We were lucky to catch up with Mercedes Smith recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Mercedes, thank you for being such a positive, uplifting person. We’ve noticed that so many of the successful folks we’ve had the good fortune of connecting with have high levels of optimism and so we’d love to hear about your optimism and where you think it comes from.
If I wasn’t already a naturally optimistic person, then creating custom engagement rings with countless amazing couples would fill my cup with optimism.
While the work to craft their rings is complex and requires immense focus and attention to detail, this feeling and attitude permeates our culture and team. I also think it helps to alleviate the stress that some couples feel before they start the process with us. Our optimism, openness and commitment to education really helps put them at ease.
I often remind myself that I have the power to write the story of what will happen in the future. It may not actually happen that way, but until it does, I can assume the best case scenario. I try to remind myself that the story is there for me to craft and it’s up to me how to approach it.
If there’s ever a day where I need a boost, I read our reviews or take part in a delivery meeting!
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
About Alexis Gallery
Over the past 15 years, Alexis Gallery has quietly become one of Toronto’s favourite and most trusted spots for creating custom engagement rings and fine jewellery.
The team behind 600+ 5 Star Google Reviews and thousands of happy couples are sisters Alexis and Mercedes Smith. Their inclusive design process, high quality materials and stunning designs are what draws clients from across the GTA (and beyond).
Alexis has been creating jewellery since grade school (though it looked a little different back then). She continued on to study fine arts, followed by pursuing an education as a Goldsmith and Jewellery Designer.
With a background in fashion and communication, and a love for her sister’s creativity and perfectionism; Mercedes left the corporate world to join Alexis and pursue a life of design, diamonds and entrepreneurism.
They deeply believe that creating jewellery should be a personal experience. They strive to make that experience comfortable and remove the intimidation factor for their clients.
Always keeping a finger on the pulse of innovation and design, they are a leader in Toronto working with materials like lab diamonds, moissanite and lab gemstones. All of their jewellery is proudly crafted in Toronto and made with ethically sourced materials.
Alexis and Mercedes love working together and are grateful to be each another’s “colleagues”. They pride themselves on building long-lasting relationships with their clients, making the custom design process collaborative and meaningful.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
I’d recommend any entrepreneur try to develop their problem solving skills. So often in business and life you’re faced with challenges and the only way to solve them is to pull up your sleeves and get to work. We’re lucky now to have resources like AI and other technology at our fingertips as well, but working through problems will always be a key skill to develop.
When running a business, strong processes have allowed us to provide the best experience to our custom engagement ring clients in Toronto and beyond. Never wondering what to do next because you have a proven process allows you to focus on what matters most and not let anything slip through the cracks.
My final focus would be fostering a positive culture with those around you. For us that means our team and our clients.
We’re so lucky to have an amazing team – we are always looking for ways to provide support and growth opportunities. For our clients it means building meaningful relationships and trust.
To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?
As a sister-owned business, our parents played a big role in our business, in that they too were entrepreneurs.
While their business was completely unrelated to ours, we grew up with the notion that you can make your own fate and anything is possible.
Even though we weren’t directly involved in their business, we saw their grit and determination, as well as the satisfaction when things went well.
Nowadays, we appreciate having two helpful sets of ears to talk through challenges and ideas with.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.alexisgallery.com
- Instagram: @alexisgallery
Image Credits
Alexis Gallery
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