Jon Bumann, Chalmers Jewelers
Middleton, WI
Jon Bumann has been vice president of operations for Chalmers Jewelers in Middleton, WI, since 2003. He’s in the process of transitioning away from that role in search of a warmer climate and a more relaxed lifestyle. To that end, he’s launched an online and pop-up watch business, which will allow for a more mobile lifestyle. “It’s a leap of faith to be walking away from what I’ve been doing for 25 years,” he says. When he was 20, a sapphire ring at a mall store caught his eye and he bought it for himself on layaway. Years later, his connection to that store led to his first job in jewelry retail. A joke he told growing up may have foreshadowed his career choice: “My mom was married five times and my dad was married four, and I always said when I grow up I’m going to be a lawyer or a jeweler because those are the only people making money!” he says.
Q: What attracted you to the jewelry business?
A: I had gotten my degree in engineering and was working when I was in college. I ran some arcades and apparently, it wasn’t normal for a guy to like jewelry, but there was this jewelry store in the mall that had a sapphire ring in the case. I put it on layaway and paid it off over months when I was 19-20 years old. A couple years later, my buddy was getting married, and I stopped by the store to see the ring he had bought for his fiancé. The lady at the counter recognized me as the guy who bought that sapphire ring. She asked what I was doing, and when I told her I was running some retail stores in Nebraska, she suggested I consider getting into jewelry. I kind of laughed at first.
Q: What was your career path before joining Chalmers Jewelers?
A: After college, I was working in warehouses – it was 110 degrees, schlepping stuff off trucks. I thought shipments to jewelry stores are smaller than this. I met with a regional manager at Helzberg Diamonds and they offered me a job as a manager in training. I decided to take that leap and learn about jewelry, knowing really nothing about it.
I was successful at Helzberg – we were the top of the new stores. I was there six months before being offered to take on my own stores. Not long after, they suggested I consider doing some new store openings. I opened a couple of stores in New York and New Jersey, about three months after Sept. 11. After I got engaged, we moved back to Wisconsin. Corporate called me and asked me to open a store in Madison. After opening stores in Madison, I found a local independent jeweler in July 2003, which was Chalmers, and I’ve been at the same store for 22 years.
Q: What are your future plans?
A: This is my last year in the store. I’m going to move South because I want to be warm. I’ve been working on some side projects – an e-commerce jewelry-related watch business http://tachymeters.com that’s been growing. We’re going to launch that more full-time. The owner of Chalmers is retiring, and the two grown children are taking over. I’m trying to get them ramped up and in full speed so they can transition smoothly. The date is negotiable.
Q: Tell me about your watch business.
A: It’s a pop-up watch business. We attend aerospace shows, boat shows, car shows, air shows. Sometimes we see the same clients at different shows. I do more business online as an authorized dealer for a number of brands through e-commerce, but I don’t plan on it being a retail location. Being mobile and doing these pop-ups seems to be a viable business model and is working well. It’s a leap of faith walking away from what I’ve been doing for 25 years. The website is http://tachymeters.com , which shows upcoming events.
Q: What is your educational background?
A: I have a BA in electrical engineering. I didn’t realize I really needed to talk to people and be more social, so I got out of engineering and that industry pretty quickly.
Q: What did you want to do as a career when you were a kid?
A: My mom was married five times and my dad was married four, and I always said when I grow up I’m going to be a lawyer or a jeweler because those are the only people making money.
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Q: What’s your favorite travel destination?
A: When I was really active with travel, my favorite destination was Costa Rica. It’s such a great destination with so much to do, and the people are so friendly. I love that. For an {upcoming) family trip to Costa Rica, I would rent an Airbnb where monkeys can come up to your porch, have the kids experience that, do some rainforest activities, and spend a day at the beach. My goal is to get to Bora Bora; I have a feeling I would love that.
Q: What’s the best way to spend a day off?
A: Sadly, when I have days off, a lot of times I’m working because I’ve been filling vacations with travel to different events. Otherwise, I’m having fun with the kids. We’re out finding a new spot to go eat, a hole in the wall or a supper club. Once they’re all gone and off to college, I won’t see them as often.
Q: Tell me about your family and pets.
A: I have two kids, boys aged 17 and 19. My girlfriend has a daughter who’s 16, so my house is full right now. We also have two cats and a dog. I go to the gym with the kids sometimes – they go every day and I join them once or twice a week.
Q: Do you have any advice you’d like to share?
A: I would give kids this advice: Do what you want to do. If relationships are meant to be, they’ll be. I once turned down a six-month job on an Air Force base in Hawaii because they wouldn’t let me bring my girlfriend, and we broke up shortly after anyway! Hawaii!
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