A Century of Luxury & Legacy
The Day the Government Shut Down My Jewelry Store
Published: Mar 1, 2026
The School of Hard Knocks
A Business Story I’m Not Proud Of
By Doug Meadows
A Century of Legacy & Luxury – Week 9
Well, good morning. My name is Doug Meadows, founder, visionary, and “hero maker” here at David Douglas Diamonds.
Today I’m recording from a beautiful place, The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, and it seemed like a good setting to share a story that honestly isn’t one I’m proud of. But it’s real. And sometimes the most valuable lessons in life come from the school of hard knocks.
This story actually revolves around Valentine’s Day, though I didn’t get to share it during that week.
It’s a story about mistakes, perseverance, faith, and what it means to rebuild.
Starting Out: A Jeweler Who Didn’t Know Business
I moved to Atlanta from Michigan in 1982. I was 23 years old and had no real idea what I was doing.
I knew how to make jewelry.
I knew how to repair jewelry.
But running a business? That was a completely different skill set.
A friend and I started a lease department inside another jewelry store. Essentially, we were running a business within a business, handling repairs, custom work, and services.
Those three years were some of the hardest learning years of my life.
Eventually we borrowed money from just about everyone we could to buy the business. But not long after that, we lost our lease in the mall. We moved to Vinings, Georgia, hoping things would turn around.
Instead, we ran ourselves straight into bankruptcy.
Or as I sometimes say, we successfully put ourselves into bankruptcy.
Starting Over… Again
After the bankruptcy, I honestly wondered if I was even cut out to be a business owner.
I started looking for a job as a jeweler.
While networking with another store owner, he surprised me by asking:
“Why don’t you buy my business?”
That conversation changed everything.
I convinced my brother Dave to move down from Michigan and join me. We bought the store and combined our names:
David Douglas Diamonds.
For a while we ran a small retail store with a silent partner. It struggled, but then another opportunity came along, a lease department inside Kaminski Jewelers.
We closed our little retail store and joined them.
That arrangement lasted 17 years.
During that time we did well and even expanded into other ventures, buying a car wash, a jewelry store in Norcross, and a pawn shop in another town.
But sometimes we think more is better.
And that’s not always true.
The Costly Mistake
The Norcross store was difficult to manage. Running multiple locations requires a different mindset and logistics than I was prepared for.
During that time, I made a serious mistake.
When it came time to pay certain taxes, sales taxes and payroll withholdings, I didn’t have the money.
So, I delayed.
And delayed again.
In essence, I started borrowing from the government by not paying my taxes.
Let me tell you something about the government:
They are not a good lending institution.
There is no grace.
There is no mercy.
Just penalties and interest that grow faster than you can imagine.
A Turning Point
Around that same time, I knew our relationship with Kaminski’s needed to end. But I didn’t know how to leave in an honorable way.
I was part of a faith-based business group, and during one meeting I shared my situation.
Their advice was clear:
“You need to get out.”
But I didn’t want to simply leave and open up across the street. That felt wrong.
So I prayed about it.
And then something interesting happened.
While I was on a mission trip in Fiji, my wife called and said Kaminski’s planned to ask me to leave when I got back.
Instead of panic, I felt peace.
God had answered the problem in a way I never expected.
Opening Again
After leaving Kaminski’s, we eventually opened a small store with just two or three employees right before Christmas.
But business was slow.
Ironically, we had built such a strong reputation at Kaminski’s over those 17 years that when people received our postcard announcing the new store, many simply threw it away.
They already had a jeweler, or so they thought.
It took time for people to realize where we had gone.
During those slow months, I made the same mistake again.
I delayed paying sales tax.
And the debt grew.
The Day Everything Came Due
For years the notices kept coming.
Finally, in February 2010, the day after Valentine’s Day, the government showed up.
There was a sheriff at the front door and the back door.
They taped the doors shut.
They seized the cash in the store and froze my bank accounts.
That morning my bookkeeper called me while I was on my way to the refiner.
She said, “Doug… you might want to come back to the store.”
When I arrived, I introduced myself to the officials.
And I told them something they did not expect:
“I’m glad you’re here.”
They looked shocked.
But I meant it.
Because finally, maybe we could talk.
An Unexpected Lifeline
A few months earlier, my son Joseph had started a separate corporation for CAD jewelry design.
That timing turned out to be incredible.
The day after the shutdown, we reopened the store under his corporation.
Within days we were operating again.
Eventually we hired an attorney, negotiated terms with the government, and over time paid off the entire debt.
Every penny.
And I can tell you something else:
I have never been late on my taxes again.
Lessons From the Hard Way
That season of life was incredibly expensive.
Not just financially, emotionally and spiritually as well.
But those lessons shaped the way I run the business today.
Today the company is completely out of debt and has been for many years.
And someday Joseph will take it over.
The Role of Partnerships
Years ago a businessman I admired told me something:
“Partnerships are not good. The only partnership you should have is with your wife.”
I’ve actually had four partnerships:
• My wife (48 years and counting)
• A short partnership early in business
• A 20-year partnership with my brother Dave
• And now a partnership with my son Joseph
Partnerships can be hard.
But they can also be incredible.
If I’ve learned anything, it’s this:
Never make them 50/50. Someone needs to be 51/49.
That clarity makes a big difference.
Looking Back
When I think about my grandfather, who started this journey back in 1926, I often wonder what struggles he went through.
I don’t know the full story.
But I imagine there were tough seasons for him too.
The difference between success and failure isn’t avoiding hardship.
It’s persevering through it.
Final Thoughts
The school of hard knocks is expensive.
But sometimes it’s the only way we learn.
I wouldn’t wish those experiences on anyone.
But they shaped who I am today.
And they helped build the business we have now.
A business that, by God’s grace, will continue for the next generation.
Doug Meadows
Founder & Visionary
David Douglas Diamonds & Jewelry
A Century of Legacy & Luxury
A Business Story I’m Not Proud Of
By Doug Meadows
A Century of Legacy & Luxury – Week 9
Well, good morning. My name is Doug Meadows, founder, visionary, and “hero maker” here at David Douglas Diamonds.
Today I’m recording from a beautiful place, The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, and it seemed like a good setting to share a story that honestly isn’t one I’m proud of. But it’s real. And sometimes the most valuable lessons in life come from the school of hard knocks.
This story actually revolves around Valentine’s Day, though I didn’t get to share it during that week.
It’s a story about mistakes, perseverance, faith, and what it means to rebuild.
Starting Out: A Jeweler Who Didn’t Know Business
I moved to Atlanta from Michigan in 1982. I was 23 years old and had no real idea what I was doing.
I knew how to make jewelry.
I knew how to repair jewelry.
But running a business? That was a completely different skill set.
A friend and I started a lease department inside another jewelry store. Essentially, we were running a business within a business, handling repairs, custom work, and services.
Those three years were some of the hardest learning years of my life.
Eventually we borrowed money from just about everyone we could to buy the business. But not long after that, we lost our lease in the mall. We moved to Vinings, Georgia, hoping things would turn around.
Instead, we ran ourselves straight into bankruptcy.
Or as I sometimes say, we successfully put ourselves into bankruptcy.
Starting Over… Again
After the bankruptcy, I honestly wondered if I was even cut out to be a business owner.
I started looking for a job as a jeweler.
While networking with another store owner, he surprised me by asking:
“Why don’t you buy my business?”
That conversation changed everything.
I convinced my brother Dave to move down from Michigan and join me. We bought the store and combined our names:
David Douglas Diamonds.
For a while we ran a small retail store with a silent partner. It struggled, but then another opportunity came along, a lease department inside Kaminski Jewelers.
We closed our little retail store and joined them.
That arrangement lasted 17 years.
