Meet Krystal Jugarap | Mother, Entrepreneur, Philanthropist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Krystal Jugarap and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Krystal, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
Taking risks is so critical to success, but it’s important to ensure those risks are calculated.

For so long, I played it safe. Even though I felt my entrepreneurial calling since high school, I was a perfectionist by nature & refused to throw things into the world that weren’t perfect. Because if it wasn’t perfect, then I’d be risking failure or criticism, right? Thankfully, I’ve come a long way since then. I welcome risk. I thrive on risk. Risks are where the growth lies. When you are taking risks, you are stepping into the unknown. You’re stepping out of your comfort zone, pushing boundaries, testing your limits, & welcoming new learning opportunities. When you take risks in pursuit of your vision, you’re telling the universe that you’re all in; that it’s worth it to see what happens & that you’re willing to accept the outcome whether or not it’s in your favor.

As an entrepreneur, taking risks isn’t just encouraged; it’s inevitable. Risk is the very core of entrepreneurship – investing time & money into something that isn’t guaranteed. But it is also what can blow that glass ceiling wide open – that ceiling on not just your financial abilities, but your happiness & growth. I’m a strong proponent of putting yourself out there, creating your own opportunities, & standing your ground. You will need to negotiate, challenge the thoughts or practices of others, & make incredible sacrifices. However, there is an art to it. You have to ask yourself if the risk is worth taking & look very realistically at its potential to fall in your favor.

I took a risk launching BOOKofBIJOUX, a line of innovative jewelry storage designed to mimic a chic coffee table book. I’ve poured a lot of time, money, energy, & emotion into it. When I ask myself if the risk is worth it, the answer continues to be yes despite the many manufacturing dilemmas I’ve faced. Why? I believe in my vision. I believe in my creativity. I believe in the standards I hold of myself. I believe in my work ethic. This profound belief in myself & my vision gives me confidence in the risk I am taking. It gives me confidence that the risk will pay off & that when it does, I can provide for my family who lies at the core of my why. I have confidence it will allow me to not just provide financial stability for my family but also serve as an incredible opportunity for my two daughters to see first-hand that they are capable & worthy of creating lives they love. When I ask myself if the risk falls in my favor, the answer again for me is yes. Now, this one has wavered from time to time thanks to the stresses of the supply chain in the recent years as well as the difficulty in execution of our product. But the calculation of the risk also takes into account the proprietary details of the design as well as the response we’ve received from the community. It’s all those little factors that can turn a crapshoot into a well-calculated risk.

What should our readers know about your business?
I grew up in a very creative household & my affinity for crafts & DIYing has continued into my adult years. When I became a mom in 2018, I made a conscious effort to carve out time to get back to my creative roots & who I was outside of being a mom. I even started a YouTube channel to share all my DIYs. On the other hand, I also used to be a jewelry stylist which allowed me to accumulate an incredible collection. Fast forward to having two babies in tow, I recognized the value of shelf space which was at the time being overtaken by my mosh pit of jewelry displays. After searching the internet for a better storage solution, I couldn’t find anything that fit my style or spatial needs. So as a true DIYer, I set off to create my own solution & figured it would simultaneously make great content for YouTube. But once the brainstorming picked up momentum, the lightbulb went off. I realized the merit of the design I had concocted in my head: A compact & concealed jewelry organizer that still allows you to see everything you own as you flip through pages of your jewelry as if you were flipping through a book – no more digging through piles of tangled chains & mismatched earrings; a jewelry organizer that can be tailored to your personal collection & grow with you as your collection grows or style evolves; a jewelry organizer that can be styled away on your vanity, bookshelf or nightstand & blend in seamlessly with your home décor because it’s designed to look just like a coffee table book. The morning after my middle of the night epiphany occurred, I hit the ground running. I mocked up a prototype using a diaper box, rubberbands, a button from an old onesie, & a notebook spiral I pulled out of a barely used notebook.

