As easy as they make it look, those of us who are lucky enough to be a part of this world recognize exactly how much work goes into perfecting all of those component parts. And while many designers and brands have established an in-house ecosystem to support all of their efforts, others instead turn to outside agencies to contribute their own specialized areas of prowess and expertise.

The work of these advocates often flies under the radar as they quietly and tirelessly toil away on behalf of their clients. Whether it’s organizing photo shoots, negotiating with retailers, establishing pricing, advising on design direction, wooing the media, cozying up to celebrities’ stylists, continually texting with sales associates or putting out any number of random fires that inevitably come up, these brand advocates, as their clients will be the first to say, deserve utility belts and capes; they are the (too often) unsung superheroes of our community!

We caught up with a few of these best-in-class agencies to uncover their secret ingredient for success, what they most look forward to each year, why they think presenting their brands at COUTURE is a benefit to their clients’ businesses and what mantras keep them motivated. While they admit to the incredible workload, Alison Cohen, Beth Anne Bonanno, Danielle Gadi, Francesca Simons, Jennifer Shanker, Joel Cheatwood and Randi Molofsky all genuinely love what they do. And it shows.

Alison Cohen heads up APC PR, an agency that extends beyond facilitating editorial and celebrity placements to providing guidance on product design and handling the logistics of inventory management in the U.S. for her international clients. Representing a diverse roster of brands, Alison is responsible for elevating the visibility of Ascher, CADAR, Kavant & Sharart, Terzihan and Yeprem.

She posits that it is her ability to build strong, personal relationships that sets APC PR apart, noting she’s been honored to be a part of some of her clients growth for 7-10 years. “Being a one-woman-show gives me the opportunity to be closely involved with many facets of my brands’ businesses,” Alison says. “I make myself available any time of the day and I am always on WhatsApp since most of my clients are international.”

Elizabeth “Beth Anne” Bonanno and Joel Cheatwood are partners in The Gems Project, a luxury brand development agency that specializes in bringing high-end brands to market through a “menu” of services that allows them to take a deep dive into a brand, or even help a brand launch from conception. The Gems Project’s coveted clients include Buddha Mama, Jorge Adeler, Leigh Maxwell, Meredith Young and MOKSH, who all benefit from Beth Anne and Joel’s respective skills.

Beth Anne’s perspective as a jewelry historian, combined with Joel’s sense of style and analytical acumen, creates a collective experience for their clients. Through support that includes manufacturing, product development and brand and collection launches inside of today’s most coveted luxury retailers, The Gems Project creates the trajectory of a brands’ career path, branding and social media.

Danielle Gadi is the founder of Danielle Gadi PR. She explains that her approach to working with her brands is collaborative; she always wants to make her clients feel like she’s working in-house. “Our goals for the brand are always aligned, so I support by showing them I’m on board for the long haul,” Danielle says, emphasizing, “This is a very long game, after all! Whatever it takes to achieve what we want, I’m in for it.” A 15-year veteran of representing clients at COUTURE, Danielle is excited that her persistent “super fan” status of Jenna Blake turned into a working relationship a few years ago, “It feels very serendipitous,” she enthuses.

Francesca Simons is the founder of Francesca Simons PR, a full-service PR and Sales agency that represents a who’s who of high-profile designers. Offering consulting, PR and Sales services to COUTURE brands Anita Ko, CICADA, Jacquie Aiche, Khepri Jewels, Maison H Jewels, Marie Lichtenberg, Rainbow K, Suzanne Kalan and Yvonne Léon, one would be correct in assuming that Francesca has perfected the art of being in several places at once!

She credits her “incredible team” with keeping things running smoothly, “My team and I are on it, we prepare for months prior,” Francesca tells us about getting ready for COUTURE each year. “We work great under pressure and come fully organized and ready to execute.” Yet she cautions, “We always anticipate the unexpected.”

Jennifer Shanker heads up MUSE, a showroom that operates like an extension of the brands with whom they work. MUSE is their sales and marketing team, their voice and their presence. “We don’t just make introductions; we see things through, handling everything from wholesale strategy to fulfillment,” Jennifer clarifies. “We move fast, stay available and make things happen.” At COUTURE, MUSE consistently makes things happen for venerable designers Anna Maccieri Rossi, Bea Bongiasca, Beck Jewels, Francesca Villa, Nikos Koulis, Silvia Furmanovich and Shihara/Yutai.

Jennifer’s long tenure with the community is tied deeply to the event’s ongoing evolution through her long-standing involvement with the COUTURE Exhibitor Advisory Council. Prompted to join the council after she had a “breastfeeding fiasco” in 2006, she quips, “No woman should have to go through what I did while trying to work a trade show as a breastfeeding mom; I have stories!”

Randi Molofsky is the founder of For Future Reference (FFR), a premier New York City and LA-based brand development agency with a focus on independent fine jewelry designers. FFR’s mission is to enable unique talents to grow through a tailored strategy for consumer, editorial and business-to-business awareness, bolstered by strategic marketing, public relations and wholesale distribution.

Telling us that brand development is a true passion, Randi explains, “Really being able to home in on exactly what differentiates one designer from another, and then taking that direction and building it into a sustainable business is so gratifying.” At COUTURE, Randi’s clients showcase their unique points of view in a bespoke villa with Harwell Godfrey, Jade Ruzzo, HOWL, Vanessa Fernández, Retrouvaí and Lizzie Mandler positioned alongside For Future Reference Vintage, a thoughtful curation of unsigned, vintage and antique statement pieces.

