If you know me you know I LOVE jewelry. It’s the one way we can feel unique and bold and mysterious in one fell swoop. I love jewelry that is modern yet with a vintage/ heirloom feel. I came across Mack & Myyles Jewelry over the summer and was instantly obsessed. After low-key Insta stalking I was able to convince Leslee, the Founder of Mack & Myyles, to do an interview. I was ECSTATIC! Even more amazing Leslee has offered our readers a discount using code “YLMM”. Enjoy!

Hi! How are you doing Leslee…. Hi, I am doing well, and how are you doing? 

I am so excited to sit and talk with you Leslee!  Yes, me too… it is so nice to me meet you.

How would you introduce yourself to people that are unaware of you?

My name is Leslee Livingston-Murray, I am a jewelry designer; I also work in healthcare, I have like nine jobs. I am born and raised in Southern California grew up primarily in Orange County. Went to U.S.C. and have been in Los Angeles ever since.

I turned 50 years old last year, and I feel like I am in the prime of my life. I know that 50 seems old to a lot of people but… as I am aging, I tell you 50 years old seems very young. I am leaning into the aging process, yet I am obsessed with how I age. Ahahahaha…yes but when your kids say ‘Mom, in the old days…or like in the 1900’s’. That is when you say… wait a minute.

Yes, when I hear people saying now that the 90’s are considered vintage, I am like wait what are you talking about?  Ahahaahaa I know, right.

You mentioned that you do like nine jobs, when you read the news (like I do) … do you think that to be a more fulfilled as a person that people need to have different avenues to showcase all the facets of who they are? Why do you say your primary profession is in healthcare, and why did you decide to start your jewelry line, Mack and Myles Jewelry?

I did not feel fulfilled. During the pandemic I was bored, I work as a Pharma Rep, and I work remote. I do not go into an office every day, so during the pandemic we were told to just stay home.

So, being a Type A type personality – a go-getter, and very goal oriented; I was simply bored - fashion, and jewelry I have always loved. Actually, my niece had a jewelry line. I asked her if I could work with her and learn how she made jewelry, where she went to buy it. Because I was interested in starting my own jewelry line.

So, she was really helpful and showed me everything. I just started from there, it is a creative outlet for me to express myself, and to stay busy. I am not a person that is comfortable sitting around doing nothing. I wake up every morning between 5:30 a.m. and 6:00 a.m., and my brain literally never shuts off.

I know that I need to shut down and relax, but it is difficult for me.  Oh yes do I know. I take Natural Calm to help me shut down my brain and to relax. I try reading but sometimes that gets me more amped.  Yes! It can.

Did you ever experience any fear entering the jewelry space. Pretty much like any outlet that is a creative outlet and fun, you will hear this is a young person’s game, or its over saturated. So, did you ever feel nervous or any self-doubt before entering. Or were you guns blazing, and your energy was like - I know what I know…

Well, I know friends and strangers always would tell me how they like my style, and my aesthetic. My motto has always been throughout my entire life … ‘if they can do it I can do it’. So, anything that I have wanted to do throughout my life, I have just done it. I just know… I have seen other people, women, moms, and other black women doing it. So, I say to myself - I am smart, I am a hard worker and I am driven – I can do it too.

There is enough space for everyone. My jewelry might not appeal to everybody, but it will appeal to somebody and enough people. It is doing well, so I must be doing something right.

How do you find inspiration for your designs, and how do you get inspired to create your pieces…

I mean everywhere… I will be watching a television show, and I will see a piece on an actress; I will pause the television and look at it. Not make the exact piece but put my own spin on it. Magazines when I am out and about, Pinterest; I get inspiration from everywhere, and anywhere.

Now on the site there is a piece, a chunky chain. Oh! How did I not see it!  Well, I am doing a drop today with twenty new pieces. Yet, there are times when I will go a month, or two months… I have not created anything since the Salina Collection. I did that Collection in August, September, I created it, and it dropped in November 2023. There were three- hundred to four-hundred orders within a two-month period. It was crazy, I was just overwhelmed.

So, I will jot down notes of things in my phone, or I will screenshot something on my phone. I went through that (photos and notes on my phone), and from that I created like twenty-four new pieces this week. My husband shoots it, I edit it, and we get it on the site. Posting the jewelry is very time consuming; I mean it is a process.

My brain is always going, in all sincerity, I really enjoy it; and it is mine. I do not mind working. So, I get inspiration from everywhere, it is constant and non-stop.

What I love about your Instagram, as well as your website, as you have said it is authentically you. As well you own yourself top to bottom. Your husband shoots, and you edit. Do your kids help with editing…I know Instagram has many trends – do you have a team that helps with keeping up with different trends, or is it you…

I do it. I do it all. It is a lot of work. I respect that, I know that I am not that great at social media…so my brother does that aspect. The prep work to even get to filming is so time consuming. It can be literally almost a whole day to do the prep work.   

I love your Reels especially the toggle clasp necklaces. How do you keep the social media engagement…

I am always scrolling through Instagram for inspiration. I won’t necessarily do the exact Reel, but I get inspired from the Influencers with fashion, and those that show their home. I just apply it to my jewelry.

