“GREAT IDEAS FROM the industry’s brightest minds.” That’s the way one retailer, Trevor Williams of Leitzel’s Jewelry in Myerstown, PA, describes INSTORE’s Brain Squad. And he couldn’t be more right.

From the early days of INSTORE, the magazine has been driven by one core belief: That the best business advice for jewelry retailers comes from jewelry retailers themselves. All we have to do is find the ones who are consistently successful and innovative and invite them to share what they’re doing.

How do we find them? Primarily through the Brain Squad.

If you’re not familiar with the Brain Squad, it’s a group of North American retail jewelry store owners and managers who agree to receive a short survey each month from INSTORE. These surveys take about five or 10 minutes to complete. They include some questions we ask in every survey, like how overall sales for the month were and what sold (from which we derive our “Hot Sellers” section). We also request anecdotes and suggestions for sections throughout the magazine, from “Best of the Best” to “True Tales.”

And, we ask questions specific to particular stories that we have planned.

Bottom line? If you want to be quoted in INSTORE, all you have to do is join the Brain Squad. You’ll also be able to read other Brain Squadders’ responses before anyone else. And the best news is, you’ll be helping us to deliver more accurate information on the state of jewelry retailing, which helps everyone. (Shameless plug: You can join the Brain Squad right now at instoremag.com/brainsquad!)

And yes … you’ll even get a cool new T-shirt for joining.

What’s So Great About The Brain Squad?

Being an active participant in INSTORE’s Brain Squad is an adventure, a learning experience, a community builder and a springboard to industry celebrity. It’s even good for a laugh now and then.

Most importantly, when it comes to independent jewelry retailers, a rising tide lifts all boats. As Joseph Delefano of Regency
Jewelers in Rotterdam, NY, says, “The more information we all have as independent jewelers, the better business life we may all have.”

More information means more sources. As valuable as consultants and experts are, there’s nothing like hearing what other retailers are doing to make themselves successful. “It’s not just the few select talking heads of the industry, but the men and women on the front line experiencing it every day,” says Chris Snowden of Snowden’s Jewelers in Wilmington, NC. Michael Kanoff of Michael’s Jewelers in Yardley, PA, agrees. “It’s real jewelers just like me giving honest insight. INSTORE is my favorite magazine for that reason.”

Jeremy Auslander of Roxbury Jewelry in Los Angeles concurs that a more educated industry is a better industry. He appreciates the chance to check his answers against group responses. “When I say sales are down and then I read the survey results, and the majority of retailers’ sales are down, I don’t feel so bad,” he relates. It’s also an opportunity to both celebrate and commiserate. “It helps me think about my business. I want to share with others my experiences; maybe it will help them in some way.”

The sharing that takes place encompasses all business practices, including merchandising — and it helps to know what’s selling elsewhere, says Bradley Marks of IW Marks in Houston. “You get an idea of how the industry is doing around the country, and what is trending to see if it possibly will work for you in your market.”

The Brain Squad is made up entirely of independent jewelers, which makes it especially valuable. “It gives me a feel for how other jewelers are doing, what is trending and what other jewelers are saying and thinking, especially small mom-and-pop stores,” says Gregory Fliegauf of Fliegauf Jewelers in Washington, NJ.

For Gretchen Schaffner of Eytan’s Designs in Sherman Oaks, CA, Brain Squad participation is a way to represent the quirky side of jewelry retail and provide alternate views. She describes her store as tiny, idiosyncratic and chaotic. “I suspect that a good chunk of your readership is the same way, not a cookie-cutter jewelry store. So, it’s important that our whiny, nut-bag views are heard and that our outlier responses skew your survey results.”

Andrea Riso of Talisman Collection in El Dorado Hills, CA, who aspires to be a “brainiac,” says the Brain Squad makes her feel “kind of smart.” And it’s good to be surrounded by other smart jewelers. “Fellow jewelers in the Brain Squad have the best, best, best ideas,” she says. “From cute marketing ideas to savvy hiring ideas to funny story sharing, the list is endless.”

Retailers say the Brain Squad also makes them stop and think, even if for a minute, about what’s going in their business.

“The Squad helps me keep a pulse on the industry, and at 73, finding a pulse is a good thing,” says Bill Elliott of Ross Elliott Jewelers in Terre Haute, IN.

BIRTH OF
THE SQUAD

The Brain Squad was, if you’ll forgive us for being too on the nose, the “brainchild” of former executive editor (and current group editorial director for SmartWork Media) David Squires. Of course, it wasn’t always called the Brain Squad.

