Do You Have a Business or Just a Job?
This week, we are welcoming a group of fellow jewelers into our store for a few days of conversation, learning, and honest feedback.
Ten jewelry stores from around the country will be represented. We will walk through the store, share ideas, talk about what is working, and take a hard look at what may need to change. At the end of our time together, they will give us a game plan for the next steps we need to take.
I have been part of groups like this for much of my life. Some have been business groups. Some have been faith-based groups. Some have been better than others. But through the years, I have learned something important.
We need people around us who are willing to sharpen us.
Business ownership can be lonely. You can come into your business every day, work hard, make decisions, solve problems, and still miss things that are right in front of you. Sometimes we need somebody from outside our daily routine to help us see what we cannot see ourselves.
That is what good groups do. They encourage you, but they also challenge you. They help you recognize your strengths, your weaknesses, your opportunities, and the threats that may be coming your way.
We call that a SWOT analysis in business. It is a simple tool, but it can be powerful when people are honest enough to use it well.
A Family History of Community
As I was thinking about these jewelers coming into our store, I found myself thinking about my grandfather, my uncle, and my dad.
My grandfather was a Mason. I have a picture of him wearing a large ceremonial hat, and I believe he held a leadership role in his lodge. My uncle was involved in the Lions Club. My dad was a Rotarian in Plymouth, Michigan.
Every fall, the Rotary Club held a large chicken dinner fundraiser. It was a one-day event, but it was a major undertaking. They would cook thousands of chickens, grill corn, prepare the meals, and serve the community.
It was a lot of work, but it was more than a chicken dinner.
Those men understood the value of gathering with other people. They understood the importance of serving their community, learning from one another, and building relationships with other businesspeople.
They were networking, even if they may not have used that word.
They were building friendships. They were serving. They were learning. And they were becoming part of something bigger than themselves.
I believe that is one of the reasons groups matter so much. They remind us that we were not meant to do everything alone.
Stepping Into the Room That Stretches You
I remember attending an Independent Jewelers Organization meeting years ago with my brother. It was our first time there, and they had breakout sessions for different topics. You could go into a room and talk about marketing, human resources, operations, or whatever challenge was most important to you.
They grouped people based on sales volume. The idea was to put stores of similar size together.
But my brother looked at me and said something I have never forgotten.
He said, “That is not where I want to be. I want to be in the room with the jewelers doing a whole lot more than us. I want to hear what they have to say.”
So, we broke rank a little bit. We walked into a room where we had not been assigned.
That meeting stretched us.
We were not there to feel comfortable. We were there to learn from people who had already gone farther than we had. We wanted to hear how they thought, how they made decisions, how they led their people, and how they grew their businesses.
Sometimes you have to step into a room that stretches you.
Sometimes you need to be around people who are ahead of you. Not because you are less valuable, but because you have something to learn.
There is a lot of growth that happens when we are willing to be uncomfortable.
Do You Have a Business or Just a Job?
A friend of mine named Billy had a mobile dent repair business. He would work with car dealerships to remove small dents and make used cars look better before they went on the lot.
At one point, Billy was considering a new piece of equipment for his business. Like most of us do when a salesman is standing in front of us, Billy began giving reasons why the timing was not right.
He was telling the salesman why he could not afford it, why he needed to think about it, and why maybe it was not the right time.
The salesman stopped him and asked a question that really stayed with me.
He said, “Bill, do you have a business or do you just have a job?”
That question can hit hard.
It is not meant to shame anyone. There is absolutely nothing wrong with having a good job. There are many people who own businesses that are really glorified jobs, and that is perfectly fine if it works for them and serves their life well.
But it is important to be honest about what you are building.
A business that can grow beyond its owner requires something different. It requires leadership. It requires delegation. It requires systems. It requires the right people in the right seats.
It means building something that can function when you are not there.
Can you leave your business for a month and know it will be okay?
Can your team make decisions?
Can your customers still be cared for?
Can the business continue to operate without every answer, every sale, and every problem depending on you?
Those are hard questions, but they are important ones.
Building Something That Lasts
For our family, this is not just a business question. It is a legacy question.
My grandfather, my uncle, and my dad built something that I was able to step into. I did not create the entire story on my own. I inherited part of it, and I have been given the responsibility to carry it forward.
Now I think about Joseph and the next generation.
Am I building something that can be passed on?
Am I creating a business that can last?
