WEEK 19
18 weeks passed | 34 weeks remain
May 11 — Monday
Today’s Quote: “Don’t be fooled by the calendar. There are only as many days in the year as you make use of. One person gets only a week’s value out of a year while another gets a full year’s value out of a week.” —Charles Richards
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS: Salvador Dalí (1904, surrealist painter, “The Persistence of Memory”), Sabrina Carpenter (1999, pop singer, “Espresso,” “Please Please Please”), Martha Quinn (1959, original MTV VJ), Natasha Richardson (1963–2009, actress, “Maid in Manhattan,” “The Parent Trap”)
MANAGEMENT: Mother’s Day is behind you. Take 20 minutes this morning to debrief before the week accelerates. What sold best? What didn’t move? Where did you run out of something? What did customers ask for that you didn’t have? Write it down while it’s fresh — those notes are your buying list for next year.
WEEKLY SPIFF: Post-Mother’s Day week is often a mood dip. Counter it: launch a “comeback game” today. Whoever books the most follow-up calls or repairs check-ins by Friday wins. Energy needs a target.
BRIDAL: Wedding season is here in earnest. Brainstorm a checklist of questions to sell additional jewelry to brides: Will the bridesmaids be wearing jewelry? Will the groomsmen need tie pins or cufflinks? Are there mothers of the bride or groom still to buy for? Don’t let the engagement ring be the whole conversation.
LOOKING AHEAD: Graduation season peaks this month and next. If you haven’t built out your graduation case yet, do it this week. Think: starter jewelry, charms, gold hoops, sterling silver bracelets, entry-level watches. Have personalized polishing cloths with your logo ready as a gift-with-purchase.
MORE DATES: National Eat What You Want Day (earned after a Mother’s Day weekend), Twilight Zone Day, National Technology Day — restart your store’s computers and POS terminals if you haven’t recently
May 12 — Tuesday
Today’s Quote: “Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer the negative elements in your life, don’t sit at home and think about it. Go out and get busy!” — author Dale Carnegie
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS: Florence Nightingale (1820, founder of modern nursing — born on this day), Rami Malek (1981, actor, Oscar winner for “Bohemian Rhapsody,” Mr. Robot), Steve Winwood (1948, rock and soul musician, “Higher Love,” “Back in the High Life”), Stephen Baldwin (1966, actor, “The Usual Suspects” —happy 60th!), Gabriel Byrne (1950, Irish actor, “The Usual Suspects,” “In Treatment”)
FEATURED DATE: International Nurses Day (Florence Nightingale’s birthday — and the close of National Nurses Week). If you ran a nurses promotion last week, follow it up with a social post today thanking your community’s nurses by name, or tagging your local hospital. Goodwill campaigns have a long tail when they’re sincere.
FEATURED DATE: National Receptionists Day. The gatekeeper at every office in town — and often the decision-maker for office gifts and team appreciation gestures. A small social post or in-store sign suggesting gift ideas for the “person who keeps everything running” is a smart, overlooked angle.
SALES MEETING: Topic: post-Mother’s Day pivot. The customer who didn’t buy last weekend isn’t gone — they’re waiting for something to click. Review your follow-up list. Who came in, didn’t purchase, and left their info? Make the call. “We just got something in that reminded me of what you were looking for” opens a lot of doors.
MORE DATES: National Nurses Week ends today, National Limerick Day (write a five-line ditty about your best piece of the week — post it), National Nutty Fudge Day
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May 13 — Wednesday
Today’s Quote: “Knowing how to look is a way of inventing.” — artist Salvador Dalí
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS: Stevie Wonder (1950, music legend, “Superstition,” “Isn’t She Lovely,” 25 Grammy Awards), Harvey Keitel (1939, actor, “Pulp Fiction,” “Reservoir Dogs,” “The Piano”), Darius Rucker (1966, singer, Hootie and the Blowfish frontman, country solo star —happy 60th!), Megan Fox (1986, actress, “Transformers” —happy 40th!), Stephen Colbert (1964, comedian and late-night host)
DISPLAY: Mid-May is a good time for a case refresh. Mother’s Day merchandise should be cleared or repositioned. Bring forward your bridal, graduation, and early summer pieces. Think about what a customer walking in for the first time today would see — and whether it tells the right story for the season.
THING TO STOP DOING THIS WEEK: Stop waiting for the perfect time to follow up with customers. There is no perfect time. A text that says “Just thinking of you — something came in you might love” sent on a random Wednesday converts better than you’d expect. Do it today.
STRATEGY: Book time with your top two employees this week. Not a performance review — just a conversation. Ask what’s working and what’s broken. No agenda, just listen. You’ll learn something useful, and they’ll feel seen. Both outcomes are worth 30 minutes.
MORE DATES: World Cocktail Day (host a Friday evening “cocktails and custom jewelry” consultation hour?), National Apple Pie Day, National Frog Jumping Day
May 14 — Thursday
Today’s Quote: “Now is the accepted time, not tomorrow, not some more convenient season. It is today that our best work can be done.” — scholar W.E.B. Du Bois
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS: George Lucas (1944, filmmaker, creator of Star Wars and Indiana Jones), Robert Zemeckis (1951, director, “Back to the Future,” “Forrest Gump” —happy 75th!), Cate Blanchett (1969, Oscar-winning actress, “Blue Jasmine,” “Tár”), Sofia Coppola (1971, director, “Lost in Translation,” “The Virgin Suicides” —happy 55th!), David Byrne (1952, Talking Heads frontman, “Once in a Lifetime”)
FEATURED DATE: Ascension Day (40 days after Easter). Observed by many Christian communities — worth a respectful nod if your clientele includes churchgoing families. Cross pendants, religious charms, and confirmation jewelry can be quietly spotlighted this week.
