This episode is the follow up to S3 E37 of In the Loupe where we first interviewed Zulu about Smiling Rocks.
Ever wondered how a company can make a difference? Zulu Ghevriya, CEO and Co-Founder of Smiling Rocks, gives us a fascinating glimpse into the heart of Smiling Rocks, a brand that isn’t just about adding sparkle to your fashion statement but also making a difference in the world. From navigating new markets and collaborations with retail partners to their inspiring charity initiative that contributes 3% of each purchase to a customer-chosen charity, Zulu takes us through his unique business model.
Learn more about Smiling Rocks: smilingrocks.com
Send feedback or learn more about the podcast: punchmark.com/loupe
Learn about Punchmark's website platform: punchmark.com
This episode is the follow up to S3 E37 of In the Loupe where we first interviewed Zulu about Smiling Rocks.
Ever wondered how a company can make a difference? Zulu Ghevriya, CEO and Co-Founder of Smiling Rocks, gives us a fascinating glimpse into the heart of Smiling Rocks, a brand that isn’t just about adding sparkle to your fashion statement but also making a difference in the world. From navigating new markets and collaborations with retail partners to their inspiring charity initiative that contributes 3% of each purchase to a customer-chosen charity, Zulu takes us through his unique business model.
Learn more about Smiling Rocks: smilingrocks.com
Send feedback or learn more about the podcast: punchmark.com/loupe
Learn about Punchmark's website platform: punchmark.com
Welcome back everybody to In the Loop. What is up everybody? My name is Michael Burpo. Thanks again for listening to In the Loop.
Speaker 1:This week we're bringing back one of our most popular guests from Season 3. We're bringing you on Zoo Gavria. You also might know him as the CEO and founder of Smiling Rocks, one of the lab-grown diamond jewelry vendors. They're also a part of our premium vendor system, so if you actually carry them and you already know their story, make sure you install their products on your website. Follow up Azulu, because he was on our podcast last year around the same time and I want to kind of hear how things were going. Lab-grown Diamond Test has some ups and downs this year and I want to hear how that's impacted his business, but also to hear about the charity donations that he has made a core part of Smiling Rocks' business, where they give 3% of each purchase to your choice of charity, and it was just so cool getting a chance to talk to Zulu and hear about the impact that these donations are making and it really kind of warmed me up for the holiday season. So cheers everybody and enjoy the show.
Speaker 1:This episode is brought to you by Punchmark, the jewelry industry's favorite website platform. Whether you're looking for better e-commerce performance, business growth or campaigns that drive traffic and sales, punchmark's website and marketing services were made just for you. It's never too late to transform your business with a user-friendly, point-of-sale, integrated website platform designed for growth and results. Sign up for your free demo today at Punchmarkcom. While enjoying this week's episode, take a moment and leave us a star rating on the Spotify mobile app. Or, if you're on Apple Podcasts, leave us a star rating and a review. It's the best way to help us grow into a show that you really enjoy in the show. Thanks, and now back to the show. Welcome back everybody. I'm joined by Zulu, the CEO of Smiling Rocks. How you doing today, zulu, I'm great, michael.
Speaker 2:Thank you very much for having us and an opportunity and I'm very pleased to be here with you. Thank you.
Speaker 1:Absolutely. So, almost exactly one year since we first spoke. You were last on episode 37, season three, episode 37. And that one was all about your charity initiatives and I thought it would be really interesting to have a follow-up episode with you and kind of hear how Smiling Rocks has done in the past year, kind of set the scene for 2024 and what your goals are with that. So let's kind of set things up how is Smiling Rocks and how has your first year been?
Speaker 2:Our first year has been great. Since the brand is launched in 2019, this is a four-year or 50 year running right now. We got two hard years of COVID in the between, but we picked up in 2021, 22. That was a great year for us and, like Smiling Rocks, has become one of the most favorite brands of the retailers and the consumers as well, and the celebrities I'm talking about. So we are pretty, very happy about the progress we are doing right now and Smiling Rocks is exactly on the way that it's been planned from the day one, and I'm very happy that we are on the right track.
