Episode 38. From Kerrville to Couture: Jill Reno on Holding Beauty and Grief Together

Interview

Nov 24

What happens when your biggest career high collides with your hometown’s worst nightmare?

n this episode, I sit down with jewelry designer Jill Reno, whose path to Paris Haute Couture Weekstarted with plastic Michael’s beads on a not-so-glamorous layover in Milwaukee. From ballet andbusiness school to flight attendant life at Continental, sculpting with her grandfather, and reinvestingevery dollar of profit back into better stones, Jill’s story is one long exercise in “throw it all at thewall and see what sparkles.”

Jill shares how her whimsical lanyards evolved into fine jewelry worn by celebrities and featured inmajor fashion media, from W Trend (Women’s Wear Daily) toThe New York Times, Elle, andHarper’s, how she built a thriving wholesale business, and why she ultimately walked away from theregimented collection cycle to focus on couture, one-of-a-kind pieces, and deeply personal clientrelationships.

Then we go deeper. While Jill was debuting her work on the Haute Couture runway in Paris,catastrophic flooding devastated her hometown of Kerrville and the Guadalupe River community sheloves. We talk about what it’s like to hold those two realities at once—runway fittings and riverrescue texts, career dreams and communal grief—and how faith, friendship, travel, and an almoststubborn commitment to beauty have carried her through.

Listen to the full episode on your favorite podcast platform.

Subscribe and leave a quick rating or review if you enjoyed it.

“Hold space for God’s beauty.”

— Jill Reno

In This Episode, You'll Learn

How Dominique and John de Menil used art and patronage to shape Houston's cultural landscape.
Why Karl Lagerfeld's 2004 H&M collaboration was a huge risk - and why it worked.
What separates fast-turn journalism from long-form biography writing.
How to structure years of research into one clear narrative arc.
Why being first (not safest) is often the real advantage in creative careers.