“It was originally called the INSTORE Professional Retail Panel and consisted of AJSOs (American Jewelry Store Owners). People could only sign up by emailing us at ajso@instoremag.com,” recalls Squires. “Early on, we didn’t really use the group as much as we would later. We basically had the monthly sales survey, ‘Business Barometer,’ and I think that was it in terms of the monthly departments where we used survey material. We did use surveys for information outreach for lead articles.”

However, the fledgling magazine, while popular among readers, struggled to gain traction with advertisers. That’s when Squires and the publishing team made several fateful decisions.

“According to my editor’s note from February 2003, we introduced ‘Best of the Best’ in that issue, and we used a lot of survey responses to fill out the ‘More of the Best’ feature on best opening sales lines,” says Squires. “This was a key moment, when we had to cut pages from 80 to 52 pages, and INSTORE transformed from a more generic industry magazine into one more intensely focused on jewelry-store owners.

“This was also a key moment when we started to use mass responses for more and more practical information. We also introduced ‘Do You or Don’t You’ and ‘True Tales’ (mostly survey-sourced) in that issue.”

Two years later, INSTORE had become a force in the jewelry industry, more than tripling its folio size from those early 52-page days. That same year, in May 2005, Squires announced that the survey group would become known as “The Brain Squad.”

From that point, the Brain Squad grew to over 1,000 members, with surveys garnering 200 or so responses every month. It’s the largest retail survey group in the jewelry sector … or quite possibly any retail sector. And it grows in authority with each passing year.

BRAINY
BUSINESS

It’s one thing to take a short survey every month. But it means a lot more when participating in that survey can help you make more money.

Many Brain Squad members have changed the way they do business based on the examples and feedback of their fellow members. Bill Longnecker, for example, of Longnecker Jewelry in McCook, NE, began to charge a design fee after reading about how other Brain Squadders handle custom design fees.

Kevin Kelly of Kevin Kelly Jewelers in Peoria, IL, says that if he hadn’t known fellow Brain Squadders were having so much success with appointment-only businesses, he may not have had the courage to make the move in his own business.

Christine Matlock of E.G. Landis Jewelers in Boyertown, PA, learned to display items with add-on price points near the point of sale. “I am working with my employees right now on this: Do not be quick to run up a sale. We are weak on add-on sales.”

Casey Gallant of Stephen Gallant Jewelers in Orleans, MA, finds inspiration in the ways in which store owners are generous to their communities. “When Debbie Fox (of Fox Fine Jewelry in Ventura, CA) gave away jewelry to people who had lost jobs, or when Bailey’s (of North Carolina) hid little boxes all over town for people to find. Those moments helped us shape what part we wanted to play in our own community.”

Ellie Thompson of Ellie Thompson + Co. in Chicago, says she loved the comments about how Steve Quick Jewelers of Chicago cut their hours in order to enjoy the holidays more and still accomplished their sales goals. “It gave me confidence to stay the course with my shorter retail shop hours,” Thompson says.

Brain Squad members may not always like the questions raised by the surveys. But that’s what makes them good questions, says Amber Gustafson of Amber’s Designs in Katy, TX. “Just the title, Brain Squad, asks for and receives the deepest thoughts of the readers and participants. It encourages us to think about our business sometimes in ways we don’t like but helps us with ideas that will solve issues we may be having.”

CELEBRITY
STATUS

Brain Squad participation can be a way to become well known, or even famous, in certain circles. After all, combing Brain Squad responses is one method INSTORE editors use to find sources for major stories. And Brain Squad members are quoted in the magazine often, sometimes accompanied by their photos or even by a sketch or caricature created by a talented INSTORE artist.

“I think the first time I got quoted will stick in my mind forever!” says Janne Etz of Contemporary Concepts in Cocoa, FL. “A national glossy magazine found something I said important enough or interesting enough to put it out there for everyone else to see!”

Beth Cevasco of Scott’s Custom Jewelers in Dublin, OH, shows her printed quotes to her staff to make sure they know she’s “famous.”

Kim Hatchell of Galloway & Moses in Sumter, SC, has had former coworkers and bosses reach out to say they saw her name in an issue of INSTORE.

Family members are also impressed.

“My father cuts out each quote I have had,” says Jeremy Auslander. “He absolutely loves it. I have received emails from people I work with who tell me they saw me in INSTORE!”

“My mom and sis get a kick out of seeing me,” says Rick Nichols of Nassau Jewelry in Fernandina Beach, FL. “One of my suppliers loves when I mention him. I just tell him that every time I mention your name, I should get a kickback.”