INVENTORY: Pre-Vegas clearance starts now. Walk your cases and identify what’s been sitting too long. What can be bundled? What can be marked down to move? Which long-term resident deserves the biggest spiff? Get the conversation started before you’re standing on the show floor trying to remember what you needed.
FINANCES: Update your open-to-buy for the second half of the year. If you’re Vegas-bound, you need a number before you walk in the door. If you’re not going, you still need a plan — the second half starts in six weeks.
MORE DATES: National Dance Like a Chicken Day (staff morale — you know what to do), The Stars and Stripes Forever Day (John Philip Sousa’s march premiered on this day, 1897)
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May 15 — Friday
Today’s Quote: “You are precisely as big as what you love and precisely as small as what you allow to annoy you.” — author Robert Anton Wilson
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS: L.L. Cool J (1968, rapper and actor, “Mama Said Knock You Out,” NCIS: Los Angeles), Emmitt Smith (1969, NFL Hall of Fame running back, Dallas Cowboys), Madeleine Albright (1937–2022, first female U.S. Secretary of State, famous for her diplomatic brooch collection), Mike Oldfield (1953, musician, “Tubular Bells”)
WEEKLY SPIFF PAYOUT: Announce the winner of this week’s follow-up challenge. Read out some of the calls that were made — specific stories of reconnection are motivating to the whole team, not just the winner.
FEATURED DATE: Peace Officers Memorial Day (part of National Police Week). Law enforcement families are loyal community members. A social post honoring local officers costs nothing and lands well. If you carry anything with a thin blue line motif or patriotic jewelry, today is a natural spotlight.
MARKETING: It’s mid-May. Post a “what’s new for summer” social update. Show two or three pieces you’ve brought in recently — colored gemstones, lighter chains, stackable bracelets. You don’t need a big event. You just need to remind people you’re here and the cases are fresh.
MORE DATES: National Chocolate Chip Day (small treat for staff), International Day of Families, National Bike to Work Day, Endangered Species Day (feature an ethically-sourced or lab-grown gemstone angle if relevant)
May 16 — Saturday
Today’s Quote: “Be regular and orderly in your life like a bourgeois, so that you may be violent and original in your work.” — novelist Gustave Flaubert
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS: Janet Jackson (1966, pop icon, “Control,” “Rhythm Nation,” “Nasty” —happy 60th!), Pierce Brosnan (1953, actor, James Bond, “Mamma Mia!”), Megan Fox (yesterday’s birthday noted — some sources also list today), Billy West (1952, voice actor, Fry on “Futurama,” Bugs Bunny in numerous productions)
FEATURED DATE: Armed Forces Day (third Saturday in May). Different from Memorial Day and Veterans Day — this one honors those currently serving. A social post, a “thank you for your service” window sign, or a military appreciation discount is the right gesture. Keep it sincere and simple.
OPERATIONS: Saturday is your second-biggest traffic day. Use the morning to reset your cases, pull anything that looks tired, and make sure your team is briefed on the two or three pieces you most want to sell today. Five minutes of pre-open intention changes the energy of the whole day.
MARKETING: Janet Jackson’s 60th is a genuine pop-culture moment — and a natural social post if your clientele skews toward her generation. A quick “Happy 60th, Janet” with a photo and a line about diamonds being forever (or something equally playful) will land with the right audience.
MORE DATES: National Piercing Day (light social content opportunity — alternative jewelry, body jewelry, ear curation), National Barbecue Day, National Love a Tree Day (lab-grown or sustainable sourcing angle if relevant)
May 17 — Sunday
Today’s Quote: “I was waiting for something extraordinary to happen but as the years wasted on nothing ever did unless I caused it.” — poet and novelist Charles Bukowski
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS: Sugar Ray Leonard (1956, boxing legend, five-division world champion, “Fighter of the Decade” in the 1980s —happy 70th!), Dennis Hopper (1936–2010, actor and director, “Easy Rider,” “Blue Velvet”), Trent Reznor (1965, Nine Inch Nails frontman, Oscar-winning film composer), Taj Mahal (1942, blues musician and Grammy winner)
OPERATIONS: Use a quiet Sunday to do your weekly case rotation — remove all displays from one case, clean the glass inside and out, wipe the display pads, re-tag anything faded, and reset. One case per week keeps everything sharp without it ever feeling like a project.
LOOKING AHEAD: June is two weeks away — and with it, graduations, Father’s Day planning, and the start of anniversary season. Pull your June calendar now. What dates are you promoting around? What inventory do you need? What emails should you be writing this week?
SELF-IMPROVEMENT: Pick one day this coming week and try a digital Sabbath — tell your staff you’re heads-down, post a sign, step away from the screen for a few hours. The outcome, as someone who’s tried it: you’ll probably discover how much you like your own thinking.
MORE DATES: Norwegian Constitution Day (Syttende Mai) — if you have Scandinavian customers or carry Nordic-influenced jewelry, a fun nod, International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (show your store’s inclusivity), World Hypertension Day
QUOTE FOR THE WEEK: “Life is like a 10-speed bicycle. Most of us have gears we never use.” —Charles M. Schulz. You just came through your biggest week of the spring. Next week, shift up.
