THREE BALLS CHRONICLE
VOLUME 8 / ISSUE 4
April 2025
IN THIS ISSUE
Letter from the President
Letter from the General Manager
Loyalty Pawn Family
SecurityAwareness
Store Manager Updates
Golden 1 Center Events
Monthly Sales
Monthly Birthstone Guide
Monthly Birthdays and Anniversaries and New Hires
Loyalty Pawn’s Core Goals, Values and Visions
Employee Services Corner
Team Loyalty!
Happy April! As we step into a new month, we’re excited to share updates, highlights, and upcoming initiatives. With spring in full swing, it’s a great time to embrace fresh ideas, collaborate, and achieve goals. A huge thank you to each of you for your hard work, dedication, and teamwork. Your contributions, make all the difference, and we appreciate everything you do to keep us moving forward. Let’s Spring to Action this month, and make sure to check out upcoming Golden 1 Center Events! Wishing you all a joyful and restful Easter!
Thank you!
President’s Letter
Dear Loyalty Pawn Team,
I hope this message finds you well. I am thrilled to share some fantastic news March was a stellar month for redemptions! This achievement is a hallmark of our performance during tax season, and it's a testament to the hard work and dedication each of you brings to the table every day.
With tax season wrapping up, we're poised to enter a robust season for loans. Historically, the months following this period have presented great opportunities for growth, and I am confident this year will be no exception.
Let's maintain our momentum and continue to focus on our goals. Remember, while sales are crucial, our priority remains on nurturing existing opportunities. Let's keep pushing those rollovers and providing exceptional service to our valued customers.
Thank you for your unwavering commitment and effort. It's your hard work that propels us forward, and I am proud to have such a dedicated team.
Keep up the outstanding work!
Warm regards,
Stan Lukowicz, III
Letter from the General Manager
Greetings Everyone!
We have reached the peak of the tax season and are now preparing for growth months ahead. We are anticipating the growth to be the strongest in May and June. While preparing for what's ahead, it would be wise to consider where we are now. Our retail sales are currently fairly soft. This will be a challenge in months to come. Our retail success will depend on our loan growth abilities. We have a challenge of increasing our physical jewelry loans by two more per day per store. We will be pursuing an increase of 2 more per day, and this will be a common topic of the week for months to come. Be prepared for your creative ideas while rising to the challenge.
Sales Highlights
We are thrilled to announce the top performers for March 2025! Congratulations to:
· Dominic T. for securing first place with outstanding sales performance.
· Norma B. for achieving second place with her remarkable efforts.
· Ah X. for clinching third place with impressive results.
These individuals have not only excelled this month but have also demonstrated consistent excellence throughout the first quarter of the year. We are proud to recognize Dominic T., Norma B., and Ah X. as the top three salespeople for Q1 2025!
Store Performance and Financial Insights
Our stores have shown commendable performance in Q1 2025. Notably, our redemption rate has increased compared to Q1 2024, reflecting our customers' growing trust and satisfaction.
While we are maintaining a steady flow of physical incoming loans, we are approaching the end of the tax refund period, which has been instrumental in supporting the high demand for large loans. Looking ahead, we predict aggressive loan growth for Q2, despite the current economic unpredictability.
Jewelry Sales and Future Outlook
We remain committed to supplying our locations with the jewelry they need. We are excited about our goal of increasing the sales of jewelry items by 2 more per day, per location, which will significantly boost our retail revenue.
Let's strive for excellence and make the upcoming months even more successful. Keep up the great work, everyone!
Sincerely,
Wayne Silliman General Manager
Loyalty Pawn Family
Greetings, Loyalty Family!
First, I would like to congratulate both Team Florin and Broadway for surpassing their 20% stretch goal great job to both teams! As we continue to work hard and move forward, capturing as much of that tax money as we possibly can, we here at the Broadway location and Roseville are diligently providing all of you with the right jewelry for each location. A big shout-out to John, Kirby, and Tito for helping to get this all done for the rest of us. As I have mentioned numerous times in our weekly meetings this year, we want to concentrate on keeping up with all demands and not just catching up. We are committed to continuing to feed you guys, especially your top sales team members, with the jewelry they need to keep hitting those benchmarks. We are working on keeping more price-point jewelry that we know we can move easily. As some of you have seen, the half-off diamond cluster rings have made a comeback. In the past, we have had lots of success with these pieces, leveraging the perception of the discount, similar to a clearance rack. Just for clarity, you can also put these half-off diamond clusters on layaway for the discounted price with 10% down. Please reach out to me if you have any questions about this or if anything is unclear. I am confident that the more we are prepared for our monthly promotions with the right products in hand, the more often we will all hit our target goals. This month, we are going to get to know Johnnathan from the Florin location. "Before everything else, getting ready is the secret of success." – Henry Ford Thank you all for your hard work and dedication!
