STOLEN TO SACRED w/David Lim

Best known for his role as Officer Victor Tan on CBS’s S.W.A.T., David Lim is no stranger to action and intensity. But behind the scenes, a deeply personal journey began when a home burglary left him and his wife, Marketa, without the sentimental pieces that once told their story. Instead of replacing what was lost, they chose to create something new—launching a handcrafted jewelry line, Maya David, born of grief, love, and a desire to make beauty out of pain.

ALLIÉ: Let’s get started at the beginning of what is a rather new chapter for you. You and Marketa turned something heartbreaking—a burglary that took more than just things—into something beautiful with Maya David. Can you take me back to that moment when it happened and what it was like to lose not just the jewelry, but the memories those pieces held?

DAVID: I think that was definitely the toughest part. Obviously, when you experience a burglary or a break-in, your sense of security is shaken. It’s painful, it’s scary. But the most heartbreaking part was definitely losing a lot of things that had so much sentimental value tied to them—family heirlooms, things we had gifted each other over the years for anniversaries, our wedding, things we had collected on our travels that reminded us of all the beautiful places we’d been.

So that was definitely the hardest part. It took us some time to process and grieve, but then it did shift. We just started asking ourselves, “Okay, what if we don’t replace these things—spend the money and just get new ones? What if we…”—and we started to get a little curious as well—“What if we don’t replace them? What if we teach ourselves how to make jewelry? What if we go down this path?”

That kind of curiosity, coupled with really wanting to turn this experience into something positive if we were able, led us to Maya David being born—hand-making our own jewelry. It was a way for us to heal. We enjoyed it, and we found meaning in it. That’s really how it all started.

ALLIÉ: Well, I think it's really beautiful because you took a situation where you were the victim and then became the victor. After that loss, to your point, instead of trying to replace what was stolen, you created something brand new. So, when did the shift happen from grief to creativity? Did you already know how to make jewelry? Or did this situation teach you something brand new?

DAVID: The latter—we had no idea how to make jewelry. We just knew that we loved it and had collected it over the years. Both my wife, Marcheta, and I have always been creative. She’s been modeling and has lived all over the world practically her entire life. And me—being an actor—that’s another creative outlet, you know? Storytelling is artistic.

We had no clue—just as I had no clue when I became an actor, or before that, when I became a loan officer and didn’t know anything about mortgages. I think it’s just creativity and curiosity and taking on new challenges.

It really just started with that thought—that curiosity—and me hopping down to the local arts and crafts store, the local bead store, bringing home some supplies and materials and saying, “Hey, I don’t want to just spend money and replace these things. I want to make them. I want them to carry meaning. I want them to be more personal and more beautiful because I created them myself. This is going to tell my story—of resilience, of turning something heartbreaking into something beautiful.”

That’s how it all started. But no, we didn’t know anything about it. Self-taught. Learn as you go. Similar to my acting journey—you learn as you go and use all your resources. There are so many resources today with the internet and books where you can teach yourself anything you want to learn. I’ve always been open to that sort of thing—learning new things. And when you find something you’re passionate about and motivated by, you can really take it far.

ALLIÉ: I love that this is your theme. This is your through line, right? Like you said—when you started acting, you didn’t know. You just tried it. And you didn’t know anything about loans, but there you were—a loan officer.

DAVID: Yeah. That’s the thing… We’ll see what’s next.

ALLIÉ: Well, I think it’s fantastic. Let’s talk more about this. Each piece in Maya David’s line is, as you said, handmade by you both, inspired by your travels and love for the natural world. Is there one piece, among the many, that holds the most meaning for you—something that tells a story that perhaps only the two of you know?

DAVID: That’s tough because, like I said, we want all of our pieces—everything we create that’s on our website—to carry some type of meaning or story. That’s why we made it. Either it reminded us of somewhere we’d visited, something that left a mark on us, a time in our lives, or just this journey of the burglary turning into a business.

But if I had to pick one, I’d probably say the very first bracelets I made. They were probably not done perfectly, but they were just simple black onyx bracelets. I made a his and a hers—one for myself and one for Marcheta. And to us, that symbolized new beginnings. It represented a fresh start, a way to heal from the traumatic experience. And if you know your stones, onyx symbolizes protection, courage, and strength. These are all things we try to really infuse into our pieces.

ALLIÉ: That is beautiful. Now, let’s talk about Victor. While most people know you as Victor Tan on S.W.A.T., this jewelry line reveals a different side of you, David. One that’s perhaps slower, more intentional, more personal. How do these two parts of your life—the action part and the artistic—inform one another?

DAVID: I think, surprisingly, they’re not that different. Because with acting and jewelry design, at the core, you’re telling a story. One is for the screen, and one is through your design—something that’s a wearable piece of art.

Obviously, one is action-packed, fast-paced, just like you said. And then when we get in the jewelry studio, it slows down. It’s therapeutic. It’s just about you and what you want to create with these materials and how you want people to feel when they wear it.

So, not as different as you might think—even though, at surface value, they seem like two very different things.

ALLIÉ: Right, right. One and the same, kind of. So, the fact of the matter is that you’ve worn many hats—engineer, model, actor, now designer. Through all of these roles, what is the one thing you’ve carried with you, no matter where life has taken you?

DAVID: I think that curiosity I mentioned earlier, but also, I’ve always—ever since I can remember—dreamt very big. I’ve always believed that anything is possible.

When I think back on my journey—getting a degree in engineering, one of the most challenging degrees—I can’t tell you how much time I spent in the lab while my friends were out partying. Then going from that degree to becoming a loan officer, knowing nothing about mortgages, to deciding I wanted to become an actor—coming from a family with no artists or entertainers, being a shy kid—not knowing anything about getting into the entertainment industry. And now, to jewelry design.

But I always thought that if I worked hard and believed in myself, I could do it—or at least realize my potential in whatever outlet that was. Whether it was acting or jewelry design, something good would come of it. For me, it always came down to hard work, dedicating yourself, and making the necessary sacrifices to become successful at whatever you choose.

That’s the common through line. So, when I give advice to other actors or friends, I say: you have to work hard, dedicate yourself to your craft—whatever that is—and believe in yourself.

ALLIÉ: I love that. And I love how, in all these different chapters of you, there’s that self-made, self-determined quality that carries through. So, I guess my final question for you—back to all these chapters, the story of you—what is it that you want people to take away from the story of you, David? From all the different hats and roles—if you had a gift to give someone, what piece of advice or part of your story do you hope shines through?

DAVID: Wow, that’s a great question—deep. And I think I’m still very early on in my career. I just turned 41. I have a lot of career and a lot of story left to tell. I still feel like I’m in the beginning chapter. Once I get to the middle and toward the end, I could probably answer that a little better. But I just hope to inspire others to chase their own dreams and believe that things that maybe don’t seem possible actually can be done. That’s how I felt when I became an actor—I didn’t know if it was even possible. I didn’t really see anybody who looked like me having success in this industry. Maybe now, that young version of myself can have someone who looks like him and think—or she can think—that this might be possible. Whether it’s acting or anything else. You want to be an entrepreneur, an engineer, a loan officer, a jewelry designer—whatever it is.

I heard something recently that really stuck with me: “You grow so that you can give.” And I’ve grown a lot—certainly over my eight-year journey on S.W.A.T., my 15 years in Los Angeles, and this shorter journey with Maya David. One day, I hope I can share the things I’ve learned—with my kids, with others, with people I don’t even know who may be watching or who are fans. ∎

Follow David on Instagram:
@davidbradleylim
​Explore Maya David here:
​https://shopmayadavid.com