Am I continuing the legacy that was started before me?
Across the country, I see jewelers retiring or going out of business, not always because they cannot afford to continue, but because they do not have a plan for succession. Their retirement is tied up in the business, but there may not be a family member, employee, or future owner ready to carry it forward.
Succession does not happen by accident.
It takes planning. It takes leadership. It takes time. It takes an honest look at what needs to be built today so that someone else can lead tomorrow.
The Lessons of Hard Seasons
I have learned many of these lessons through hard seasons.
When I was young, I went into business with a friend. We were both good jewelers, but we were not businessmen. We did not know what we did not know.
After several years, we successfully ran that business into bankruptcy.
That was a difficult time in my life. Failure has a way of making you stop, look inward, and ask some hard questions about what you believe and where you are grounded.
For me, that brought me back to my faith.
I began attending seminars through Christian Financial Concepts and listening to teaching about what it means to run a business with biblical principles. I read books like Anointed for Business by Ed Silvoso. I began to think more deeply about the role of business, stewardship, leadership, and influence.
One verse that has continued to resonate with me is the idea that we are to continue doing business until Christ returns.
Business can be a calling. It can be a place where we serve people, create opportunity, lead with integrity, and make a difference in the lives of employees, customers, and our community.
It can also be a place where we learn humility.
Iron Sharpens Iron
The phrase “iron sharpens iron” has meant a great deal to me over the years.
We all need people who will speak honestly into our lives. We need mentors. We need friends. We need peers who understand the challenges we face and who are not afraid to tell us the truth.
That is what I appreciate about the group coming into our store this week.
They will probably point out some things we are doing well. I am grateful for that.
But their real job is to help us see what we are missing.
They are not coming here to sugarcoat things. They are coming to help us get better. They will show us the good, the bad, and the ugly, and they will help us create a plan for where we go next.
That kind of honesty is a gift.
I am grateful for the business groups, faith based groups, mentors, and fellow jewelers who have helped me grow through the years. Every group has a season. Sometimes a group changes. Sometimes we change. Sometimes it is time to find a new room that will stretch us in a new way.
But the need for community never goes away.
We all need people who challenge us to build something stronger, lead something better, and leave something meaningful behind.
This week, we are welcoming a group of fellow jewelers into our store for a few days of conversation, learning, and honest feedback.
Ten jewelry stores from around the country will be represented. We will walk through the store, share ideas, talk about what is working, and take a hard look at what may need to change. At the end of our time together, they will give us a game plan for the next steps we need to take.
I have been part of groups like this for much of my life. Some have been business groups. Some have been faith-based groups. Some have been better than others. But through the years, I have learned something important.
We need people around us who are willing to sharpen us.
Business ownership can be lonely. You can come into your business every day, work hard, make decisions, solve problems, and still miss things that are right in front of you. Sometimes we need somebody from outside our daily routine to help us see what we cannot see ourselves.
That is what good groups do. They encourage you, but they also challenge you. They help you recognize your strengths, your weaknesses, your opportunities, and the threats that may be coming your way.
We call that a SWOT analysis in business. It is a simple tool, but it can be powerful when people are honest enough to use it well.
A Family History of Community
As I was thinking about these jewelers coming into our store, I found myself thinking about my grandfather, my uncle, and my dad.
My grandfather was a Mason. I have a picture of him wearing a large ceremonial hat, and I believe he held a leadership role in his lodge. My uncle was involved in the Lions Club. My dad was a Rotarian in Plymouth, Michigan.
Every fall, the Rotary Club held a large chicken dinner fundraiser. It was a one-day event, but it was a major undertaking. They would cook thousands of chickens, grill corn, prepare the meals, and serve the community.
It was a lot of work, but it was more than a chicken dinner.
Those men understood the value of gathering with other people. They understood the importance of serving their community, learning from one another, and building relationships with other businesspeople.
They were networking, even if they may not have used that word.
They were building friendships. They were serving. They were learning. And they were becoming part of something bigger than themselves.
I believe that is one of the reasons groups matter so much. They remind us that we were not meant to do everything alone.
Stepping Into the Room That Stretches You
I remember attending an Independent Jewelers Organization meeting years ago with my brother. It was our first time there, and they had breakout sessions for different topics. You could go into a room and talk about marketing, human resources, operations, or whatever challenge was most important to you.
They grouped people based on sales volume. The idea was to put stores of similar size together.
