When Ryan Berg looks back at the origins of Lee Michaels Fine Jewelry, the story begins long before the company’s first storefront opened its doors. It starts with a family deeply embedded in the jewelry industry and a founder determined to strike out on his own.
“My dad used to work for Bailey, Banks & Biddle, which was the guild division of Zales for a number of years,” says Ryan, co-president of Lee Michaels Fine Jewelry. “At his peak at Bailey, Banks & Biddle, he was the head buyer for the whole division, traveling all over the world.”
That experience — and the confidence that came with it — led Berg’s father, Lee Michael Berg, to leave Bailey Banks & Biddle in 1977 and start his own store. The family’s roots in the industry ran deep. “We have a long lineage that goes back to the Zales family from Wichita Falls, Texas,” Ryan says, noting that multiple generations of his family worked within Zales’ orbit.
Yet despite those connections, the launch of Lee Michaels Fine Jewelry was anything but easy. Ryan recalls a childhood shaped by sacrifice. “I remember living a very modest lifestyle as a little kid in a two- or three-bedroom apartment,” he says. The early years were lean, but they were guided by a clear vision that continues to define the company today. “Dad always said he wanted a business, not just a store,” Ryan says.
‘That Personal Touch’
From the outset, Lee Michaels Fine Jewelry was built around people: employees first, customers close behind. That philosophy, Ryan says, established the company’s culture as it expanded from a single Baton Rouge location into a multi-store operation across multiple states. “I think where dad has really helped create the foundation for this business is through people,” Ryan says. “He has an uncanny ability to push people to their limit and then pull back and celebrate them when they need to be celebrated.”
That emphasis on relationships remains central today. “When I call our corporate office, I try to make sure I recognize everybody’s name and call them by their first name,” Ryan says. “It’s really that personal touch. Our most valuable asset is our people, and then our clients, which is very counterintuitive to most retail establishments.”
Avoiding the Four Common Causes of Conflict
When Ryan joined the family business, he did not step into an executive role immediately. The family required outside experience before entry, and once he joined, he started as an assistant manager. His early assignments took him far from his comfort zone, including moving his family from Connecticut to Shreveport, Louisiana.
Ryan progressed from assistant manager to general manager, supervisor and beyond. In the process, he gained a granular understanding of the business and its markets. His experience also reinforced the company’s belief in deep community connection, particularly in regions often ignored by big national chains. “Really, the foundation was getting involved in those middle America communities that were sometimes overlooked by large corporations,” Ryan says.
Today, Lee Michaels Fine Jewelry is led by Ryan and his two brothers under a shared leadership model, an arrangement that demands intentional structure to prevent conflict. “My brothers and I are all three co-presidents. We all run the business evenly,” Berg said. “Dad is a senior chairman of the board.”
Noting that “communication is key when you have three presidents,” Ryan says the family has sought to confront common sources of friction head-on. “There are four things that cause conflict in family businesses: work ethic, money, spouses and ego.” By equalizing compensation, setting boundaries around family employment and allowing geographic separation across markets, the brothers have created space for autonomy without rivalry, according to Ryan.
Elevating the Experience
As the jewelry industry evolves, Lee Michaels Fine Jewelry has focused on differentiation through customer experience. “Some of our strategic partners like Rolex, Patek and Cartier have really pushed us to elevate the experience in the store,” Ryan says. From an in-store bar and hospitality lounge to the way customers are treated while shopping, “we try to be extraordinary in every element.”
That same intentionality extends inward. The company invests heavily in culture-building, closing stores for family days and hosting events that include employees’ spouses and children.
Community and Continuity
Philanthropy is another cornerstone of the family’s identity. “Our success is really derivative of the community supporting us and we want to support those communities and really make a difference,” Ryan says. That mindset is shaping how the family approaches the third generation. “We’re being very intentional on how we approach Gen 3,” Ryan says. “We want to make sure that there’s a desire and a want and a need [to continue the family business].”
What that leadership structure will look like remains open, but the brothers “all agree that it’s not going to be the same shared leadership model that we have today,” Ryan says. For now, the company is focused on protecting its culture, serving its communities and continuing to build on its founder’s original vision.