Transcript

And so it was scary because I had two people telling me two different things that were very close tome, veryimportant to me. And I was like, I'm just going to go for it. And I'm going to go for it when peopleweretelling meI shouldn't be going for it. And that was scary. It was really scary at that time. That wasprobably the hardest thing I went through as a business, in my business career. I've heard your storyin bitsand pieces over the years, but I don't think I've ever heard like the whole thing
But the reason we're all here tonight is because we're celebrating your debut in Paris Haute CoutureFashionWeek. Yes. Which is very exciting. I think you can see what posters behind us, but we've got yourbeautifuljewelry here in the store. So it's exciting. I've lived in Paris and I just know how much fun I hadattendingand working behind the scenes in shows. But then you got to present your work for the first time inParis, socongratulations to you. Yeah, thank you. But we'll get there
So going back to the very beginning, what did you study in school and what did you think youwanted to be whenyou grew up? Well, I thought I wanted to be an attorney because I really didn't know what I wantedto do. ButI was big into ballet and business. So I started in business. And I love the arts. So I was doing likeperforming and like I was in a company for ballet and I was showing horses. And so I love likeperforming, butyeah. So, but business, cause I had no idea what I wanted to do. Okay. But somehow I know at somepoint youended up as a flight attendant. How did that happen? Well, I had a job offer, a really good job offerand itwasn't ready to grow up. And I started sculpting with my grandfather. I know. Nobody wants to growup. I stilldon't want to grow up. I'm like, that's not any fun. But I wasn't ready to grow up. So I thought I wouldbe aflight attendant, travel theworld, and then like go corporate with Continental. That's how old I am,with likeGordon Bethune because he took the company from last to first. I thought he was a really good CEO.And I wantedto like be in corporate America with him and then just travel. So that was the goal. Yeah. Well, wekind of hadthat common because my dad was a pilot for a continent. That's right. Yes, that's I'm sure at somepoint youguys crossed paths with Probably. Yeah
So you were doing, and if I remember the story correctly, you thought that your lanyards were a littleboring?Yeah. So tell us about that. So I was on a layover in Milwaukee, which I thought was not very fun. Itwasn'tlike Cancun or New York or somewhere. basically a layover. has some lovely places. Right. And Imean, nooffense to anybody from Milwaukee. But it's not a good place for a layover. It's not a good, yeah,kind of,yeah, exactly. So I started making these like lanyards out of like Michael's plastic beads. So exactlywhatyou're doing now. Literally the same thing! Dun-dun-dun, god-dun-dun-dun. But yeah, and because Iwanted towear something pretty because I grew up at like a private all girls, not all girls, but it was like aprivateCatholicschool. There was like one boy in our grade, so almost. But we had the same uniforms and itwasboring. So I'd always accessorize with my jewelry or like I'd have like a guest jacket on because thatwasreally cool, I guess. And so accessorizing with the uniform, like having to be a flight attendantwearing the same uniform. So that was kind of a way to like have something beautiful and different. And I startedlike justout of boredom making lanyards out of plastic beads for Michael's. And I was in the crew room andsomebody waslike, oh my gosh, that's so pretty. Where did you get that? I'm like, oh, I made them and I likegrabbed a wadout of my crew bag. And it was like a shark frenzy. Like they were like, I want this and I want this. itwaslike, and they asked how much it was and I had no idea because I wasn't planning on selling any. waslike, justgoing to give them to all my friends. I was like $10. And they're like, yes. And they like every singleone ofthem was gone.
And so my grandfather was a sculptor and I've been sculpting with him. went to art school in Mexicoand SammyGaldi and Dave. It's kind of started in jewelry a little bit, but it really like took off like, I mean, itwaslike a full like explosion of like career going like, I don't know. I know after that. So how did you gofrommaking lanyards out of Michael's? How does that doing actual jewelry? Well, okay, so I went to artschool. Istarted everything I made. Likehow do you go from the plastic and then like-Well that, but then alsogoingback, cause you studied business, but how did you go to art school and all middle of all that? Okay,so thatwas afterwards. Like I'd been to art school in Mexico. Okay. When I went to, when I was living inSan Miguel deYende, I was in art school. And then before that I was studying sculpting with my grandfather. Okay.Who stepsin front of like energy, like here in Houston and you know, whatever. Yeah. Yeah. And so I had thatpassion andthat love for the arts at that point. And I really wasn't interested in just business focused, you know.Soanyways, what did I do? Okay, so I started, everything I made, I reinvested into more expensivegemstones. Soinstead of doing plastic beads, then I would go get carnelian and peridot and started going into thesemi-precious, doing lanyards and bracelets. And then it literally like, everything I made 100 % wentback intojust reinvesting in better stuff. And then eventually it was silver andthen gold and then diamonds.And like,it was a really like heavy progression. So I was living off like ramen and like