards like designers department, but it didn’t last too long for me. That profession was satisfying. You have like, in high tech, you have a project, you have a goal, you have achievement, you celebrate that achievement and something is done.
So then I met my husband. He was also immigrant from St. Petersburg. His life was very, very different and he had only like two jobs in his life. He was like a scientist in St. Petersburg University and he came in the U. S. and he was a scientist in Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. So this was like two things for me. It was like different.
And so we met, we we got married and I got pregnant very quickly and I didn’t feel well for, My health definitely wasn’t supporting you know, that. So I had to quit my job and stay home and leave all this, workforce behind and lead a life as a wife, as a homemaker, and mom.
And though we have. We started our own business. It was a very easy side hustle for me because he was the scientist and the consultant and there was like on the background doing something like scheduling
Emily: what kind of business, sorry?
Marina: He was a consultant for academia and industry for oil and gas industry.
He was a seismologist. So, and I was just doing, a little bit on the ground. It was not, you know, Very professional,
Emily: some admin work
Marina: wasn’t very challenging, but then in the end of 2015, our son was nine years old and my husband died of a heart attack, so I was left, with a child with no profession, I mean, no vacation, no nothing to rely on and that was The hardest time in my life because it was first true real tragedy that struck me suddenly and it took me a while probably around a year to get to feel something to be able to, get out of bed and, start to, take care of stuff around me.
And my family actually very supportive. Again, my sisters, they were trying to cheer me up somehow. They would take me on some kind of trip. Or give me something to occupy my mind with. And one day when we were traveling to New York where my one, my older sister lived, she showed me you know, she was collecting like vintage brooches, vintage, custom jewelry. And she showed me something. I said, Oh, here, here’s this. And she showed me like a brooch. It was a faux pearl poodle of like silver poodle, just like our dog. And she gave it to me and said, Oh, you know what? There is a Facebook group where people actually talk about jewelry and, and talk about designers and talk about trends and go see, maybe you will like something there just to, spend time with.
So I went there, I started to poke around and one day stumbled upon uh, necklace, just white, simple white Mikimoto necklace with beautiful photos and beautiful copy, beautiful text beautiful story that I got so into, so I, I bought it. I never ever before my, in my life, liked pearls.
I said, Oh, it’s not for me. They’re ugly. They’re crinkly. there’s no attraction in pearls for me. But that story somehow lured me in and I bought them. I paid like probably like three times the premium and started to research.
What is it about? What kind of pearls are they? What kind of clasp is there? What this stamp means? What this, trademark means? And that actually led me to a forum, an American forum called Pearl Guide, where I found information and actually Like a whole new world opened before my eyes. I never knew that what kind of pearls there is.
Oh, there’s a colors that the, sizes, the gold pearls, black pearls, blue, green. And it was fascinating. I dived right in. I started to consume and it took all my time. So And I, I started collect pearls. I started connect with people who who were in the pearl world, like pearl farmers people who actually have like, um, pearl dealers pearl collectors and, you know, hobbies.
Then I went to, of course, to educate myself. I finished a course in pearl grading and I got a certification. So I’m a certified pearl specialist now. Again, it’s, was on the stage of being a hobby, but at least, It took me away from my, constant grief and being, consumed in my, my loss.
Emily: So it actually became a turning point in your life, yes? So, yeah, and assisted you in this challenging time and actually gave you the new direction. And, you know, when I’m listening to you and I know you a little bit, so pearls for you a passion and a mission and what I can outline your story to see your storytelling What it is because through pearls, you really sharing with people, interesting stories.
And I been a little bit in your Facebook group and I know that even on your website, you are sharing your knowledge, but in such interesting, unique storytelling Style that it’s really bring beauty, knowledge, and understanding, and even your craft to the different level. So, as I understand, each pearl is unique.
And I believe each carry its special story. So how you integrate this individual qualities of the pearls and stories in your kind of content, in your communication with people and how this connection resonate with your audience.
Marina: So pearls are though being one of the first ever gems that humankind stumbled upon, basically stumbled upon when we’re looking for food in the shallow banks of oceans to this day, still one of the least understood gems by general public and believe me, I, I talk about pearls in all continents that I could with people of all walks of life from very affluent to, work class people ,and even jewelers.
