Mother’s Day Q&A: New Mom Alexis Padis Weighs In
When you grow up in a family-run jewelry business, it’s not just about the jewelry. It’s about the people and the celebrations. In honor of Mother’s Day, we sat down with Padis Jewelry President Alexis Padis to talk about her new role as a working mom, what it’s like to work side-by-side with her own mom, Judy Padis, and how the lessons she has learned as a second-generation jeweler are what help differentiate local businesses from corporate ones.
Q: What makes you most thankful for your mom?
Alexis: My mom is Superwoman in every sense of the word – she’s a business dynamo, a brilliant mind, beautiful, loving, supportive. Everything you could possibly want in a mom; she manages to achieve flawlessly.
Q: What does it mean for you to work side-by-side with her at Padis Jewelry?
Alexis: I grew up looking up to my mom in every way and aspired to be just like her. And now getting to work with her and seeing her in action every day, I respect her even more because I get to see her as a businesswoman, a peer, an industry leader, a mentor, and a mom. It’s one thing when you see your parent through your own eyes, but it’s something else entirely when you get to see your parent through everyone else’s eyes. That to me is the true test. I see how highly she is regarded because she ‘walks the talk’ every day with transparency and consistency, and I’m privileged to have a front-row seat to her many lessons, wisdom, and skill sets.
Q: This is your first year as a mom yourself. How do you plan on celebrating Mother’s Day?
Alexis: I’ll be at work! I work with a ton of other moms at Padis Jewelry and want to make sure they can enjoy their Mother’s Day at home. I have the luxury of getting to work with my husband and our daughter, Rory, can come with us, so there’s no better way to celebrate Mother’s Day than in the store with my husband and baby girl!
Q: How has motherhood changed your perspective on life in general and on being a working mom?
Alexis: I’ve learned a very big life lesson over these last nine months on time management and work-life balance. The adage is true that if you want a million things done, give it to a new mom who must move from one thing to the next, to the next as efficiently as possible while keeping this tiny human alive. And I’d love to say that I’m thriving at it all, but the reality is it’s a day-to-day adventure that I take as it comes. All moms need to give ourselves grace, forgive when things may not be perfect and understand that we’re doing the best that we can. At the end of the day, if Rory feels loved that’s really all that matters.
Q: You obviously have a great role model in your mom on how to balance work and family. Do you have a favorite memory of how she excelled at that?
Alexis: I’m one of four kids, and we were all brought into the stores from a young age where our tasks ranged from licking envelopes to shredding paperwork to taking out garbage. But what we observed from our mom and dad was work ethic and the importance of putting in a day’s work. We’re blessed as a family because our parents built this business from nothing and gave everything they had – including sleeping on the floors for years – to make it successful. We got to see that drive and business savviness first-hand, and it has helped us to be successful in each of our careers.
Q: What’s the best life lesson that your mom has shared with you over the years?
Alexis: Becoming a mom myself has given me so much more perspective and appreciation of my mom. By watching her, I’ve learned to stay as even keel as possible despite all of life’s ups and downs. And when you keep your strong sense of mission and purpose, it’s easier to stay grounded and on the right track rather than reactive and rattled. Finding that has given me personal peace that has really helped for my own growth and mental health.
Q: What does it mean to you to be a second-generation jeweler and to now potentially have the third generation to continue the family-run business?
Alexis: It’s a different set of rules when your family name is on the door and that responsibility permeates through every aspect of the business to ensure an exceptional experience for every client. We aren’t a corporate entity with blanket policies that make our clients feel rushed; we’re a family business, and we treat our staff, clients, and local community as an extension of our family.
Q: As you celebrate the 50th anniversary of Padis Jewelry this year, in your mind what’s the most important achievement the business has made to date?
Alexis: My absolute favorite thing to do is to look at client photos, especially of engagements, big anniversaries, and first-borns. It brings me to tears because we have become a part of so many important moments in the lives of thousands of families over multiple generations. So that’s the achievement: working with clients to celebrate love. There’s nothing more powerful and moving, and it makes me so happy to go to work every day knowing that we get to be a part of people’s lives during their most important moments.