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Podcast: Jenny O Calleri Takes on Her Biggest Challenge Yet — Store Ownership

Barbara Palumbo — Wed, 20 Nov 2019 05:02:17 +0000

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DROPPING INTO The Barb Wire for this month’s episode is Jenny “Jenny O” Calleri, the owner of Huntington Jewelers in Las Vegas, NV.

A jewelry-industry veteran whose career has seen her move between the supply and retail side, Jenny O finally took her biggest step yet two years ago — becoming the owner of her very own store when she and her husband purchased the nearly 70-year-old Huntington Jewelers.

This episode is brought to you by INSTORE Bulletins.

In the podcast, Jenny O discusses what a transformative experience a GIA education can be for a young person in jewelry sales (12:40) and how, after taking her very first GIA gemstone course, she dropped everything — including a “super hot and heavy” relationship with her future husband — sold her house, and went to study at GIA in Carlsbad, CA.

She also talks about her career, and the key lessons she has learned along the way that are helping her build the Huntington Jewelers brand.

Recently having had her third child, Jenny O describes the challenges of life as a working mom (35:30). Plus, you’ll hear why she believes Liz Taylor is such an enduring jewelry icon (44:45).

Catch the full podcast above.

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Podcast: Ben Smithee Isn’t Just Another Social Media ‘Influencer’

Barbara Palumbo — Tue, 01 Oct 2019 04:04:19 +0000

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THE BARB WIRE celebrates its tenth episode with a visit from Ben Smithee, CEO at The Smithee Group (thesmitheegroup.com), a digital consultancy whose mission is “helping big brands think small and small brands think bigger”.

Talking with host Barbara Palumbo, Ben shares why he decided to originally focus his consultancy on the jewelry business (8:10), and Barbara refers to him as one of the industry’s few true “influencers” online (11:10). He talks about his unusual upbringing in Dallas as the adopted Asian son of white parents (17:00).

He’s passionate about social media, calling it “the great equalizer” for small businesses (29:30). And he later shares one of his pet peeves — retailers who can’t stop complaining about the things their customers do (32:50).

He also cites a specific behavior that he guarantees, if a retailer performs it daily for the next 365 days, will net them a six-figure sales increase (36:20). Later, he outlines the series of questions he asks potential clients to convince them to invest in building their social media following (40:30).

Catch the full podcast above.

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Podcast: From Tanzanite to Greenland Ruby, Hayley Henning Loves Selling Color

Barbara Palumbo — Tue, 03 Sep 2019 04:04:35 +0000

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MARKETING COLORED GEMSTONES is on the agenda when Hayley Henning visits The Barb Wire with host Barbara Palumbo.

Henning is currently vice-president of Greenland Ruby, where she has been working the last two years after spending most of her career as one of the key faces behind the rise of Tanzanite since the mid-1990s. (In fact, Barbara says that before she knew Hayley personally, she thought of her as “the Tanzanite lady”.)

The South African native shares some of her personal journey (2:55) from her homeland to a career in the U.S., working for a company called Afgem that eventually became the well-known Tanzanite One. Hayley calls the company’s efforts to market Tanzanite “the start of colored gemstone marketing as we know it today”. (6:55)

Now Hayley is involved in a similar effort to increase public and industry acceptance of Greenland ruby (12:10). Says Henning: “There is no real instruction manual on how to introduce a new gemstone to the gem and jewelry industry. But we’re figuring it out.”

Her company, Greenland Ruby, is the first business with government permission to mine, market and sell ruby material found in Greenland. She is passionate about the story behind Greenland rubies, saying: “It’s not as though we went to some fancy marketing agency to say, “Alright, help us make up a story. We are telling the story of a gemstone that has been buried under ice and snow for nearly 3 billion years.” (25:20)

Later you’ll hear some of the work Hayley is doing with retailers to promote rubies from Greenland, as well as best practices for retailers looking to introduce new gemstone varieties.