Do not really understand pearls in the there’s not always a real appreciation to them. So to actually lure people into my world, and I’m a person who When like something when love something is trying to share it with everybody trying to spread the knowledge spread the love and as my sister always joking that we’re so lucky you love beautiful stuff because if you’d like something ugly, we’d have to love something ugly because you’re so passionate about.
So people know, let’s say, diamonds, everybody know diamonds, heard about it, or if they don’t know, there’s like certification comes with it, and what characteristics, and they’re pretty universal in every country where you can buy diamonds. With pearls, the story is very, very different.
Since we only have a hundred year history of cultured pearls, that’s what my trade so people still do not understand what’s the difference, and what’s the difference in quality, why this pearl cost $50, and that one cost, like, $5,000, why? Because we do not understand and there is no universal classification in pearls they might be very different. So this is a field where trust and A knowledge of a person who you’re buying from is extremely important. Like in every business, you’ve got to trust the person you’re dealing with, right? You’ve got to trust in their knowledge, their professional, experience in their expertise. A lot of things, Is based on trust,
Emily: Marina, but I’m sorry, as far as I know, you have some special official qualification in the Pearl world. There is some licensing, there is some kind of recognition and you actually possess one of them. How it’s all works around?
Marina: You need a lot of actually hands on. Experience of handling pearls as with the quality assurance, everything is comparison. So you compare one, you’re holding one strand of pearls and then another, you’re holding another. How they differ if they are like same color and like, like same size, the same shape as, as the better luster.
Then, the surface is clean, how clean it is. So yes, there is some tentative qualification that goes that, but to understand them it’s got to be a trained eye and certification alone doesn’t give it to you. You’ve got to have actual knowledge and expertise. That’s where I spend more than a year with a very renowned pearl traders in the area.
And this like a third generation and handle millions of pearls to just understand what’s the difference. Like in Gemological Institution of America, they have like physical test panels where they have pearls of different characteristics so the the specialists can actually compare.
The one that is the given for for certification for their analysis so they can compare to for example of exceptional example that for the quality, it’s actually go in like this configures exceptional luster, very clean surface, and does such color, such overtone.
It’s, it’s it’s a knowledge, yeah, and it’s, and it’s training, and they’re both probably, equally important. And of course with time, it deepens. I know, I basically, I started, what, seven years ago, and my knowledge deepens, it deepens, and I know, I still know that I have to learn a lot of stuff.
Behind me, you can see some books. It’s a small part of my Perl library, and I collect books that are from the beginning of last century and through, through the latest publications that I’m still waiting to be published. So there’s something you, you learn a lot.
Emily: Speaking about books, as far as I know, you started to write your own books.
I don’t know the name, but I believe your storytelling experience and your deeper knowledge Actually, we’ll make some interesting entries and I’m looking forward. I’m not pricing you, but I’m looking forward for the book. I understand it’s a process and, but I believe that eventually with all your knowledge and practical experience, you can leave the legacy in, in a book format as well.
Marina: Yeah, I was thinking about it, but since we have most of Pearl the pool of Pearl books written in English, some in French, lots of them like in Japanese, but mostly but nothing in Russian, which is our native language. My goal was actually to have a book in Russian. And that’s kind of got on the backburner right now after all the events on in life in a couple of wars that we’re going through right now, it’s kind of on the back burner.
And, and again people who write books and if they’re like, serious in their profession, they actually first get gather. All they can, and I still and I still consider myself in early stages of being a real pearl, specialist, a real pearl entrepreneur that has something to give back to the world in the, written format.
For now, I’m sticking to like my social media.
Emily: Marina, I very appreciate your modesty, but your work. And I’ve seen your work like on your website, and I, I’m sure other people will appreciate it as well, and the small kind of ads I don’t think it’s a work of beginner, it’s work of person with, creative mind and expertise.
And I understand that every day, you try to Excel in your craft because it’s your personality actually. And you very care about quality, but I actually Can go back to your personal story. Like I feel that this transformative power of beauty, which actually change your life, you trying to bring this power to life of other people, mostly woman, I believe.
Yes. Your, your clients and, and followers. And and actually, What began as a hobby became business. So, yes, you’re transforming, your business transforming. And tell me please, at what precise moment, or what experience actually motivated you to take your hobby forward to the full fledged entrepreneurial journey?
