SurveysApr 24, 2026
Mother’s Day 2026 Jewelry Spending to Top $7B, NRF SaysNRF’s annual survey found that 45 percent of consumers plan to purchase jewelry for a loved one this Mother’s Day.
IndependentsSep 17, 2019
Squirrel Spotting: To Make Change, You Must Do the Damn Work
Sit down with your team and outline what’s needed to succeed while being honest about potential pitfalls, Peter Smith writes.
Peter Smith is president of Memoire and author of two books, “Hiring Squirrels,” and “Sell Something.” Connect with Smith on LinkedIn or at dublinsmith@yahoo.com.
I’ve been in the jewelry business since the year Elvis Presley exited stage left for the last time. It was a sad day in my life; not the jewelry business part, but the Elvis dying part.
In the decades since, I’ve seen a lot of changes in our business and if I were to create an Elvis playlist for the experience, it might include “In the Ghetto” (that bloody recession), “Suspicious Minds” (insert your own “next-great-thing” here) and “If I Can Dream” (the positivity and optimism that is essential to be successful).
The latter—which yours truly once sang fully robed on a stage with the Las Vegas Mass Choir, a major life highlight—could be the theme song for the myriad reinventions we experience in the course of our lives, personally and professionally.
Aspiring to new projects—an alternate channel of distribution, a great sales team, a new store, a new marketing campaign or product strategy—is easier said than done.
What I’ve witnessed in more situations than I care to remember is lots of groupthink around the idea of doing something really different without ever really putting the mechanism and resources in place to make it happen.
It’s as if talking about the initiative alone was enough to make it happen.
I once worked for a company that wanted to develop an alternate channel of distribution for their products. Given the construct of their business, one could posit that doing so was not just a good idea but, in fact, ought to have been an absolute imperative, enough to galvanize the entire organization.
Nonetheless, the company’s unwillingness to recognize and deploy the essential resources, coupled with a culture that challenged any deviation from long-standing norms, undermined and ultimately suffocated the aspiration.
Of course, the company continued to hire and fire people in a well-intentioned, but otherwise- fruitless, effort to transition their model, but the results remained the same and will forever remain the same until the company honestly and openly addresses the vicious cycle of changing faces while playing the same predictable game.
If you need a reinvention, do it. If that’s not what you want, quit pretending you do and spare your team the myriad false starts.
Here’s a novel concept: If your business aspires to effect meaningful change, do the damn work.
Get the right people in a room and white-board the goals and the steps needed to be successful.
Editors' Picks
Sponsored by
Be honest about the challenges, be they resources, people, financial, operational or, as can so often be the case, cultural.
While you’re at it, insist your team lists all of the known impediments to successful implementation. Demand that each person in the room volunteers at least one reason why the plan might fail and be honest about that possibility.
In fact, write a header on the white board that reads: “Twelve months from now we will have failed because … ” and prioritize the reasons why that might happen.
Create a hierarchy of impediments, and demand honest and open debate about the reasons why it could happen.
In “Thinking Fast and Slow,” Nobel Prize-winning psychologist Daniel Kahneman wrote: “When forecasting the outcome of risky projects, executives too easily fall victim to the planning fallacy. In its grip, they make decisions based on delusional optimism rather than on rational weighting of gains, losses and possibilities.
“They overestimate benefits and underestimate costs. They spin scenarios of success while overlooking the potential for mistakes and miscalculations. As a result, they pursue initiatives that are unlikely to come in on budget or on time or to deliver the expected returns—or even to be completed.”
If your business aspires to big change, if you feel that the status quo is killing the energy of your company, be bold and break the cycle. Do it by challenging your own conventions and, in some cases, even your own culture. If need be, take a sledgehammer to it.
No great change ever came from playing it safe.
Be honest, be bold and be committed. If you need a reinvention, do it. If that’s not what you want, quit pretending you do and spare your team the myriad false starts.
I’ll leave you with one last Elvis reference.
One of the first songs I fell in love with as a young lad was called “Follow That Dream.” It was buried on one of Elvis’ low-budget albums, which were usually filled with movie throwaways.
I loved the high-octane energy and simplicity of the song. It had no pretense or deep messages. It simply implored you to get up and get going, to follow your dream.
It’s as good a message as any to help chart your course.
Thank you. Thank you very much.
Peter Smith is president of Memoire and author of two books, “Hiring Squirrels: 12 Essential Interview Questions to Uncover Great Retail Sales Talent,” and “Sell Something: Principles and Perspectives for Engaged Retail Salespeople.” Both books are available in print or Kindle at Amazon.com. Connect with Smith on LinkedIn or at dublinsmith@yahoo.com.
More on Independents
The Latest
TechnologyApr 24, 2026
TwentyFour’s Digital-Age Locket Is a Virtual VaultThe “Vault” charm, our Piece of the Week, expands on the memories that can be stored in a locket by connecting to your phone.
Events & AwardsApr 24, 2026
Hamptons Jewelry Show to Return in JulyThe open-to-the-public luxury jewelry and timepiece show, in its second year, is slated for July 23-26.
