If you’ve ever found a piece of jewelry that felt just right—like it was made for you, not just made for a trend—then you already know a little about Favor. But the story behind it? That starts back in 2007, in a moment of both challenge and possibility.
At the time, I was working in bead stores (a job I’d had since high school), and doing production work for other jewelry designers. Life threw a curveball when my boyfriend—now my husband—was diagnosed with brain cancer. Caring for him became my number one priority, but it also meant I wasn’t exactly the world’s most reliable employee. So, with a little courage and a lot of uncertainty, I opened a shop on eBay and a brand-new site called Etsy (which, by the way, everyone called “Eetsee” because none of us knew better).
I didn’t have a grand business plan. What I had was a deep love of making, a few beads and tools, a desperation to make some money, and a hunch that I could create jewelry people would want to wear every single day.
Favor's first workshop. That's my bed on the floor and our original logo hanging on the corkboard.
A Big Break in the Middle of a Recession
We moved to Portland, Oregon, in 2008. I was 21, my husband's cancer treatments were over, and I was in college, trying to do the “right thing”—get a degree, get a job, be a responsible adult. But this was 2008, the recession was in full swing, and it didn’t take an economist to realize that “safe” careers weren’t looking so safe.
Then came the moment that changed everything: I was featured on the blog Cup of Jo and sold 22 Slim Stacking Rings in one day. That was record-shattering for me, and I remember thinking, If I can just figure out how to recreate that magic, I can make this my real job.
So, I did the only logical thing: I dropped out of school, quit my day job at the bead store, and dove headfirst into Favor. Within a year, I had built out a studio in a giant artist warehouse, hired my first employee, and started growing a team. Over the next several years, we moved into bigger and brighter studios, added more people to the team, and created thousands of pieces that traveled to customers around the world.
January 2020.
Changing Shape Without Losing Heart
Fast-forward to 2020. We all know what happened. The pandemic brought changes none of us planned for, including a major shift for my business. At the same time, Favor went viral on TikTok, bringing in a new wave of customers. That's a story for another day. But obviously virality doesn't last and the pandemic took it's toll on so many amazing independent retailers that we worked with.
Today, Favor is back where it started: in my own space, made entirely by me. It’s quieter, more intentional, and—honestly—the way I like it. Downsizing wasn’t a loss. It was a return to what I value most: creating meaningful, lasting jewelry with my own two hands, for people who will love it for years to come.
Because for me, Favor has never been about following trends. It’s about making something just right—something that gives you that little butterfly-in-your-stomach feeling the moment you put it on.
And that’s the part that hasn’t changed at all.
A peek of that time we went viral