But my brother looked at me and said something I have never forgotten.
He said, “That is not where I want to be. I want to be in the room with the jewelers doing a whole lot more than us. I want to hear what they have to say.”
So, we broke rank a little bit. We walked into a room where we had not been assigned.
That meeting stretched us.
We were not there to feel comfortable. We were there to learn from people who had already gone farther than we had. We wanted to hear how they thought, how they made decisions, how they led their people, and how they grew their businesses.
Sometimes you have to step into a room that stretches you.
Sometimes you need to be around people who are ahead of you. Not because you are less valuable, but because you have something to learn.
There is a lot of growth that happens when we are willing to be uncomfortable.
Do You Have a Business or Just a Job?
A friend of mine named Billy had a mobile dent repair business. He would work with car dealerships to remove small dents and make used cars look better before they went on the lot.
At one point, Billy was considering a new piece of equipment for his business. Like most of us do when a salesman is standing in front of us, Billy began giving reasons why the timing was not right.
He was telling the salesman why he could not afford it, why he needed to think about it, and why maybe it was not the right time.
The salesman stopped him and asked a question that really stayed with me.
He said, “Bill, do you have a business or do you just have a job?”
That question can hit hard.
It is not meant to shame anyone. There is absolutely nothing wrong with having a good job. There are many people who own businesses that are really glorified jobs, and that is perfectly fine if it works for them and serves their life well.
But it is important to be honest about what you are building.
A business that can grow beyond its owner requires something different. It requires leadership. It requires delegation. It requires systems. It requires the right people in the right seats.
It means building something that can function when you are not there.
Can you leave your business for a month and know it will be okay?
Can your team make decisions?
Can your customers still be cared for?
Can the business continue to operate without every answer, every sale, and every problem depending on you?
Those are hard questions, but they are important ones.
Building Something That Lasts
For our family, this is not just a business question. It is a legacy question.
My grandfather, my uncle, and my dad built something that I was able to step into. I did not create the entire story on my own. I inherited part of it, and I have been given the responsibility to carry it forward.
Now I think about Joseph and the next generation.
Am I building something that can be passed on?
Am I creating a business that can last?
Am I continuing the legacy that was started before me?
Across the country, I see jewelers retiring or going out of business, not always because they cannot afford to continue, but because they do not have a plan for succession. Their retirement is tied up in the business, but there may not be a family member, employee, or future owner ready to carry it forward.
Succession does not happen by accident.
It takes planning. It takes leadership. It takes time. It takes an honest look at what needs to be built today so that someone else can lead tomorrow.
The Lessons of Hard Seasons
I have learned many of these lessons through hard seasons.
When I was young, I went into business with a friend. We were both good jewelers, but we were not businessmen. We did not know what we did not know.
After several years, we successfully ran that business into bankruptcy.
That was a difficult time in my life. Failure has a way of making you stop, look inward, and ask some hard questions about what you believe and where you are grounded.
For me, that brought me back to my faith.
I began attending seminars through Christian Financial Concepts and listening to teaching about what it means to run a business with biblical principles. I read books like Anointed for Business by Ed Silvoso. I began to think more deeply about the role of business, stewardship, leadership, and influence.
One verse that has continued to resonate with me is the idea that we are to continue doing business until Christ returns.
Business can be a calling. It can be a place where we serve people, create opportunity, lead with integrity, and make a difference in the lives of employees, customers, and our community.
It can also be a place where we learn humility.
Iron Sharpens Iron
The phrase “iron sharpens iron” has meant a great deal to me over the years.
We all need people who will speak honestly into our lives. We need mentors. We need friends. We need peers who understand the challenges we face and who are not afraid to tell us the truth.
That is what I appreciate about the group coming into our store this week.
They will probably point out some things we are doing well. I am grateful for that.
But their real job is to help us see what we are missing.
They are not coming here to sugarcoat things. They are coming to help us get better. They will show us the good, the bad, and the ugly, and they will help us create a plan for where we go next.
That kind of honesty is a gift.
I am grateful for the business groups, faith based groups, mentors, and fellow jewelers who have helped me grow through the years. Every group has a season. Sometimes a group changes. Sometimes we change. Sometimes it is time to find a new room that will stretch us in a new way.
But the need for community never goes away.
We all need people who challenge us to build something stronger, lead something better, and leave something meaningful behind.