Speaker 1:Wow, I think I thought it was your guys' first year, because you were in the new vendor location for RJO, san Antonio, when I went to San Antonio earlier this year. But I think that must be just for RJO, I believe.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that was just for the RJO, because we became a vendor RJO like year 22. So that was our first year with them.
Speaker 1:So I kind of want to just jump into this. At the time, you guys were releasing new jewelry and trying to kind of increase your locations and all this and as many stores as possible that you were carried in. Is that still the plan for a diamond vendor and jewelry vendor to do yourself? Is it to be in more locations, so growth, or is there? Is it about creating new styles and kind of deepening your collections?
Speaker 2:Well, yeah, it's very interesting questions, michael. I appreciate it and definitely for any new brand or any establishing brand, expansion is one of the key factors that everybody's looking at. So the smiling rocks that we are doing this we are expanding greatly and we are still expanding with our selective retail partners. The change that we have done this year is we're trying to go more deeper and larger and expanding ourselves with the same retailers that we are doing right now, because we see a lot of opportunity to grow with the same retailers in many categories.
Speaker 2:The smiling rocks is not only a brand who cater certain styling and certain topics, but we are like a complete horizon of styling, from essentials to the high-end jewelry. So we got to serve everything what retailers is looking at today. So in that case, our planning is with the retailers now expanding them more, deepers and larger, and then, same times, we're expanding, as you say, just we're expanding our collections more, better. So that's our current planning happening right now. And the second expansion that we are doing right now we're expanding worldwide. So we are not only an American brand today, but we are expanding to Asia. We're expanding to other subcontinent like Australia, japan and Europe very soon, right now. So we are working on these parts with our retail partners and our distributions. So, yeah, these are the areas that smiling rocks currently working right now.
Speaker 1:So just to kind of dive on that a little bit longer, punch Market is very focused on US-based and Canada-based Actually primarily US, but roughly probably about 10% of our clients are Canadian-based, and mainly because it's relatively similar. I don't know a ton about the markets outside of North America. Could you kind of give me an idea of what the hurdles you might have to overcome to, for example, build a presence in Europe or, for example, in Australia, as opposed to staying primarily around the North America region?
Speaker 2:Well in the lab-grown category that every market has reacted based on their certain kind of understanding. Let's say, north America is one of the first market who responded lab-grown diamond at the beginning and still flourishing, like anything. Asian market is more traditional market it's a reactor slowly than the North America. European market is expanding great today because of there is quite a slow process than the North American side. So I believe that every market has a set certain times to be grow and expand and this is what we feel as a brand and we exactly stepping into those markets, were really getting mature at the time.
Speaker 2:We do not want to be the brand who applied their presentations prematurely, so we just don't want to be there. But right now we see this right timing for us to be expanding certain markets and I see Europe is one of the key market right now because the European market is mostly working on the sustainable substitute for every products they can find and we have seen in the last couple of months that many retail brands or many fashion brands or many high fashion brands are stepping into the lab-grown diamond. I have seen the many LBMH group brands have stepped into the lab-grown. We recently have a news of Prada. Just get into that. So these are more encouraging news that consumers will be more informed. Consumers will be more educated in level of the high fashion brands as well. So that's how, giving us the sign that some markets are ready to pick up and that's what we are putting our strategies to go in those market Interesting.
Speaker 1:Yeah, mainly because I was just fortunate enough to go on vacation to Japan and one thing I noticed in Japan that was very striking was how prominent and prevalent the designer culture was designer handbags, scarves, just outerwear in general. Much more, I don't know. I don't want to say flashy, because that gives a different connotation, but much more in your face, as opposed to in the US. I feel like sometimes the US is around performance, so performance wear and performance clothing that might be very expensive, but at least in Japan I'm told it's like that, for example in Korea and Singapore and other places that there is a focus on these designer objects. I wonder if lab-grown diamonds might become, like you were mentioning, much more popular, purely because of the fact that there is the eco-friendly aspect of it, but also because you can definitely get kind of a lot more of the over-fashion aspect of it without having to pay quite as much as if it was a natural diamond.
