Sponsored by American Gem Trade Association
Coach’s Corner: Are You Unmistakable?
Terry Chandler, Hannah Becker and Mike Mojica all have something in common. They all have a distinctive personal stamp, Pat Henneberry writes.

Here’s what I mean when I ask “Are you unmistakable?”
When something is unmistakable, it’s so distinctive that nobody else could have done it but you.
It’s immediately recognized as something that you did, or your look. It’s something about you that stands out. It has your stamp. It’s your own personal brand. As a sales professional you need to have your stamp, something unmistakable about you.
There are people in our own industry who do this very well. I remember years ago there was a very successful diamond sales rep who had bright green shoes. He stood out at all the trade shows, parties and events. You knew he was there. There was another rep who had the biggest handlebar mustache you’ve ever seen. You automatically knew who these guys were, what brand they represented and all about them--they had a stamp.
One of my favorite people in the jewelry industry is Terry Chandler, president and CEO of Diamond Council of America.
You can look at his photo and you know right away what his stamp is … the bow tie.
I’ve known Terry for 30 years; we even traveled to South Africa together and went down into diamond mines and I’ve never seen anything but a bow tie on Terry. I love this guy!
Then there’s my fellow National Jeweler columnist Peter Smith.

If I say rock star on social media, who comes to mind? Graduate gemologist, artist and jewelry designer Hannah Becker, a/k/a Diamondoodles, who is recognizable by her bright blonde hair and her amazing and unique sketches that incorporate gemstones, which you can, and definitely should, look at on Instagram.
Then there’s the best smile in our industry--Mike Mojica (pictured below, third from left). Mike, in my opinion, is the best diamond sales professional our industry has. No matter where Mike is you can always find this amazing smile of his. That’s Mike’s stamp!

There’s also Andrea Hill, the current owner and CEO at Hill Management Group LLC (StrategyWerx, MentorWerx and SupportWerx) who spent years heading Rio Grande.

Just a quick glance at these five individuals and you know exactly who they are. They are boldly unmistakable because they have a distinctive stamp. This is where you can clearly see the value of being “one of one.”
And you can be distinctive, too.
Oftentimes, though, what happens is that aspiring sales professionals worry far too much about what the competition is doing instead of just focusing on what makes them unique. That’s where the trouble begins.
In an effort to model the success of others, we end up mimicking. We need to stop looking at what everyone else is doing and figure out what is unique and creative about ourselves.
I actually picked up on that about 10 years ago and started running a photo of me with my hands in the air while speaking (because I do a lot of speaking).
Now at a trade shows people will yell, “Hi Pat!” in the halls and the mimic my hands in the air. (Look at the top of this column, or pretty much anything else I’ve written for National Jeweler, to see what I’m talking about.)
I take that as a good thing. It has become my stamp.
If you want to be successful in today’s oversaturated, results-driven society, it’s time to get your stamp on.
What’s yours? If you don’t have one, what will it look like?
See you soon, with your hands up!
Pat Henneberry is vice president of global learning and development at Hearts On Fire. She also is founder of The Jewelry Coach, a sales training community for jewelers. Reach her at pat@thejewelrycoach.com.
The Latest

In its holiday report, PwC said the season will be more like jazz—improvisational and less predictable—than an easy-to-follow melody.

The jewelry giant will relocate its existing facility to a larger space in Anne Arundel.

With their unmatched services and low fees, reDollar.com is challenging some big names in the online consignment world.

The designer, who is the creative force behind her namesake brand, has now started a new mini line focusing on chains for fathers and sons.


The awards include tuition for a course at the Swiss lab, economy flights, and hotel accommodation.

The 21-day program was designed to help jewelry retailers identify opportunities and eliminate inefficiencies with AI.

Jewelers of America is leading the charge to protect the industry amidst rising economic threats.

A set of four Patek Philippe “Star Caliber 2000” pocket watches is part of Sotheby’s upcoming auction in Abu Dhabi.

The Brazilian jeweler’s latest book marks her namesake brand’s 25th anniversary and tells the tale of her worldwide collaborations.

The Submariner Ref. 1680 with a Tiffany & Co. dial came from the original owner, who won it as a prize on the game show in the 1970s.

The new integration allows users to manage shipments directly from the Shopify dashboard.

At Converge 2025, Editor-in-Chief Michelle Graff attended sessions on DEI, tariffs, security, and more. Here are her top takeaways.

Six people were shot last week at an Oakland cash-for-gold shop as employees exchanged gunfire with individuals trying to rob the store.

The jeweler has expanded its high jewelry offering, which launched last year, with new pieces featuring its cube motif that debuted in 1999.

Ben Bridge Jeweler and Lux Bond & Green were a part of the pilot program.

Associate Editor Natalie Francisco shares eight of her favorite jewelry looks from the 77th annual Primetime Emmy Awards, held Sunday night.

It’s predicting a rise in retail sales this holiday season despite economic uncertainty and elevated inflation.

It included the sale of the 11,685-carat “Imboo” emerald that was recently discovered at Kagem.

The newly elected directors will officially take office in February 2026 and will be introduced at the organization’s membership meeting.

Associate Editor Lauren McLemore headed out West for a visit to Potentate Mining’s operation hosted by gemstone wholesaler Parlé Gems.

Fordite is a man-made material created from the layers of dried enamel paint that dripped onto the floors of automotive factories.

Gilbertson has worked as a researcher, jeweler, lapidary artist, appraiser, and business owner throughout his decades in the industry.

A decision likely won’t come until January 2026 at the earliest, and the tariffs remain in effect until then.

Located in the revamped jewelry hall at the retailer’s New York City flagship, this opening is Tabayer’s first shop-in-shop.

The new, free app offers accessible educational content, like games and podcasts, for U.S. retailers.

As the gold price rises, the manufacturer is offering a 100 percent payout through Sept. 30 for gold clean scrap.