Editor’s Note
This story of a lawyer who traded courtroom stress for a seven-figure jewelry business is a compelling case study in modern career reinvention. It reminds us that the most rewarding professional paths are often the ones we forge for ourselves.
At 36, Hannah Florman has become a prominent example of professional reinvention in the United States. What began as an attempt to escape the stress of her legal career ended up transforming into a business with seven-figure annual sales.
Today, the founder of Hannah Florman Fine Jewelry, a business specializing in engagement rings and custom fine jewelry based in Boston, lives a reality diametrically opposed to the one she imagined upon graduating from law school.
Florman began her professional career at a corporate law firm after graduating from Northeastern Law School in 2015. However, she soon discovered that the pressure and intensity of the legal environment did not fit her lifestyle.
This emotional strain led her to take the first step towards a change: reducing her schedule to part-time after getting married in 2016, with the intention of exploring other professional alternatives.
This period of searching coincided with a personal need: finding a jeweler who could reinterpret family heirlooms with a modern style. The lack of options in Boston led her to discover a market gap in the custom fine jewelry sector.
The entrepreneur definitively left the law firm in 2016 and dedicated six months to training at the Gemological Institute of America. Finally, she launched her brand in September 2017.
Although her family connections—her husband and father-in-law work in the high-end watch sector—facilitated the first contacts with suppliers and diamond dealers, the beginnings of the business were not without learning experiences.
Florman quickly realized she was not an expert in the artisanal part of jewelry making, so she decided to outsource production to a local workshop. That decision became one of her first key lessons: focus on one’s own strengths and delegate the rest.
During the first years, she operated practically alone and relied on word-of-mouth to attract clients. The strategy worked: friends, acquaintances, and referrals drove the organic growth of the business.
By 2022, the entrepreneur hired her first full-time employee. Today she has a team of three people—including an additional designer and a social media manager—and serves her clients in a showroom located in a brownstone on Boston’s renowned Newbury Street.
The business recorded seven-figure sales in 2025, according to documents reviewed by CNBC, demonstrating that the bet on a completely personalized service in fine jewelry found growing demand among consumers seeking unique pieces and exclusive experiences rather than traditional purchases.
Hannah Florman’s story reflects a growing trend: highly qualified professionals choosing to leave traditional careers to build projects that align their skills, interests, and personal well-being.
Her case demonstrates that, with vision, proper training, and a deep understanding of the market, it is possible to transform a personal restlessness into a prosperous business that redefines a professional trajectory.
