From Corporate Climb to Creative Calling: Valentina Raffal (2004)
For Valentina Raffel (Class of 2004), success hasn’t followed a straight line, and that’s exactly the point. From a thriving career in corporate banking to travelling the world, and now co-founding a growing jewellery business with her sister Giusella, her journey is shaped by curiosity, courage and a deep commitment to family. What began as a leap of faith has evolved into a business built on connection, creativity and meaning, proving that it’s never too late to change direction and create a life that truly fits.
Was there a clear turning point when you decided to leave corporate life?
I attended university after high school and then secured a full time job straight out of university. I never took a gap year to travel. I was very grateful for the opportunities that corporate provided me, being able to purchase properties in my 20s and being in banking enabled me to relocate to Sydney.
Deep down, I was keen to travel the world and immerse myself in different cultures. I left a corporate banking role at an international bank that I’d worked really hard for, planning to spend the following year travelling with my now husband. I enrolled to study a Health Science diploma online while we travelled and also completed yoga teacher training in Byron Bay before we left on our travels. The year I turned 30, we visited over 12 countries in 10 months. It’s never too late to take a gap year!
How did The Love Alchemy Jewels begin?
I was studying at the end of my Health Science diploma and trying to secure a part-time corporate role as a new mum during Covid. All the jobs I applied for wanted me to work full-time, but I wasn’t prepared to spend that much time away from my baby daughter. I spoke with my sister one evening, and we decided to set up an e-commerce jewellery business, ‘The Love Alchemy Jewels’, so we could look after our kids during the day and pack orders at night. The business took off, and we pivoted fast, signing a lease for a studio six months in! That was four years ago, and we haven’t looked back.Â
Why was starting a business with your sister the right move for you both?
We both had young children and wanted to be present with our families. Family is a huge value for us, and we really enjoy working together. Our skill sets also complement each other, so we make a great business team.
What skills from your corporate career do you still use every day?
I am a believer that you always gain transferable skills in every experience you have. Whether it was work experience or a paid role, I always asked lots of questions and stayed curious. In our business, we have to understand the local economy, global markets and foreign exchange. A lot of jewellery is manufactured overseas, and we source many gems internationally. My career in banking and payments enabled me to understand the finance world and how money moves around the world. The greatest gift that corporate gave me though, was the opportunity to deal with optimistic directors and founders who were passionate about their businesses and the solutions they could offer people. Enthusiasm and passion are contagious, and it has been a blessing to have witnessed this level of entrepreneurialism in action. Â
What has been the most rewarding part of building your own business?
We work a lot now as the business has grown, however having our own business has allowed us the flexibility to spend time with our loved ones, travel internationally for work and meet wonderful clients, many who have become friends. It gives us great joy to learn the stories our clients tell us about their precious family heirlooms. It makes you realise how beautiful the human experience truly is. Everyone’s story and journey is so unique and sacred.Â
Outside work, what do you enjoy doing, and what inspires you?
I love spending time with loved ones and in nature, even if it’s as simple as grabbing a coffee and sitting in the sunshine or going for a walk. I love the ocean, particularly Leighton Beach. I teach yoga every week at a ladies’ gym and love that women of all ages have the chance to experience yoga and have time to relax.Â
When you think back to your school years, what stands out most now?
I absolutely loved the teachers at Santa Maria. They were passionate about teaching and challenged us to think critically and from all perspectives. The Mercy ethos of service also deeply resonated with me. I’ve always believed that personal success allows one to on-forward service. After I left corporate, I started organising volunteering trips to Cambodia for Australian volunteers and educating volunteers about socially responsible NGOs. I ran these for three years and plan to start them again when my daughters are a bit older.Â
Looking back, what advice would you give your younger self?
I would tell myself to stop comparing myself to others and not care what others think. It sounds cliché, but it’s hard to do when we seek validation and feel the need to benchmark ourselves. A lot of people have a lot of opinions about how you should do things in life, but I have come to learn that you only need to please the 8-year-old and the 80-year-old versions of yourself. Everyone has a different path in life to lead; life is short, and success should only be measured by whatever it is that truly makes you happy. That is different for everyone.
Were there any teachers, subjects or experiences that helped shape your confidence or direction?
I loved Political & Legal Studies, Human Biology and Art & Design. I’ve always been curious about the world and how countries interact in a global community, so P&L studies fostered this curiosity. I love learning about the human body, hence circled back to study Health Science and Yoga as a mature age student. I have always enjoyed having a creative outlet and having a jewellery business enables me to be creative in a setting that celebrates people’s life, milestones and celebrations. I’m very grateful to have been a Santa Maria student, I felt very supported and given lots of opportunities to develop leadership skills that have provided a wonderful foundation for life.Â
What stays with you after reading Valentina’s story is not the career pivot or the gap year or even the volunteering trips to Cambodia, but the thread that runs through all of it: a woman who kept asking questions, stayed curious, and eventually stopped measuring herself against everyone else’s version of a good life. Valentina credits her Santa Maria teachers for the critical thinking that started it all, and a Political & Legal Studies classroom for the curiosity about the world that has taken her everywhere since.
- Alumni Spotlight, Alumni Success Stories, career change journey, Featured, female entrepreneurship, jewellery business founder, life after school, mum entrepreneur story, Santa Maria College alumni, women in business Australia
Author: Santa Maria College
Santa Maria College is a vibrant girls school with a growing local presence and reputation. Our Mission is to educate young Mercy women who act with courage and compassion to enrich our world. Santa Maria College is located in Attadale in Western Australia, 16 km from the Perth CBD. We offer a Catholic education for girls in Years 5 – 12 and have 1300 students, including 152 boarders.
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