toast, know. Toast, youknow,toast with cheese on them. I'm like literally, I was like, but I mean, it was, I mean, when I first gotstarted,I was driving. I used Mazda. I was very proud of it. I used Mazda. This car was Mazda. Was it really?929. Oh mygosh. That's so awesome. I heated seats and microwave on it. You were big time. Yeah. You were big time. Yeah,yeah, yeah. So and I was stressing out. This was after 9-Eleven happened. And so I took the companyoff forleave of absence. And I was on my own. And I was like struggling. I was stressed to pay $600 amonth rent. Yeah.But like I did everything into the jewelry. So like everything I did was like purely 100 % back intomy company.And it like, there were some people who wanted to help me and they're like, I'm friends with likeFaith Ford andKelly Ripa and you need to be on the Faith and Ford, you know, the Hope and Faith show. SoIstarted designingfor like Kelly Ripa, Faith Ford, Megan Fox, like the first year. And then it was like, I hired apublicist, KatieSturino. Y'all can Google her. has like, I don't know, a million followers almost now. But I was herfirst clientwhen shewent, like, she was working for Corporate America and then she went like on her own. Andso she got myjewelry on the cover of like W Trend Magazine. It was my necklace and a passport. Like that washuge becausethat was like women's word daily. And thenin the New York Times and like Elle and Harper's andthen Jessica Albaand like Bobby Brown was buying it off of photo shoots. And it happened really fast. So how did youknow? You'rein many ways a self-shot. didn't go, you went to art school. Oh, I did go to art school in the middle ofthat.Okay, so you kind of went and got some training. I did. So that you knew what you were doing. AndI trained withlike a really great metal smith and yeah, well known one. While you were building your business,you were goingback and flipping your craft and figuring out how.
And at one point, so like it was 9-11, which I think was a pivotal point for many people. It was thereason whymy parents left Ohio and came to Texas while I was moving to Paris. it was such a big turning point.Did thatfeel like sort of a kismet? It was like the stars aligning where you're like, this is the time where I thinkIbelieve in myself enough to do this? Or were you still kind of like really, I'm not sure what I'mdoing? I wasnot sure at all. I mean, there was, you know, I was 22 years old, 23 years old. I like was deliveringpuppies.Like I like literally was doing jewelry, delivering puppies and believe it or not doing avicare. Like Iwaslike, well, I'm just gonna like throw, was like throw everything up the board and see what sticks kindof thing.Yeah, Yeah. And it was like, I didn't do that very long. I mean, it was like, want to tripped. I want to trip to Paris, which is really random on avicare. But, and I did that for like, I don't know, maybe a year. Butthen thejewelry just like, it was like, I would try to put it down. I like had this thing where it's like, I'm gonnabea missionary in Africa. And I have two SouthAfrican friends here, which is really awesome. But Iwas like, Ithought that was like what you do. Like I was like, I'm gonna go be a missionary in Africa and likehelp peopleand like do good and like bring clean water to Africa. don't know. I mean, I had good intentions, butthen itwas like, it was just like, no. And like the business just took off. I mean, it really did, took off. So diditcome to a point where you felt like I have to make a decision to kind of like put all these other ideasin mylife? Could be. Oh yeah. When did that come for you? Very fast. I would say once I started doingjewelry, maybenine months. I mean, it was really fast because it was like, it was so, it was just like, it just kind ofwentout of control, like out of control,like busy. I was working 14 hour days, six days a week. I mean, Iwasliterally working jewelry so much. I think it's really like, it's like people see like you and I, and likewe'vehad this really amazing, successful, crazy, cool career. But like the beginning, the hours we put intoit, theblood, sweat and tears, the like, the fear too, cause you're like, you're putting everything out there ontheline. You know what I mean? And so it's like a scary thing, especially for a young, person to like gothroughthat yeah. So at that time did you were you doing mostly custom or like one of a kind pieces or whatwas yourlife looking like at that point at that point it was really like. It was just things that I like that werepretty and there was like no set anything whatever I thought was pretty. pretty sparkles it sparkledyes, Imean yeah, yeah. So like glitter was your favorite color? Glitter was my favorite color. And I gotinvited to ashow in LA. Charles Barkley's wife came in for it, and some other peoplefrom New York who hadbeen on a lot ofdifferent shows. And that kind of was like a fun, I think Lisa worked that. Remember that? OK, Lisawas there.But yeah, mean, that was very fast, very early on. mean, there were just so many things that just kept.So youwere just making stuff. You didn't have an idea. I did. I'm going to make a collection. It's going to bethiscohesive thought. it's going to be something. was just, making. Until I got into the stores, which wasreallyfast. And then they all wanteda collection. So I was designing for a season, seasonally. But the thingis, thatit didn't really make me happy. It didn't fill my passion. It didn't make me feel good about what I wasdoing. I I liked it. And I enjoyed it. But it felt very regimented. and I'm too much of a gypsy, I guess. justwanna like,design what