Thrive + Inspire: ‘We Can Overcome Anything,’ Say Brad and Joanna Marks

Thrive + Inspire: ‘We Can Overcome Anything,’ Say Brad and Joanna Marks

AN INTERVIEW WITH Brad & Joanna Marks, owners of IW Marks Jewelers

What were your biggest challenges of 2020? Our biggest challenge was definitely dealing with the economic shutdowns due to the virus.


How did you adjust and overcome obstacles? How did you reset? We are expanding our selling to include online through our website and social media platforms.

What's the secret to rising above obstacles and persevering in tough times? The secret to staying hopeful and forward-thinking is believing in God, yourself, business and employees.

What did you learn about yourself, your business or your community that might inspire others? We can overcome anything with what we have been through this last year.

What's new for 2021 that you're excited about? I am very excited about expanding our business to include online sales.

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How did you get to where you are today? Growing up I had envisioned myself as a news anchor, living in NY and enthusiastically saying into the camera “Good Morning America!”. To this day, I am still a news/political junkie. My mother owned fur salons so specialty retail, luxury retail was in my blood through the family business. Eventually, mom shuttered the stores and I was recruited to a large specialty retailer. Over the next 30 years, I was in commissioned sales on the sales floor, became a department manager, worked my way up to buyer and store manager. Although I never became a newscaster, I did live in NYC for a few years. But Texas is home and with aging grandparents, I felt the pull to come back to my roots. A headhunter approached me. I never envisioned myself in the high-end appliance market, but there are so many similarities. Clients want a memorable experience; whether shopping for diamonds and fur or remodeling their kitchen.

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