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely. You know every. I mean like if today Asian market is responding, it's not because of the value, only because of the design is one of the key factors right now, because of the affordability, because of the you know, like everyday wearing styling from the lab-grown diamonds that people can wear diamonds in their styling. So these are the key factors. Today we see the Asian market is responding and very especially the young consumers are definitely looking at something that they want to have something for their office wear, something for their regular events wearing. So lab-grown is providing these, these needs in very, very affordable prices for them now and again. Sustainability and the substitutions of these, like green side of the lab grown is definitely one of the key factors that consumers are also considering.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So maybe to stay on top of that, the conversations that you're having with retailers around lab grown diamonds how have they changed since last year? Last year I feel like lab growns were kind of out there, the momentum was behind them and it was really picking up in steam. This year it feels like sometimes things are, the momentum is sometimes shifting towards fancy stones or towards just alternative gemstones. In general, how has the conversation shifted since 2022?
Speaker 2:So, like beginning of the few years, lab grown is the only words that retailers wanted to have with anything they wanted to see. Especially the round was one of the key stones, key shape and stones was the most favorite. What I have seen with the retailers and my conversations right now the retailers are getting more open to expect and you know, like welcome about the styling, about more designing. They just don't want to be stay with essential lines, they just want to go expand themselves more, more of the designing aspect, because they're getting customers in the doors asking about what do you have, what do you else have in lab grown? Because they want some more fashion inspired pieces, more daily wear pieces. So what we have seen last six, eight months, the trend retailers are calling us because of, they want their styles towards smiling rocks carry today. They want the more design aspects that we have available in our palette. I think this is one of the key factors that retailers today asking and researching right now. Again, yes, fancy, become one of the new favorites today.
Speaker 2:For the lab grown as well. There was a round. Diamonds was one of the most key stones before, but now fancies, the styling related with the fancies, the baggets, the marquees, the pairs and owls. There is a particular stones. We've seen that getting trends in the trends, like there was an oval before, like one year. Now people are more exploring on the embers. So these are the things that getting in the trends and, you know, like giving more idea to the retailer straight flow today and I think retailers like lab grown is becoming very normal and new norm today. So it is getting reacted by the trends. It is very reacted by the, you know, like, the consumers choices. So the trends are getting evolved in a lab grown diamonds today. So that's the, that's the great sign that retailers also can expect from everyone.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah. I feel like for the first, however many years of lab grown diamonds, it was all about how can we make the biggest, best beautiful list center stones, and then we're going to try to make the most popular center stones imaginable, which are typically the round, and then we're going to just kind of push, push, push and make them as perfect as possible. And then people are like, well, can we try it? Like common fashion is, like we're going to go towards, like you said, the oval, just pear shape, like now you're saying, apparently Emerald is now the new cut, but just kind of diversifying and trying to get some of these things which might not have been as popular previously. But now, with fashion catching up to the lab grown market, it's very cool to hear that you have to kind of stay on top of those things and adapt and and adopt those different styles.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I need, and this is giving a great opportunity for designers, retailers to go and explore, you know, and give the choices to the consumers that everything is available at the great pricing for the retailers to experience. So that's the beauty of lab grown diamonds I think everybody's enjoying today.
Speaker 1:Yes. So I kind of want to shift into your charity initiatives and that's obviously half the story when it comes to smiling rocks and what your incentive for carrying your lines are. So with each purchase you guys donate 3% to the choice of the following charities. So, looking at education support, environmental protection, medical support and animal protection we covered that pretty in depth on our first interview and if you are listening and you haven't listened to that one first, I recommend maybe going back and listening through. Zulu covers that in a little bit more depth. Could you kind of touch on how that has either changed or adapted in the past year and the impact that smiling rocks has had on those various fields?
