Trade Secrets from the Queen of Clean: WJA Awards of Excellence
August 11, 2011Cleaning Up a Hot Trend
September 9, 2011We are so proud of our staff at The Kingswood Company and would like to give you the opportunity to get to know them like we do. So periodically, we will share a brief interview with a staff member so you can get to know him/her better. Lillian Schmid, Account Executive, has been with The Kingswood Company for about three years.
Could you give us a little background about yourself?
I grew up in Holmes County, Ohio and have lived in Columbus and Chicago since. Just this week I am moving to Santa Fe, which is an exciting new adventure out west! It has been wonderful that I have been able to continue to work with The Kingswood Company due to the wonders of telecommuting.
What do you like to do in your free time?
I spend the majority of my free time cleaning jewelry. Just kidding! I love to spend time reading and writing fiction, non-fiction and Haiku poetry. I actually write a Haiku everyday; they are so quick and fun. I also walk my dogs, visit museums, go to concerts, and I love to travel.
Where in the world would you most like to travel? Why?
I would be pretty much happy to travel anywhere! But if someone were to hand me tickets for a trip right now, I would choose London. There is so much history there – of art and literature; plus I have become a little obsessed with The Tudors.
What is the last great book you read?
The last great book I read was Anna Karenina by Tolstoy. He is an amazing writer, with so many different characters, places and themes working concurrently. I was surprised by the humor in the book. Who knew old Russians were so funny?
Describe your favorite customer experience.
I love all of our customers, of course! Recently, I had a chance to land a prominent new account in Chicago. Over the course of developing a relationship with them, I had the opportunity to learn about their business, visit their store and really get to know the team. Bringing them on board and setting them up with our program was such a satisfying experience. They have told us that the cleaner looks wonderful (which it does!) and that the program has been doing very well. I am always happy when I have the chance help satisfy a customer.
What is your favorite thing about jewelry cleaner?
My favorite thing about jewelry cleaner is how much better you feel wearing your jewelry after you clean it. It is easy to ignore dirty jewelry, but impossible to ignore freshly cleaned jewelry. It sparkles!
What do you like about going to trade shows?
I really enjoy going to trade shows and meeting my customers and prospective customers face-to-face. Many times, I have been talking to these people for nearly three years before we were able to meet in person. It helps to establish our relationship – to make it feel more “real” – when I can shake hands with someone and thank them for their business, in person. I also love the opportunity to travel and visit new cities.
What product would you most like to see The Kingswood Company offer?
Purple Fine Jewelry Cleaner. That may not be a new product, but purple is my favorite color and a lot of our customers ask if we sell the cleaner in purple. It’s such a regal color!
Do you have a fun ritual at work? Like something you have to do before you can work?
I don’t have any really fun rituals, but I do like to put jewelry on because it helps me get “in the zone!” I also always have a Kingswood polishing cloth next to my computer, and I like to start my morning with energetic music, maybe folk or Irish pub songs.