At its spring semiannual meeting, members of the Leading Jewelers Guild gathered in Palm Springs, Calif., to discuss the future of family-owned independent jewelers. Topics covered included sales growth, unity, and business ethics.

The keynote session was delivered by Patrick Kuhse, a former stockbroker—and convicted felon. He spoke about ethics and the little mistakes that added up to big trouble and landed him in federal prison.

Members also shared their ideas for their best new promotions, an annual highlight at the group’s spring meeting. Linda Abell of the Jewelers Education Foundation presented her program, titled Making Your Sales Soar, which addressed the strategies and techniques that help family-owned independent jewelers excel.

The Guild’s own CPA, Bob Moss, led a seminar on cash flow, attorney Rob Bekken gave members an update on employment law for family businesses, and Bart Boydston of the Diamond Promotion Service rounded out the program with highlights of DPS promotions. Finally, a session was dedicated to the discussion and development of Love Story Diamonds, the Guild’s exclusive brand consisting of five separate collections.