As a result of her Brain Squad participation, Sue Parker of Nyman Jewelers in Excanaba, MI, had several family members profiled in INSTORE. “The article on my mother and daughter is still my favorite,” she says. “It is framed in my office. Also, you just did one on my father who is 89 and still working.”

Sometimes a published quote or photo comes as a bit of a page-turning surprise.

“I was reading the May issue of INSTORE the other day, trying to catch up on my enjoyable reading,” says Andrea Riso. “I turned to an article for some advice on when to break up with a customer. And there was a picture of myself! That was a 360-degree moment for me.”

Some mentions are particularly memorable. The time, for example, an intruder broke into Chris Snowden’s store from the pet store next door, stole several pearls and then made a nest under a showcase. INSTORE editors, knowing a good story when we hear one, published an account of the guinea pig invasion. “At the next Atlanta Jewelry Show, a bunch of people stopped me to talk about it,” Snowden recalls.

“My picture and quote were recently on the ‘Manager’s To-Do List’ for the month,” says Frank Salinardi of Linardi’s Jewelers in
Plantation, FL. “I have family members that have two jewelry stores in Atlanta, and they commented about me being in the magazine.

Then the following month, one of their quotes was in the magazine, and I commented about it to them! It gave me a good chance to check in with family.”

As Rick Weadock of Jewelry-by-You in South Jordan, UT, puts it, “It’s tough being a celebrity, but somebody has to do it.”

IN IT FOR
THE LAUGHS

In addition to being star-studded, the Brain Squad has an entertaining side, whether members are sharing true tales of oddball customers or errant family members.

“I have often laughed over customer stories and shared them with my team,” says Kim Hatchell of Galloway & Moseley in Sumter, SC.

“It helps to know that people are pretty much the same everywhere, and we aren’t the only ones who deal with oddness sometimes!”

“I really enjoyed the responses about sharing stories about working with family,” says Becky Bettencourt of Blue River Diamonds in Peabody, MA. “It’s definitely a challenge to work with family and loved ones, and the dynamic is complex, so it’s great to see everyone providing humor to the situation.”

Christine Baribault-Ortiz of Baribault Jewelers in Glastonbury, CT, says Brain Squad humor is good for business since it sparks creativity. “You gotta laugh a little each day. It’s good for stress and better for creativity and solution focused mentality.”

SIDEBAR

All Credit to the Squad

BY DAVID SQUIRES

Looking back on INSTORE’s journey since 2002 (when I was the magazine’s founding editor), there were a few important things that became our biggest success factors. But the largest of these, without a shred of a doubt in my mind, was INSTORE’s Brain Squad.

David Squires

Originally launched as “the INSTORE Professional Retail Panel” — a mind-numbingly dull name if I do say so myself — it took a few years before the Brain Squad achieved its current form and eventual name.

But it was a powerful tool from the start.

The Brain Squad took what was INSTORE’s biggest competitive disadvantage — the fact we were trying to create an American jewelry publication with our original edit team that was based in Bangkok, Thailand — and, in a magical bit of publishing jiu-jitsu, turned it into a positive.

That’s because, by using online survey technology that didn’t even exist a year or two prior, the Brain Squad allowed us to collect critical data and insights from a subject pool other publications hadn’t reached. In comparison with our rival magazines, whose reporters tended to use the phone to talk with the same familiar people in the same well-known stores, our online surveys allowed INSTORE to share the wisdom of jewelers across the country (with especially strong and meaningful representation from the heartland of America).

In each issue, and in increasing amounts as the magazine matured and the Brain Squad expanded, our content grew to reflect more of your lives as jewelry store owners — your tips and tricks, your passions and inspirations, as well as your stories, both the hilarious and the heartbreaking.

You provided all that to us. You gave it to us month after month, year after year — for nothing more than a free T-shirt. In the end, you were the “secret sauce” that made INSTORE work.

Over the last decade, I’ve moved on from INSTORE to manage our growing group of publications (we’re now at nine publications!). And the very first thing we do in any new market where we’re starting off is to create a Brain Squad.

But INSTORE’s Brain Squad remains the original, and the absolute best.

I couldn’t be more thankful for all of your support, and all of your incredibly valuable insights and opinions, over the years. And by “you”, I mean every single one of you who have participated in our surveys.

I hope that our magazine has paid you back by being useful more often than not.

Member Q+As

Bill Warren
Owner, The Gold Mine, Hudson, NC

Q: How do you think Brain Squad benefits jewelers?