Want to learn more about marketing colored gemstones to your customers? Don’t miss Hayley Henning on The Barb Wire.

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Podcast: Craig Husar Discusses His Career, and His Spectacular New Store, on ‘The Barb Wire’

Barbara Palumbo — Tue, 09 Jul 2019 04:04:45 +0000

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WATCH COLLECTORS, vintage jewelry, adventures in treasure hunting, and a showplace new store are on the agenda when jeweler Craig Husar steps into the Barb Wire this month. Husar is the owner and self-titled “Chief Romance Officer” at Craig Husar Fine Diamonds & Jewelry Designs in Brookfield, WI.

Barbara notes that Husar is her first podcast guest she hadn’t previously met in person, then tells the photogenic owner she thinks he should be in a Crest toothpaste commercial (2:30).

The conversation quickly turns to Husar’s spectacular new store (9:30), which opened in January during the week of the polar vortex in Milwaukee. (Spoiler alert: it was extremely cold.)

Husar had decided to move from his long-standing store site when he saw an available location opposite a major new free-standing outdoor lifestyle center in his community. Says the owner about the difficult store-creation process: “I was relentless. I’ve never been so focused and passionate about making something happen in my life. And it was that passion, that drive, that led me here. It was almost like, knowing somehow, that this was my destiny, to be here and nothing was going to stop me.”

The two discuss key features of the new store, including its monumental chandelier, called “the Star of Husar”, which features almost 3,000 Swarovski crystals (13:35). Since the store’s opening, the chandelier has become a focus of selfie-taking in and around the store.

The two discuss last month’s Las Vegas jewelry shows, with special praise given to the Antique Jewelry and Watch Show at the Collective (20:20). Says Husar: “I walked out, and wanted to sell everything I currently have, make it all go away, and start over with all vintage and antique jewelry.” He adds that he is currently developing the vintage and pre-owned part of his business as a new profit center (20:50).

Husar also discusses his previous jobs — including work with legendary treasure hunter Mel Fisher (23:40), with whom he worked on a dive site (a sunken Spanish galleon with valuables worth an estimated $500 million) off the Florida Keys. Around that time, he did a tour of jewelry stores to show off a 90-carat emerald found at the wreck. Barbara doesn’t remember, but then she does remember … mostly because of a specific hairstyle Husar wore at the time.

Husar shares his thoughts on lab-grown diamonds (29:10), and provides a useful analogy retailers can try on customers choosing between naturally-mined and lab-grown diamonds (31:10).

In the closing segment of the show, Husar shares his preferred industry dinner partner (35:50), role model (38:50), favorite jewelry industry word (40:00), and the one accessory that he simply can’t do without (43:25).

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Podcast: Doug Hucker Discusses His Colorful Life on ‘The Barb Wire’

Barbara Palumbo — Tue, 28 May 2019 04:05:47 +0000

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COLORED GEMSTONES and their increasing popularity with younger buyers are the key topics when Doug Hucker, long-time CEO of the American Gem Trade Association (AGTA) is interviewed by host Barbara Palumbo on this month’s The Barb Wire.

Doug starts off by talking about how entered the jewelry business (4:10). His background: after he graduated university, he worked at a newspaper as a writer and photographer. Wanting to leave his hometown, Doug moved to California and started taking pictures of gemstones for the Gemological Institute of America. He ended up spending 10 years at GIA, mostly teaching classes. It was during this period that he really fell in love with gemstones, he shares. “As you know, the more you know about something, the more education you get, the easier it is to fall in love with it,” he says. “Sweaty palms and shortness of breath, I realized that I love gemstones.”

Did he ever work in retail, Barbara asks (9:30). “No comment,” jokes Doug. He clarifies by saying that, in order to provide some context to the work he was doing for GIA, he took an upaid job with a California jewelry retailer on weekends for a period. “You have to have familiarity with retail, or you can’t understand the full picture of this industry,” he explains.

