Between the heritage behind 5th generation Director Phil Ainsworth and the expertise of award-winning gemmologist & wife Helen Dimmick, Ainsworth Jewellers is in safe hands.
Phil’s 30 years at the helm of a business formerly responsible for the FA Cup winner’s medals, married with Helen’s experience with the famed Tiffany & Co, create a dedicated pairing in an industry founded on love & care.
On It Runs In The Family this week, we hear from the dazzling couple on their connection to customers, blending the pair’s contrasting approaches, and the succession plan to continue the business’ family values.
This episode covers:
- Balancing Phil’s family business approach with Helen’s more conventional corporate background
- Working together to be greater than the sum of their parts
- Jewellery as an industry of love, and how Ainsworth channel that in their connection to customers
- Ainsworth Jewellers’ staggering 150+ year history
- Writing the future of the business without a blood-relative succession plan
Episode highlights
“I certainly wasn’t pushed, I think from a very young age I’ve known about the jewellery trade and about the family business. I think it was something that, while I was at school, I decided that was going to be my path.” – 2:40 – Phil Ainsworth
“I’ve wanted to bring in all those corporate ways of running a business, and that sometimes is very challenging, or very different to the way a family business runs. It’s very important to me that I respect Phil and his father who’s still involved. But I have also wanted to challenge and shake things up a little bit.” – 8:30 – Helen Dimmick
“I have worked for a large international company, I’ve had my own business, but it didn’t have my surname on it. I’ve never known a business in this industry that has such a legacy of 150 years. It’s so special. It’s something that money can’t buy, but it’s so authentic and real.” – 11:10 – Helen Dimmick
“5 years ago, somebody brought a pocket watch in which we dated back to 1890. So it was one of the pocket watches that Joseph Ainsworth had actually touched and felt, and hopefully built. We’ve got that in our possession now, so that’s how we started life, then we got into jewellery a little bit later.” – 16:30 – Phil Ainsworth
“We’re there for people at a very special time of their lives. Also sometimes very challenging times of their lives. We want to make sure we honour jewellery left behind by a loved one. The very simple way of putting it is we work in an industry of love, and it’s a privilege.” – 25:30 – Helen Dimmick
“I got a copy of this project that a customer’s daughter had done about the history of diamonds. Then 4-5 years ago, she came in for her engagement ring. Once she’d introduced herself, I managed immediately to go and find that project that she did, and showed her the project.” – 27:20 – Phil Ainsworth
“Even though the conversations can be difficult, the time can be difficult, it’s actually helping grieving customers come to terms with one part of what they’re going through at the moment. So some of those can be the most satisfying days and satisfying customers that you deal with.” – 41:00 – Phil Ainsworth
“We’re fighting to make sure Ainsworth becomes something that it represents, it represents those values, it represents that experience, it represents something that is so inspirational that, whoever it will be when they come in, wants to take up that pattern and will have those skills and that drive and that passion to take it forward. ” – 47:40 – Helen Dimmick