Mitzi Fluckiger is the woman behind each precious stone they sell at Aaron’s Jewelry, and her childhood experiences really shaped her into who she is today. “I had to be a scrappy little thing because life was hard early on.” Her mother passed away when she was a year old and her dad tried his best to raise them as a single parent for a time. For years, he was paying off medical bills, and going to college was not an option for them. Her dad taught her how to work hard, and she knew really early in life if she set her mind to something, she could figure out a way to accomplish it.
Life became more challenging when her father remarried a woman that didn’t get along well with Mitzi and her siblings. They all left home early, and Mitzi tested out of high school so she could work full time. She worked an entry-level bookkeeping job during the day and waited tables at night. She learned how to do things like job costing, invoicing, and payroll, and she continues to use those skills today!
Mitzi and her husband, Jay, bought into the family business of Aaron’s Jewelry 6 months after they married. 5 years later, they bought out the others and were running the business from that point. Mitzi dove in and was trained in diamond grading and obtained her Gemological Institute of America certification. Mitzi said a lot of vendors were surprised to see a woman in charge of the spending. She explained that their dynamics as a couple are perfect. Jay is brilliant at making jewelry and she is great at supplying him with what he needs to create.
In the jewelry business, it’s common for high-dollar deals to not involve contracts, and Mitzi’s integrity towards the deals with her vendors has paid off. “Half of our vendors come see us in our store and let us shop through what they have and compare it against what we already have.” Mitzi raved about how much she loves each person who is a part of their business, whether they are vendors, employees, or customers.
By far, the scariest transition in her life was when they decided to move out of their locations in the malls. They didn’t know if their customers would follow them to their new location. Their customers were loyal and, as Mitzi said, “It was the best thing we’ve ever done.” At Aaron’s Jewelry, they repair jewelry and glasses, make custom pieces, and are famous for their elk ivory pieces. Mitzi is passionate about what she does, she is brave enough to take risks, and she knows when to say no.