Today we’d like to introduce you to Avi Bulow.
Avi, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I grew up with dyslexia and a learning disorder, which made school very challenging for me. One of the ways I compensated for this challenge was by being super friendly, excelling at athletics and being likable in other ways because I wasn’t the top student. Everyone strives for acceptance, appreciation and validation, and this was the way I found success.
It’s always fun to feel needed and appreciated. In school, since I wasn’t helping anyone with their homework, I always taught and helped people understand coach instructions or I’d help with technique in the sports I played. I’ve always loved working with people, and one of the ways to feel needed and appreciated once you leave school is to become an expert in a field.
My first opportunity to become an expert came through a family friend in the jewelry business. I started out as a buyer in the diamond industry. I would buy large quantities of diamonds – somewhere between $100,000 and $300,000 of loose diamonds out of a $5 million batch. As you might imagine, I spent hours and hours looking at diamonds, and asking a million questions and being a nuisance to anyone who was willing to teach me. For instance, “How do different inclusions affect the structural integrity of a diamond?” I bugged not only retail experts but also wholesalers and diamond cutters. Diamond cutters particularly insightful because they’re able to re-cut and bring value out of something that the average jeweler wouldn’t see.
After about two years of buying diamonds, I started on the sales floor when needed. That quickly became my primary thrill. I enjoyed my time buying diamonds and building my expertise but helping someone find something in their budget that exceeded their expectations was a truly unparalleled feeling. It’s one that still excites me to this day. My lifelong dream of opening my business came true two years ago as I opened Bulow Jewelers. What differentiates us from our competition is that while I value and enjoy the beauty and the nuance of diamonds and jewelry, my passion is working with people. And I get to do that every single day and positively contribute to people’s most joyous and exciting life experiences.
Has it been a smooth road?
No road is without its bumps or its challenges. I’d say the biggest one for me was transitioning from a superstar salesman and diamond buyer to a business owner and manager.
As a salesperson, you have your routine and you get to focus very specifically on that which you’re best at. But as a business owner, you’re thinking of every side of every facet of your business. And it becomes all-encompassing. You need to delegate properly, find the right support staff, figure out how to do your bookkeeping (or outsource it). Figure out payroll, finance, insurance, maintain supplier relations (or meet new suppliers), determine which point-of-sale software to use – you name it, and it’s a new decision you have to make that you previously didn’t even have to consider.
Whereas once you were part of a well-oiled machine, now you’re the one doing the oiling. You become everything from the team MVP to the waterboy. On the flip side, when I was focused exclusively on sales, I had pressure to work with a client, close them, and move on to the next, which was a challenge I frequently found frustrating. I can now spend as much time as I want with my clients. And I do that because I’m helping people create memories that are passed down from generation to generation.
If you ask someone about a piece of jewelry they own, they won’t so much describe it to you, but they’ll tell you all about the memory associated with it. Think of it this way… If you ask someone about their ring, they never say, “Oh yeah, this is a 5-carat cushion tanzanite bezel set with a diamond halo set on a diamond cut wheat chain.” What they will say is, “My husband/wife/whoever bought this for me for our 5th anniversary while we were staying at the Broadmoor for the weekend.”
We’d love to hear more about your business.
We are a small jewelry store in an office space. Without a big visible storefront, our lifeblood is referrals and online reviews. This translates to having a high-quality product for a fair price. On a more personal note, I enjoy the romance side of the jewelry business and I’m always looking for opportunities to help bring the romance back into people’s lives while giving important gifts. Just giving someone a piece of jewelry without telling them how you feel isn’t enough.
For example, when a man buys a piece of jewelry for the one he loves, to him, it’s implied that he loves and appreciates you. That’s, after all, why he’s handing this piece of jewelry to you. What I try to do is to help him verbalize either with pen or with a short speech why he loves and appreciates you so much and why he’s giving you this beautiful piece of jewelry.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Denver is a great city for jewelers because Millennials and young people are moving here in droves. An engagement ring is usually someone’s first experience buying a piece of jewelry, so I’m thrilled to work with this generation and turn them into lifelong customers.
Pricing:
- A 1ct mined natural diamond of average color and clarity will cost in our store $4,000
- A 1ct lab created diamond of average color and clarity will cost in our store $2,000
Contact Info:
- Address: 910 16th Street, Suite 1223
Denver, CO 80202 - Website: http://www.bulowjewelers.com
- Phone: 303.872.2500
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/bulowjewelers
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/bulowjewelers
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/bulow-jewelers-denver
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