Bill Warren

BW: The biggest takeaways I get are industry trends, what’s hot, what is not. It’s nice to see what your fellow jeweler is doing across the nation. Here in the Southeast, things happening on the East Coast take about a year to a year and a half to get here. Paperclip jewelry has only gotten here in the last few months. I lead a group called Ultimate Jewelers Mastermind Group, with 73 jewelers from around the country. We meet once or twice a month, and one of the helpful things I can use is the information from the Brain Squad.

Q: Is there anything in particular that has stood out for you in reading Brain Squad results?
BW: Over the years, it’s been nice to watch the broad range of topics that comes up. Dealing with employees, watching how different people handle goldsmiths and that whole dynamic.

Q: Why is it important to stay informed?
BW: This year, with inflation, with everything happening, it’s on every jeweler’s mind right now. I’m advising to trim expenses, invest in marketing, to not use the ostrich approach and not bury your head in the sand. It’s a great year to gobble up market share just like it was when COVID hit.

Debbie Fox
Owner, Fox Fine Jewelry, Ventura, CA

Debbie Fox

If you enjoy reading jewelers’ comments in INSTORE, being a part of the Brain Squad is like being on steroids. While only a slice of comments make it to print, Brain Squad members get access to everyone’s comments. Some of our industry’s greatest experts are not available for hire; they are running successful stores. And many of them are Brain Squad members, giving gems of advice for free. And you can bookmark the page and revisit it at any time! Having your name and store in print has value. It’s exciting when Fox Fine Jewelry gets mentioned in INSTORE. We mark it prominently in our breakroom so our staff can feel proud, too. Plus, it puts you on vendors’ radar and elevates your store.

Marcus Majors
Owner, Sam L. Majors, Midland, TX

Marcus Majors

Jewelry retail is just a different animal than other industries, and it’s hard to talk to friends and family about my experiences because they just don’t understand. I would recommend other jewelers join the Brain Squad and sound off because it’s not only a good release, but it also helps other jewelers see another point of view or shows them they’re not the only ones going through certain experiences. And I really like the Real Deal section because it’s always relatable, and you can see other responses and get a different perspective on situations. It’s nice to see comments from other people on things like charging people to size their finger knowing they are buying something online and just using the local jeweler for the info. Because things like this eat me up and I started charging for it, but felt kind of bad about it until I saw other people were doing it too; so now, I feel justified.

Jill Keith
Owner, Enchanted Jewelry, Danielson, CT

Jill Keith

I feel a sense of camaraderie in our group. I love the thought-provoking and lighthearted questions, as well as the opportunity to reflect on our accomplishments and challenges, and then checking the results to see how others are faring. There is always a question that surprises me, which creates anticipation. I especially like to give vendors and sales reps a shoutout. When I run a monthly report in preparation for my responses, I often will tell high performers to watch INSTORE Magazine for our shoutout to them.

One of my favorite experiences is seeing the list of top vendors across the country and initiating or maintaining great relationships with them. Then seeing responses from participating stores that I’ve met at trade shows. It makes me feel like we’re all working together across the country to meet and exceed expectations of shoppers at independent fine jewelry stores.

I appreciate all of those who add comments, as I love to see the data summaries and read all comments after I submit mine. It’s truly an invaluable experience when everyone participates as often and as much as they can.

A Few Good Ideas

We asked the Brain Squad to name some valuable ideas they’ve gleaned over their years of participation. Their responses ran the gamut of business advice.

• Good ways of dealing with aged inventory. Good ways of keeping our store safe and secure. — Frank Salinardi, Linardi’s Jewelers, Plantation, FL
• Heads up on potential trends, ways to deal with different personnel issues, and different avenues for hiring. — Kim Hatchell, Galloway & Moseley, Sumter, SC
• Flow of your store, memo programs and what brands work well. — Kelly Vass, State Street Jewelers, Geneva, IL
• Social media ideas, special event ideas. — Karen Hollis, K Hollis Jewelers, Batavia, IL
• How to deal with employees, how to work with your staff to enable them to build their confidence and to be successful in selling what is right for the customer. — Pamela Hecht, Pamations, Calumet, MI
• We document every item for repair that comes to us. We use The EDGE to make sure we have complete details and pictures. — Michael Rumanoff, Rumanoffs Fine Jewelry and Design, Hamden, CT
• Lots of techy ideas that have paid dividends, how to manage stock, how to deal with staff and on and on. — David Blitt, Troy Shoppe Jewelers, Calgary, AB
• The need to be progressive and forward-thinking in marketing and advertising and the new media that are out there. — Rick Weadock, Jewelry-By-You, South Jordan, UT

Shout Outs

We asked Brain Squad members if there was another member whose response had particularly helped them in the past. While many could not remember the names, they spoke warmly of the ideas that were shared. Below are some who stood out by name.