With Instagram it seems like the more authentic that you are, the better the engagement. I know my customers want to see me, who I really am. I noticed the Reels that I share my kids, my husband, when we go on vacation; those are the Reels that get the most views. That is what my customers want to see.

Then sometimes I am like what does that have to do with my jewelry. So, when I am inspired to do that, I just do it. It is a lot of work. Hopefully, eventually I can figure out a way to delegate that. I know my niece represents a few brands; so, when I get to the point where I can afford to pay her, I am going to do that.

I know that we have other exciting ventures coming soon, so I will need the ability to delegate more.

I have other jewelry that I wear that has lasted, and I know it is not gold. So, I wondered what material that was. My niece educated me a lot on the different materials – Gold Filled vs Gold Plated; Vermeil Gold; Sterling Silver vs Rhodium Plated. Gold Filled is a little more expensive but it lasts, it does not tarnish. I have Gold Filled bracelets that I have worn for years, like four or five years and they do not tarnish. It is a good investment.

 Someone, like me that does go with the trends… I still like my bead bracelets. I wanted to create a line that was made with good quality materials that would last. As far as the style, the aesthetic, is what I am drawn to. The pieces that I create I would wear.

When I first started following you in the summer (of 2023) you focused more on your jewelry, and now I know that you are incorporating more of your styling into it. That is helpful, for people that need that assistance. What made you segue into this sphere, was it more from your community that asked for it, or was it that you wanted to show your community more of your personality…

I think it was a hybrid. Some of my girlfriends would ask me to either style them, or to pick out a necklace for them. Initially that is why I started doing the necklace sets, they were curated sets. I would select individual necklaces and put them together and sell them as a set. This was just to make it easier for people that do not know how to put jewelry pieces together, or their accessories.

I also have an amazing group of friends that always send me different inspirations, different ideas, and they were all saying, ‘you should show how you would wear your jewelry’, ‘you always look cute’. That is how it started, but I was nervous. I just didn’t want to get in front of the camera.  

Last summer my husband and I went to Italy with two other couples and that is when it all hit. I was like I want to travel more often. I need more money, and I knew that my line had the potential to do better. My jewelry line has been more like my creative outlet, but I also knew that it had potential.

I have been a successful vaccine rep for approximately twenty-eight years. I decided on that trip that I was going to focus and grow my business (my creative outlet).

I knew to do that I needed to share myself and get in front of the camera, and my business has just taken off. In 2022 my business earned approximately $20,000.00, and in 2023 I made over six figures.

How do you unwind, get re-centered and unwind, since you have a busy life….

 I like to hike. I used to hike three to five times a week, but we moved, so now it is not as easy to hike. My trail is like thirty minutes away, so I don’t hike as often. What trails would you do…  Fryman Canyon hike in Studio City. Okay! Yes, I am from Palos Verdes Estates, and I would hike to Bristol Farms, then quickly realize I must go back home. It is beautiful there… it is great for training when I was an athlete and training, since it is all hills, you can just walk around. Yes, ahahaahaa.

So, I am marveling at how you just love, and willingly hike. Yes, it was great just drop the kids off at school and go hike. I like to watch reality television, and Netflix. My husband and I are both movie buffs, he is an aspiring movie writer, so we love to go to the movies. We love to dine out. Also, I love to hang out with my four boys, we are a blended family, I enjoy them so much.

No, I lied…. My last question… I am sure that you are aware and heard how certain influencers say that you do not need any money to start your business. I mean you do need some money.  Oh! you do need money. Yes, that is not realistic, and we need to be honest. So, what would you say are the three most crucial investment pieces for anyone to start a business, besides a website….

I think you need to have an advertising budget for sure. I invest on average $600 to $1,200 a month on ads. When I started, I did not do that. Yes, because you need to be seen.

Yes, and to my detriment I did not do that when I first started out, and people won’t see you, and the way the algorithm works on Instagram, and Facebook – if you are not investing money no one is watching you. Yes, no one will see you.

As far as inventory, initially I invested approximately $1,500.00. When I started, I was creating a lot of designs, and if it did not sell, I would just scrap it, and create something else.

I do think that you can use your phone, I have my Samsung, do you suggest to invest in lighting…because I think it is all about lighting. Or get one of the digital cameras…

I use my phone a lot for my Reels and a Ring Light. I invested like $65.00 on my Ring Light. I also have a really good camera that my husband uses when he is shooting the jewelry on me for the website. I was a photographer, so I already had a lot of the equipment. I also invested in a MacBook for editing, and I use Lightroom to edit my photos. Yes, a good Light Ring for your Reels is important, and a good camera.

Could you share some items from your new drop…

I do have a new drop, it is about twenty new styles – earrings, bracelets, necklaces; and one necklace set. I did a collection with Salina_ Sincerely in November, and we are dropping another collection for Spring, end of February beginning of March. We will do Red Agate and Cornelian for the next collection. We will do three collections a year. So, it is a lot of exciting things coming up. It is important to evolve and to grow. I enjoy change.

Every rejection throughout my life has meant something better is in store. I am not that Zen yet… Well, yes you are disappointed, but you will realize that ‘no’ was for a reason. It is important to move forward, evolve, and to grow. The Collection is growing and getting better and better every day.

Now that is beyond exciting…thank you so much, it was wonderful talking with you. Yes, it really was, thank you.