Episode 38. From Kerrville to Couture: Jill Reno on Holding Beauty and Grief Together
What happens when your biggest career high collides with your hometown's worst nightmare?
In this episode, I sit down with jewelry designer Jill Reno, whose path to Paris Haute Couture Week started with plastic Michael's beads on a not-so-glamorous layover in Milwaukee. From ballet and business school to flight attendant life at Continental, sculpting with her grandfather, and reinvesting every dollar of profit back into better stones, Jill's story is one long exercise in "throw it all at the wall and see what sparkles."
Jill shares how her whimsical lanyards evolved into fine jewelry worn by celebrities and featured in major fashion media, from W Trend (Women's Wear Daily) to The New York Times, Elle, and Harper's, how she built a thriving wholesale business, and why she ultimately walked away from the regimented collection cycle to focus on couture, one-of-a-kind pieces, and deeply personal client relationships.
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 she loves. We talk about what it's like to hold those two realities at once—runway fittings and river rescue texts, career dreams and communal grief—and how faith, friendship, and an almost stubborn commitment to beauty have carried her through.
If you've ever wondered how to keep creating when life falls apart, this one's for you.
In this episode, we talk about:
How a "boring" flight attendant lanyard turned into the origin story of a jewelry brand
The leap from business major and ballet kid to art school in San Miguel de Allende
Reinventing over and over: from plastic beads to carnelian, silver, gold, and diamonds
Getting pieces on celebrities and into major magazines while living on ramen and toast
The realities of wholesale—and why Jill ultimately chose couture and appointment-only
The power of Kerrville: community, roots, and women who relentlessly show up for each other
Experiencing a career-defining Paris couture debut while her hometown faced tragedy
First responder fatigue, burnout, and how communities actually rebuild
Travel, the ranch, and tiny daily practices that keep Jill's creativity alive
Faith, forgiveness, and her recent mantra to "hold space for God's beauty"
Connect & Subscribe
Watch the video version on YouTube → youtube.com/@itsdavidpeck
Listen on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts
Follow me @itsdavidpeck TikTok and Instagram
Follow Jill @jillrenocollection
Chapter List
00:00 Introduction and Background 04:52 Transitioning from Flight Attendant to Artist 10:15 Creative Process and Inspirations 16:03 Navigating Personal and Professional Challenges 21:49 Rapid Fire Questions and Reflections