• I love Connie Thurmond. — Cindy Haddad-Drew, Cindi’s Diamond & Jewelry Gallery, Foxboro, MA
• Shari and Marc Altman from B&E Jewelers. They are friends and mentors. Even though we are in the same area, we always bounce things off of each other. — Michael Kanoff, Michael’s Jewelers, Yardley, PA
• I have enjoyed Idar’s marketing over the years. I started following them nearly a decade ago due to the Brain Squad, and it has been beneficial in countless ways. — Moran Bartel, Susann’s Custom Jewelers, Corpus Christi, TX
• Debbie Fox in California always stands out to me with her great ideas and good heart. — Natasha Henderson, Saxon’s Fine Jewelers, Bend, OR
• Melissa Quick, handling the Chicago riots with love. The inspiration of David Nygaard, losing it all only to come back smarter, wiser and stronger. The woman [Stephenie Bjorkman of Sami’s Fine Jewelry in Fountain Hills, AZ] who suggested red, green and orange stickers during COVID to help customers share their comfort level with distancing. — Denise Oros, Linnea Jewelers, La Grange, IL
• I pay special attention to members who are near me because they have a good feel for what’s happening in my area. Any time a jeweler from Connecticut, such as Don Unwin at Sterling Jewelers or Jill Keith at Enchanted Jewelers, comment, I listen. — Christine Graichen, Malloves Jewelers, Middletown, CT

ONLINE EXTRA

We had so many raves about the Brain Squad from our respondents that we couldn’t fit them all into print. Here are more testimonials from the Brain Squad.

What Is Your Favorite Thing About Being a Part of the Brain Squad?

• “As a third-generation jeweler, I love to share my experiences with other jewelers with the hope it can help them. Since we are all in this wonderful and unique industry, our experiences are different than other retail businesses. I also love to read what others have contributed. The more information we have the better prepared we can be in our own stores.” — Eric Stevens, Stevens Diamond Jewelers, West Springfield, MA
• “My favorite thing about the Brain Squad? It’s a tie between the T-shirt and the public adoration.” — Mary Jo Chanski, Hannoush Jewelers, Rutland, VT
• “I am not of, or from a jewelry family. I approach the industry with skepticism because I have an accounting degree and a manufacturing background. Brain Squad lets me speak about our trade and business in a fresh and truthful way.” — Jo Goralski, The Jewelry Mechanic, Oconomowoc, WI
• “Learning how other stores handle different things. New perspectives are great for staying relevant.” — Casey Gallant, Stephen Gallant Jewelers, Orleans, MA
• “Helping all other jewelers establish a baseline with data. It’s nice to know sometimes that we are not on an island and others are experiencing the same business environment.” — Tom Duma, Thom Duma Fine Jewelers, Warren, OH
• “Being part of a community of shop owners. I enjoy reading about all of the creative ways people work in their business.” — Betsy Barron, Love & Luxe, San Francisco
• “The T-shirt. Although, I would wear a polo shirt more often. It really is great to hear about other stores doing some of the same things we are, and even having some of the same issues. It makes you feel less alone in the grand scheme.” — Katrina Sustachek, Rasmussen Diamonds, Racine, WI
• “Seeing the results of all of the people who participate. I do read it. I believe it does help in being able to project trends.” — Rita Wade, Wade Designs Jewelry, Rocky Mount, NC.
• “I love to voice my opinion!” — Krystal Shiklanian, Radiant Fine Jewelry, Plymouth, MI
• “Seeing what the top sellers are.” — Joseph Delefano, Regency Jewelers, Rotterdam, NY
• “The consistency. The Big Survey.” — John Przeclawski, Monarch Jewelry, Winter Park, FL
• “The sharing of information that helps all of us, and the feeling of camaraderie.” — Kim Hatchell, Galloway & Moseley, Sumter, SC
• “I have always enjoyed seeing the different perspectives within our industry. It’s very insightful to see what is and isn’t working or selling from respected jewelers.” — Morgan Bartel, Susann’s Custom Jewelers, Corpus Christi, TX
• “Insightful, intelligent answers, valid concerns addressing ongoing business challenges and the genuine temperament of our brain collective on any given month.” — Denise Oros, Linnea Jewelers, La Grange, IL
• “Seeing how other stores are handling similar situations and the diversity of opinions, especially the store owners that are so wrong compared to me!” — David Blitt, Troy Shoppe Jewelers, Calgary, AB
• “I like the fact that the Squad includes jewelers from all over the country.” — Laura Sipe, JC Sipe Inc., Indianapolis, IN
• “Feeling like I’m part of the group that’s in the know.” — Janne Etz, Contemporary Concepts, Cocoa, FL

Why Do You Answer So Many Brain Squad Surveys?