Marina: Yeah, as I say to everybody that’s, that’s pearls and my dog, our dog saved me, saved me from the deep depression and from, becoming something. I don’t want to think about what would become but you’re right. I treated it for a long time until probably the mid pandemic, when I actually was still with my friends in their pearl business.
I actually treat it as just a hobby. Very expensive hobby or like side hustle. When people who come to my social medias ask, Oh, you’re talking about pearls, are you offering any? And I would offer here and there, something. Like special order for person because I, I, again, I became friends and partners with whole farmers so I could directly buy from them and offer for the very, very good prices.
And but last year at the beginning of the year I I was invited to Israel by my friend and was supposed to be a vacation actually turned in that when I brought my family, like my mom, my sister, and my best friend came from Odessa and my aunt came from Odessa, so I had like a whole, like a huge gang landed in Israel, and that was actually was playing as a vacation, but actually turned out into a business trip.
Because people who were reading my Pearl posts on Facebook for years said, Oh, we were waiting for you for three years to come and give us, like, show us Pearls in real, like, in real time. And tell us stories, like, that touch you, you’re a real person with real stories and real Pearls. So For me to come there and actually offer them my, my creations, I needed to create a website.
Because how would I, you know, how would they pay me? How would they receive money? And I had to become a little, web designer. So I created a website. I started to gather pearls and all the materials that I would need for a beautiful presentation. And I came and it was a complete success.
I had like four events in different parts of Israel from from north to south and in the center and in Jerusalem. And when I came back, I understood, okay, it’s enough playing, business. Are you doing business or you’re not doing business? And I actually got serious. I went to take another business course.
And very quickly realized that the generic more or less offered a business course online. Though very expensive, it doesn’t cover the needs that I need because I’m offering product that is pretty expensive. And if I’m offering it online only, it’s e commerce only, how to actually advertise it, how to promote it, how to, to, what is Google, what is SEO?
I never heard those words. I never heard, Never knew, so I had to crash and burn a few times with understanding because the most pleasant part of my business, it’s actually creating jewelry, but the rest of it is actually hard work. Lots of learning, lots of, communication and tons of money they needed to make
Emily: It’s a different business and i’m learning as well.
We’re exchanging with you our impression from different courses and because specifically in today’s world like, To, to, to develop business and you trying to sell online and you helping your clients online, but even without online, it’s, it’s a whole different ball of game. Yes. And so, and the, and even professionals learning like at the same time, I mean, people with entrepreneurial or business or sales experience learning it at speed in order to be.
Relevant to to time we are living. So I am really, admire your persistence and your courage and, and your abilities because you are working as a jeweler. And actually, I even don’t know how much time, how you navigate all this and, and taking the courses of, promoting your business or making, online sales and presentations.
And, and usually let’s, let’s fairly speaking, it’s a difference between solopreneur and the company, which is stuff people who usually, behind like marketing department sales department, manufacturing department, accounting here. It’s one person usually.
Yeah. So you, you can hire like a photographer maybe to help you, but, but a lot of skills that we need to learn actually being after 50 as a new ones and not only learning, but trying to perfect with them. So I really commend you. And I know that this process is a nonstop process. Actually, entrepreneurial journey, it’s a separate journey and you kind of combine both of them and still learning and perfecting your skills with pearls and being entrepreneur.
it’s not a piece of cake, I would say, but you’re doing it. And what do you think, what skills or internal power What’s helping you?
Marina: I think age is, not a factor a negative factor. It’s actually a positive factor because that your time is limited.
So you’re not taking any nonsense. When you understand that thing doesn’t work, you, you leave it behind and go through it and, Start something else. But I’m not talking about like business business. And I know like, what’s the statistics tells us like small business will die within a year, like a huge percentage, and then even, even bigger percentage will die within five years because people just crash and burn because they, they, scale.
Too early, or they spend money and then, do not see a result. But with being older, first of all, you do have your own behind you as a whole, your experience, life experience in different professions and different, with relationship with your, communicating skills.
And yeah, you can learn like with me, learning pearls and doing that it’s the easiest and most pleasant part, but the rest is from one hand, it’s challenging from another. We live in times where everything can be learned online. Everything can be consumed in chunks. And if you need a person who knows better, then you can always hire somebody for a consultation.
