Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicholas Boulle.
Nicholas, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I grew up in Dallas, TX where I attended Episcopal School of Dallas. From the time I can remember, I have loved competing and this has become an increasingly large part of my life as time goes on. I began racing go karts when I was around 12 years old and this became my passion in life. After many years racing around the world and seeking sponsorship, I eventually drove for Volkswagen in their TDI Cup Series.
Around this time, I had started school at Southern Methodist University where I was studying math and business finance. After a rough year in 2009 and a tough economy makes it very difficult to find sponsorship and partners for motorsports, I transitioned to racing bicycles which I had done as a way to stay fit. I greatly enjoyed it while I was unable to race in motorsports and so I quickly moved up the ranks to win 4 regional championships, 3 state championships, win National events, and eventually podium at the NCAA National Cycling Championships for SMU in my senior year. Sadly, I began to deal with some health/asthma related issues that eventually became nagging enough to stop my upward trajectory. My goal had shifted towards making it in the professional peloton thanks to my quick progression from amateur to Category 1 cyclist, but after a long time dealing with the frustration of continuous breathing problems I shifted my focus towards life after sport.
In January 2012, I started a digital marketing firm with a friend from SMU. We went on to serve clients through out the United States and even in Mexico & Canada. The business, WOW! Birds Marketing, helped companies manage their online presence with a hands on approach for dealing with their website, social media, email marketing and content production. Because of my family’s business, de Boulle, and the appreciation & understanding of luxury service and experience it had given me, our focus in terms of clientele ranged from 5-star hotels to boutique banks, real estate development projects, restaurants and more. WOW! Birds Marketing operated for 5 years and we learned and enjoyed it a great deal, but when I heard that de Boulle was opening in Houston I felt it was the right time to transition toward joining de Boulle.
I also began a return to motorsports during my time at WOW! Birds Marketing, in the form of karting. After several years of competing in the SuperNationals in Las Vegas, Nevada, I realized I still wanted to compete and began doing that race each year. This eventually led to a return to professional motorsports.
Just as de Boulle was finalizing the opening of the company’s second location in Houston, TX – the de Boulle Patek Philippe Showroom – I joined full time. I’ve now been with the company for 3 years and help with the online marketing, creative marketing decisions, jewelry design, operations between Dallas & Houston, and sales.
de Boulle Motorsports has also expanded with many different partners joining the team for races since. In 2017, we won the ROLEX 24 Hours of Daytona after finishing in 2nd the year before and posting several podium finishes at races around the country. In 2018, I raced in one of the world’s greatest races, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, where I finished 8th in class and 12th overall.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Certainly, there have been struggles in every one of my endeavors, but each of the struggles has been fairly brief because of our focus on the process. For 2016 & 2017, it was a big adjustment for myself as well as my father, Denis, in terms of bouncing back & forth between Houston & Dallas stores for work while juggling motorsports as well as personal life.
Over time, though this has become more effective and I’ve found that finding a routine for each city is what is most important for continued success in each area and what has also helped to ensure everything gets done that needs to in each store.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about de Boulle Diamond & Jewelry | Dallas & Houston – what should we know?
The Boulle name has a long tradition of craftsmanship dating back to the 1700s. Christened by his contemporaries as “the most skillful artisan in Paris,” André-Charles Boulle’s name is synonymous with the practice of inlaying furniture with marquetry of tortoiseshell, pewter, and brass. Although he did not invent the technique, Boulle was its greatest practitioner and the technique is commonly referred to as boulle work. Boulle also specialized in floral marquetry in both stained and naturally colored wood. Boulle carried out numerous royal commissions from Henri IV to Louis XV, as well as foreign princes and the great nobles, government ministers, and financiers. Many of his designs are illustrated in a book of engravings published around 1720. Some of his works include bureaus, armoires, pedestals, lighting fixtures, and clocks.
Denis & Karen Boulle, my father & mother, established de Boulle Diamond & Jewelry in 1983 with a vision of providing their customers a premier collection of fine jewelry, luxury timepieces of world renowned brands, impeccable service and a beautiful and friendly environment. Then and now, these elements make up “The de Boulle Experience™.” de Boulle’s collection of fine diamonds, fine jewelry and timepieces is unsurpassed for elegance, quality, and long-term value. Denis and Karen believe that purchasing fine jewelry and luxury timepieces should be informative, fun and very rewarding. They strive every day to make that mission a reality for their customers.
Over the past 30 years, de Boulle has enhanced the Boulle reputation and fine tradition of craftsmanship through their exquisite de Boulle Collection™ of fine jewelry. This collection offers a wonderful selection of meticulously handcrafted and beautifully designed fine jewelry in 18K gold or platinum with colored gemstones and diamonds. This unique collection consists of one-of-a-kind pieces designed and crafted with precision and art- resulting in a masterpiece. The de Boulle Collection provides a complete range of fine jewelry from beautiful “every day/every event” diamond earrings to elegant, stately suites of earrings, necklace, bracelet and ring for the most special “red carpet” occasions.
de Boulle has carried world-renowned Swiss watchmaker, Patek Philippe for over 25 years and has assembled one of the largest inventories of in the world. de Boulle and Patek Philippe are family-owned companies; de Boulle’s brand aligns perfectly with Patek in that both represent the epitome of precision, beauty and finely crafted luxury goods. de Boulle is an authorized dealer for a vast selection of the world’s premier brands of luxury timepieces including the likes of Rolex, Blancpain, Corum, Girard-Perregaux, Greubel Forsey, Tudor, and Tutima. Their inventory includes any series of watch that even the most demanding customer could desire, their range fulfills every customer wish. de Boulle has been handpicked by each of these fine brands for its uncompromising professionalism and for having the necessary skills to maintain all of the qualities of the brand. For the convenience of their customers, they also provide the options of pre-owned timepieces of esteemed, which includes vintage watches of notable brands.
Denis Boulle was born on the island of Mauritius in the southwestern Indian Ocean and spent his early years there and in Cape Town, South Africa. He was educated in England. Denis and his wife Karen, a native of England, launched their first retail venture, a jewelry salon in a small space in University Park’s famous Snider Plaza, in 1983. Denis introduced Dallas to luxury watch brands along with fine jewelry collections from Italy. Since then, de Boulle has served thousands of discriminating customers worldwide and built a reputation as one of the pre-eminent independently-owned jewelers in the United States. In 2001, de Boulle moved to its current location – a beautiful, sophisticated 13,600-square foot salon with a historical flair in the style of a two-story French villa.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Beginning in motorsports from a young age and even continuing into competitive cycling taught me the value of continued dedication and hard work. Nothing can replace your ability to invest your time and focus into improving at something. This translates into reading to be better in business, pursuing education opportunities and even staying fit and focused so I can keep doing my job well for a long time.
In addition to this, I’ve been taught by my family to treat every single person with the same respect. I think that this translated into a sense of humility that has allowed me to learn from every person I meet both in work, car racing and even my personal life.
Contact Info:
- Address: de Boulle Diamond & Jewelry, 6821 Preston Road, Dallas, TX 75205
- Website: www.deboulle.com
- Phone: 214-522-2400
- Email: nick@deboulle.com
- Instagram: company: instagram.com/deboulle personal: instagram.com/nickboulle
- Facebook: facebook.com/deboulle
- Twitter: twitter.com/deboulle
Image Credit:
Race Pictures: José Mário Dias Motorsports Photographer, Business Picture: John Cain Sargent Photography
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