While it would be understandable to get tired just reading about what these agencies will be juggling at COUTURE, they all are undeterred. “After all of the build-up, it’s truly fantastic to get to show off all of the hard work that we as a team, alongside each designer, have put into the overall For Future Reference presentation and new collections,” Randi says. “We’ve all spent months honing the details, from designing to stone sourcing to pricing to imagery, and it’s both a relief and a thrill to put it all out there.”

And putting it all out there is the entire point of COUTURE. Alison raves, “COUTURE introduces brands to a huge list of influential U.S. and international press and buyers that they otherwise may not have in-person exposure with.” Jennifer concurs, “It is the most efficient week ever! We can get all of our designers in front of the maximum amount of important people, all in one room. When else does that happen?!”

Beth Anne makes a case for the importance of longevity to The Gems Project’s success at COUTURE, “In my opinion, the value of COUTURE is in the cumulative. The year after year where you show up, a store sees your commitment and can feel confident in your staying power. All of those relationships and opportunities that happen seemingly ‘by chance’ but you know that it’s been because you have stayed sharp and on-point; our most valuable, important and lucrative relationships have happened through COUTURE.”

Their outward grace under pressure belies the months of behind-the-scenes anxiety and pressure to perform that precedes COUTURE each year for these agency leads. When asked what keeps her up at night in the months leading up to the show, Jennifer retorts, “It may be simpler to tell you what doesn’t keep me up at night! The COUTURE prep experience is a chaotic, beautiful haze of logistics—getting the jewels where they need to be, making sure the designers are feeling solid about what they’re showing and organizing schedules to be able to see as many people as humanly possible.”

Expressing a similar source of insomnia, Francesca answers, “Appointments! Juggling between wholesale and editor appointment we must secure. Nine clients is full on, the pressure is on!”

As much work that goes into achieving their clients’ goals, the genuine love they have for their work, and their sense of gratitude that they get to do it, is evident among each of these industry influencers. They relish the opportunity to spend time among friends and allies that fuel their passions, and their excitement for being in the same space with their favorite people year after year is palpable. “I love seeing all of my incredibly talented, U.S. and international clients at COUTURE,” Francesca tells us. “The COUTURE community is filled with friends, designers, editors and buyers that I get to spend quality time with. We get the chance to update each other on all the new products, designs and news in this exciting environment.”

Echoing a theme we hear often, Danielle says of COUTURE, “It’s like camp. I’m always excited to reunite with friends that I haven’t seen since the last show. I love wandering around and playing with everyone’s jewelry, and really spending uninterrupted time with clients for several days in a row.”

Alison agrees, “Whether I’m assisting with their appointments at their salons or we’re having dinner after the show, I value our time together. I also love catching up with the COUTURE team and discovering new talent in our industry.”

While Jennifer is most grateful for the opportunity to amplify her designers’ stories and truly share the narratives behind their work, its craftsmanship, the very reason for its existence, she wholeheartedly embraces the social aspect of COUTURE, “Seeing everyone in one place is really such a unique time for all of us, from every corner of the industry, to come together. The designers, the retailers, the editors—we get to spend these few days looking at the most beautiful things and hearing the greatest stories; it’s pretty magical.”

Noting that it is the culmination of months and months of work, and the opportunity to present their clients’ newest collections and designs and share their creativity with top-notch retailers that gives him the most satisfaction, Joel also enjoys the many festivities at the event, “It’s a big reunion and we always look forward to that! We always attend the COUTURE Design Awards and look forward to seeing the newest, ground-breaking work that has been brought to fruition by incredibly talented designers; COUTURE is a chance to have brands recognized for their design and innovation.”

Exemplifying the evident joy that each of these agencies finds in their work, Beth Anne comments, “I love seeing our industry friends and family, but what I look forward to the most is the hunt! What new doors and relationships will be forged and how will our existing relationships grow.”

A reliably chic staple at all of COUTURE’s evening events, for Randi, it is the dynamic among her designers that she relishes the most about coming together in Las Vegas, “What I’ve come to love the most is the connections that we’ve formed as a group. Rather than feeling competitive, the designers are excited to get together, compare notes, talk strategy and help each other grow their businesses. It’s probably my favorite thing that I’ve accomplished with the showroom.”

Seeking inspiration for achieving the same aplomb as these professional multi-taskers, a few were happy to share the mantras that keep them motivated. Explaining that her go-to mantra was established through real-world experiences, Randi tells us hers is, “Fake it ‘til you make it. There are so many tasks and projects I’ve taken on that have been over my head, but the challenge is part of the motivation.”

Always an overachiever, Francesca shares, “I have three: If the plan doesn’t work, change the plan but not the goal; Sink or Swim; I will sleep when I’m dead.”

Unsurprisingly, Danielle combined her mantra with a plug for her client, “Kindness really does go a very long way. And buy at least one Jenna Blake diamond fringe at this year’s show. Is that a mantra?!”

Both Jennifer and Joel rely on their characteristic dry wit and humor to get them through tough times, with Jennifer telling us her mantra is “Funny, not funny,” and Joel proclaiming, “I’ve done worse for less!”