22 RETAILER HALL OF FAME 2018 Designer Penny Preville also metTivol in the 1980s, at a JANewY ork show. “I remember she came over to my booth, and she was really adorable and beautiful and had all of this wonderful energy,” Preville recalls of the meeting. “She really was behind the designer business. She was a great partner. Be- cause she’s behind you, the salespeople are behind you.” What stands out most to Bondanza and Preville isTivol’s “welcoming” nature. “She’s always open to listening,” Bondanza explains. “She’s always inviting people into her home.” “I could always call her and talk to her,” Preville says. “We formed an amazing bond. Over the years we became really close and she’s become one of my dearest friends. It feels like you’re being welcomed into someone’s home when you go to the stores. She’s very easy to talk to and sets a really great example for the excellent staff, who have been there a really long time.” The store’s strong local reputation, warm atmosphere and popular adver- tising campaigns aided the Tivols in opening a second store in 1994, in neigh- boring Overland Park, Kansas. WEATHERING STORMS Successes aside, Tivol’s journey hasn’t been without its challenges. She and her team opened a third lo- cation in the Kansas City area that end- ed up closing after the 2008 financial crisis. Additionally, the Tivols have seen their share of familial ups and downs over the years. “A family business can be absolutely wonderful and fulfilling, and it can also tear families apart,” Tivol says. “It’s amazing that we’re still around because of all the family issues we’ve had over the years—my dad buying my uncle and aunt out and what that did to the family, my step-brother joining the business, my brother leaving the busi- ness. Through all the turmoil though, I’ve been very lucky because dad and I were on the same page almost 100 percent of the time.” No challenge compares, however, with the personal tragedy Tivol endured in 2011 when her daughter, Brooke Tivol McGrath, died unexpectedly from a rare blood infection at the age of 28. McGrath was working in New York at the time as marketing director for jewelry brand Carelle. Today, Carelle and the Women’s Jewelry Association support an annual $5,000 merit-based grant in her honor. Shortly after the family lost Brooke, Cathy’s son Hunter decided to join the company, representing the family’s fourth generation in the business. “Hunter came to me several months after Brooke died and said he wanted to join the family business,”Tivol recalls. “I was still reeling from grief, and my husband Mark had the presence of mind to say that we’d love to have him, but that we’d like to find a consultant to help us do it the right way, a first for us.” To avoid past familial issues and lay a strong foundation for McGrath, who is a CPA and graduate gemologist, she hired consultant Jim Murphy to guide her son’s transition into the company. “I think the key is for each family member to have a clearly defined role,” Tivol says. “Listening and being respect- ful and open is huge.” Introducing the younger generation has paid off so far.Today, McGrath is the company’s vice president, and has brought much to the table in terms of helping the older generation look at procedures with fresh eyes. “Hunter wants Tivol to continue doing what we do best but also look out- side the box to stay fresh and relevant and ahead of the game,” Tivol says. There is a synergy between the third and fourth generations of the business, as McGrath is able to bounce his new ideas off his mother’s hard-earned expertise. “There is almost no scenario she hasn’t encountered and navigated through,” he says. “Internally and ex- ternally, personally and professionally, she has seen it all. She con- tinues to amaze me with her resilience as we face changing times in an ever-fluctuating industry. Her ability to shift, to stay ahead of the curve, allows Tivol to remain a strong name in our industry.” Preville adds, “I think she’s grown a lot through life experiences and the ups and downs of the business. It’s been amazing to watch her expand her father’s legacy. I think she’s a great leader.” “There is almost no scenario she hasn’t encountered and navigated through. Internally and externally, personally and professionally, she has seen it all.” – Hunter Tivol McGrath Q:What do you want your legacy to be? A:“I hope that my legacy will be con- tinuing the good work my grandfather started in 1910. It’s a humbling feeling knowing that we continue to be a part of our customers’ happiest moments, as well as providing work opportunities for our incredible staff.” – Cathy Tivol QUICK & Q A Pictured here are three generations of the Tivol family: Harold Tivol, Cathy Tivol and Hunter Tivol McGrath.