2025: The Year I Built in the Margins

I didn’t set out to do everything this year. I set out to honor what mattered, and then I kept showing up for it, one small decision at a time.

When people ask me how I balanced it all, I tell them the truth: I didn’t. Balance assumes everything gets equal weight at the same time. What I did was move with intention. Some weeks, the foundation took the lead. Other weeks, it was jewelry. Or AI. Or just rest. I learned to trust the rhythm instead of fighting it.

What happened this year

In January, I launched www.cloyetteharris.com in support of my book Affirm With Me. It felt right to create a home for the work that’s meant to encourage and ground people in their daily lives. By March, I was named one of CaribBizNetwork’s 2025 Caribbean Boss Ladies. Then in April, I traveled to India, spending three weeks in Jaipur, Mumbai, and Surat, learning from artisans and deepening my understanding of the jewelry craft. It was immersive, humbling, and exactly what I needed.

May brought me to Eagle Academy of South East Queens’ annual Mother’s Day Tea Party, where I served as keynote speaker, sharing words meant to uplift and inspire. In June, I attended JCK Las Vegas, one of the jewelry industry’s largest conventions, taking in the scope of what’s possible in this world I’ve committed to.

July was sacred. We celebrated the graduation and scholarship luncheon for Guyanese Girls Rock Foundation’s Young Women’s Leadership Academy Cohort 8. Watching those young women step into their confidence and claim their futures reminded me why this work matters so deeply.

August was full. I was named as one of the 100 Global Women Icons by Women of Wealth Magazine and We Fund Her Tomorrow. I traveled home to Guyana and while there, established connections for future partnerships. That trip wasn’t just about business. It was about staying rooted in where I come from while building what’s ahead.

September became a whirlwind of visibility and celebration. Alliyette Jewelry Design was named a finalist for the Accessories Council Design Excellence Award competition and featured in Accessories Council Magazine. We showcased Alliyette jewelry at Style Across the Aisle Fashion Event during New York Fashion Week. ESSENCE magazine featured Commissioner Vilda Vera Mayuga and New York City Councilmember Joanne Ariola wearing Alliyette Jewelry at that event. I attended the Caribbean Music Awards for the first time. I traveled to Washington, DC to attend the 100 Global Women Icons Summit and Gala, where I received my award. And I participated in WeStyle, a bold, high-energy pop-up celebrating Afro and Caribbean creativity during New York Fashion Week. September reminded me that visibility matters, that representation matters, that showing up in these spaces creates pathways for others.

October brought a nomination for Island Icon Activist/Social Enterprise of the Year through Guyanese Girls Rock Foundation. In November, I participated in the JAP Marketing Small Business Expo and showcased Alliyette Jewelry. I also attended the Island Icon Awards, an evening celebrating Caribbean excellence and culture.

December closed the year with purpose. I was featured in the Fall 2025 ICON Edition of Women of Wealth Magazine. I completed AI Consultant Training and began building out Ai Design Atelier (AiDA), a consulting and . Not because I abandoned healthcare IT, Jewelry Designing or my nonprofit but because I saw where my experience could meet the future. I built AiDA rooted in the belief that technology should feel accessible, not intimidating. It wasn’t easy, but it was aligned.

What I learned

That you can be multi-passionate without being scattered. That pivoting doesn’t mean you failed, it means you evolved. That some of the most important work happens quietly, in the margins of what looks “successful” from the outside.

I learned to let my voice be what it is: grounded, reflective, honest. I stopped apologizing for not fitting into one box. Jewelry designer. AI consultant. Nonprofit founder. Author. Entrepreneur. I am all of it, and none of it cancels the other out.

What I’m carrying forward

2025 taught me that alignment feels different than hustle. It’s steadier. It requires you to check in often: am I doing this because it matters, or because I think I should? It asks you to build systems that support you, not drain you. It reminds you that rest isn’t the opposite of productivity; it’s part of it.

So as I step into 2026, I’m not making grand declarations. I’m continuing what’s working. I’m adjusting what isn’t. I’m trusting that the foundation I’ve laid in my businesses, my work, my community, my voice will hold. Because the truth is, you don’t have to do everything at once. You just have to keep moving in the direction of what’s true for you. And that’s exactly what I did in 2025.

I’m closing this chapter grounded in gratitude for the experiences, opportunities, and people who helped make it all possible.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

And before you ask why "Built in the Margins"? This title means I didn’t wait for perfect conditions, unlimited time, or a clear, open calendar. I didn’t put my life on hold to focus on just one thing. Instead, I built my businesses, my foundation work, trained to become an Ai consultant and my creative vision in the spaces between other responsibilities. In the early mornings, late nights, and pockets of time most people would overlook.

It also acknowledges that some of my most important work happened quietly, outside of what traditionally gets celebrated or validated, but in the margins where transformation actually takes root. Where young women are shaped. Where cultural heritage is honored through design. Where technology becomes accessible instead of intimidating.

The title pushes back against the idea that meaningful work requires dropping everything else. It says: I can build something substantial without abandoning the rest of my life. I can honor multiple callings at once. I can be multi-passionate and still be focused.

It’s honest about the reality of how most women, especially women of color, especially mothers, especially entrepreneurs, actually get things done. Not with wide-open schedules and venture capital. But with intention, consistency, and the willingness to show up in whatever time and space is available.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​