Meet Davis. We fell in love with his career story almost immediately—and we think you will, too.
Davis was born in Egypt, which he fondly calls “The Land of the Pharaohs.” He lived there until he was 13 years old and his family moved to Paris in search of a brighter future. Spending his teenage years and early adulthood working various jobs to help out financially, Davis never went to school and recalls, “It was very difficult to find regular work, so I went from one thing to another. I did everything from cleaning chimneys and garages to shining shoes. Just to make enough money for bread and cheese. Just to survive.”
In 1965, Davis met an American woman who was visiting Paris. They spent what seemed like countless days exploring The City of Light together and quickly fell in love. “I asked her to marry me, and it must have been my lucky day because she actually said yes,” he told us, smiling.
After their engagement, the two traveled to Brooklyn to visit her family and, while there, Davis took his fiancé to a jewelry store to get her ring sized. He remembers being fascinated by the craftsmanship of the jewelers; right then and there, he knew he’d found his calling. The next day, he returned to the same store, rented the place, and started his own business—with just $300 he had in his pocket. It was worth every penny though because he spent 25 successful (and happy!) years as a business owner and jeweler in Manhattan.
After sharing his story, Davis bestowed us with some very wise career advice: “There is always work to be done. Waiting for a miracle won’t get you anywhere, you have to work hard and take risks to get to where you want to be. It’s all about patience and hard work.”
Oh, and while Davis is now retired, his story is still being written: He continues to practice his hobby part-time at Saks Fifth Avenue.