And you can always find A shortcut, but like a smart shortcut, so we actually can benefit from that right now. Also my understanding, yeah, solopreneur, one of my realization, recent ones is like, it’s a very, very lonely. job. So to find a group of like minded professionals, they do not have to be in your field.
Absolutely not. But they understand what you’re going through. Maybe they will help you. Maybe they’re accountant or they’re like, knows what is CRM and how to navigate it. And so it’s always understanding that you cannot do everything, but that you have limitation and, and admit it and, and actually ask for help.
I think it’s also comes with age. So I do not think that being after 50 limits us when changing our life drastically in many, many, many ways. For me I’m getting excited more and more the more I learn and I understand that for solopreneur at first, especially when dealing in products that is very expensive.
So you spend a lot of money there. So you cannot, have a Luxury of hiring somebody for like full time right away, but at least you understand how to do that. And when you’re ready to hire, how to check and, and, and see what’s actually that person is bringing to your team. And, and the, and another thing that to just to scale just on time, not too early.
When you’re not ready to proceed further, like you, you cannot build a huge team and then just say, okay, people, I just ran out of money and we didn’t sell anything. So I’m in that, I’m in that early stage. Basically, my business is. What one year old my like profession is one thing, but business is another just one year old.
But I believe that I’m I’m set for success.
Emily: I mean, I understand one year old is online business, but you started with jewelry design years ago. I know that you were selling for years already. So it just for clarity seeking. So Just trying to explain to people that being entrepreneur, it’s by itself, it’s a different kind of set of skills.
But Marina’s skills in jewelry design started already years and Marina has already collection of different jewelry designs. You might speak a little bit about what kind of jewelry you creating. But now the challenge is actually to, to make it on a different level, yes, to, to make it visible for, for people online and it’s a challenge that Marina is working on for the year.
Marina: You are absolutely right. But like to be a painter, I don’t know who and the part of a crew or a company is one thing you may be very, very skilled painter, but to start your painting company is a little different. And the same with me. Yes, I can create jewelry. I can I can talk about pearls for hours, but actually it’d be a business.
Owner is a completely different skill set and a set of mine. working not for a man, but for yourself and know all the risks and actually all the fears that might, be with it. So that’s a different thing. So yes, I do consider my business as one year old. Yeah. My profession is a bit, longer than that, but my business, business is just in the, it’s like very, very early stages. I do believe that finding right mentorship, right community for to support you, to help you is very, very important. And because like. Last year, I, when I started and found this business course and that completely was a waste of time and money for me.
I wish I knew somebody who would tell me, Marina, no, you need some, no. Go the different ways,
Emily: you know, only errors and trials and I, I fully understand you. So at the moment you, you think that, Oh, it’s exactly what I need. But actually after some time you overgrow, it might be good for the time, you just overgrow and you need something else.
And it’s good that there’s a variety of courses and you found your tribe of professionals and jewelry professionals and network. It’s very important to have. Network of people who support you. So I see that you have all components of successfully, driving your business to the different level.
Marina: I was saying that the, just like you’re stepping on each step in like your elementary school and then in the middle school and then your high school. So you’re basically even with the same Topic with the same thing you, you’re just learning and learning and it’s never ending, never ending process, which is very good.
We’ve got to chase Alzheimer’s sometime, so learning stuff just keeps us young and in not only in heart,
Emily: it keep us young because we are learning, we are curious, we are trying to achieve something, we communicating with people or we we became a different version, better version of ourselves.
I believe so. Yeah, and My next question based on evolution of your brand and I consider you the brand again, Marina Carnier Fine Pearls, it’s a brand and feedback from your clients and other jewelry design professionals. What future projects or initiatives Are you excited about what are you planning in this regard?
Marina: What i’m planning? I’m carving my niche in the american market, my Focus before I was mostly on the foreign market Israel and europe russian speaking communities all over the world, but now I actually want to find my place in the American market. It’s a big goal for me. It will take time. And my goal is actually because pearls are a sustainable choice in luxury.
It’s a very conscientious and very positive for the environment. Industry that, that actually and I’m talking about like saltwater pearls that, that our lagoons should be, our ocean should be pristine to actually for oysters that, that give us those beautiful pearls were were thriving.