I feel like, what I feel like it kind of thing. You're like, I like that sound, it's gonna bethis.Yes, exactly. And actually Lisa, one of my besties over here from fourth grade, there wassomebodycalled DaniJohnson and about, she was like a coach for businesses and I started listening to her and one of thebig thingsthat she taught was like, spend 80 % of your time on your top 20%. Yeah. And I was spending 90 %of my time on mybottom 20%. And it was like. I will say for a lot of creative people that feels very natural. Butflipping thatis hard. Very hard. Because it's a leap of faith. know, like I was selling couture as fast faster than Iwasselling fashion jewelry. I the couture was like flying off and but I was focusing so much on fashionfor thestores because they had to have their set, you know. I want my seven bracelets and this price pointexactly the12 necklaces and they would have like kind of a quota of what they wanted me tofill for a collection,which isunderstandable. But it wasn't like as creative. There wasn't as much liberty in my creativity to likekind ofjust if I didn't feel like designing bracelets that day and didn't, know, like I could kind of do what Iwantedto do. But that's when I pulled out of stores in 2012 where like I will do an appearance, you know,like guestappearances here and there. But I bought a studio in Robert Oaks and really we're appointment onlyand design alot of it's all by appointment andit's private and it's been really fun and I love it. Yeah I think youexcel atthat because you can really like when you look at your collection I can see that it all hangs togetherbecauseit all feels very you but all the pieces are so individual and you can see that the stone itself inspiredthedesign in many ways. It's like, I could create this with this stone and like, can transform it or make itlike,but I, cause I was thinking we met basically at the end of your whole step career. Cause we met inAtlanta.remember that. both live here at Tootsies. And I remember the sales person saying, you need to thisperson likeJill. And we hit it off. And that was, think 13 years ago. Really? That was 13 years ago? Wow.Because I think itwas a spring collection, it would have been like So it must have been the fall of like 11? Yeah. Yeah.Becauseyou were... I was... That was like towards the very end of... Yeah. Cause I remember like there wereseveral likeregional department stores. We would end up being atthe same ones for various reasons at the sametime. Like Iremember once we were like in Tulsa or some random. Was that Ballyettes? Yes. Yes. Yes. I remember that. Yeah.That was it. I love that store too. Yeah. No, and there were so many great stores. stores. Like greatpeople andgreat stores too. Doing wholesale is hard. It is hard. Yeah. It takes a special brain to be able to dothat.Right. Right. And I'm like, I wouldn't, I wouldn't be where I am today without my wholesale clients,like withoutthe stores. So. Like I'm so eternally grateful for that, you know? But it did allow for me to build aplatform tohave the clientele to build the name, to build the recognition and that, so.
I think onething that has been really impressive as I watch what you do is obviously the designs arereallybeautiful, but you've really built a community of people who believe in your work. a lot of it goesback toKerbo. Like, you know where you're from. What is it that kind of keeps bringing you back toKerrville? Becauseyou have a home there still, and you have this incredible group of people who continue to supportyou on everylevel. How do you foster that? Is it just come naturally? Totally. It's like, mean,if you've spent timeinKerrville, like our community and the people, I mean, I've been there since I was three. They'reliterally like,every person you meet is like for, like the group of women that we're surrounded with. It's so for eachother.Like, Imean, you're each other's cheerleader. You know, like if you're going through cancer, you'reon their,you know, you're knocking on their door, you know, like whatever. It's just such a genuinely reallyincrediblecommunity. Like it's really unlike anything I've ever. And I mean, but I have, but I have here inHouston too. Solike I'm torn because like I love my Kerrville people and like I've known them for so long, but like Ihave areally awesome memorial, memorial and Houston group too. Not, I mean, notjust memorial, butyeah. Yeah. I loveso much. Yeah. And it's, think it's a, I don't know. You can tell how much people love you and loveyour workand want to support you, which is I think. lovely to see. as somebody who is creative, you kind ofneed thatvalidation. mean, you need the money too, so people keep buying. Yeah. Like, don't just... I mean,yes, true.Yeah. Yeah. All of it works together. So I know you've had a lot of ups and downs. And so like, youknow, whenyou see the surface level of yourstory, it's like this meteoric rise. And I know it's not that. So like,whathave been the hardest times to get through? Whether it's personally or business or both or like, didthey tie it? You sometimes they tie together. Wow, that's a hard question. I mean, there's like differentseasons,different phases, you know, like different things you're going through. Like the hardest thing, I'll behonestwith you, like when I first got started, as far as my career goes, that was the hardest thing I ever didwasgetting started because it was like the way I would describe it, because I like, put all, I was all in, likeliterally like I went all in, like everything I own, everything all on the table. you know, cards, youknow. Andthe way to describe it, I think