PHOTO: DAN MERLO
John Thomas Mead
John Thomas Jewelers, Albuquerque, NM
John Thomas Mead began his career 30 years ago in New York City, quickly realizing that working with jewelry was a passion. He and his wife, Janelle, own three jewelry stores in Albuquerque, NM, and last year opened a digital marketing company. Mead, who loves to bring his clients’ ideas to life, has custom-designed more than 3,000 rings, each made in-house within a week. His business has grown exponentially from $360,000 in sales in 2016 to $6.5 million in 2024 with a closing rate of over 90%. “I don’t know that we would’ve had the same growth, opportunities, and clients in another town. For the people, business, climate and scenery, Albuquerque has been a great place.”
ONLINE EXTRA
Q. What do you like to do in your leisure time?
A. We do a lot of traveling that’s kind of tied into our work. We go to the IJO and RJO Shows, JCK, the iNSTORE Show, and Antwerp for diamond shopping in the spring and fall.
In the spring last year, we went to Antwerp and Iceland, and in the fall, Antwerp and Vienna and Salzburg. For New Year’s we do a big trip. This year, it was the Dominican Republic. If we don’t take 10 or 12 trips a year it’s unusual. In 2024, we traveled 51,748 miles, 85 days total; we took 18 trips, visited eight countries and 33 cities.
Q. What do you like about Albuquerque?
A. I was born in Toronto, grew up in Niagara Falls, lived briefly in New York City, and then in Las Vegas. Of all the places I’ve lived, Albuquerque has gotten to be my favorite. I like the dry, desert heat of the summer. Winters can be a little too cold for me, but overall, it’s a mild place to live. The mountains are beautiful and it’s the hot air ballooning capital of the world. People are very friendly, and it’s an amazing town for business. Often, people born in a place want to leave that place, but my wife was born and raised here and she knows it’s a nice place.
Q. What is the key to your business success?
A. If you’re selling instead of serving, you’re doing it wrong. We’ve been serving our clients here for the past 11 years and have become the largest independent retail operation in the state. I sold a young man an engagement ring in Las Vegas years ago. A few months later he brought in his fiancé and I sold them wedding bands. Over the years, they’ve used me for everything even though I moved here in 2003, seven years after selling them wedding rings. And last April, his wife got on an airplane with her 21-year-old son to shop for HIS engagement ring here. I think about how many jewelry stores in Las Vegas they passed on the way to the airport! But this feels like family.
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Q. What’s new in your business life?
A. We started our own digital marketing company on top of three jewelry stores. I had been frustrated with finding good content.
Q. How would you describe an ideal day off?
A. We’re going, going, going, quite a bit. So we try to spend time with the kids on Sundays and Mondays, my wife and I spend time together; we get caught up on domestic duties, go shopping, have a nice dinner together.
Q. You traveled 85 days last year for work and fun. You own three jewelry stores and a digital marketing company. How do you balance it all?
A. I have raging ADD so I don’t do well when it’s not busy. Staying busy is key to keeping my brain stimulated.
