Jewelry With A Message

Gaby Ghorbani built Love You More around the beauty of giving back

A chance to support a movement for good and shop for cute accessories? Sign me up. That’s how I felt when I met Gaby Ghorbani of Love You More when she visited Austin recently for a pop-up event. While I browsed gorgeous jewelry pieces (and, yes, I bought a few), Gaby told me about how Love You More creates good in the world and how she’s an award-winning nonprofit leader and a lifelong #MovementMaker. The mission behind the Love You More brand makes my new jewelry even more beautiful and meaningful to wear. Gaby’s story inspired me, and I hope it also inspires you!

Empowering Kids to Give

The roots of Love You More go back to when Gaby was a child in Mexico. Her family was middle class, but she was keenly aware that other kids did not have the comfortable life she did. She recalls asking her parents for money to the children she saw begging or selling gum on street corners. “I never became numb to such injustice,” she says.

Gaby’s passion for helping others continued as an adult. When she became a mother, she also wanted her children to become empathetic changemakers. She knew she could unlock a powerful force for good in the world if she could give kids a place where their ideas to help others could be heard and turned into actions.

In 2009, she founded a nonprofit called Pledge to Humanity. This organization empowers students who have the spark to become changemakers, just as Gaby did as a child.

“It’s just been a labor of love,” she says. Since its founding, Pledge to Humanity has brought together more than 100,000 student volunteers. The organization has made such an impact that it was honored as a California Nonprofit of the Year — a “huge, huge milestone” for a very small charity, Gaby says. Pledge to Humanity has also been recognized by People magazine, and with the Threads of Hope award by Diablo magazine, a regional publication in California.

Beautiful Jewelry with a Beautiful Message

But Pledge to Humanity represents only part of Gaby’s movement for good. That brings us back to the story of Love You More.

Gaby has always had a deep entrepreneurial streak, having owned and operated two successful franchises. So it only makes sense that she would find a way to combine business and giving back. The designs of Love You More’s products are inspired by the philosophy of living purposefully and generously. Many pieces are handcrafted by women in Mexico, Gaby’s native country. These artisans work on contract for a higher wage than they could otherwise receive, and Gaby’s dream is to be able to employ the women full time.

That’s not the only way Love You More creates, well, more love in the world. Gaby regularly helps other causes by selling Love You More products at private events and donating a percentage of sales.

“I love to be a brand that is generous to the people that support it,” she says. “And every time people come and buy, I tell them, ‘Thank you for helping me continue to give back and stay sustainable because we are a brand with a soul and a purpose.’ ”

Advice from Gaby

I know that many of you reading this want to follow Gaby’s lead in creating an impact through your work. She believes that this is something we can all do. “You don’t have to create a business to give back,” Gaby says. “You can have an existing business or be employed in any job and have that mentality.”

But if you are starting a business, Gaby encourages you to make giving part of its foundations. You don’t have to wait until you start making a lot of money to give back, she adds. “You can start with little and grow with whatever makes sense for your business.”

I also know that we all could use some tips for managing our hectic lives. So, I made a point to ask Gaby how she Me-Sets when her life starts to feel overwhelming or out of alignment. Her answer is simple: prayer.

“It’s my connection with my Creator that gives me what I need for the day,” she says. “When I’m depleted and exhausted, which is very often, and I feel like ‘What am I going to do next?’ or ‘How am I going to do this?’ it’s always the breath and the prayers.” (Amen to that!)

How You Can Show Some Love

To keep up with the latest from Love You More, head to the business’s Instagram and Facebook pages. If you’re ready to treat yourself or others to some beautiful, meaningful accessories, shop the Love You More website. To support Pledge to Humanity, donate at the organization’s website.

But the simplest way to support Gaby’s movement is something you can do right now: “Just love more. No expectations, just love more.”