The News-Press just published an article in the business section of today’s paper in regards to our 25th anniversary celebration. I was pleased that they mentioned the fun events that we created with the community and the impact that we have been making with the philanthropic work we do. I can’t believe that our 25th has come and gone! The next opportunity awaits…the questions are already being asked: How can we make an even bigger difference in our community with the work that we do? What new events can we create to showcase our creative talent and reach new clients? How high can we set the design bar for new work? What difference can we make in our lives and our clients lives in the next 5 years?

All good places to start…any thoughts for us?

Then

Now!

Whoa, I had no idea that when I invited 100 clients and our staff to see the premier of Iron Man II that there would be jewelry references! Okay the real deal about Palladium:
It is in the platinum family and is priced on the daily price index with silver, gold and platinum.
In the last two years we have been using Palladium more and more in our custom designs when clients want the look of platinum but the price of white gold! Yes, the price of Palladium is actually less than gold and when we create rings using the precious metal, we are thrilled by the white polish and tension of the material. The metal is hypo-allergenic and does not contain any nickel as does 14k and 18k white gold. Many folks are sensitive to white gold because of the nickel in the alloy. While we don’t use Palladium to create mini-nuclear fusion reactors, we are recommending it to more clients as an  alternative more reasonably priced, white precious metal. The price for our custom designs will be at or less than 14k white gold when we use Palladium. Because it is in the Platinum family, it requires additional labor to finish the piece. Now, if you have designs for a mini-reactor, give us a call and we will be glad to prototype it for you!

Just got back from the In-store Magazine Smart Show in Chicago at Navy Pier. This was the second year for the show and it was all they had promised. I was especially thrilled as I was interviewed Saturday morning by Terry Chandler, who is the  national executive director of the Diamond Promotion Service. Terry asked questions as to why and how we are a cool store and what best practices I could elaborate on. This followed a similar format from last year with a greater amount of retailers attending the interview. After a quick 45 minutes (where does the time go when elaborating on oneself?) many jewelers stayed after to ask particular questions. I clearly remember a day when it was me hungering for any tips that could enlighten the mysteries of the retail business. The rest of the day was spent haunting the show and checking out new designers (so much stuff looks alike and not exciting) and perusing a few rocks, pearls and other seminars. Climbed exhausted onto the bus for the hotel ride and my quiet room. Too quiet, so down to the gym and the exercise bike. I keep forgetting that the downtime is critical for me to let my mind wander and let creative thoughts flow. I was surprised by the calm and eerie silence in the gym (unlike my house after work) and how my mind reviewed the day at the show and the highlights of the seminars with the best tips rattling around in my head…definitely need to do more of  this. On Sunday I presented my seminar on the opportunity of philanthropic giving to boost your bottom line. A large seminar ended upstairs and tons of jewelers flooded my area and took up seats…I was ready with my first ever powerpoint presentation that Sara had assisted me with and I really wound up using it as an outline for my session. I was pleased to see how incredibly receptive everyone was and how easily the info flowed along with the prompting slides. I was besieged with questions and people understood that what I was talking about was not a strategy on how to manipulate charities but an organized plan for mutual success for both parties. The difference between the two is critical and the key in obtaining the results that we have experienced. Check out the video where some of us coolstore owners wrap up the day in a general, recap conversation. I have also included a clip of the showfloor to illustrate how the show is laid out.

The organizers did a brilliant job of creating seminar spaces on the showfloor where jewelers could wander into an ongoing seminar, listen for awhile or longer and then stroll back out onto the floor and continue hunting. There were areas for interviews, seminars, Peer-to-Peer experiences and marketing seminar areas…. Folks did not have to wander out of the show and into the back catacombs of Navy Pier to find the seminar rooms. Really well done. Thanks to Cindy Chandler, head of show education for inviting me to share some things that work for us and that might work for others. I also want to thank many of the jewelers I met who were kind enough to share their thoughts with me about what they are doing to improve their store at home. Thanks to Lucette and Seth Belenky of Belenky Brothers in Soho, NY for a great lunch and many awesome ideas. I look forward to seeing you both on my next trip to Manhattan!  I can safely say that I returned from the Chicago show distinctly smarter and a little poorer.