Speaker 2:So that's the first and the most important motive of smiling rocks, that giving back, and that's the priority of our business and we are very proud that we are continuously working on this with our retail partners help and our consumers help, and to work in this all four sectors. So you just mentioned that we are looking at every opportunities that comes to us that can be help, community back or anything that we can work towards the better, better tomorrow we are. We are committed and recently that we have committed ourselves for 100 digital labs that we are working on right now. The digital labs means we are opening a small digital labs in the schools in the rural areas of the different countries, that where the school doesn't have computers or the students they're living around the area, that neighborhood doesn't have digital access to the, to the children. So we adopt the school and then we set up the, the laboratories in the schools, and we give free education to consumers and make them more computable to them to the future, and we are very proud that we are working towards that. We already have seven digital labs open last few months and then we are in progress. We have another 10 digital labs on our on our way to go for and and and we, we keep searching that the the right locations that we can, we can find this is more appropriate for us to be set up the lead and we can see the maximum children can get benefit of it.
Speaker 2:And they and I have seen I have seen that you know like, as I always share the stories to everyone that who I, I talk about this and that's one of my motivations to run this company. More you know like, interestingly, I have spoken with one of the principal in the school and then they, they called me and said you know what you give a dreams to this, this children, because they were, they might be ended up working any labor class or any other other. You know like, the non-essential works or anything that they it's, it's, it's, it could not be, you know like, in favor of their, their new life, their lifestyle. But when they find the computer in the schools, they, they touch the keyboards and this looks like they're touching the new dreams. And when they, when they get in access to the world, it's kind of like they feel themselves privileged with something they're getting in their hands.
Speaker 2:So this is something what gives us more energy to work towards that side and I I'm not wrong the data's that I have right now, we have more than a thousand students that they got the educations through this digital lab so far and we are continuously working on that. We it's not only that, we are also getting back up with our read, our digital labs, that we're telling what programs they're teaching them, what advanced level that they're giving them and we give, we provide the teachers to train the teachers in the school. So everything is the, everything is there, separate by smiling rocks, for you know, like for these children's, the schools, that they can provide the best educations to the students. This is one of our, our key, you know, like initiatives that we have taken last year, and then we are continuing that.
Speaker 1:Wow, you know what, zulu, you absolutely deserve the flowers on this, congratulations. That's so excited to hear how far you guys have come. Um, I, like I had mentioned right before we recorded, I would love to do, uh one of these follow-ups every year just to hear, honestly, more about that. It's just so incredible. Um, I had on, uh, just a couple of episodes before this one will air. I had on a member from gem legacy to talk about how they are working with artisan gem miners in in Africa and she was talking about the education initiatives. And I brought up my grandpa always used to tell me education is the one thing that they'll never be able to take away, and I love that you guys have invested in that. I know it can be difficult, especially with you know you guys are taking away from every, every sale, every profit, um to put into this, but it sounds like you've really made an impact with it. So, um, definitely deserve deserve a pound of back for that yeah, I believe that's.
Speaker 2:You know, like, if something you can do to the, to the anyone, it's it. You empower them, and if you are empowering, then you are, you're, you're creating a new, new person, new human who is, is ready to, you know, like, explore the whole world and I think this is the, this is the only thing that I can, I can do, from smiling rocks and the rest, if I, if I will be very happy and, you know like, lucky, if I see one kid or anyone who is coming out of those background and then achieve something unbelievable, and that's that's my, my work of this journey, is it's kind of like feel for me with full satisfaction. So we definitely will look forward to continue with this and, uh, we are in our way to establish 100 digital labs. At the first point.
Speaker 1:Well, I can't wait for that. We'll definitely celebrate when it comes through. Maybe on such a wholesome note, let's shift into something that's more glitzy and everything. I wanted to ask about collaborations and it's funny, when I was doing my preparations for this episode before on our first time speaking, you had shown me a couple of different celebrity collaborations of being worn on the red carpet and different things like that. So I was like I wonder if they've continued with that, If they've had any members, any celebrities wear their jewelry. So I pull up your guys' website and the first person on your website is Gigi Hadid, and then right below that is John Legend wearing it at the Vanity Fair Oscar after party. So those are all. All these are from just 2023. What, first of all, is the process for working with someone like that? Those are the S or A tier celebrities. What is that process like? And then is there like someone that you would most like to wear smiling rocks?