2 1/2 years later & the manufacturing process hasn’t been easy. Our first & only purchase order was imperfect merchandise, yet we’ve still been able to offload it to so many customers & receive raving reviews while we continue working with new manufacturers to get the execution perfect. The genuine awe & excitement we’ve received from the public at pop-ups has solidified in me that BOOKofBIJOUX is truly something special. I believe in my vision & the public has made it clear that they believe in it also. So, I don’t plan on stopping any time soon.

Additionally in a pleasant twist, the delays in our manufacturing process have given me time to focus on building our EM/POWEREDbyWMN (EBW) community platform & launching our brand-new Woman-Owned Small Business Directory. In entrepreneurship, it’s so important to be able to find all of the hidden opportunities especially in times of uncertainty. Although our manufacturing delays have been lengthy & stressful, I’m so grateful for the push it’s given me towards our new platform.

As a brand, our core values are Women Empowerment, Community over Competition, & Giving Back. Our EBW platform allows us to focus on just that. Our online Directory already features 30+ woman-owned businesses & we plan to keep expanding across the nation to make it easier for communities to find & support the amazing & diverse women in their community. We’re also set to host our second annual Women’s Empowerment Market in Martinez, CA & we’ve already helped to raise thousands of dollars to put back into the community. The best part? We’re just getting started.

I’m so proud of the authenticity & passion our community represents. I’m also so proud of myself for the vulnerability I’ve allowed myself to share. I truly think those three things – authenticity, passion & vulnerability – are at the core of what makes a truly incredible & engaging community – a community that just genuinely wants to lift each other up & hear each other’s stories.

It’s never easy pouring everything you have into a business & putting your heart on the line when it’s something you’re truly passionate about. But I’ve learned that when you do put yourself out there, let your passion show, & continue moving from a place of serving others, your tribe will come & with that, true fulfillment.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I grew up in the Bay Area in California. Most people not from around here would probably have San Francisco at the top of their mind, but I’m actually not much of a fan of driving out there, so my suggestions are centered around the East Bay. As a small business enthusiast, I’d definitely encourage you & your friends to check out a local vendor fair or maker’s market & shop all the fun handmade creations. There are plenty that are popping up these days, so it wouldn’t be hard to find one! It’s always so cool to hear everyone’s stories on how they got started & why they launched the businesses they did. Maybe get some matching bracelets from a permanent jewelry vendor like Made in October or snag some candles in repurposed Veuve Clicquot bottles from Fiamma Candles! Then for sure head to a yummy Thai/Lao restaurant for dinner like Dara in Berkeley. That place has the cutest ambience! Later in the week, I would suggest getting some shopping done at Broadway Plaza in Walnut Creek & ending the night with lychee cosmos at Modern China. If you’re wanting to squeeze in a few more active items to burn off all the heavy Thai food & bottomless cocktails, you & your bestie could definitely break a sweat at one of LFBA’s lagree studios. There are also so many beautiful hikes to do in the Bay Area – it would be a shame not to soak up all the scenic views at some point!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I HAVE TO shoutout the incredible community of women that has continued to build around me ever since I launched BOOKofBIJOUX. I went into the business knowing I wanted to support other women-owned small businesses. It was this desire that led us to expanding into our EM/POWEREDbyWMN platform which serves as a centralized location where women entrepreneurs come to lift each other up & indulge in daily inspiration. I’ve made so many incredible relationships with these women & the energy, passion & ambition they bring to the table truly fill my cup & motivate me to keep pursuing my vision. Every day they remind me that I’m on the right path, that my vision is making an impact, & that I, too, am capable & worthy of creating a life I love.

I also have to shoutout my sister, Katrina Nakada, who is the founder of Lagree Fitness Bay Area (LFBA) & just the biggest boss I know. Her work ethic is unmatched, her business is expanding every day, & she continues to be a major source of inspiration, motivation, & support for me.

Website: www.bookofbijoux.com, www.empoweredbywmn.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/bookofbijoux, www.instagram.com/empoweredbywmn

Facebook: www.facebook.com/bookofbijoux

Youtube: www.youtube.com/@empoweredbywmn

Other: tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@bookofbijoux, www.tiktok.com/@empoweredbywmn spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1rJbuAI7YB0Zy2qd0aXZme

Image Credits
CeeCee Weaver, Pink Salt Photos