Doug talks about his eventual move to the leadership of AGTA (13:05) in 1997. Before accepting the role, he was worried about having no previous experience leading an association. But, in the end, he feels AGTA turned out to be a perfect fit for him. “It’s been a fantastic career for me,” Doug says, “because I feel I was able to work with fantastic people, in a great industry, and in some ways, I was able to contribute to making the industry better.”

Barbara says she can’t remember, or imagine, the AGTA without Doug. “If the AGTA had money,” she jokes, “your face would be on the currency.”

Doug talks about the importance of volunteers and their contribution to AGTA’s success (17:05), and applauds their passion for colored gemstones.

Next, Barbara and Doug talk about the increasing popularity of colored gemstones with younger buyers (20:10). Barbara notes that, when her group of female friends was in their 20s and starting to get married, competition for the biggest engagement diamond was intense. “You wanted to be the last one to get engaged, because you knew then you could get the biggest diamond,” she says. These days, both Barbara and Doug agree, going for the biggest possible diamond is no longer an automatic choice for younger women who are getting engaged.

One overlooked factor in the rise of colored gemstones amongst younger buyers, according to Doug, is social media (22:50). “Since you have such a visual, colorful world, and you have the technology you have today, it’s perfect for colored gemstones,” he says. “Look at Instagram and Pinterest and all these different platforms where you can see all these pictures of magnificent gemstones and learn the stories, that experience and that story is very important to young people. And it’s very important that we have young people involved.”

Doug and Barbara then talk about the importance of inspiring younger industry members to join industry groups like the AGTA and AGS, as a key factor in helping them to build passion for colored gemstones (25:40).

Another topic of discussion is the AGTA’s move into this year’s big new Las Vegas event, The Collective, at the Las Vegas Convention Center (32:05). AGTA is co-hosting the event along with the Las Vegas Antique Jewelry & Watch Show and Premier. Doug notes that he is proud of the opportunity that the new event provides for younger, upcoming designers, especially at the jewelry-focused Premier show.

Also mentioned are a few special initiatives Collective partners have launched for the show, including vouchers for free Uber rides to and from the event.

Doug shares his favorite gemstone (41:40) as well as his close second place. He then picks a jewelry business figure, alive or dead, he’d most like to have dinner with (43:00). (“Dead is better because you don’t offend anyone who is living,” Doug astutely notes, before sharing his choice.) He then talks about his biggest influence and his biggest fan.

Doug then shares his favorite four-letter industry-related word (50:10). “I think Vegas was betting on that one,” Barbara says, after he reveals his choice.

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Podcast: Luxury Retailer Nick Linca Drops Into ‘The Barb Wire’

Barbara Palumbo — Fri, 03 May 2019 02:13:24 +0000

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THIS MONTH, the Barb Wire welcomes innovative jeweler Nick Linca, a managing partner with Provident Jewelry, a seven-store jewelry retailer.

The business launched 25 years ago as a jeweler specializing in estate goods. However, in 2008, it moved in a new direction by opening a luxurious, state-of-the-art store in Jupiter, FL selling higher-end branded goods.

Linca, who had been a manager at Zale in the late 1990s and a sales manager at Hamilton Jewelers from 2000 to 2008, was brought on to lead the launch of Provdent Jewelry’s new Jupiter business.

Over the past 11 years, the group’s Jupiter location has achieved status of one of the country’s most impressive jewelry stores, selling brands like Baume-et-Mercier, Bell & Ross, Breitling, Carl F. Bucherer, Cartier, Chopard and more, while featuring luxurious amenities like a fully stocked bar and cigar bar for customers.

Chatting with Barbara, Nick talks about the background of the business (2:00), and the importance of opening a store around the right people rather than the other way around (4:00). He discusses the mindset in opening the Jupiter store of creating a “third place” for customers, a la Starbucks — a place that is not work and is not home (6:45). Barbara raves about the opulence of the drink bar and cigar bar at the Jupiter store (8:50).

