Career & Money

Building a Brand That Feels Like You: Jewelry Designer Hart Hagerty on ‘With Whit’

September 11, 2025

Chasing trends will only get you so far when you’re building a brand. On With Whit, host Whitney Port sits down with Hart Hagerty—founder of HART Jewelry—to unpack what it actually means to create a brand that feels like you. Hagerty didn’t scale by guessing what would sell; she evolved her line as her own life evolved, moving from tassel earrings to meaning-rich charms that tell a story. The result? A business that clicked the moment it aligned with her core values: manifestation, authenticity, connection, and nature.

Their conversation digs into the real work behind that kind of alignment: defining a clear “North Star” and resisting the urge to please everyone. Whether you’re launching a product, refining a service, or simply curating an online presence, here’s Hagerty’s blueprint to creating something that lasts.

1. Start with your story

Hagerty’s brand began with her own roots. “Both of my parents are artists…My mom was a poet, very creative, very kind of ‘woowoo’ household.” That creative environment shapes how she approaches design today.

That influence didn’t stop in childhood. Her personal growth continues to show up in her business decisions. She also ties storytelling into motherhood and business, saying, “I feel like my number one job as a mom is to find out…what [my child] is really good at and passionate about…and push them to do it or support them to do it.” For Hagerty, authenticity is the throughline—the brand succeeds because it reflects her story at every stage.

2. Let your brand evolve with you

Hagerty’s business didn’t stay stuck where it started, either. “I started out with just doing tassel earrings and then I moved into these bracelets and coins and now I’m doing full on—very charm and every pendant has a different meaning attached to it,” Hagerty shares.

That shift wasn’t random—it mirrored her personal growth. “When I changed the business or pivoted the business to reflect my own interests…that’s when the business really took off.” By allowing her brand to evolve with her own passions, Hagerty proves that growth comes from staying aligned with who you are becoming.

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3. Define your North Star

Every successful brand needs a filter—a clear point of focus that guides decisions big and small. For Hagerty, that meant creating a framework her whole team could understand. She explains that once she articulated what her brand stood for, “it was such an unlock because we had that North Star, and it was also great because our team is really big now…and just to have that North Star that everybody knows, it’s just more efficient.”

For HART Jewelry, that compass is captured in a phrase she uses internally: “Memento mori and martinis.” One part reminds you that life is short and sacred; the other emphasizes fun and not taking everything too seriously. Where those two ideas meet is the sweet spot of her brand. It’s a balance that informs everything—from design to copy to retail experience—and ensures that every decision passes through the same lens.

4. Skip the trends

Hagerty is the first to admit that trend cycles come and go, which is why her focus has always been on creating lasting, meaningful jewelry rather than chasing every fleeting moment.

But she doesn’t ignore cultural shifts entirely. She keeps an eye on how people wear jewelry—like her obsession with longer chains after spotting them on runways—and adapts styling rather than completely reinventing her products. The strategy, according to Hagerty, is creating versatile pieces, then letting the way people style your products be the trend.

5. Protect your creative practices

Running a company while raising children means Hagerty’s schedule could easily run her into the ground. Instead, she’s learned that her creativity only thrives when she protects her routines. Journaling, exercise, time in nature, and afternoons off for painting or being with her girls aren’t indulgences, they’re necessities. “Actually, the long-term creative and health of the business rests on my creative health and my mental health,” she explains.

That shift—seeing her own wellbeing as part of the brand’s success—helps her show up fully in both life and business. By prioritizing practices that recharge her, Hagerty keeps her vision clear and her company moving forward with purpose.

If you’re ready for more lessons on building a brand that truly reflects you, you can listen to the full conversation on With Whit.