Market Changes

Jewelry Discussion
1

Hi Everyone:

I don’t know if this post will get thru, as it is not about jewelry
specifically. It is more about our choices in life and how we deal
with constantly changing markets and careers.

It is intended specifically for those who have written in recently
about 1) the higher price of gold and silver 2) those who complain
about those who manage to get into art fairs/shows with mass produced
or other wise deemed “inferior” work 3) those who have said that the
"hobbyists" working from their homes are “taking” all the business
from legitimate guys. 4) finally, those who feel they are not
respected because they cannot get an account with Stuller

There is currently a book on the market called “Who Moved My
Cheese”. I humbly suggest you guys give it a try.

I am not a sage businesswoman who makes 400k per year, just someone
who thinks you may benefit from a shift in thinking.

When someone takes your cheese, chances are, they are not just going
to bring it back…no matter how long you wait. You have to pick
your self up, get out there, and find more cheese. Chances are, the
new cheese you find will be even better cheese than what you had to
begin with. The bottom line is, if you don’t go find new cheese and
no one brings your cheese back, you will be extinct. They’re going to
keep moving the cheese, no matter what you do. It is up to you to
move with the cheese and enjoy it because it is better to venture out
to find new cheese, than to sit around hoping your old cheese will
come back.

I read a while ago (please don’t ask where, I read a lot and don’t
remember specifically) that 70% of all retail businesses in the U.S.
go under in the first 3 years. The number one reason for this is
mismanagement. Don’t become a statistic. When things change, find a
way to change with them.

Get the book, read it…cut out all ‘the writing on the wall’ and
paste it up all around your workbench. Then live by it

Respectfully
Kim Starbard (probably now known as “that crazy cheese lady”…what
is she talking about anyway?)

2 
There is currently a book on the market called "Who Moved My
Cheese". I humbly suggest you guys give it a try.

Ack! No! Not that book!

I used to work at a not for profit where the boss spent our limited
funds to buy everybody a copy of that book and forced us to read it.

Here’s the whole book:

dumb mice keeping looking for cheese in the same spot as always,
even though it’s not there anymore!

smart mice sniff out new cheese.

That’s the whole book.

There’s a second book in that series…

Elaine

Elaine Luther
Metalsmith, Certified PMC Instructor
http://www.CreativeTextureTools.com ™
Hard to Find Tools for Metal Clay

3

With all respect to the person who recommended it, don’t bother with
"Who Moved My Cheese." I took a jewelry workshop once where the
instructor had us all read that stupid book. It was supposed to
inspire us to “think outside the box,”–another catch phrase.

Alma

4

“Who Moved My Cheese”.

Ack! No! Not that book!

I saw a bit on, I think it was DateLine late last year on this. They
pretty much summed it up the same way Elaine did. If I remember
correctly, there are also companies who, for a large fee, will send
someone out to personally tell the cheese story to your employees as
a motivational technique.

Seems pretty silly to me. but, then again, Einstein was seen as a
silly person by most in his early days too. Maybe the mice know more
about this than we do? In my case, I wouldnt be surprised at all if
mice do!

Daniel

5

Kim was inspired by this book, and as an inspiration to respond to
new circumstances creatively, I am sure that is a great thing.

That is not the context in which many of us encounter that book.

I labored for years in the muck and mire of corporate America, and
one of the pervasive ills of corporate America is management’s
fondness for simplistic panaceas which place no demands on them
personally. In the last national corporation in which I worked, we
were guaranteed to have a different management fad foisted upon us
yearly, from “gung ho” to “building paper airplanes” (don’t ask) to
"Who Moved My Cheese?"

The Who Moved My Cheese book has unfortunately been taken as one of
these panaceas. In THAT context, it is certainly a problem. Not only
is it presented to entry level employees who are not empowered to fix
diddlysquat, but it sets out by referring to them metaphorically as
rodents, and not particularly cuddly ones, either. This is
gratuitous; in most corporations, employees are sufficiently
dehumanized without management openly equating them with lower life
forms.

The truth is that in a corporation or other large business, at least
90% of the problems are failures of management, and the appropriate
changes are generally not simplistic quick fixes but rather
transformations of corporate culture which require insight, an
intelligent plan, a methodical, scientific approach, strong
leadership and unwavering commitment over the course of several
years.

That, of course, does not get instant gratification, is a helluva
lot of work, and is daunting to many. Easier to pick up a book like
"The One-Minute Manager" or “Gung-Ho” and irritate your employees
with it until they egg your car.

Lee

6

Hi Lee:

In the last national corporation in which I worked, we were
guaranteed to have a different management fad foisted upon us
yearly, from "gung ho" to "building paper airplanes" (don't ask)
to "Who Moved My Cheese?"

