In this special episode of Over the Counter, host Kyle Bullock grabs a guitar and presents you with his very own, jeweler-specific version of the holiday classic, "The 12 Days of Christmas". We won't spoil it for except to say that, while you won't hear about any partridges in pear trees, one part of the song remains, reassuringly, the same. (Can you guess which part?)
For his last podcast of the season, Kyle Bullock of Over the Counter tells the story of Emma, a woman whose life was turned upside down when the man she loved and planned to marry died in a car accident. For Emma, the tragedy caused her to completely change the direction of her life. She left community college, where she was studying to become an art teacher, and moved to a different school to try out the art of metalsmithing. Quickly showing promise in her new field, as well as finding comfort ...
Sometimes the jewelry customers most want, or have even dreamed about for years, simply isn't right for them. Owing to our professional expertise, many jewelers know when this is the case. But, as often as not, customers don't. Whether it's a hue that doesn't match a woman's coloring, a design too gaudy for her personality, or a gemstone too large or small for the wearer's proportions, jewelers can typically sense when something is or isn't right for a client. Of course, no jeweler ever enjoys t...
This month in Over the Counter, Kyle Bullock has his mind on conservation. In the latest episode of his podcast, the owner of Bullock's Jewelry in Roswell, NM, tells a series of interconnected stories related to efforts big and small to make the jewelry industry more friendly to consumers, communities and the planet. These efforts range from the ultra high-profile work of the Diamond Producers Association to promote more responsible diamond mining to the almost entirely overlooked efforts of one...
In the latest episode of Over the Counter, host Kyle Bullock tells the story of one of the most memorable custom-design sales of Sandra Locken of Sarini Fine Jewellery in Vulcan, Alberta, Canada. In the heartbreaking tale, the jeweler creates a rush job for a woman dying of terminal cancer, who is holding onto life by creating jewelry memories for her family in her final days. Kyle concludes: "Remember that what we do In the jewelry business goes far beyond little hunks of metal. We are invited ...
In this month's Over the Counter, we bring you several short stories aimed at reminding you of what is most important in life. It is so easy to go day by day, nose to the grindstone, that we lose sight of what matters. In fact, we may start to believe that work is what is most valuable — that our identity comes from work, or wealth, or from accomplishments. And the truth is, it doesn’t.
This month, Over the Counter tells the story of one of the more poorly planned, and under-rewarding, diamond heists you'll ever hear about. Let's allow host Kyle Bullock to set up the episode: "When you sell valuable things, it's not a matter of if, but when, a criminal will try to steal something from your cases, which is why safety and preparation should always be a top priority for jewelry stores. But in today's story, the crime in question took place not in a jewelry store, but in a place th...
In this bonus episode of Over the Counter, Kyle Bullock talks with jewelry industry management consultant Andrea Hill on what jewelers need to do when facing challenges similar to the ones faced by the jewelry store featured in Episode 10 of the podcast.
"Who doesn't love a good underdog story?" asks Kyle Bullock at the start of this month's podcast. We absolutely agree. That's why we think you're going to love this particular underdog tale -- of a 17-year-old high-school student who had to take over his family's struggling jewelry store after his father died of cancer. Learn the identity of this very special jeweler, and hear his story, in this month's "Over the Counter". Also, don't miss the bonus episode in which Kyle talks with Andrea Hill o...
In this month’s throwback version of Over the Counter, you’ll hear the story of a frazzled advertising copywriter struggling to come up with a last-minute slogan for a jewelry company’s new consumer campaign. We can’t spoil more than that, but can let Kyle Bullock tease a bit more. Says Bullock: “This story is one that you’re going to want to hang on until the very, very end, because I think the payoff is going to be worth it. I hope so, anyway. Because out of all the stories I have featured on ...
This month's episode of Over the Counter is about taking responsibility for one's mistakes and, as host Kyle Bullock puts it, "going above and beyond ... even when it comes at a great personal cost." Listen to the story of one of the toughest, and yet most rewarding times, in the career of Bill Brundage of Bill Brundage Jewelers in Louisville, KY. Brundage is a veteran jeweler who stopped advertising in 1993 and, since then, has relied entirely on the power of word of mouth. "And we've done very...
If today's jeweler has an arch-nemesis, it has to be the Internet. It's an imposing opponent, a protean, seemingly omnipresent foe offering unparalleled convenience, massive selection, and hard (but not impossible) to beat prices. In this month's episode of Over the Counter, Kyle Bullock, who typically shares stories of other jewelers' most memorable sales, tells the story of one of his OWN memorable recent sales. In this transaction, Kyle faces off against the Internet ... and wins. Trying to s...
In his popular podcast series "Over the Counter", fourth-generation jeweler Kyle Bullock of Bullock's Jewelry in Roswell, NM tells the stories of inspirational and/or memorable jewelry sales. In this special holiday wrap-up episode, Kyle tells the story of a woman whose father brought her a merry Christmas surprise by paying off an item that she hadn't quite paid off on layaway, and the story of a small watch repair service, provided for free, that provided a meaningful lesson for a young boy an...
In this special holiday episode of "Over the Counter", host Kyle Bullock brings listeners something a little different — "a poem, a story I've written, that anybody who has gone through a Christmas season in a jewelry store can relate to". In "Twas Christmas in a Jewelry Store", Kyle takes the familiar rhythms of a classic holiday poem and bends it, realistically, to a story of one jewelry store's last-minute holiday rush. Our suggestion? Play during your morning set-up or at least share with yo...
In his popular podcast series "Over the Counter", fourth-generation jeweler Kyle Bullock of Bullock's Jewelry in Roswell, NM tells the stories of inspirational and/or memorable jewelry sales. In this episode, Kyle tells the story one of the most unusual, and meaningful, sales ever made by Jim Saylor of Jim Saylor Jewelers in Kauai, HI. The item sold? A custom engagement ring ... for a blind couple. How did this experienced jeweler, who had designed thousands of rings prior to this, change his cr...
In his new series "Over the Counter", fourth-generation jeweler Kyle Bullock of Bullock's Jewelry in Roswell, NM tells the stories of inspirational and/or memorable jewelry sales -- or events related to jewelry sales. In this episode, guest Jennifer Farnes of Revolution Jewelry in Colorado Springs, CO shares a story about an incredible, even life-changing (for some) reward that she provided to her team after they didn't only reach, but crushed, an ambitious sales goal. Then hear Kyle tell the in...
In his new series "Over the Counter", fourth-generation jeweler Kyle Bullock of Bullock's Jewelry in Roswell, NM tells the stories of inspirational and/or memorable jewelry sales. In this episode, a jeweler searches for a special pair of earrings for a customer, who is seeking a very specific design and precise color to match his wife's favorite blue dress. The jeweler eventually finds a perfect match for the client, but the circumstances of the sale were, ultimately, heart-breaking. Would you l...
In his new series "Over the Counter", fourth-generation jeweler Kyle Bullock of Bullock's Jewelry in Roswell, NM (yes, *that* Roswell, New Mexico!) tells the stories of inspirational and/or memorable jewelry sales. In this episode, a diamond salesperson helps out an overwhelmed jewelry store owner, while her grandmother, who had long before stopped dealing with that jewelry store after a small squabble, has her loyalty won back by a thoughtful gesture. Would you like Kyle to tell *your* story? E...
In his new series "Over the Counter", fourth-generation jeweler Kyle Bullock of Bullock's Jewelry in Lubbock, TX tells the stories of inspirational and/or memorable jewelry sales. In this episode, a jeweler who prides himself on trustworthiness has to step up and face the consequences of one of the biggest mistakes of his career. Would you like Kyle to tell *your* story? Email him at: kylerbullock@gmail.com Musical credits============Golden Alley by Nicolai Heidlas and Francesco Rea | https://ww...
