Former Minneapolis Retailer Moves to House-Calls-Only Model

AFTER FOUR DECADES in the jewelry business, master jeweler and designer T. Lee has come full circle — from working in her living room to retail storefronts and back to a private studio. The difference now? She brings her expertise directly to clients’ homes.

“My sister noticed that I seem to reinvent my business every decade,” T. Lee explains. “I began in my apartment’s living room, then moved to my basement, to two different retail locations, and now back to a private studio.”

When her 20-year retail lease expired, Minneapolis-based T. Lee was ready for change. Despite fond memories of hosting more than 100 gemstone roundtable events that built her loyal clientele, she wanted flexibility as her husband retired, returning to a lifestyle reminiscent of her early days.

The house call model has transformed both her business and lifestyle. “Some months I work nearly every day, others — when there’s fresh powder in the mountains — I work much less,” she says. During lighter months, she conducts design appointments before leaving Minnesota, then works remotely.

“I always do design approval meetings remotely whether I’m home or away, and all castings are shipped and ready for final polish when I return to the studio,” she explains. “If I time it right, it doesn’t change my delivery schedule much at all.”

With the house-calls business model, T. Lee, right, and her friend and associate, Alice Winkler, enjoy flexible schedules.

Her clients have embraced this approach. “They tell me how much they love house calls,” T. Lee shares. “They appreciate the intimacy and exclusivity, avoiding the drive into the city, and the privacy and safety.”

For appointments, she arrives with a doctor’s bag (a gift from her husband) containing essential tools: a full-size sketchbook, a selection of colored sapphires and diamond melee, an iPad with her portfolio, a rechargeable folding light, and various jeweler’s tools.

Design appointments maintain the personal touch she’s cultivated over decades. “Just one client (or two if they’re a couple) and myself,” she says. “Together, we review my portfolio of previous custom designs, and I listen to their feedback. I sketch and ask questions.” After agreeing on a design, she provides an estimate, collects a deposit, and schedules remote approval. When the jewelry is finished six to eight weeks later, she delivers it personally — her favorite part of the process.

The shift from retail to house calls has fundamentally changed her operation. “In retail, we did hundreds of jobs monthly, mostly repairs and small projects — about 10% was custom work. Now it’s all custom work,” she explains.

The business model has brought welcome financial benefits through lower rent and smaller staff. “Everything is simpler,” T. Lee says. She’s also found new freedom in scheduling: “I don’t give specific finish dates anymore, just an approximate ETA. Many times, projects are done earlier than estimated. I’m more relaxed about everything, and my clients seem more relaxed, too.”

While not actively marketing for new clients, T. Lee maintains a version of her popular gemstone roundtable. If a client hosts, she invites 10 others for a small show, providing appetizers and offering the host credit toward their next custom project. “My secret goal is to book design appointments, which nearly every person who buys a stone will do that evening.”

For safety, T. Lee only accepts new clients through referrals from existing customers, maintaining a comfortable workload without sacrificing quality or personal service.

An added benefit has been professional development. With her longtime jeweler and dear friend Alice Winker — who’s worked with her for over 30 years — she’s studied at New Approach School for Jewelers in Nashville and at El Taller de Joyeria in Barcelona. “We could never leave the store simultaneously before,” T. Lee reflects. “Now we go when we want, and traveling for jewelry education has been one of the best things about not having a retail store.”

Perhaps most importantly, T. Lee has recaptured the creative focus that drew her to jewelry-making initially. “I am faster, so much more focused, in the zone,” she says.