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ATTITUDE, CLOTHES, HORSES, AND COMMUNITY HELP BUILD CATHY EASTHAM’S “UNBRIDLED” SUCCESS | July 18, 2012 (0 comments)
Cathy Eastham began her business, Cathy Eastham Fine Jewelry, in 1981 in a small way – on her kitchen table. Her mom owned a gift store in Santa Fe, NM and used to “drag me to the Dallas Gift Market,” said Eastham. “I was so bored. Friends would ask me to buy jewelry for them. I began buying and the business grew and grew.”
“Mother said, ‘You need to go into the jewelry business,’” remembers Eastham. Initially she showed her wares at shows: local jewelry shows, the Junior League shows and national Arabian [horse] shows, to name a few. Her clientle grew. She began coming to Midland, Texas about 25 years ago, doing local shows there as well.
Her client base in Midland grew. Eastham moved her business to Midland 14 years ago and it was a good move. “If I’d known then what I know now, I’d have done it a long time ago,” she said.
Eastham hasn’t forgotten how she started or how her business grew. “I’m proud of the fact that I started from the ground up,” she said. “Because of the many times I worked shows, now when I buy, always try to stop in or to say something nice to vendors especially when they are alone in their booth. I have a lot of empathy for them; I’ve been there.”
The Inventory. As Eastham’s business grew in Midland, her inventory blossomed as did her education and community standing. She did the requisite GIA classes and recently her store was accredited by the American Gem Society (AGS). Eastham also connected early on with small designers whose businesses grew along with Eastham’s.
“I bought from Gurhan when there was one tray of a few rings and chains,” she said. (Photo of Eastham and Gurhan.) She has similar stories about Philip Stein and Jude Francis. She also sells Jay Strongwater and bought the Fred Leighton line from Kwiat at the Vegas show. “We’re very excited about that,” she said. Today, Eastham’s store is known for its designer inventory.
Growing up together, figuratively speaking: Cathy Eastham and designer Gurhan have worked together since both were starting out in business.
Eastham knows who her customers are. “We do many bridal rings from engagement to the second time around, 3, 10, 20 carats,” she said, having recently sold a 20-carat cushion cut diamond. “We’re known as designer store with one-of-a-kind jewelry. We don’t repeat important pieces.”
Not restocking the same jewelry is important in Eastham’s town of 100,000. “If I sell a $10,000 ring, that customer doesn’t want to see it on someone else,” she said. “Suppliers can’t believe that I won’t restock a piece that sells quickly.”
The Attitude. Eastham and her staff offer her customers a discreet shopping experience. Her destination store is in a high-end shopping area in Midland called Plaza Oaks. To get to her store, customers drive in and park; there’s no drive through, so her store or one of the shops nearby is the destination.
That layout offers her customers a quiet place to park and then to shop/buy. It’s worked well for Eastham. “I had the chance to move to a bigger location and chose not to. When my clients come in, they like to stay invisible. I’m protective of them.”
The Look. “We all dress up every day. In the summer, we don’t wear jackets. In the winter, we wear jackets,” says Eastham, who leads by example with her sales associates. “I tell my associates, ‘When you get ready, look in the mirror. Ask yourself would someone buy a $100,000 ring from me? If you say ‘No,’ then change your clothes.’”
From Thanksgiving to Christmas, Eastham and her employees favor black, black and white, and black and red. They wear jeans with jackets on Fridays, unless it’s the day before a Holiday. And they are serious about it. One Friday Eastham forgot and wore jeans to work when there was a Holiday the next day. She got to the store, someone commented, and she went right home to change. “If I’m not going to follow the rules, I can’t ask others to,” she said.
Eastham and her staff also offer refreshments daily to customers: water, tea, cookies, candy and chocolate. She says some of her gentleman shoppers come in for a gift, but first always stop for chocolate. Most of her customer and regular suppliers know there will be treats at the store when they stop in.
The Locales. Eastham’s Midland location is about 1,700 square feet, with 2/3 devoted to the showroom. Eastham recently came, in her words, “out of the dark ages” and went on The Edge, POS system. She’s delighted with that.
Cathy Eastham's store interior
She has seven staff members, including a bookkeeper and Eastham, and “is careful about adding staff.” Eastham is as protective of her staff as she is of her customers. “We’re very solid about keeping each other’s backs,” said Eastham. “If there’s an issue with a client, I back the associate and take the hit if necessary.”
Midland isn’t Eastham’s only retail location. Eastham began her career doing shows and has continued that tradition. For 17 years, she’s been doing shows. One is an exclusive show, The Summer Shows for the Ruidoso Jockey Club in Ruidoso Downs, NM. “I see clientele from all over,” says Eastham. “I bring in museum type cases to the jockey club and do business there much of the summer. “I’ve sold some major pieces there,” says Eastham.
Tapping into the horsey set: Cathy Eastham brings exclusive pieces to the Ruidoso Jockey club during its summer racing series, and has sold some major pieces there.
The Marketing. Eastham has a number of ways to reach her customers. The number one thing that works well for Eastham is television commercials during the Holidays. “I’m never in them,” she says, “just the store and the jewelry.” Eastham has them locally produced in nearby Odessa. She’s worked with the producer for a few years and they developed a system where he films from piece to piece and case to case, showing the jewelry to music. “Just music, no talking.”
Eastham also does postcards, “a ton of them.” And billboards. She’s not seeing as many results as she used to with newspapers and she doesn’t do radio. She’s on Facebook and her website is currently being overhauled by fellow fine jewelry retailer Christensen & Rafferty’s webmaster.
A page from Cathy Eastham Fine Jewelry's website.
The Community Involvement. Eastham has a strong commitment to giving back in her community. She is currently President of the Board of High Sky Children’s Ranch having served 12 years as a trustee of that board. Other involvement in the community includes; Board of Governors for the Museum of the Southwest having served nine years on the Board of Trustees for the Museum, Board of Trustees for the Permian Basin Area Foundation. Eastham is well known in the Midland area for being the “go to” jeweler for donations to charitable fundraisers. She believes it is incredibly important to help support the community that has been so gracious to her.
Clearly Eastham enjoys her business and her customers. “In September, it’ll be 31 years,” she says. “I have no plans to retire. I love the business. I look forward to coming to work every day. I’m insistent with my staff that we be efficient but have a good time and some laughs.”