Meet Mark Blanton

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Mark Blanton. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Mark below.

Mark, looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?

My paternal grandfather owned his own garage, complete with 24 hour wrecker service. I spent a couple of weeks every summer with him and I saw how hard he worked, around the clock. He was very successful at what he did and was also highly respected in his community. When I had an opportunity in my adult life to start my own small business, it occurred to me that I was following in my grandfather’s footsteps. I knew I would have to have a solid plan, work harder than I ever had before, rely on myself, and slowly build my business. 32 years ago, I established Greensboro Jewelers from the ground up…I thank my grandfather’s drive for contributing to my success.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I started my career working for a big company but I wasn’t truly in charge of my own destiny. After a leap of faith, I established my own small business, Greensboro Jewelers, in a town that had been without a jewelry store for decades. Down the block was a drugstore that opened at 8:00 every morning, so instead of “traditional” retail hours, I opened at 8:00 too. Maybe when folks picked up their prescriptions, they might also need a watch battery…
We are a full service jewelry store, selling many top brands and also helping people create unique and meaningful custom jewelry.

In order to grow my business and help our town thrive, I became involved with the Greensboro Business Association and the Downtown Development Authority. I served as chair of both organizations. I also became interested in the preservation of our historic downtown, purchasing and renovating multiple properties, many of which house successful businesses.

Because of my interest in preserving our towns history, I decided to run for County Commission to ensure that our historic 1849 courthouse in the heart of the business district was not replaced with a new judicial center as proposed. I’ve just taken office and look forward to serving the folks in my county for the next 4 years.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Competitive drive: in order to thrive as an entrepreneur, you have to want to be the best in your market at what you do. And you have to take the steps and make the sacrifices that requires. In the jewelry industry, that means long hours, missed holidays, short vacations. It’s just what it takes to succeed.

Ability to overcome adversity: during my 30 plus years in business, I’ve had to overcome 2 major illnesses (including cancer) but I’ve recovered with the help of family, friends, and a great team at the jewelry store. You have to keep going…the journey can be hazardous, but it is absolutely worth persevering.

Listening more than talking: this is an art form that is often underutilized. Listening carefully, thoughtfully, and with full attention takes skill and patience but will reap tremendous benefits because you will know how to respond appropriately.

All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?

In 2023, there was a proposal by our county commission to build a new judicial center. This would move the judicial functions of the county out of the historic 1849 courthouse, located in the downtown business district, to another location. This idea had the potential to have a negative impact on downtown businesses, reducing foot traffic and impacting sales. In order to ensure that myself and other concerned citizens had a strong voice in opposition to this move, I decided to run for the county commission seat against the incumbent, who supported a new judicial center.
My campaign was truly a grassroots effort, and our tactics included asking 10 friends for their support and then to have each of the 10 friends reach out to 10 more, and so on. In addition, social media was very effectively used (with the assistance of a local social media expert). We wore out a street corner waving signs and capturing the attention of the voters.
I won the seat after a runoff, and now I am actively “lobbying” the commissioners to abandon their plan to create a new judicial center. Sometimes, you have to step out of your comfort zone in a big way to champion a cause you believe in.

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