Nick loves that his customers can finish a round of golf, then invite a friend over for a post-round drink and cigar at the jewelry store (10:30). He shares how the team at Provident likes to “blow it out” and have fun with store events, including an upcoming “Bubbles and Bling” party (14:20).

Barbara and Nick discuss Provident Jewelry’s wide-ranging charity activities (14:30), including dog adoptions. And Nick shares the reasons why, over time, he has connected so much with independent watch brands (18:50) over time.

One reason is loyalty. After a 2011 robbery in which Provident Jewelry lost more than $15 million in inventory, and were uncertain to survive. During that stressful period, Nick saw how some brands acted like partners, and others didn’t (20:30).

Watch discussion continues with Nick sharing how he used FaceTime to make direct sales to customers of newly released watches while in Basel (24:00). He also tells a story of an extremely unusual trade-in he received on a high-end watch recently (31:30).

In the later portion of the podcast, Barbara asks her regular series of standard regular questions. In this section, Nick shares his dream industry dinner partner (33:50), refers to his 65-year-old clients as “millennials” (35:20); tells of the useful people skill inherited from his father that helps him (38:00); identifies his biggest fan (38:40); and shares his favorite four-letter industry word, which we think could become yours as well (40:10).

He shares his favorite trade event (41:00), and talks of a few shockingly extravagant parties he has attended at this event over the years, as well as revealing the details of a fiendishly brilliant prank played with a chili pepper on a member of his travel party (44:10).

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Podcast: Millennial Gem Trader Dave Bindra Steps Into ‘The Barb Wire’

Barbara Palumbo — Wed, 03 Apr 2019 12:03:42 +0000

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THIS MONTH on The Barb Wire, host Barbara Palumbo welcomes a rising star in the jewelry business, gem trader Dave Bindra, vice-president of B&B Fine Gems. Still in his early 30s, Bindra has built up an impressive resume, serving as president of the Los Angeles chapter of the GIA Alumni Association, member of the board of directors of the Jewelers Vigilance Committee, acclaimed AGS Conclave speaker, not to mention running a seriously cool Instagram account @gemfluencer. (Come for the awesome collection of gemstones, stay for the awesome collection of color-coordinated shoes.)

Enjoy the newest episode of The Barb Wire. It’s talk radio for the jewelry business.

SHOW CHRONOLOGY

2:00 Dave shares a short bio, explaining how he was “born into the business” when his father started selling gemstones after immigrating from India to the United States.
3:50 Dave, who is in his early 30s, was asked recently how many years he has been going to the Tucson gem shows. He said he thought it was his 29th year. Receiving a shocked expression from his conversation partner, he explained that he used to “sleep under the showcases” as a kid while his parents sold gems at the show.
5:10 Dave talks about his strategy of colored gemstone curation. He emphasizes: “We are not here to sell a commodity; we are here to sell a precious item.”
8:30 Barbara reveals herself to be a huge fan of Dave’s Instagram account, @gemfluencer.
9:20 Gemstone of the moment? Dave says spinel, noting that it has been “undervalued for centuries” and often misidentified as ruby in high jewelry through the ages.
15:20 Other gemstones whose moment is on the horizon? Dave says garnet, which is following spinel’s path. Durable, highly transparent, a solid supply of material. Also, paraiba tourmaline.
19:50 Discussing the lack of control over gemstone terminology, Barbara shares a funny story from her teenage years of how a QVC line of cubic zirconia with the alluring name of “Pink Ice”, became a phenomenon amongst the girls of her high school class.
26:20 Barbara asks Dave what he feels the most important thing that his generation has added to the jewelry business. Dave says technology. He tells of his industry friends who, within a few years, have built social media followings in the hundreds of thousands. In a lot of cases, Dave emphasizes, these are people who wouldn’t otherwise have had exposure to the world of gems, jewelry and watches.
27:50 Barbara and Dave commiserate over not being able to attend Basel this year.
31:10 Barbara asks … what would happen if our current social media platforms suddenly went away? Dave bemoans a system where people’s importance is judged by how many social media followers they have. “You know first-hand, there are a ton of people out there who 2-, 3-, or 400,000 followers … half of them are bots.” He concludes, “We have to be very careful of how much value we place on this avenue and on this platform. And everything has a shelf life.”
37:10 Dave selects one jewelry industry person and one watch industry person, alive or dead, he’d want to have dinner with. For jewelry, he picks Frederick Kunz, the famed minerologist who sourced gems for Tiffany at the turn of the century. And for watches, legendary executive Jean Claude Biver.
40:35 Who is or was your greatest influence? Dave says his father. “I never wanted to join the family business. He never wanted me in the family business, to be honest with you. So it’s kind of funny how things worked out.” His biggest fan? His mom.
43:10 His biggest morning needs? Coffee and meditation … the latter before the former.
43:50 Favorite trade show? Tucson. He calls it “fun, laid-back, and color-centric.” And he also gives a shout-out to AGS Conclave.

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Podcast: Michael O’Connor, Jewelry’s Perfect Spokesman, Visits ‘The Barb Wire’

Barbara Palumbo — Wed, 20 Feb 2019 05:04:50 +0000

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MICHAEL O’CONNOR drops into The Barb Wire this month to chat with host Barbara Palumbo about his life in the jewelry business — which has featured one of the most unique career paths imaginable.

The two discuss Michael’s progress from Toronto teenager to jewelry salesperson, to New York-based jewelry designer, to jewelry marketer, to QVC on-air presenter, and finally, his ultimate transformation into celebrity stylist and on-air style commentator for numerous major media brands. The long-time industry fixture now runs Style & Substance, his own marketing and communications firm supporting quality lifestyle brands.

Other discussion topics include techniques for staying young, the importance of eliminating the BS in business relationships (and non-business relationships), as well as this year’s Oscar trends.

Plus, we get fun dish on Michael’s many celebrity relationships — including details on which member of the Desperate Housewives cast is most fun to drink margaritas with.

Enjoy the newest episode of The Barb Wire. It’s talk radio for the jewelry business.

SHOW CHRONOLOGY

2:00 How long has Michael been in the business? He began in 1979, “when diamonds were discovered,” he quips.
3:00 How does Michael stay looking so young? “It’s nothing that anyone couldn’t do with [the help of] $50,000 worth of plastic surgery,” he jokes.
4:05 Barbara admits that she actually made a batch of popcorn for this interview.
4:20 Michael shares his range of experience in the jewelry industry. He’s done … just about everything. He shares the story of his introduction to the industry, as a teenager in Canada, when he opportunistically turned running an errand for his father into a job as a jewelry salesperson.
12:30 After working in sales, design and at the bench, Michael finally comes to America. (And yes, he does have a green card.) He gets experience with what he calls “a few small, unknown companies” like Gucci, DeBeers, Frederick Goldman, etc.
15:30 At this point, in the late 1980s, he moved away from designing and into marketing. With many companies moving away from full-time “house designers”, as well as the increasing prevalence of CAD design, he felt that marketing would be a more valuable career to be in than design.
20:20 Michael takes on a role as senior vice president with Platinum Guild International and begins to see increased exposure as a television personality.
21:40 On the importance of being no-BS in the jewelry industry … and life.
23:10 How the hell did Michael get on television, Barbara asks. He started by pitching a brand for Frederick Goldman on QVC over a span of about two years. The brand never took off, but Michael’s TV career did, as he did more work for QVC, as well as additional TV projects including his own TV series, MovieStyle with Michael O’Connor for Reelz.
29:50 Michael begins to cover celebrity fashion on TV, and his agency suggests that he also begins working directly on styling and placing fashion items with celebrities. He drops a few names of celebrities he has worked with, like Amy Adams.
31:20 All-time favorite clients included the cast of Desperate Housewives, with particular affection for Nicolette Sheridan, who was good at promoting the product and also didn’t mind a margarita after the events were over.
32:20 Other casts that he has worked with — the cast of The Office and Orange is the New Black. (And he remains friends with many of them.)
34:00 Do all celebrities expect payment for wearing a specific jewelry brand to an event? Michael says no. He takes pride in the fact that celebrities regularly call him, without expecting payment, to ask what he can accessorize them for an awards show.
37:10 Michael shares his predictions for the Oscars red carpet, explaining the difference between “trends” and “fads”. His basic assessment? Jewelry is getting much bigger, size-wise.
42:50 Barbara and Michael touch on the “man-brooch” trend that Michael may have created at one awards show a few years back.
45:40 Michael selects the one person, alive or dead, he would most want to have dinner with. While first mentioning two dearly missed friends he’d cherish seeing again (the late Cindy Edelstein and Robin Rotenier), his choice is a Russian jeweler who was one of the most famous designers of all time.
48:00 Michael shares his greatest influence. It was someone in his life who had a great work ethic, and was brutally honest — two qualities Michael believes he has carried into his professional life.
51:00 Favorite industry show? JCK. It’s the one show where Michael feels he can see everybody.
55:40 Gold or platinum? It would be a serious upset if the former senior vice president of the Platinum Guild wasn’t #teamplatinum. Of course, he’s #teamplatinum.

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Podcast: Alexis Padis Shares Her Story, and a Few Drinks, on “The Barb Wire”

Barbara Palumbo — Thu, 20 Dec 2018 00:05:18 +0000

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IN THIS EPISODE of The Barb Wire, host Barbara Palumbo talks — and shares a few drinks — with Alexis Padis, director of operations at the successful San Francisco-area jewelry store, Padis Jewelry, plus the company’s side business, Padis Vineyards. Padis is also the youngest member of the board of the American Gem Society and was a 2017 Award of Excellence winner from the Women’s Jewelry Association.

Discussion topics include the role of millennials in the jewelry industry, as well as unfounded prejudices against millennials in the jewelry business. The two discuss the rise of Padis Jewelry, which started with Alexis’s father, Steve, selling puka shells out of his car trunk, and is now an area fixture serving San Francisco’s rising “Cloud Corridor” of major tech businesses. Padis also talks about how her father’s “side hustle” turned into a successful Napa Valley vineyard and wine label producing 3,000 bottles of highly-rated wine per year.

The episode includes impressive levels of morning alcohol intake (including a challenge in which the participants have to finish a glass of wine or champagne any time the word “Conclave” is uttered), and includes shoutouts to John Carter, Dave Bindra, Anna Samsonova, Michael Richards, Denise (Chislett) Richards, Marc Nanasi, Joshua Israileff, Cindy Chandler, Lisa Berenstein, Judy Padis, Brian Hood and more.

Listeners are invited to play along. Enjoy Episode 3 of The Barb Wire.