it's Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. I could be getting it wrong,but it'slike the sleep of faith where like, here's some forward, he's like running and gets to the end of thisledge.And like, he's looking at this map and there's like, it's supposedto be a bridge. And he's like lookingdownand it's terrifying. Cause like, if you take a step, you're dead, you know. And like he took the step andthenran across the bridge. That's literally, when I got my start, I was so terrified to just put myself outthereand like actually go for my dream. Because that's so, I had one set of family saying like, why wouldyou leavethe airlines? That's job security. Like, why would you ever do that? And then I had another set offamily thatwas like, follow your passion and follow your dreams. Creativity, like go wherever your creativity is.And so Ihad like two different, it was like the rich dads, what is it? Rich dad, poor dad kind of thing. And so itwasscary because I had two people telling me two different things that were very close to me, veryimportant to me.
And I was like, I'm just going to go for it. And I'm going to go for it when people were telling me Ishouldn'tbe going for it. And that was scary. It was really scary at that time. That was probably the hardestthing Iwent through as a business, in my business career. The best thing, can I say the best thing I'vethrough in mybusiness career has been my team. You have a good team. The best team. I have the best team. Imean, I reallydo. Like I laid my life down for those girls. They're awesome. Like I really do have the best team onearth.Like make me cry. So yeah. So like, mean, going to work and like it's just it's a joy. Like it really is ajoy.So with all of this, like part of the whole purpose of this podcast is to talk to creative people whohavethought outside the box and whether they're a designer like you or they're an author or an artist orwhatever,what are the little pieces or little practices that you put in your life that allow creativity to happen?
So do you have like the daily practice or a weekly practice or is there something thatyou keepreturning tothat keeps you grounded that allows the creativity to flow? Travel is huge for me. Like gettingoutside of mymind, so to speak, like if I can put myself in a situation that I'm not normally. Like we can get intoour dailyrut, our daily routine of things, and it can kind of be monotonous. to be able to break that and kind ofclearthe head and just see things from a different perspective and going into the world with curiosity, I feellikethat's really important. So just looking at light fixtures and barrier chains and things that you wouldneverthink of that could be jewelry inspiration. I mean, there were a lot of things in Paris, we were justthere,that was very much jewelry inspiration. that I was like, okay, wait, I got to takepictures and likenotes,because I want to bring this into like a collection, because it was really beautiful and it spoke to me.So Iwould say travel is really important. And then like, we go to the ranch and like just getting away fromthenoise, like,and just like kind of being grounded. That's, mean, I love my, I love riding, love myhorse, youknow, I mean, I love getting away and just like, you know, looking at the cows or taking walks withtheir dogsor things like that. That helps my mind, like,when I'm not thinking, I do my best thinking. That'swhat myhusband always says. Like, you know, it's like when it comes in, like, I'll wake up and I'll dreamjewelry andI'll be like, oh gosh, I need to write that down. You know, because it's like the inspo, I'm sure youprobablydo too. Yeah. Yeah. With clothes. Yeah. Yeah. It comes in the most inopportune. Totally. And you'relike, ohwait, that was really cool. I don't want to forget that. Yeah. You can only have a printer attached toyourbrain. Oh mygosh. That might be scary. Yeah. True, true, true, true.
What is the thing right now in your life that you're trying to optimize? Is it a part of your business? Isit apart of your personal life? Like,what is the thing that you're really trying to like make happen? Youknow, I'min a season right now where like focusing on relationships is really, really important to me. beingpresent,know, showing up, you know, trying to bring joy, you know, like inlittle things, like I feel like that'ssomething like being mindful about being caring and kind and loving, Being more in the moment.Yeah. Being there for people. Yeah, truly being there for somebody. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Which I feel like, I mean,part of oneof the reasons we're here tonight is that being from Kerrville, if nobody's watched the news, Kerrvillehas beenin the news this year for horrific reasons. And you have done a lot to help support the people. Sowhat has itbeen like this year, especially in like-I know that's a loaded question. What has it been like? I feellike Iwant to be open, just make people cry. So I'm going to ask you anyway. So like, yeah. Tell me whathas it beenlike?
