The dream of any mother with a young daughter is to dress them up in beautiful little dresses and make them feel like a princess. Fixing their hair and even playing with a little makeup can be an ideal way for a mother and daughter to spend time together. While her mother may have wished this could be their bond, Stephenie Bjorkman had a different idea.
As the current owner of Sami Fine Jewelry (16704 Avenue of the Fountains
Fountain Hills, AZ 85268), Stephenie did not always have a love of all things glittery. Instead of beautiful jewelry, Stephenie was instead interested in horses. One morning as a young girl she woke up and decided she needed to tell her mother her new love – horses. After waking up that one morning with her new love of horses, it was a phase that Stephenie never quite grew out of. Instead of balking at this new love, Stephenie's mother indulged her daughter and her “horse” brain. Riding lessons were given and rodeos were competed in, along with the pure pleasure of riding horses through the desert.
Of course, Stephenie had grown up around fine jewelry. Her love may not have been as instant, but it sprang to life when her mother needed her. Stephenie's mother, renowned Gemologist and Jewelry Designer Sami Jack, slowly grafted her into the business. In 1997 Sami was diagnosed with Breast Cancer and it was up to Stephenie to lend a hand in the store while her mother recovered. Out of this sprang a passion and love for jewelry and an outlet for Stephenie's ‘creativity and drive for success. With backbone, confidence, and a ‘cowgirl' spirit, Sami Fine Jewelry has be pushed beyond what Stephenie thought it could be.
Now, with a number of accomplishments such as being voted one of America’s top 5 cool jewelry stores – Instore Magazine 2006 , Stephenie still pushes ahead with her new passion of “all that glitters.” To any entrepreneur she has a few words of advice, “Don’t try to do everything yourself. Hire people to do your weaknesses. Get the best technology and learn to use it! Never quit learning. Read and listen to everything you can about being a great leader, a better communicator, selling, negotiating, and improving yourself.”