In this episode of the Female Leaders Podcast, designer and entrepreneur Wietske Doreleijers talks about the origin of her jewelry brand Donna Dorée. A personal conversation about creation, storytelling, and building a brand from intuition and meaning.
From sketch to brand
Sometimes a brand doesn't start with a plan, but with a feeling that keeps coming back. In my conversation with Maartje Blijleven, it's not just about entrepreneurship, but precisely about the moment before a brand takes shape. About how a few sketches, created in a period of silence during the pandemic, slowly grew into a visual concept and eventually into a brand with its own world.
Not from a strict business plan, but from intuition, curiosity, and the desire to create something with meaning. Those first sketches formed the beginning of what would later grow into Donna Dorée, a brand where female figures, identity, and story come together.
The story before the product
In the episode, we talk extensively about the role of storytelling in my work. For me, a product never starts with the object itself, but with the story behind it. First an idea, a feeling, and an identity are created, only then does the form follow.
This sequence proved decisive for how Donna Dorée has developed: not as a collection of products, but as a brand that invites women to make their strength visible. Every design carries a story, and it is precisely that story that creates connection.
About becoming visible and growing
Entrepreneurship is not just about creativity, but also about personal growth. In the conversation, I openly share how becoming visible was a process that took time, and how learning to ask for help eventually became a turning point.
What perhaps touches me most is the emergence of a community around the brand. Women who recognize themselves in the stories, who connect their own moments to a piece of jewelry, and who show that a brand becomes stronger when people feel connected to it.
Listen or watch the episode
Curious about the full conversation?
You can watch or listen to the episode here:
▶ Watch the episode on YouTube (DUTCH SPOKEN)
🎙 Listen to the episode via Spotify (DUTCH SPOKEN)