I mean, OK, so July was like extreme career high designing for Haute Couture Paris Runway. Yeah,because all ofthis happened when you were in Paris. Uh-huh. With Lisa and Rachel. And Kelly came. And. It wasso hard. It wasso hard on level I can't even explain. So, I mean, two days before the runway show, I mean, we'regetting thecalls. Was it two days before? Yeah, two days before. And then we have the dress fittings the nextday. And Iwas just like a zombie, like for the fittings. mean, we're outfitting all the models with the jewelry inthislittle room. I mean, it was just like... It was so hard because I had people calling, you know wherethis, youknow, was like, do you know where this person is? Do know if this person is live? Okay, this is therumor andI'm texting my friends at Camp Mystic and I'm, you know, my dad's daughter, you know, like mydad's like one ofhis agents, his daughter was missing and then there was rumors that they had found her. And so thenthat put awhole tell spin and I'm like, well, the news is reporting that, you know, she's a count, she ended uppassingaway. I mean, it was just like. There was so much chaos going on at that point and our ranch is on theGuadalupeRiver. So like, I was worried about peopleout at the ranch. I mean, like there was just, we had friendsandyeah, I mean, it was really hard. Cause we lost a lot, we lost, it just devastated our community. Yeah,bothphysically and the lives lost. and we need to, I mean, was like, we knew a lot of people. Yeah. Andjugglingthat, think it's really hard because not, I don't know if you would consider Paris a career high, I mean,it's,it's a career high. Yeah. Yeah. In this moment where this is the thing I've been like doing. It's like thetotallyhit me of like fashion and Paris and runway. And it's not just like fashion week. It's a tourweek andall of these things in the Palais de Tokyo. Like it's incredible. And then you're having to deal withlike, this is my life and these people I care about. Right. Like holding those two things in contrast. It was sobizarre. Itwas really bizarre. I mean, it's just to like have both those things simultaneously going on at the sametime.Yeah, it was hard. I mean, it was really hard. It was very exciting andincredible experience, but itwas likeyou were caring so much. So, yeah. It's a hard thing to compartmentalize. Yeah. As much as youwant to be in themoment. Yeah. We're saying it's being in the moment. Yeah. As much as you want to be. knowingthat thatis kindof like playing the background and like this wonderful thing you're experiencing is not what's goingon at home.It's hard. was hard.
So since then, like how, how, has it been? Like, I mean, I know that like trauma recovery fromtrauma is noteasy. And it's still present. Like we're still living with the devastation that's there. know, it's not likeit's over and done with. So what are the things that you're hearing from your friends and family? athome thatlike is still like weighing so heavily on community. I mean, it's a little like there's a lot. There's a lotstill. One thing that is like, you you have first responder fatigue. So a lot of these people and like mybestfriend from fourth grade included, like doing so much on like such a constant basis of helping otherpeople thatlike you literally at the end of the day, there's nothing left to give because you're like depleted,completelydepleted. So a lot of burnout. There'slike so many people. helping so much burnout. was out at CampMystic on,what's today? I was there on Friday. And there was like a whole team. were people from California,from CentralAmerica. And there was like a whole team that were putting up sheetrock. like, was out, I've been outthere afew times. And so it was like, people from all over the world were coming in. Like literally all overthe world.Like all, definitely all over the US. Like showing up, putting up sheetrock, clearing debris. Like thecommunity.It is like blown away how much has been done. But you know. The first month and a half, like goinginto Kerrville,it was like, if you like cracked a joke and you're like, I laughed. And they were like, Like you kind of.Well,kind of because itwas like there was so much heaviness in the community. And now I feel likefinally, like it'sstarting to slowly lift. saying like the Kalus did like in Kerrville, like they want to do a Christmasstorebecause they're like, we need something happy to getpeople to like look forward to. And so like. Iwas thereshopping and you know, the community needs like shoppers by the way, because like it's been hit really hard. SoI'm happy to oblige. Well done me. Yes.
Okay. all that aside and sort of like, not even really aside, it's this ever present thing that you're goingthrough. What you told me today is that you've been invited back to Paris. So tell us about. I did. tellus allabout it you were in Paristhis summer. You were just in Paris a week ago-ish. Yes, yes. Kelly had agroup. Wegot to go to Kobe Halpern's runway show. Ungaro, right? Well, his actually for Kobe. It was his firstshow infor Kobe, not Ungaro. I didn't even realize that. Yeah. So was really exciting. Like he had his bigshow and itwas at Karl Lagerfeld's old house and it was like gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous. The excitement. Areyou really?I love it. That's awesome. But I mean, the buzz, mean, just the excitement and like the, God,thefashion, thefashion was mind blowing. Like it's like you're waiting in line and like, it was like the most incrediblethingto watch the people attending the fashion show. And then of course the fashion show. No, that wasamazing. Itwas absolutely like a dream come true. Amazing. And then so we went and saw Steven who designswith FanWee andthey invited us back to design for January for Haute Couture. And I was like, Rachel is having ababy. And mywonderful office director is like literally havinga baby any day, it could be tonight. So I didn't wantto do.I don't see her. She's gone. She could be a labor now. We don't know. Yeah, no, she's not. But youknow, so Iwould love to come back. I don't, can't, I'm not. It's a team effort. And so I'm like, got invited. It's somuchwork to get it done, right? And so then like, hopefully maybe in July. Cool. So I'm like asking for apass forJanuary, like a very humble, grateful thank you for January. And then maybe like, so that's the nextthing in theworks. But I did get officially invited back. that was very exciting.
