We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Joe Caron a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Joe, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. So, what do you think about family businesses? Would you want your children or other family members to one day join your business?

Family businesses in the US are not as important or respected as they once were. The internet and social media are just a few of the reasons for the change. Most children are working towards their own dream and not interested in following in the footsteps of their parents in business. Small family businesses are disappearing due to the internet and the convenience of shopping with your digital device, be it a phone, laptop, tablet or computer. The personal care and integrity of a small brick and mortar seems to be losing it’s importance to the new generation of shoppers. Price and convenience seems more important than personal inspection, quality and service. While we do have very faithful customers, I don’t think small family businesses while survive into the later part of the 21st century.
To us, the best part of our business is meeting new customers and vendors. We have made some wonderful endearing friendships through our business. And, we get to see the results of giving back to our community.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My parents, Bert & Dot Caron started Carons Jewelry in 1956. For 41 years they ran the business the way they ran their personal lives, always doing anything and everything they could for their family, friends, customers and community. As a child I spent countless hours in the store learning the art of watchmaking from my Dad. I went to the Bulova School of Watchmaking at a young age to learn the finer aspects of the art. After purchasing the business I attended GIA and obtained a graduate degree in gemology. I also apprenticed under Bob Donato and Bod Kaluza.. two master jewelers who worked for me and trained me in jewelry repair and fabrication. I sold the business in 2006 and returned to the same location (after the people I sold the business to went out of business) in 2014 with my wife Diane Berube-Catanzaro as my partner. Diane has a masters in Fine Art from the Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia. She began designing jewelry, which we feature “Michi Designs”. She has also done an amazing job of making the store a warm and inviting place to shop by remodeling the premises when we re-opened. Her eye for detail and her way of making every customer feel at home is the reason we have done so well in the last ten years. She takes the time to explain the answers to every customers questions and helps to pick the right item at the right price point.

Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?

I met my business partner (and wife) in Nirvana!! I have been a professional musician from the age of 15. As such I still play a lot of shows/gigs. I was performing with a band at a lounge called Nirvana in Warren RI (upstairs from India Restaurant-no longer at that location) when a mutual friend introduced us. I was instantly smitten. We didn’t start dating until a year or so later, but we have been together ever since. We work together and spend all our free time (of which there isn’t much) together. We have built on my parent legacy with another 10 years of good will to the community and love what we do.

Have you ever had to pivot?

I started playing guitar after seeing the Beatles on The Ed Sullivan show in February 1964. At the age of 15 I had my first professional gig with a working band. In the ’70’s, 80’s & 90’s I was a touring musician. In the late 80’s I worked for Caruso Music, a retail music store in New London, CT. I learned a LOT about retail from the owners, Richard and Larry Caruso. I went to work for Rivera R&D in Los Angeles, CA in 92 or 93 and was involved there with amplifier manufacturing. Coming back to the east coast in 94 (after the Northridge earth quake) I went to work in music retail again opening stores for EU Wurlitzer of Boston and settled into a manager’s position in Seekonk, MA for them. In 1997 when my Dad wanted to retire I bought the jewelry store from him so that he could retire and move to Florida. The rest is history..

Contact Info:

• Website: https://caronjewelers.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/caronjewelers