SHOW CHRONOLOGY

1:50 A quick story about how this podcast almost happened as a live, in-person event, at Alexis’s home in San Francisco, but didn’t.
3:30 Dealing with California’s many frightening wildfires.
5:00 Barbara and Alexis have vowed to do this podcast while drinking, and reveal their chosen tipples for the conversation.
8:00 On living and working in San Francisco’s revitalized “Cloud Corridor” — where Airbnb, Pinterest, Adobe are located. It has caused been a huge influx of young people — who Alexis is working to convince to get off their computers and visit an actual jewelry store.
9:15 Barbara and Alexis create a drinking game. Every time either of them mention “Conclave”, they both have to take a drink.
11:00 How Alexis’s father first entered the jewelry business as a wholesaler. It’s a long story, and puka shells and Mr. T’s gold chains are involved.
13:00 Alexis tells how her father moved from the wholesale business into retail.
15:00 Alexis on selling her first engagement ring, and how the rush she experienced from making that sale got her hooked on the jewelry business.
16:40 On how spending at least some time doing jewelry repair helps someone truly understand the jewelry business.
19:30 Alexis discusses being a millennial in the industry, and trying to effect change in the industry, part of which is serving on the board for AGS Conclave … DRINK!
22:50 More talk of AGS, and several more mentions of Conclave. More DRINKS! Things get messy, and the rules of the drinking game are changed.
26:00 Alexis goes further into the responsibilities of being a millennial in the industry. “It’s not an easy path to take. Millennials, in terms of reputation, it’s not super-positive.” But she doesn’t understand the bad reputation of millennials. “What do millennials want that we don’t all want? We all want excellent customer service. We all want product available. We want to try on things, we want to see them in person. We want to see, touch, feel. And we want a good deal. Everything the millennials get a bad rap for … it’s something we all ultimately want.”
30:40 “I would much rather be under-estimated and far exceed that expectation than the opposite.”
32:50 How Forevermark, and its story, has been “an absolute game-changer” for Padis Jewelry. The store is currently partnering with Forevermark to open Forevermark’s first U.S. retail store in the East Bay area of San Francisco.
35:55 Discussing Padis Vineyards, a 15-acre vineyard which produces about 3,000 bottles of wine per year. Barbara asks, “How do you own a vineyard and not be annihilated 24 hours a day?”
38:50 “The wine business is just a blast,” says Alexis. “The funny thing is that it’s not that different from the jewelry industry.” How? In that most of the value of the product is found in the nuances. Very subtle differences can mean an enormous difference in price.
40:40 Padis Vineyards has kept its ties to the jewelry industry, including launching a label called Scintillation and a kosher label called Brilliance.
44:30 Alexis reveals her dream dinner date — and it’s the powerhouse wife of a key industry figure.
48:40 Print or online? Alexis, somewhat apologetically, chooses online.
50:20 Alexis’s biggest influences are a couple of people very close to her.
52:00 Alexis’s biggest fans are her gem besties, including her fiancé, Brian, and her best friend since high school, Stephanie, who is also in the jewelry business.
53:30 Alexis reveals her favorite four-letter “industry” word. It’s a word that most store-owners are extremely happy to hear.
55:30 Alexis’s morning routine does NOT include coffee. “Nobody needs to see me on caffeine,” she says. Instead, she starts the day with a walk of her dog, Zoe, and some very loud jams.
59:50 The one piece of jewelry that Alexis wears every day? Prepare to be surprised.
61:30 The last industry article Alexis read? Just general coverage of retailers’ holiday performance, which has generally been positive for the 2018 holiday season to date. “It was all good news for me this morning,” said Alexis. Barbara’s also pleased, saying: “It’s good news for me too, man. Even journalists. We need to hear that too, or else we’re going, ‘I’ll be writing about those shower-curtain rings next month.’ And that’s a miserable thing to write about.”

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Podcast: Jen Cullen Williams Enters “The Barb Wire”

INSTORE Staff — Tue, 27 Nov 2018 00:04:37 +0000

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IN EPISODE 2 of The Barb Wire, host Barbara Palumbo chats with Jen Cullen Williams, managing director of Luxury Brand Group, a leading luxury and jewelry brand communications agency.

The aim of The Barb Wire is to allow listeners to eavesdrop on engaging jewelry industry conversations that range the gamut, as real-world conversation do, from personal to business issues.

Says Palumbo, “My favorite thing is when my guests actually forget they’re on a podcast, and it’s just like we’re kicking back on the phone. “ This episode achieves that standard throughout its duration — in fact, at one point, Jen reacts in surprise over an intimate revelation she has just made, “Wow, that was really personal!”

The episode includes in-depth discussion of industry trade events — including the dangers of “trade show arrogance” as well as the opportunities for industry events to better serve their audiences with new technology and focused education.

But there’s also lighter discussion of trade show dress codes, the importance of careful shoe management during a trade event, as well as the towering personal confidence provided by zero-humidity “Vegas hair”.