Okay. So now comes the point in the show. There's 22 questions. So don't overthink them. Exceptformaybe thelast one, you can give that a little thought. just gonna be rapid fire. So when are you most yourself?Morning,afternoon, or midnight? Oh my gosh. Afternoon. Okay. One tiny daily ritual you guard. Brush myteeth. There couldbe worse. Your current anthem in one word. Oh, in my mouth guard. Oh, okay. I to have my mouthguard. Currentanthem in one word? Love. What are you optimizing for right now? We kind of went over this, Relationships. Beingpresent, yeah. A belief you've retired. perfection. Good one. Favorite humble tool of your craft under$20.What's the thing you can't live without? My craft under $20? A pencil? Pencil? I mean drawing. Aconstraint youkeep on purpose. I have no idea. I don't know. You're like, what constraints? Exactly, I'm like, forgetconstraints. More is more. Yeah, more is more. A risk you're glad you took. Five words. Five words?OK, well,like going for a couture. going where like I really was drawn to design and going for it. Cool. A placethatresets you. The ranch. A comfort, rewatch, or reread. Pride and Prejudice. reading or watching? Uh,Cool. whatmovie version? Oh my gosh. All of them. I don't know. I like all Jane Austen. OK, me too. I justfinished herbiography. Oh, you did. Yeah. That was so, yeah. Yeah. Amazing. Yeah. And Bath. We were inBath. And like, thatwas just so cool because you like get to, I don't know, see the world. Yes. was so cool. And the pumproom. Didyou go to the pump room? The museum? At the end of the Roman baths, you can have teaat thepump Oh, yeah, yeah,yeah. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. We did the Robin Vass. I don't remember the pump room. Yeah, it's atthe end. Theyhave like music. I don't know. My husband is kind of like, all right, we did it. He was like, I'm box. Ilike me.The costume museum there is amazing. Yes, that was very cool. And the cheese factory. Oh my god,the wheels ofcheese. I was really stupid. I bought a wheel of cheese. And I'm like, oh, because Jeff loves cheese.And I waslike, this is the best cheese I'veever had. Well, it doesn't last that long. Stay there, Zed. Stay there.Moreto eat while you're there. Exactly. I mean, you know. Anyways, yeah. A sound you love. our turkeygobbling on theriver. They roost in the river. A sound you loathe. I don't know, somebody's screaming at me. guessdon't know.Kid screaming? I don't know. A word you overuse. Like. A word you wish we used more. don't knowsomething likeproper and like English. There you go. There you go. this. Done is better than. Incomplete. Recentno, that'smade room for a bigger yes. A recent no. Okay, this is hard. Okay, recent no that is... Turned into abigger yes.What have you said no to that you're like, I'm glad I Well, probably gonna be Paris Fashion Week inJanuary.Cool. And I have a feeling, because like... It's gonna be bigger and better next time. Yeah. Cool. Ihave animaginary board of people that advise me. What's one person that you would add to your imaginaryboard? Mygrandfather, Jim Reno, the sculptor. How do you take your coffee or tea? I like it with Trader Joe'salmond. Theyhave like a really good creamer. No sugar, but like it's really good. I buy it like five at a time and I put itin the freezer. Yeah. Yeah. Very good. What do you collect on purpose or an accident? I love sterlingsilverantique pieces. So like I collect old pretty silver like antique silver. Yeah. If your life were a cocktail,what's in it? Pissing vinegar. Just kidding. Sounds delicious. I think for him anyway. I don't know.There's a lotin the cocktail. Where does it begin? I don't know. Yeah, that'd have to be in it. whole thing. Thewhole thing.Yeah, there's a lot in that story. Yeah. The whole Top Chef. Yeah, there you go. Favorite swear wordor yourPG-13 alternative. It doesn't matter. We can swear on this podcast. I mean, Lisa, Rachel, Kelly, shit?Shit.Shit. Shit. Yeah. the fuck? Yeah. That's it. Shut the fuck. Yeah.
OK. So last one. You can think a little bit more on this one if youwant. A five minute action listenersin ouraudience can kind of do today to make their life more purposefully designed. Purposefully designed?Well, that'svery strategic. I mean, I believe in God. So I'm like a big relational person, like not religious,butspiritual.Does that make sense? I don't know, like taking the time to like center back and like go throughforgiveness andlike forgiving others and being loving and caring and present and all those things and like kind ofgettingfilled up inside. Definitely and like being at peace and like and like okay, so this is something that Ifeltlike God told me not that long like yesterday literally yesterday morning It was like a vase, you knowabeautiful vase Holds these beautiful flowers and I felt likeGod just said hold space for my beautyAnd I waslike, that's so cool like that but that's actually like an action like a little bit cuz like it can be chokedupwith weeds life can be like hard things can come in, but like creating space, holding space for God'sbeauty. Andthen I felt like he was like, I'll keep refilling the flowers, the vase, like, but make space for God'sbeauty inour life. That's it. Yeah. On that note, thank you very much. On that note, yeah. For being inside thedesignstudio withus. Thank you for having me. I appreciate you inviting me. Cool. Yay. Okay.

