Cathy Tivol
Interviewed By: Sheridan Sechter

Cathy Tivol was named CEO of Tivol, the family-owned business that was established in 1910 by her great-grandfather, Charles Tivol. What began as a small jewelry shop in the Altman Building in downtown Kansas City blossomed under the leadership of Charles’ son and Cathy’s father, Harold Tivol, who entered the business in 1946.

In 1951, Harold opened their store on the Country Club Plaza. In 1994 a second store was opened in Hawthorne Plaza at 119th Street and Roe Avenue in what was a hayfield in an area of Johnson County that was just beginning to burst with growth. And now, with her fingers on the pulse of the market, Cathy is overseeing the addition of a third location in the new Briarcliff Village and at the same time is doubling the size of Tivol’s Country Club Plaza location.

What is your background?
Armed with degrees in English and Psychology, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do after graduation. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to work in our family business and to learn the jewelry industry. I began by working in each department- inventory, the back office, the repair shop, accounting, etc. in order to get a good feel for the business. In addition, I took several gemological courses to learn that side of the industry.

At times, I feel I would’ve been a better asset to the business had I first attempted a different career path. And I’ve actually encouraged my children to work someplace else first. Then, if they still have a passion for this business, they can certainly pursue their dreams here.

What are your duties?
My father, Harold Tivol, is the Chairman. I am CEO and Steve Mitchem is the President. My primary responsibility is to oversee the direction of the company and I also head the marketing and merchandising departments.

One of the good things about working in our business is that Dad, Steve and I recognize the strength of our staff. We are hands-off when it comes to running a department. We know what’s going on, but we have confidence in our managers and the entire team. Our General Manager, Jeremy Shaffer, does an incredible job overseeing day-to-day business. Some owners can’t let go of being in charge of departments and that’s a shame because your company will better realize its potential when using a team approach.

Are there any unique challenges associated with working in a family-owned business?
When I first started in the business, I feel I did my job half-heartedly for a long time. I had three children and I worked part-time. I didn’t grab on to anything in the business until probably ten to fifteen years ago. At that point, my children were older, I had matured and I was able to fully appreciate Tivol’s reputation in the industry and its growth potential. I became more engaged and passionate about the business. The challenge for me was finding a place in the business that I loved AND where I could truly make a contribution.

Tell me about Tivol’s current growth.
When we first looked at Hawthorne Plaza over ten years ago, we thought it might be crazy to go south into what was then hayfields. But the demographics and planning there indicated that it would be a good decision. In retrospect, it was an excellent decision. We have thousands and thousands more customers than we did at the Plaza.

The expansion at the Plaza began in June, and by the time we finish in November of this year, we will have doubled our size. The addition of our third Tivol location at Briarcliff Village came at the same time - we will be open late September. Although it was not our choice to undergo the construction of a new store and an expansion and complete remodel of another, we have also seen many economies of scale by working on both stores simultaneously. Without Brian Butler, our Director of Retail Operations, heading up both projects, we simply could not have done it.

Please describe a typical day.
A typical day starts with a meeting around 7:30 a.m. These days the topics are typically construction, marketing or management. Then, there is always a half hour training time for the sales staff before the store opens. From there my day includes working with the marketing and the merchandising departments and, of course, helping the customers find that perfect piece. Our first and most important job is sales because that is what retail is all about. In our store, customer service, integrity and fine products are paramount.

What is it like to work in a family business?
One of my passions is, and has always been, my family. So working in an industry I love, with the people I love, is the best of both worlds for me.

As a mother of five and as a CEO, I feel the best part of working in a family-owned business is that we understand when an employee can’t come to work because the babysitter didn’t show or when an employee has to leave because of a sick child. Our family comes first and we expect our employees to put their families first. We’ve found this philosophy helps us recruit and retain quality people.

What has been one of the more surprising things you have learned in your career?
What has surprised me most is how much satisfaction I have received from working in a family business. Part of it is that I adore my father. I think that he is an incredible teacher and role model for me, and for all of us who work here. He’s exactly the type of owner that I aspire to be.

Other than your father, do you have any mentors?
When my brother Tom was in the business he was great at developing relationships with customers. He also was very good at knowing how to represent Tivol at events and lectures; he’s naturally very good at PR. He now has his own jewelry appraisal business that he loves.

What advice do you have for other businesswomen?
Whether you’re a woman or a man, the things that are impressive to business owners are coming in early, leaving late, giving suggestions to management or owners and anything else that shows you are engaged in the business. Secondly, as much as possible, love what you do. Those of us who work outside the home usually spend more time at our jobs with our co-workers than with our families and friends. We’re fortunate if we truly enjoy our work lives.

Do you have a guiding philosophy?
I want to feel good about the kind of leader I am as a CEO, owner and parent. I also believe it’s important to make an active contribution to the community whether you’re the owner of a successful business or simply living in the community.

What sets Tivol apart from the competition?
There are three things that set us apart. One is integrity. The second is fineness of our products. The third is customer service. We will go to use huge lengths for our customers. Once, we disappointed a customer by not having a very expensive watch available that had been special ordered for him for a special occasion. After it came in, we sent a salesperson to the customer’s home in Switzerland to personally deliver the watch. You should have seen the expression on his face!

What has been your biggest challenge?
It has been the same as the biggest reward; working in the family business.

What changes have you seen in your industry?
The Internet has certainly had an impact on our industry. There are so many sites selling diamonds and jewelry these days. This change, though, has just made us put even more focus on creating the most incredible experience for our customers.

OK. This is a magazine for women, so naturally (it’s in my DNA); I must ask you about the hottest jewelry trends for the fall.
Gold has definitely made a comeback, as has color. I love the fact that there are really no rules for wearing jewelry any more and there haven’t been for awhile. You don’t have to wear matched wedding bands or jewelry from the same designer. Also, mixing metals is wonderful. You can wear sterling or platinum and yellow gold together. Another trend - multiple necklaces worn together. The thing we always tell people is to get their jewelry out and put it on because we forget about pieces and wear the same old diamond or pearl studs over and over. (Sheridan now pulls back her hair and reveals that she pretty much wears the same diamond stud earrings every day; because after all, they “go with everything”. Cathy shakes her finger and says, “That’s a no-no!”)

Another change is that women are buying their own jewelry. Whether you’re married or you’re single, I think a woman should feel good about buying her own jewelry. I have women customers who don’t feel right about that because their husbands might feel frustrated, but times have changed. More and more women are now buying what they love and not waiting for a man to get them what they want. Here’s the caveat - we need to be sensitive to our man’s feelings and know what would bother him and what wouldn’t.