Brought to you by
Discover Timeless Treasures: A Showcase of Antique Jewelry & Timepieces in Las VegasGain access to the most exclusive and coveted antique pieces from trusted dealers during Las Vegas Jewelry Week.
Supplier BulletinApr 23, 2026
JM® Shipping Solution: Smarter Shipping for High-Value GoodsSponsored by Jewelers Mutual
Weekly QuizApr 23, 2026
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
Lab-GrownApr 23, 2026
Charles & Colvard May Sell Assets for $1.5MThe proposed agreement follows the moissanite maker’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection filing last month.
AuctionsApr 23, 2026
John Jacob Astor IV’s Titanic Pocket Watch Fetches $1MThe Patek Philippe for Tiffany & Co. timepiece Astor brought aboard the ill-fated ship sold for double its estimate at a Freeman’s auction.
Brought to you by
Las Vegas Antique Jewelry & Watch Show: Showcasing the Most Collectible Merchandise from Across the GlobeGain access to the most exclusive and coveted antique pieces from trusted dealers during Las Vegas Jewelry Week.
CollectionsApr 23, 2026
Adam Neeley’s High Jewelry Collection Steps Into Salvador Dalí’s GardenThe “Dalí’s Garden” collection was inspired by a surreal dream Neeley had after cooking a recipe from Salvador Dalí’s 1973 cookbook.
CrimeApr 22, 2026
New Mexico Couple Pleads Guilty to Selling Fake Native American JewelryThe pair falsely claimed their jewelry was made by Navajo artists, but it was imported from Vietnam.
AuctionsApr 22, 2026
Roberta Flack’s Jewelry Is Going Up for AuctionJulien’s Auctions is selling the musician’s fine and fashion jewelry alongside her clothing, gold records, and other memorabilia.
CollectionsApr 22, 2026
British Museum Curator Pens Book on ‘The Tudor Heart’Rachel King’s book dives into the history of the pendant believed to have belonged to Henry VIII and his first wife, Katherine of Aragon.
Events & AwardsApr 22, 2026
Here’s What Sy Kessler Has on Tap for Las Vegas The company will have deals on precious metals testers as well as the latest in lab-grown diamond detection technology and security.
WatchesApr 21, 2026
Coco Chanel Enters the Game with New Watch CollectionGabrielle “Coco” Chanel is a character in the “Coco Game” collection of watches and the queen in its first haute horlogerie chessboard.
IndependentsApr 21, 2026
Meet Jewelers of America’s 2026 ‘20 Under 40’ ClassThe annual list honors rising professionals on the retail and supply sides of the jewelry industry.
CrimeApr 21, 2026
Customs Nabs 1,500 Pieces of Counterfeit Jewelry Bound for NYCSeized in Kentucky, the packages include fake Cartier, Tiffany & Co., Chanel, and Fendi jewelry.
CrimeApr 20, 2026
Queens Man Convicted in Bludgeoning Death of Pawn Shop OwnerRodolfo Lopez-Portillo faces 25 years to life in prison after being found guilty in the March 2022 beating death of Arasb Shoughi.
TrendsApr 20, 2026
Beth Bernstein, Sonia Esther Soltani Pen New Jewelry Book“Jewelry Creators: Dynamic Duos and Generational Gems” highlights the relationships among 22 influential designers, brands, and gem dealers.
Events & AwardsApr 20, 2026
Atlanta Jewelry Show’s Spring Event Is Hitting the RoadThe AJS Spring 2027 show will be held in Savannah, Georgia, with future shows taking place in other Southeast cities.
MajorsApr 20, 2026
Kendra Scott Names New CFO, Chief Business OfficerThe jewelry retailer plans to open 20 new stores this year and expand into new product categories.
TrendsApr 17, 2026
New (Groundbreaking) Floral Jewelry for Spring 2026Flower motifs are the jewelry trend blooming amongst the new collections that debuted this spring.
MajorsApr 17, 2026
QVC Group Files for Chapter 11 BankruptcyThe retailer reported an 8 percent decline in annual sales as it struggles under the weight of billions of dollars of debt.
CollectionsApr 17, 2026
Edina Kiss’ Earrings Are the Devil on Your ShoulderThe “Devil” drop earrings, our Piece of the Week, are part of designer Edina Kiss’ new namesake jewelry line that she will show at Couture.
CrimeApr 17, 2026
FBI Issues Warning to Refineries, Retailers Due to High Price of GoldThe alert states that burglary crews are targeting jewelry businesses and details how jewelers and refineries can protect themselves.
WatchesApr 16, 2026
Cartier Brings Back the RoadsterThe “watchmaker of shapes” debuted the reworked version of the vintage sports car-inspired timepiece at Watches & Wonders.
IndependentsApr 16, 2026
Edge Retail Academy Updates Leadership TeamAs demand for jewelry retail coaching grows, the company has established a dedicated business coaching leadership team.
MajorsApr 16, 2026
Stuller’s Latest Mountings Catalog Is Out NowThe “Mountings 2026-2027” catalog showcases Stuller’s largest and most diverse assortment to date with more than 400 new mounting styles.
