Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 6864 STATE OF THE MAJORS 2016 1. PICK UP THE PHONE. “I set a goal to call another store owner every month. Too often we get bogged down in our stores, operat- ing in a vacuum without perspective on the market as a whole. I use the calls to check in, ask them how they’re doing and to talk about wins and losses. It’s a practice that I find very helpful and effective for inspiration, building relationships and to keep me connected to what’s happening in the jewelry world outside of my store.”  —Jennifer Gandia, Greenwich St. Jewelers, New York 2. SEND A HAND- WRITTEN NOTE. “I send a snail mail birthday card with a personal message to all of my 140 employees.” —Jeff Corey, Day’s Jewelers, Waterville, Me. 3. KEEP IT CLEAN. “I always make sure my car and employees’ cars are clean! When people pull into my parking lot, I want them to see everything well-tended to, just like we take care of their jewelry. I always buy car wash gift certificates for (my employees).” —Cathy Calhoun, Calhoun Jewelers, Royersford, Pa. 4. TEND TO THE MOST DIFFICULT TASKS FIRST. “Every morning, jewelry relat- ed or not, I do the most challenging or unpleasant things first. Then the day can only get better. It’s my takeaway from Mark Twain, who said, ‘If it’s your job to eat a frog, it’s best to do it first thing in the morning. And if it’s your job to eat two frogs, it’s best to eat the biggest one first.’” — Dennis Petimezas, W atchmaker’s Diamonds & Jewelry, Johnstown, Pa. 5. WORK IT OUT. “My habit is: 5-5-5 + exercise, a daily minimum of five min- utes meditation, five minutes positive reading and five minutes journaling, and regular exercise!” —Debbie Fox, Fox Fine Jewelry, Ventura, Calif. “I exercise religiously every morning when I get out of bed for 20 minutes.” —Jim Rosenheim,Tiny Jewel Box,W ashington, D.C. 6. STAY TRUE TO WHO YOU ARE. “Everyone is trying to figure out how to reach millennials but I think some companies are going too far to reinvent themselves. Stay true to your DNA and what makes you special and differentiated. Keep in mind that they (the millennials) are still figur- ing out who they are too. Be there for them and be true to yourselves but don’t scrap everything you believe in to reach an important and rapidly maturing audience.” —Craig Rottenberg, Long’s Jewelers, Boston 7. BUT DON’T GET SET IN YOUR WAYS. “As CEO, a habit I try to live daily, as well as encourage all Borshe- ims associates to do, is to be adaptable. We’re in a changing, swirling, confus- ing consumer period. I consider every- day if there’s a better way to interact with our customers, present our merchandise, market ourselves and structure internal processes. It’s an ongoing loop in my brain—can we be better? Can we change to anticipate needs better? What can we do to be better?” — Karen Goracke, Borsheims, Omaha, Neb. 7 HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE JEWELERS Top retailers provide tips on improving self and store. BY MICHELLE GRAFF wrap-up