Speaker 2:So, like we, when we are collaborating with the celebrities that different stylists and different celebrities they're always most of like. We are one of the brand that stylists are looking for today because of one of the key factors of lab grown and sustainability the most substitute that even celebrities are today looking for those brands to be collaborate that they are supporting more, more, you know, like sustainable aspect of the business. And that's the one of the key reason that we got connected with Gigi Hadid and, and you know, like she, she's one of the big fan of sustainable future and that she is constantly working towards that as well. So that's one of the key reason that we we got in her, we got in her choice and many celebrities like we, they are looking at us just for the because one of the reasons that we have a styling and the number two, we have the great aspect of giving back to the community that they like the brand that has has more value than just the styling. So that's one of the key reasons that they all like us. Recently we have been there by a backy hill, just clean, and the Sophie above.
Speaker 2:So these are the celebrities that are constantly wearing us in their their, you know, like red carpet presence and yeah, I mean like we always be honest with our, our, our presentations and our ourself and that's the that's the most liking by the celebrities and they share the words. Many celebrities, they they kind of like approaching us just the reasons that they have. They have heard from one to others and they see that who they were, and then they call us. Like I want to wear smiling rocks on my this, this body, and we're really happy to be with them because we see that that they're admiring our brand and they wanted to go with us. This is another key, you know, like the, the celebration for us as well, oh, that's amazing.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's a. It must feel surreal the first time, having someone wear it on like a very special location, but after a while, man, you guys are really getting on everybody imaginable. Like I had mentioned before, is there someone that you would most like to have have represent you, or is it just kind of, you know, being as prevalent as possible?
Speaker 2:Yeah, we just we just being as prevalent as possible we have, we have, you know, like the PR company who does spread good words about us. And then we see that like but yeah again, like we never force ourselves to be with someone and we don't never force to be like as in a marketing company, or that we just wanted to be that what we are, what is our messages, or what we as a brand catering, and we just want it to be, if the celebrities are falling in love with us, the same what we are, and then we just we will be more than happy to be with that.
Speaker 1:That's amazing. Well, one thing I wanted to ask before the end of the episode, as you is, if you had any, for example, any upcoming upcoming collections or, if any, if you wanted to discuss, for example, your gemtastic or flora collection and the new releases around around now and what you have coming for 2024.
Speaker 2:So yeah, like our most of the collections are timeless collections. We make sure that these collections can be very used in years though our fashion collection. So we make sure our fashion stays forever and our recent collections to be, you know, like, even for our retailers to be noticed as the frame collection, which is more like elevated design of the center stones can give us the larger look and the styling is so unique and beautiful. Our low-beads collection is kind of giving with the gold beads, with the diamonds, our flora collections. Definitely we have more new members and new expansions and that and then the most interestingly we have expanded this year is our men's collection, that which is more like which is name under my my name is Zulu's men's collection. So this is, this is we see the big, big, big opportunity in lab-grown categories that we see most of the retailers have this space of men's collections to be expand and Zulu collection is one of the key collections that every retailer most of my retailers carry this collection because everyone has this space and and especially the larger stones and lab-grown diamonds available with the larger stones for the men's collection.
Speaker 2:I think that's the great opportunity. So these are the key collections that everybody should look and Dwayne Tha is one of the collections that we have in a high-end collection. So, which is more like a valuable and, you know, like very unique collections of mixing of two shapes in like round and ovals, round and emeralds, emeralds and ovals. So we have a very unique styling on the on the Dwayne Tha collection. So, yeah, we have launched quite a few collections this year and and and they're they're getting very popular time by time and we have launched in the Vegas show and we continue enjoying these collections for this season as well.
