Ring Concierge founder and CEO Nicole Wegman isn’t one to sit still, whether it is the multiple jobs she juggled as a teen through her time at Cornell and then her post-collegel jobs at Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s department stores.
During those first gigs—which included babysitter, waitress, cashier, and lifeguard—Wegman was living the life of an average kid in Rochester, N.Y., whose mother believed in a strong work ethic, she says. That’s a mom lesson that Wegman says gives her the drive she has even today.
Wegman says she chose Cornell University because she wanted a career in fashion, and the Ithaca, N.Y.–based institution was the only Ivy that was offering a major like that. With her degree in fiber science and apparel design, Wegman says she was outfitted perfectly for her next steps.
“We didn’t just learn the ins and outs of fashion design, but also the business of manufacturing and marketing. I loved my time there,” Wegman says.
She joined Macy’s in 2008 as a product developer and Bloomingdale’s in 2010 as an associate buyer. These jobs taught Wegman the skills she would need to start her own company someday, she says, including merchandising, e-commerce, buying, product development, and how to understand trends as well as consumer behavior.
“There were also some things I didn’t like, such as how slow it was to implement change, and I knew that I wanted my company to be nimble and be able to pivot and adapt quickly,” Wegman says.
Wegman founded Ring Concierge in 2013 after her engagement-ring buying experience proved frustrating.
“I started looking for my dream ring without involving my husband, which is typically the way it works with most couples, and I found I didn’t like my options,” Wegman says. “This was 10 years ago, and I realized there has to be a better way to buy bridal and fine jewelry.”
Ring Concierge started as a way to create a shopping experience tailored to millennial women, focusing on how they wanted to shop, Wegman says. The brand started as a one-woman company, growing slowly.
“Everything was made-to-order bespoke engagement rings at the start, so I didn’t hold any excess inventory, and the brand was profitable in its first year,” Wegman says.
Almost a decade later, Ring Concierge has nearly 50 employees, a newly opened Madison Avenue showroom, and a storefront on Bleecker Street in New York City. More retail locations are on the horizon, Wegman says, thanks to the brand’s “hardworking, talented, and passionate team,” she says.
Wegman has never taken outside funding and still owns 100% of the company. Ring Concierge also has earned recognitions including the Inc. 5000 list two years in a row and the Glossy Fashion Award for Best Omnichannel Experience. Not too shabby for someone who admits she almost didn’t become a lifeguard when she nearly drowned during the test.
“I’m really proud of the team I have built and how we’ve navigated through the pandemic to keep our company not only going but thriving during that difficult time,” Wegman says.
Top: Ring Concierge founder and CEO Nicole Wegman has been working from the time she was 14 to establish her own business, which helps other millennial women find the jewelry of their dreams (photos courtesy of Ring Concierge).
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