• “I think they are fun, but mostly because the process gives me insights into my business. A well-asked question is not just thought-provoking, but also inspiring!” — Ellie Thompson, Ellie Thompson + Co., Chicago
• “I like being a part of such a great magazine.” — Dianna Rae High, Dianna Rae Jewelers, Lafayette, LA
• “Hearing from others. Often, we forget and think issues or challenges are only ours. It’s refreshing and good for the soul to hear other jewelry store are in the same things.” — Christine Baribault-Ortiz, Baribault Jewelers, Glastonbury, CT
• “To help others understand that they are not alone in their experience as a retail jeweler.” — Eric Stevens, Stevens Diamond Jewelers, West Springfield, MA
• “The data that INSTORE reports back is valuable for decisions.” — John Przeclawski, Monarch Jewelry, Winter Park, FL
• “Because I am part of a community and I believe in giving all that I can to the jewelry community.” — Rita Wade, Wade Designs Jewelry, Rocky Mount, NC
• “I enjoy doing them and I have a marketing background, so I appreciate and utilize surveys.” — Krystal Shiklanian, Radiant Fine Jewelry, Plymouth, MI
• “I enjoy getting feedback about the industry.” — Bradley Marks, IW Marks Jewelers, Houston
• “I like to see my name on the page. Actually, I like to offer feedback that might help another store.” — David Blitt, Troy Shoppe Jewelers, Calgary, AB
• “Taking these surveys actually gives me a chance to stop and ponder what is working, what hasn’t worked and especially to draw on the minds and experiences of others. This is truly a great venue for the jewelry industry.” — Rick Weadock, Jewelry-By-You, South Jordan, UT
• “Because you complete me.” — Mary Jo Chanski, Hannoush Jewelers, Rutland, VT
• “Partly because I’ve been doing it so long, I’d hate to ‘miss’ a survey! (I’m a little OCD like that…haha.) And partly because I feel like I bring a different perspective to the table. I’m a sole proprietor and I handcraft every piece of jewelry in my store, no diamonds or watches or high-end gold pieces. And no employees. Just me and my creations!” — Janne Etz, Contemporary Concepts, Cocoa, FL
• “It’s my favorite magazine. It’s very interactive. I keep notes on what’s selling, trends, tricks, and anything else that might move our store forward.” — Rick Nichols, Nassau Jewelry, Fernandina Beach, FL

Has There Ever Been a Question, Answer or Anything Else Associated with the Brain Squad That Is Memorable to You in a Good Way?

• “Many times, but I have to have time to answer and need to use my time to stay on track. Wait! That was an idea from the Brain Squad.” — David Blitt, Troy Shoppe Jewelers, Calgary, AB
• “Back in 2013, just a month after delivering our first son, I attended the Smart Show in Chicago with my mother-in-law. We did a photo shoot with some of the INSTORE staff and we had a blast and it is one of my memorable moments related to Brain Squad membership.” — Morgan Bartel, Susann’s Custom Jewelers, Corpus Christi, TX
• “I love how lab-grown diamonds are accepted by the majority; often some social media sites paint a different reality.” — Medford Chason, Treasure Hunt, North Charleston, SC
• “I like that you care about what we are thinking about and what our opinions are.” — Susan Eisen, Susan Eisen Fine Jewelry & Watches, El Paso, TX
• “I think the responses to the segment ‘Woulda Coulda Shoulda’ said to that customer are pretty hilarious.” — Marc Majors, Sam L. Majors, Midland, TX
• “I really enjoyed the responses about sharing stories about working with family. It’s definitely a challenge to work with family and loved ones and the dynamic is complex, so it’s great to see everyone providing humor to the situation.” — Becky Bettencourt, Blue River Diamonds, Peabody, MA
• “When the discussion is about taking better care of myself, albeit taking a lunch break, remembering to take a day off, even pointers about how to clear my mind for a moment.” — Christine Graichen, Malloves Jewelers, Middletown, CT