During that time we did well and even expanded into other ventures, buying a car wash, a jewelry store in Norcross, and a pawn shop in another town.
But sometimes we think more is better.
And that’s not always true.
The Costly Mistake
The Norcross store was difficult to manage. Running multiple locations requires a different mindset and logistics than I was prepared for.
During that time, I made a serious mistake.
When it came time to pay certain taxes, sales taxes and payroll withholdings, I didn’t have the money.
So, I delayed.
And delayed again.
In essence, I started borrowing from the government by not paying my taxes.
Let me tell you something about the government:
They are not a good lending institution.
There is no grace.
There is no mercy.
Just penalties and interest that grow faster than you can imagine.
A Turning Point
Around that same time, I knew our relationship with Kaminski’s needed to end. But I didn’t know how to leave in an honorable way.
I was part of a faith-based business group, and during one meeting I shared my situation.
Their advice was clear:
“You need to get out.”
But I didn’t want to simply leave and open up across the street. That felt wrong.
So I prayed about it.
And then something interesting happened.
While I was on a mission trip in Fiji, my wife called and said Kaminski’s planned to ask me to leave when I got back.
Instead of panic, I felt peace.
God had answered the problem in a way I never expected.
Opening Again
After leaving Kaminski’s, we eventually opened a small store with just two or three employees right before Christmas.
But business was slow.
Ironically, we had built such a strong reputation at Kaminski’s over those 17 years that when people received our postcard announcing the new store, many simply threw it away.
They already had a jeweler, or so they thought.
It took time for people to realize where we had gone.
During those slow months, I made the same mistake again.
I delayed paying sales tax.
And the debt grew.
The Day Everything Came Due
For years the notices kept coming.
Finally, in February 2010, the day after Valentine’s Day, the government showed up.
There was a sheriff at the front door and the back door.
They taped the doors shut.
They seized the cash in the store and froze my bank accounts.
That morning my bookkeeper called me while I was on my way to the refiner.
She said, “Doug… you might want to come back to the store.”
When I arrived, I introduced myself to the officials.
And I told them something they did not expect:
“I’m glad you’re here.”
They looked shocked.
But I meant it.
Because finally, maybe we could talk.
An Unexpected Lifeline
A few months earlier, my son Joseph had started a separate corporation for CAD jewelry design.
That timing turned out to be incredible.
The day after the shutdown, we reopened the store under his corporation.
Within days we were operating again.
Eventually we hired an attorney, negotiated terms with the government, and over time paid off the entire debt.
Every penny.
And I can tell you something else:
I have never been late on my taxes again.
Lessons From the Hard Way
That season of life was incredibly expensive.
Not just financially, emotionally and spiritually as well.
But those lessons shaped the way I run the business today.
Today the company is completely out of debt and has been for many years.
And someday Joseph will take it over.
The Role of Partnerships
Years ago a businessman I admired told me something:
“Partnerships are not good. The only partnership you should have is with your wife.”
I’ve actually had four partnerships:
• My wife (48 years and counting)
• A short partnership early in business
• A 20-year partnership with my brother Dave
• And now a partnership with my son Joseph
Partnerships can be hard.
But they can also be incredible.
If I’ve learned anything, it’s this:
Never make them 50/50. Someone needs to be 51/49.
That clarity makes a big difference.
Looking Back
When I think about my grandfather, who started this journey back in 1926, I often wonder what struggles he went through.
I don’t know the full story.
But I imagine there were tough seasons for him too.
The difference between success and failure isn’t avoiding hardship.
It’s persevering through it.
Final Thoughts
The school of hard knocks is expensive.
But sometimes it’s the only way we learn.
I wouldn’t wish those experiences on anyone.
But they shaped who I am today.
And they helped build the business we have now.
A business that, by God’s grace, will continue for the next generation.
Doug Meadows
Founder & Visionary
David Douglas Diamonds & Jewelry
A Century of Legacy & Luxury