That’s funny! I had no idea…my oldest son was born 7 years ago.
That’s how far removed I am from corporate.

I can see how the book would be seen as somewhat of an annoyance.
I’m not really getting at the book though. Besides, you guys don’t
work in corporate America. You’re (for the most part) free-thinkers,
entrepreneurs, artists, and inspirations…right? You sure are
inspiring the heck out of me right now anyway.

I read a post a couple weeks ago. It said something like…the
price of gold is 600/oz…then a lot of, what are we to do?..I
guess we’ll wait…let’s see what happens…I hope it works out
ok…come on.

I’m not 80 years old yet and I don’t have 60 years of retail
experience under me, so (if you choose) you can hit delete based on
those facts. Or you can think about what you can do for yourself. I
saw a magazine article with a fine diamond pendant…suspended from a
black rubber cord. That’s someone’s answer to the price of gold being
600/oz. And they wear it! They buy it and they wear it.

I’m not going to be really pompous and spew about my personal
financial situation and how my way of thinking works, but I’m just
saying don’t give up. You guys make the trends, you don’t follow
them.

Like I said, my son was born 7 years ago. My youngest was born 6
years ago. Before I got pregnant, I was 5 foot 3 and weighed 104
(kinda small) In pregnancy, I topped out at about 156. It was hard on
my body. After, whenever I walked, you could hear a loud popping
noise with each step. I couldn’t sleep because of the nagging pains
down my right leg. The doctor said “you had 2 big boys, back to back.
That’s the way it is. You’ll probably develop osteoporosis too” Well,
I don’t like the “way it is”. The day before yesterday, I jogged 4
miles and last night, I slept great. I’m not some corporate slob,
sitting behind my desk taking a nap and nagging at you to stay in
your cube. I’m just someone who is saying, think about what you have
the power to change…instead of all the things you are powerless to
affect.

Best Regards
Kim Starbard

7

Well,

I don’t like the “way it is”. The day before yesterday, I jogged 4
miles and last night, I slept great. I’m not some corporate slob,
sitting behind my desk taking a nap and nagging at you to stay in
your cube. I’m just someone who is saying, think about what you have
the power to change…instead of all the things you are powerless to
affect.

You tell em’ Kim!!!

8 
I can see how the book would be seen as somewhat of an annoyance.
I'm not really getting at the book though. Besides, you guys don't
work in corporate America. You're (for the most part)
free-thinkers, entrepreneurs, artists, and inspirations....right?
You sure are inspiring the heck out of me right now anyway.

Kim, I think the real difference between yourself and those who
hated the book is that you read it voluntarily looking for answers to
your own questions, and the others were forced to read it at a job
they didn’t like, by a manager they didn’t respect, for a reason they
didn’t understand. I am glad that it helped you to find focus and
direction for your life as a craftsperson.

Lee Cornelius
Vegas Jewelers

9

Kim Starbard

As I am leaving in a two hours for the “Bench” Conference in Denver.
I am to make a “little” change. How is that possible you might ask?
Meeting those 1,500 jewellers from all over the country and
displaying some of my setting techniques. Some of my ideas may be
antiquated, but still usable. In one short moment, if I can answer
one jewellers’ question that will make HIS life easier to bear, in
regards to my 47 years of setting techniques. Then this trip is paid
for totally. With G-ds help, I am doing HIS work. I am helping others
to eventually feed themselves…“Big changes, start from small
actions”.

I once wrote an article in the “Bench” magazine on setting Marquises,
and thought nothing of it and it was published. One jeweller wrote to
me and thanked me from the West Cost, why? He read my article and
practiced it for himself, a half hour later a customer walked in and
needed a Marquise ring to be set. Now he knew how to set it from with
my little essay, great timing?

So in closing, ‘we’ are all changing this world, one step at a time.
Kim, enjoy Orchid, we are all “changing” this world of ours.

Gerry Lewy!

10

Hi Gerry:

I am helping others to eventually feed themselves...."Big changes,
start from small actions". So in closing, 'we' are all changing this
world, one step at a time. Kim, enjoy Orchid, we are all "changing"
this world of ours.

I went back and reread my email…harsh. Whether your email be an
admonition or an affirmation, I am extremely humbled by the fact
that anything I have said has had an effect on someone else. If I
were to get really to thinking about it (and had a really big ego) I
might say that what I wrote not only had an effect on you, but on the
setters who are going to be very fortunate that you have the passion
for what you do and are ready to share it with them. Have a great
time at the conference, I really admire what you are setting out to
do.

Best Regards
Kim Starbard

p.s. whenever my husband thinks I am being too easy on the kids, he
always says the same thing…“catch fish for someone and you are
helping to feed him one time, teach him to fish and you are helping
him forever”…or something like that :slight_smile: