A chance phone call led jewelry retailer Kyle Bullock to discover a new passion: coaching and consulting. Bullock, the owner of Bullock Jewelry in Roswell, NM, a century-old, fourth-generation family business, is now an absentee owner, dedicating most of his time to training and coaching through his partnership with Jimmy DeGroot, founder of Train Retail.
The partnership began when DeGroot accidentally called Bullock instead of another jeweler to invite him to a video seminar. Bullock, who had been considering consulting work, seized the opportunity. “I said, ‘Hey! Let’s do this together!’ And voila!” DeGroot recalls.
Bullock’s background made him a natural fit for coaching. With an undergraduate degree in psychology and graduate studies in leadership, he has long been fascinated by the psychology of business. “When you know what makes people tick, you can be a great leader,” DeGroot says.
Bullock’s interest in coaching began during graduate school, where he worked with consulting firms and discovered the joy of helping others unlock their potential. “That spark in their eyes would light up when we did workshops,” Bullock says. “I thought that one of the coolest things in the world was to allow somebody to see their potential and to be valued.”
This passion also shaped his approach to running his jewelry store. Bullock focused on hiring and developing employees whose strengths complemented his own. “I tell them I’m going to train you to do this skill, and I want you to be able to do it better than I do it,” he explains. “Most people will rise to that occasion because it’s in their zone.”
Today, Bullock spends only about 10 hours a week in his retail business, dedicating the rest of his time to coaching and training through Train Retail. The platform, founded by DeGroot a decade ago, offers short training videos for sales and management, often used by store owners in staff meetings.
Recently, Bullock and DeGroot launched a free podcast called Slow Growth Retail, available on instoremag.com. The podcast addresses challenges faced by independent retailers, such as inflation and future retail trends, offering practical solutions.
Bullock emphasizes authenticity in his coaching style. “I never wear a suit and tie,” he says. “We are very much down-to-earth people; that’s what sets us apart. Individuality and personality are what make independent retail great.”
For Bullock, coaching is about helping others grow. “My passion is to see people grow,” he says. “I get to do that in my business and through Train Retail with our clients.”
He advises store owners looking to step back from daily operations to set clear goals. “I didn’t become an absentee owner to put my feet up on a couch five or six days a week,” he says. “Once you know your why and define how you want it to look, it’ll be much easier to arrive at the steps to get there.”
Bullock’s journey from jeweler to coach highlights the importance of adaptability and passion in shaping a fulfilling career.
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