The Art of Connection and Choosing Your Hard: Lessons from Entrepreneur Brianna Zenna

When I first met Brianna Zenna, she was on stage at the Permanent Jewelry Expo in San Antonio talking about collaboration, leadership, and integrity in business, and I couldn’t stop nodding. Her energy was grounded yet driven, her words practical but deeply human. Bri reminded me that connection really is the heartbeat of any thriving business.

She’s built several of her own. From beauty school beginnings and vacuum sales to launching Linked Local NJ, a fast-growing community built on her mantra: Connect. Converse. Cultivate.

Collaboration over competition

Bri lives by the saying, “You can go faster alone, but further together.” In an industry that can feel crowded and comparison heavy, her perspective is generous and steady. She believes there is room for everyone, and that collaboration starts by asking what the other person gains.

When she began her permanent jewelry business, she didn’t have a storefront. What she did have was a loyal local following and an open mind. She partnered with gyms, boutiques, and even a dentist’s office. Each collaboration created a clear win for both sides. Customers got a memorable experience, and both businesses grew their reach.

You can apply this to any creative business. You do not need a massive following or fancy setup to start. You need curiosity, clear communication, and a willingness to nurture relationships before results.

Build your business like you will sell it, whether you ever do or not

Bri structures her companies as if they could be franchised tomorrow. Every interaction, policy, and message is documented so that consistency, not chaos, defines the customer experience. “It doesn’t matter what happens to us,” she said. “It matters how we deal with it.”

That kind of emotional maturity does more than protect a brand. It preserves your energy. Entrepreneurs burn out faster from emotional exhaustion than from hard work. Boundaries and clear processes are not cold. They are freedom.

Scarcity vs. abundance

In our second conversation, we dug into the mindset that quietly sabotages success. Scarcity thinking. Before launching her jewelry company, Bri was $30,000 in credit card debt. She took the leap anyway. “Money can always be made, but time can’t.”

That risk paid off. Today she is debt free, and more importantly, abundant in opportunity, creativity, and confidence. Her reminder to all makers: stop spending other people’s money in your head. You cannot decide what something is worth to someone else. Price your work with integrity. Honor the craft. Let the right customers rise to meet you.

Choose your hard

A favorite takeaway from Bri is this: you are going to struggle either way, so choose your hard. Staying stuck is hard. Growing through discomfort is also hard. One of these paths leads somewhere worth going.

Entrepreneurship asks us to keep showing up when we are tired, unsure, or afraid. It is not about perfection. It is about resilience. As Bri puts it, you cannot get the yes until you get the no.

Victim or victor

When life throws curveballs, and it will, we get to decide how we respond. Bri’s words land with clarity. We cannot control what happens to us, but we can control what comes out of it. Whether it is a difficult client, a financial setback, or a full blown life crisis, each moment can either define you or refine you.

Maybe that is what entrepreneurship really is. The daily choice to grow, to stay open, and to keep creating something meaningful out of whatever life hands you.

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Watch the full conversations with Brianna Zenna on YouTube or listen on your favorite podcast platform by searching The Jeweler’s View. Episodes 47-48