On the personal side, Cullen Williams, who has a 1-1/2 year old daughter, shares her experience of having a child while in the midst of building a career, as well as the pros and cons of being married to a fitness industry entrepreneur. (Cullen Williams’ husband runs a California-based group of fitness businesses.)

Industry members who get shout-outs in this episode include Frank Proctor, Peggy Jo Donahue, Rebecca Moskal, and last month’s Barb Wire guest John Carter. Also mentioned: bygone teen idols Jennifer Love Hewitt and Jonathan Taylor Thomas, and Palumbo shares her surprising(!) celebrity crush as a teenager.

Enjoy this episode of The Barb Wire!

SHOW CHRONOLOGY

3:10 The uniqueness of the Tucson gem show experience.
4:25 Jen learns a lesson about Tucson’s very different dress code.
6:40 The fine details of swapping out shoes, and alternating pressure points, to minimize blister pain during a multi-day trade event.
8:25 Jen and Barbara discuss a major challenge for professional women — choosing the best time to start a family while still managing a successful career.
9:35 How women with children, especially those who travel frequently for work, can sometimes be interrogated as though they are neglecting their children.
11:15 Jen on planning for her first child. She had been with her husband for more than a decade, but each year, they would decide to focus on their careers — deeming it “the Year of the Hustle”. Finally, they decided they were ready.
14:30 Jen tells a “really personal” story of how she learned she was going to have her first child right after JCK two years ago.
18:30 Discussion of Jen’s husband’s career as a fitness business owner, and what degree of dietary oversight a fitness professional imposes on his partner. Jen is addicted to exercise, but concludes: “I don’t look like a gym owner’s wife. I could be a lot more cut and fit and be a better marketing advertisement for him. But I like wine.”
24:30 One poster-worthy motto of her husband’s gym business: ”If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you.”
25:40 Jen shares her special motherhood motto, as well as her motto for getting through challenging periods at work. It’s just two words, but there’s power in its brevity.
30:20 At trade shows, the importance of treating show attendees (and journalists) with care and empathy, and making every person feel like they’re being paid attention to. And what happens when some shows — ahem, ahem, BASEL! — stop taking the best possible care of their customers.
35:00 Jen on the continuing importance of trade shows in jewelry, as well as the need to continue to innovate in the field.
36:30 How technology is adding new wrinkles to the trade show experience.
38:00 Jen took the Harvard Business track at the GIA Symposium, which she loved, and wonders what Harvard accreditation she can truthfully claim — “I’m not really a Harvard grad, but I like to say I’m a Harvard grad.”
40:10 Why trade show education is important and what happens to a business owner’s slice of the business pie if he or she stops learning and lets their business grow stagnant. Says Jen: “It’s not going to be a pie anymore … it’s going to be an empty plate.”
43:05 The importance of creating partnerships between vendors and buyers at trade shows.
45:35 Who would Jen like to have dinner with, alive or dead, in the jewelry industry? She mentions two possible choices — one an iconic French fashion designer/businesswoman of yesteryear, and the other the current French CEO of one of the world’s top watch brands.
48:40 Print magazines or online publications? Jen is a big fan of magazines, and refers to a “Scrapebook” she created in her teens stuffed with clippings about her favorite stars of the day — including a few nostalgic mentions of former idols from “Party of Five” and “Home Improvement”. Barbara also reveals her surprising, and surprisingly short, top crush from her own teen years.
50:40 Jen’s biggest influence? Her parents, first and foremost. And then her “career tribe”.
52:00 Jen lists some of her biggest fans — with her sister coming in on top, being her “best biological friend”.
54:20 The five-minute meditation exercise that Jen starts her work day with.
55:15 Jen shares her favorite industry event. It’s not a specific trade event — but it’s a special kind of experience that only happens during trade events.
57:10 The accessory that Jen won’t leave the house without.
59:20 Gold or platinum? Jen makes a choice, and then immediately tries to take it back.

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