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Key takeaways

Your “origin story” doesn’t have to be glamorous; Jill’s started with boredom, a layover, and plastic beads — but she treated it seriously and kept reinvesting
Wholesale can build a powerful platform, but it’s okay to walk away from what looks successful on paper if it doesn’t fit your creative wiring.
Community is an essential business asset; Kerrville and Houston both show up for Jill in concrete, practical ways, especially in crisis.
t’s possible to hold career highs and deep grief at the same time — and creativity can become away to process, not avoid, those feelings.
Travel, rest, and relationships aren’t “extras”; they’re key ingredients in sustaining a long-term creative life.

Guests Appearing in this Episode

Jill Reno

Fine jewelry designer and creative entrepreneur

Jill Reno is a fine jewelry designer and creative entrepreneur known for transforming one-of-a-kind stones into deeply personal pieces. She started her brand in the most unlikely way — making pretty lanyards out of plastic beads on airline layovers — then steadily reinvested every dollar into better materials and training with master metalsmiths. Her work has been worn by celebrities and featured in major fashion media, and today she focuses on couture and appointment-only designs for private clients in Texas and beyond. Rooted in her hometown community of Kerrville, Jill’s work sits at the intersection of beauty, faith, and resilience.

https://jillrenocollection.com/

https://www.instagram.com/jillreno/