How I spend my working day – jewellery doyenne Louise Stokes

Louise Stokes opened Loulerie, a boutique jewellery store, in the heart of Dublin 12 years ago. Choosing a name that combines both her own, and the word “jewellery” was an inspired move as the elegant store offers both. The combination of Louise’s flawless edit of costume and fine jewellery have proven a huge hit with those seeking the perfect finishing touch. Not content to just sell this wearable art, five years ago the talented Irish businesswoman started designing her own timeless fine jewellery collection.

In the ever-changing landscape that is retail, Louise’s resilience has shone through over the past 12 years. Her early adaption to online retail, followed by throwing herself into design work shows she’s prepared to dig deep in order to see her business survive and grow. “I’m really excited about design, and the stories behind collections. For years that’s what appealed to me when buying collections for the store and I love telling our customers about the pieces and who designed them. Customers want that information even more now. It connects them to the jewellery they are buying. People are really considering what to spend their money on and what is worth investing in.”

I wake at…
7am.

The first thing I do every morning is…
Get my kids up and mentally map out my day.

I can’t go to work without…
Eating a big breakfast and a large coffee. I’m no good to anyone if I am hungry.

Deciding what to wear each morning is…
Not difficult. I plan the night before and have an edited wardrobe of good basics, blazers, cashmere, pants and some long printed dresses I can dress up or down, its all about planning.

The best investment I ever made in my work wardrobe was…
My Anine Bing Charlie boots. They’re three years old and still going strong. They work with everything and are flat, which is essential as I travel and walk a lot.

I travel to work by…
DART.

Loulerie’s fine jewellery collection designed by Louise Stokes.

I start my working day at…
9.30am, when I’m in the store, but when I work from home, designing, I start at 9am. I’m better when I’m fresh.

I usually spend the first portion of the day…
Meeting my team and addressing anything urgent on email or with deliveries.

I break for lunch at…
12pm. To be honest, I can rarley go past 1pm without eating.

I usually go to…
Sprout for lunch. They do great salads that keep me going all day.

If I’m short on time I’ll have…
Fresh sushi from Kokoro on South William Street. It’s just around the corner from my store on Chatham Street.

I keep my energy topped up by snacking on…
Almonds, energy balls and crackers throughout the day.

I think meetings are…
Only productive if they are short and to the point, have an objective and clear follow up.

The most useful business tool I use every day is…
My phone. I literally run all my business through it. I have an app where I store all my ideas, sketches, CAD drawings and shoots. It’s so handy to have all in one place. I look for inspiration everywhere so I am constantly taking photos and saving them.

I save time by…
Only working on my priorities and not getting stuck answering emails all day.

I rarely get through my working day without…
Checking Instagram.

The best part of my day is…
Working on the floor and selling pieces to our customers seeing what they like and hearing their feedback is essential.

The most challenging part of my day is…
When a few urgencies happen all at once and I’m with my children.

I know it’s been a good day if…
We make great sales and my team is happy and fulfilled.

I usually end my day at…
I finish work between 5–6pm. If I’m working from home I will go back on email in the evening between 8–9.30pm. I’ve just launched our fine jewellery collection so that took a lot more overtime recently, but it’s been worth it to see the reaction.

Before I go to bed, I’ll always…
Read it always helps me switch off.

I often prepare for tomorrow by…
Checking my calendar and seeing what I have coming up. Then I focus on what’s most important. I have two children so as much as I can try to prepare for all eventualities if someone is sick I have to be able to adapt and change my day around too. It’s all about doing your best and going with the flow.

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