In the Loupe EXCLUSIVEIn his first interview as acting President of IJO, Stephen Barnes opens up about his vision for IJO and what being president means to him. Michael was honored to sit down for an in-depth conversation with Stephen and ask all of the burning questions related to his new position, including what he will prioritize in the short term, how he plans to foster deeper relationships between retailers and vendors, his vision for activating the next generation of jewelers, and the course he plans to set for IJO for the next 50 years.You may recognize Stephen’s voice from past In the Loupe episodes including S3E44 “Putting the ‘Success’ in Succession & Retirement Planning ft. Stephen Barnes” or S4E21 “I Interviewed Jewelry Industry Leaders”, and we discuss in-depth how Stephen’s history of running a retail jewelry store, and later as a mentor for the Edge Retail Academy, has prepared him for this new challenge as President of the Independent Jewelers Organization.Learn more about IJO here: ijo.comSend us a text Send feedback or learn more about the podcast: punchmark.com/loupe Learn about Punchmark's website platform: punchmark.com Inquire about sponsoring In the Loupe and showcase your business on our next episode: podcast@punchmark.com