And what are we going to to leave to our children, right? And yes, there’s an industry talking, and it’s all on the rise, there’s lab grown diamonds, and the younger generation chooses that, And so the younger generation uses pearls because it’s that’s positive for environment and my goal to give part of my proceeds to ocean cleaning organizations to, to, to the charity that actually will make a difference.
In in our Children’s future, I want to leave not only a legacy for my own Children just to be to be a part of that. But that’s my work actually adds to the prosperity, beauty and thriving our planet. That’s my personal and global goals.
Emily: Very, very interesting. And actually, I noticed that your models are mostly young women, actually girls, models who wear your jewelry.
And for me, even recently like I’ve had this perception that pearls is, for older lady, like, queen, queen likes the pearls and other, because it was sign of prestige aristocracy, like they wearing the pearls. And actually your design and your young models I was not thinking about sustainability, but now I see how it all works together.
They’re enjoying this one. Because again, first for me, it’s a classic, but it’s this type of classic, which really attract young generation. Yes?
Marina: Yes. But it’s also a modern classic. It’s the one that doesn’t have to be stuffy. And you, you’ve got to, wearing your cashmere pair and the classical black, black bag or so pearls are very different and they can be worn very differently and they look very good with you’re with a gown or with a, like t shirt and, and jeans, it doesn’t matter.
And they’re on pretensions and very little people know how much they cost. And if a politician wears like a strand of pearls, it doesn’t create outrage as if she was wearing like a like a diamond. Necklace full of diamonds. It would be people kind of know more about diamonds than they understand pearls and pearls are appropriate for any occasion from, I don’t know, christening to, to funeral and everywhere, anywhere, but they do not have to be, just the classical white strand were worn with I don’t know costume that you the suit that where you you’re actually look overdone.
Emily: Where did you take inspiration for your designs from nature from, how you create because I see the different lines different styles in your jewelry,
Marina: Pearls themselves are so different. So many variations. So forms, shapes colors. And, and so they, sometimes they, they will dictate how the better to present them.
And also using I like this style with, The chain between them that give lightness, airiness, and also it’s not pretentious or super official looking. The inspiration comes first of all look on trends. What, what do industry, looking at right now or maybe there’s some new pearl varieties on the market like Chinese growers, they always inventing something interesting.
They’re, they’re competing very heavily with the saltwater market. And, and they grow hundreds of tons of pearls each year, but now they’re, they’re abandoning that practice of growing so much to, towards the growing more selective and, and smaller, but refined quality pearls. And it’s always interesting and I love to work with clients who, who would just create bespoke jewelry.
Like even today I spoke with the lady who’s local here and she wants an engagement ring to meet with Pearl, which is not unusual, but not very, spread like diamonds or even different gemstones. So something comes from from every, everywhere and most, but I mostly navigate towards maybe because I still am too early in my career of that.
I, I prefer classical look. I prefer more and I tend to choose highest quality pearls. Versus lower quality, but with very intricate design needs that thing belongs to an two artists. And so sometimes it gives me just sadness that, oh, such a wonderful some meticulous fine work is combined with the low quality pearls.
And I said, Oh, it’s kind of, tells me that people do not understand pearls too much. They can see the difference in quality because the price is not outrageously different. You can find, especially if who to, whom to ask, you can find wonderful, beautiful, high quality pearls and they will be affordable. So, I’m trying to, to stick to the more classical look. And, and you’re right, even though my models are younger, my products show actually a lady who is 70 years old. And my client is a is a, is a lady like you and me in our 50s. But still. self purchasers knows what she wants.
She doesn’t follow trends, she doesn’t follow influencers. She already knows what she wants and how she wants to look. But to give her ideas, just to show her what actually is out there because not a lot of people know what’s what’s actually out there, what’s available. And give them the varieties.
You see, you’ve never heard about it. You’ve never seen it. So here it is.
Emily: Marina, where people can find more information about your jewelry? About yourself?
Marina: So I have a website that calls marinakorneev.com where I sell my stuff. I, I have Instagram account which goes @marinakorneevfinepearls
they can connect to me through email. marina@marinakorneev.com And yeah I love to talk to people about pearls and any questions about pearls. I’m always eager and willing to, to answer.
Emily: And the last question, coming back to our topic and our life what would be your advice for other people looking for the new life purpose after 50?
based on your experience and your life?
