547. Lessons Learned in a Brooklyn Jewelry Store

Lou Diamond

Lou was doing well on Wall Street, working in the fixed income area to bring stability back to the market. But something was missing that he couldn’t put a finger on. Could his teenage memories of a jewelry store in Brooklyn point to an answer?

Lou Diamond, who’s been a top producer at every firm where he’s ever worked, has led sales teams at Accenture, Deloitte, Omnicom, Merrill Lynch and Bank of America to achieve record revenues year after year. Lou is the CEO and Founder of THRIVE, a leading consulting and coaching company focused on making the most incredible leaders and top performers even more amazing. He is also the author of “Master the Art of Connection.”

How Did You Start Using Your Talents?

Lou discovered and developed his skills in connecting with people in his father’s jewelry store. “It was only nine feet wide and 60 feet in length, but that little store on Fulton Street in Brooklyn, New York, provided a living for my dad and eventually, with the other stores he later owned, put me through college. Everything I needed to learn about business started in that particular store. It was there that I realized it all came down to connecting with people. I don’t think I was ever taught that. It was just something I picked up while I were there. But it is a really important skill to have in everyday business interactions.”

The Most Impactful Turning Point?

At Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, Lou was a business major. But he says a class outside his major, a business communications class, was the most important one he ever took. “It was really helpful for learning how to be able to speak in public, how to reach your audience, how to make a persuasive argument. It gave me the foundation in how to communicate and connect with your colleagues at work. It probably changed my whole perspective of what I wanted to do.”

The Most Powerful Lessons Learned?

“I did great on Wall Street, but the thing I did best was help the people around me do better. That’s what I love doing. As far back as the jewelry store, I was learning to figure out what those people needed and how we could help them individually. That brought me to recognize that’s where I need to be, working with amazing people and helping them become more amazing. And that is how I eventually became a coach, while I was still on Wall Street, and then I got into the world at THRIVE, helping people grow themselves, and figure out how they can improve how they do things and how they can better connect.”