Speaker 1:Man, men's jewelry definitely the area that I'm always most excited to see new opportunities in. For the longest time, I feel like it's been very underserved and I've always thought that there seemed like there was a huge market for it. Just because, as men are more willing to, yeah, accessorize or just wear things that do complement outfits, it's always been something that I feel like there's only been a very limited number of objects that you can wear beyond, just like single diamond studs or, you know, a watch, so that'll be a very welcome opportunity for a lot of retailers. That's great.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean like men's. We had in like mostly we had two categories in the men's either classic band styling or or or hip hop, or more like, or, you know, like high, those heavy pieces of the hip hop cultures, that men's available right now, or or the men's available in the different metals, but right now in the lab grown. We have an opportunity of addressing a classic men's styles that you can wear I can wear every day in my office works and in my daily work. So with the diamonds, so we don't have to accessorize ourselves with non fine jewelry, but we can now accessorize us with the fine jewelry, with the pearl. We have a great collection of the pearl with the men's as well. So pearls are getting very, very popular these days among the men's. Many celebrities are wearing pearls of their red carpets as well.
Speaker 1:Yeah, very styles man. He really he rocked a set of pearls. I bought myself a set of pearls, haven't had the confidence yet to wear them, but this Christmas party, this will be the. This will be the year that I'm confident enough to wear some pearls.
Speaker 2:Oh, you should wear them, and the reason is I'm wearing pearls.
Speaker 2:I'm wearing pearls and I'm very proudly wearing pearls and people giving a lot of compliments. The reason is that the pearls is not only giving you a uniqueness, because it gives you a wow. It's like people have never seen the styling man with the pearls. So we have a diamond links with the pearl links and it's great styling we have and we we got great gold compliments from our retailers not only compliment, they're selling right now. So that's the great things that we're having today.
Speaker 1:Yeah, man, that's great, zula. I'm so excited to hear that, especially coming from you guys, with with your touch and also your story behind it, knowing that there is a portion going to, yeah, support education, that's fantastic. I guess the main thing to leave the listeners with where can people go to learn more about smiling rocks or to find out more about carrying your lines in their store?
Speaker 2:Absolutely like if people wanted to carry our line. The definitely Punch Pump is one of the platforms. They're definitely looking at this side and we are available in most of the social media as we are very approachable company. We we look and value our partners and then we we see the opportunities there for us and we definitely, you know, like, try to, you know, like, explore the best possible way and that's the only ways that they can find us anywhere. And yes, smiling rocks is the brand that any retailers should look in the lab loan categories. They wanted to elevate their lab loan diamond selections in their stores.
Speaker 1:And Zula, will you be the RJO, the RJO show coming up in, I believe, in January next year.
Speaker 2:Yes, yeah, we are very proud members of RJO and we will be. We will be in all RJO shows actually, so people can find us easily in the RJO show.
Speaker 1:All right, everybody. So mark the calendars, mark your event sheet for that. Zula, I can't thank you enough for coming on. It was really cool to kind of I don't know do like a little follow-up and and hear how things have adapted. You guys continue to push things forward and I love hearing how, how much of an impact you guys have had.
Speaker 2:Anything else before we wrap up yeah, I mean like thank you very much for this opportunity. I really appreciated that and I'm very glad that I can, I can have, I have the second episode with you to give us the progress of smiling rocks and I will look forward to continue the years and years and see that, where we can, where we can share our beautiful journey of this brand to the people and to the community. And thank you very much for this opportunity and I'm looking forward to anything that coming in our way.
Speaker 1:Alrighty. Thank you everybody for listening. I really appreciate you guys tuning in. We'll be back next week with another episode. Cheers. All right, everybody. That's another show. Thanks so much for listening. This episode was brought to you by punchmark and produced and hosted by me, michael Burpo. My guest this week was Zulu Guevria, also known as the CEO and founder of smiling rocks, a labro diamond company who make incredible jewelry and also one of the punchmark premium vendors. So if you have their products in your store, make sure you download them for your punchmark website. This episode was edited by Paul Suarez with music by Ross Cochran. Don't forget to rate the podcast on Spotify and Apple podcasts. It's really the most helpful way you can help us grow, and don't forget to check back next week for another episode. Thanks bye.