Marina: Well frankly, I do not know how my life would turn if my husband was alive. Where would I be? So, my advice is when you’re actually standing in front of some crucial event in your life might be a a loss or again immigration or even you lost your job.
Emily: Sudden retirement.
Marina: Or retirement of not to give up and actually, dig within yourself and maybe your profession, like you were liking to crochet or, I don’t know, maybe you will turn it into something much more fulfilling and bigger than just a little hobby. sitting by the window and, needing just believe in.
Emily: So I am about fine. Or to remember your old hobby, old skills, or to find something new and enjoy your life even with hope.
Marina: I know. I know. Exactly. And from what I’m seeing in professional groups that I am joining professional, like a business professional, not in my profession, but so I see that the majority of members are people in their 50s, people who actually change their professions and they have found a new calling and new, new passion and something to look forward to.
Not only like To spending time with grandchildren, that would be like very important, but something to fulfill themselves. I see a lot of them actually doing something completely new and changing life and starting, starting from, from scratch sometimes. Yeah. So don’t give up, find, find your stuff, and even your hobby can become something that you never thought it would be and that people will pay money for it.
Emily: Thank you very much, Marina. Thank you for your stories, and I wish you the best. In your entrepreneurial journey, in your jewelry design personally, I really enjoy your story. I hope other people will do the same. Thank you again and good luck.
Marina: Thank you. Same to you.
Marina Korneev
CEO & Co-founder, Marina Korneev Fine Pearls A passionate entrepreneur with a flair for luxury and sustainability
Transforming tragedy into triumph, I’ve built Marina Korneev Fine Pearls from a personal journey of healing and discovery. With over two decades of experience in the tech industry and a background in nursing, I bring a unique perspective to the world of luxury pearl jewelry.
Marina Korneev: A Journey Through Tragedy, Pearls, and Entrepreneurship After 50
Marina’s journey began in Odessa, Ukraine, where she grew up in a supportive family environment before moving to the United States in the early ’90s. With an educational background in Russian language and literature, Marina never anticipated the turns her career would take, from nursing to quality assurance in the booming tech industry of San Francisco and finally to retail. In these early professional experiences, Marina honed the skills and resilience that would later fuel her entrepreneurial spirit.
Turning Grief into Pearls of Hope
Marina’s life took a dramatic and painful turn with the sudden loss of her husband. Left a widow with a young son, she faced her darkest hours with uncertainty. During this period, Marina stumbled upon the world of pearls, a discovery that marked the beginning of her healing and transformation. Fueled by a newfound passion discovered through a renowned pearl forum, what started as a hobby soon blossomed into Marina Korneev Fine Pearls. This luxury pearl jewelry business stands as a beacon of resilience and beauty.
Cultivating a Passion Into a Thriving Business
Marina’s path from a grieving widow to a successful entrepreneur was anything but linear. Through her engagement with the pearl world, Marina became a certified pearl specialist, connecting with pearl farmers, dealers, and collectors globally. This venture, initially a coping mechanism, evolved into a mission to share the beauty and diversity of pearls with others. Marina’s meticulous attention to detail and dedication to quality has defined her work, helping her carve a niche in the luxury jewelry market.
Empowering Others Through the Art of Storytelling and Sustainable Luxury
In the interview, Emily and Marina discuss the importance of storytelling in connecting with audiences. Marina’s skill in weaving fascinating narratives around each pearl translates into a unique and engaging brand experience. Beyond the allure of luxury, Marina’s endeavour is deeply rooted in sustainability and ethical craftsmanship, emphasizing pearls as a conscious choice for environmentally-minded consumers.
Advice for Finding Life Purpose After 50
Marina’s journey is a powerful reminder that there is always time to reinvent oneself or to find new purpose and fulfillment. She encourages others standing at the crossroads of life, especially after 50, to explore their passions, no matter how big or small they may seem. Marina’s story exemplifies how personal tragedies can lead to beautiful new beginnings and how hobbies or interests can evolve into successful businesses.
Marina Korneev’s tale is not just about the luminous world of pearls but about navigating life’s ebbs and flows with grace, resilience, and a relentless pursuit of passion. It is an inspiring example for anyone looking to reinvent their life and find freedom and purpose at any age.