Is y'all's first location gonna be in Baton Rouge?
Yes, it is. it's gonna be over there on Jefferson next to the H2O Carwash. They just build a new shopping center right there. When they built that building in late November, early December, I eyed it and thought that would just be cool. I always expected to have to start in a smaller more off the beaten path location, came across this spot and thought, 'This is just too good to pass up, so let me at least look into it', and it all worked out.
So do you think your niche is totally different from everybody else in Baton Rouge as far as jewelers are concerned?
More than anything, I'm creating a certain type of experience and I offer something you can't get anywhere else...incredible customer service. The thing that I really really excel in and the only reason I keep clients loyal as I do is because I take such good care of them. I just enjoy helping people.
That's beautiful man. That's definitely the way to go.
Customer service is really what I'm after and technically anybody could pop up a shop and sell that same stuff, but–
–it's the experience that you're creating to get people to come to you and get them to tell other people, "Hey, this dude is awesome. He treats me like a million bucks!"
And I think that's the only reason I did as well as I did because I was in an office, not a retail store. I was tucked away in an office park and I'd literally have to email someone directions to get them to the door. You'll never find it, unless I tell you. And so that was telling me, "Hey, I must be doing something right because people keep sending their buddies." Right now, I'm 95% referrals.
Do you design as well?
Yeah, that's the other part that will set me apart from everybody else. All the jewelers in-town say they do custom, and their definition of custom is picking a loose diamond and then picking a diamond to set it in. For us, custom is so much more meaningful and involved, and we do it better than anyone else around here. A lot of jewelers don't have any interest in doing custom. They invest a lot of money in their inventory and they want you to buy that. Which I understand, but I love doing custom stuff and I like making those one-of-a-kind pieces. It's really cool!