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

Hi Sumi, thanks for joining us today. Can you share a story that illustrates an important or relevant lesson you learned in school

I’m going to go way back, but first I want to preface this story by saying that I was an easy-going kid that got along with everybody. So here we go. It’s first grade, and our class is learning about different types of government. The theme of the week is monarchy. A name shall be drawn from a bag and that child shall be ruler for the week. My name is drawn and I am named queen! Queen Sumi, supreme ruler of the class and decider of all things. What book shall the teacher read to us? Queen Sumi will decide! Who’s at the front of the line? Queen Sumi is! Who gets to go the restroom whenever she wants? Queen Sumi can! If someone else wants to use the restroom, whom should they ask? Queen Sumi of course… In short, I would have been beloved by my subjects if it were not for the taste of power that I abused. I said “no” to every request! I was horrible and I just couldn’t help it. By the end of the first day, all of the students protested to the teacher that I was a lousy queen. It was decided by the class that I should be dethroned and so ended my very short reign. I was devastated and went home in tears. I recounted the tale to my mother. She asked me to put myself in my classmates’ shoes. The lightbulb went on right away. I understood and felt so embarrassed about my behavior. The following morning in class we talked about why it all went so wrong. I apologized of course. It was a huge lesson about fairness, kindness, and the importance of being considerate of others.

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

My store Sumi’s opened in Silver Lake in the spring of 2005 and relocated to Los Feliz in the beginning of 2014. I specialize in handmade and small-production goods, with an emphasis on jewelry.

My retail experience goes back to my teen years in the 80s when I worked for Contempo Casuals, which was my dream job back then. In the 90s I put myself through graduate school (to become a teacher) in San Fransisco by working in a well-established shop that was a destination for handmade jewelry. It was there that I learned all about gems, how to recognize quality workmanship, and the importance of being able to convey the special stories behind things that are made by hand. I internalized the idea that for a small business to endure, people needed more than great stuff to become loyal customers. They also needed to be given an experience that left them content. Though I didn’t open my store for another decade, the desire to do so was there.

While teaching 2nd grade, I started a handbag company with my mother called Carita Viola Designs (her namesake). We collaborated on the design of textile bags that my mother made by hand (and still does). On weekends, I took her bags on the road to art festivals and trade shows, selling them to both civilians and boutiques. Exhausting, yes, but boy was it fun!

When I visited stores to show her bags, my desire to have my own store was reignited. I was inspired by what I saw, (in addition to what I didn’t see). As an aside, I’d like to pay homage to Uncle Jer’s and New Stone Age, two iconic Los Angeles stores that stocked Carita Viola Designs in the early years. Sadly, they aren’t around anymore, but are forever remembered by those that appreciate how unique and distinctive they were.

I’ve had my own store for more than 18 years now. I have customers that have been with me the whole time! It’s a remarkable thing and an honor to participate in the moments of their lives. Birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, babies and even the painful things that life has brought them like the death of a loved one. They trust me with these moments. To me, that’s a profound thing and what makes me love what I do so much. I also think it’s something you can feel when you walk through the door and what keeps people coming back. The stuff is great, but it’s the experience that matters the most.

Have you ever had to pivot?

I’ve learned that hard times create both the necessity and opportunity to step out of the box and try something new. When the economy crashed in 2008, my growing business fell into peril. Sales plummeted as people tightened their belts from either losing their jobs or fearing that they would. I couldn’t afford to stock the store, especially jewelry which is a costly item to buy. I was a destination for jewelry and was scared that people would start looking elsewhere because my selection wasn’t what it once was. I had 6 large jewelry cases and no budget to fill them. I decided that I’d start making jewelry myself! I was already tweaking and repairing pieces for people, but it hadn’t occurred to me that I could make things to sell. I used my American Express card (I’d figure out how to pay the bill later) and bought gems, wire, and all the necessary findings to make jewelry. I dedicated nights to teaching myself how to wire-wrap and started producing pieces. People bought them! I became a jewelry making machine, working at the store during the day and making jewelry late into the night. It was a decision that saved my business. It’s thousands of pieces later and now I’m not just a curator, I’m one of the artists I represent as well!

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I have very strict criteria when it comes to buying merchandise for my store. It must either be handmade or from a small independent factory. Value and quality must be apparent, especially to my customers. If an item’s price can’t be easily justified, then I don’t want to sell it. If it’s made outside of the United States, it must meet Fair Trade standards. If a neighboring business has it, I don’t want it. Price points must be broad, so that my customer base can also be broad. I stock items at all price points so that I can be everybody’s go-to store. All items, regardless of price, must be special so that the customer who buys it feels content about what they have purchased.

The second component is the shopping experience the customer has that goes along with all of this criteria. Customers will be shown gratitude regardless of what they have spent. All purchases are significant and appreciated. Customers are encouraged to enjoy browsing because if they feel comfortable and welcome, they’ll be back. The goal is to provide experiences that result in loyalty, familiarity, and friendship. It’s all about the long game.

Contact Info:

• Website: sumisanywhere.com
• Instagram: sumisinlosfeliz
• Facebook: Sumi’s
• Twitter: sumisinlosfeliz
• Other: Sumi’s 1812 N. Vermont Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90027