1. What helps keep you motivated? What keeps me motivated is my coworkers pushing each other to do our best.
2. What professional skills do you think everyone should have? Everyone should have respect for one another.
3. What professional skills would you like to master? I would like to master being more talkative.
4. Who is the best pawnbroker you know, and what makes them the best? The best pawnbroker I know is Mark because he teaches me things that I have never learned before.
5. What do you consider yourself to be good at, and what could you improve? I consider myself good at helping customers, but I need to improve my talking skills.
6. What is the best perk you have had at a job? The best perk I have is working together as a team.
7. What is the most valuable career advice you've been given? The most valuable career advice I received is to keep pushing towards your dream job, and if it's not going the way you want, never give up keep pushing.
8. What can the company do to celebrate a success you've had? To celebrate our collective success, we can just hang out and have a good time together as a team.
9. What do you like about the pawn industry? I like everything about the pawn industry; I get to learn many new things every day.
10. What do you dislike about the industry? The only thing I don't like is dealing with troublesome customers.
11. What can the company change or improve to make it better to work here? I suggest remodeling every store.
12. What's the last big challenge you've had, professionally or personally? The challenge I faced was sacrificing myself for my family.
13. Where do you see yourself in five years? I see myself making more money.
14. What is something you would like to get better at in the pawn industry? I would like to get better at selling more items.
15. Have you checked something off your bucket list? What was it? I have not checked anything off yet because, right now, everything is hard to do.
16. If you could choose any celebrity to be your best friend, who would it be? The celebrity I would choose is myself because I could be independent and be my own celebrity.
17. What are you looking forward to this year? I'm looking to do everything better this year.
18. If you could be a professional in any sport, what would it be and why? I would choose volleyball because it is a great sport.
19. What do you value more: time off, making more money, or benefits? I value making more money because everything in the world right now is all about money
20. What is a small thing that makes your job easier or better? Helping customers makes my day go easier.
21. What is the best work event you have attended? What made it so great? The best event I attended was a team outing, and what made it great was seeing everyone having fun together.
Shop Talk Manager Updates
El Camino
Team Loyalty,
Spring has officially sprung, and you know what that means chocolate bunnies, pastel-colored eggs, and the return of everyone's favorite holiday tradition: setting ambitious sales goals! Here at Loyalty Pawn, El Camino, we’re not just hunting for Easter eggs this April. We’re hunting for success with a goal of reaching $94,000 in sales by the end of the month.
Now, we know what you're thinking $94,000 is a big number. But just like Grandma’s famous Easter ham, we believe anything is possible with the right ingredients. Our recipe for success? A dedicated team, unbeatable deals, and of course our new inventory thanks to Javier & Wayne for hoping right on it. But what’s Easter without a little fun?
Throughout the month, Team El Camino will be playing an Easter Egg game! Every sale a team member makes they get to pick an egg that will be filled with prizes!
I can’t emphasize enough when it comes to layaways, we need to be offering them to every customer and not letting the sale bounce out the door. With our incredible team we surely can make it happen. So, as April rolls on, let's crack open those savings, hatch new opportunities, and push toward our goal.
Hope everyone has an amazing Easter!
Tony Mora
Roseville
Hi Team Loyalty,
We’re excited to share all the amazing updates happening at our store! The exterior is getting a fresh new look with a vibrant coat of paint, giving our storefront a bright and welcoming feel. Inside, we’re fixing the AC unit to make shopping more comfortable for everyone, and we’re installing brand-new display shelves to showcase our products better than ever. These improvements are all part of our ongoing commitment to creating the best experience for our customers. A huge thank you to our incredible team for all the hard work, dedication, and teamwork that’s going into transforming our space we couldn’t do it without you!
John Mark
Broadway
Hello Team,
Broadway excited to share some fantastic news with all of you! Thanks to everyone's hard work and dedication, we’ve hit our 20% stretch goal! This is a huge accomplishment, and it wouldn't have been possible without your commitment and energy.
A special shout-out to Dom for leading us in sales and driving this success. Dom's drive has been huge in helping us reach this milestone. Let’s all give Dom a round of applause for setting the bar high!
In addition, we’re thrilled to announce that our loan wallet is really starting to grow, and we’re looking forward to keeping up the momentum. Let’s keep pushing forward and make the rest of this year even better. Finally, I would just like to thank my team, I know that they are driven and striving to do more.
Here's to even more success ahead!
Thank you,
Kirby Erlanger
Florin Mall
Hello Loyalty Pawn Families,
I’m pleased to share some exciting news from Team Florin! Last month, we successfully achieved our ambitious sales goal of 20%. We wrapped up March with an impressive total of $95.9k in sales. A huge congratulations to Team Florin for this fantastic accomplishment!
As we move into the second quarter of the year, Team Florin has set a new sales goal of $80k for April. I am confident that we can reach this target, just as we have in the last two months. To help us achieve this, we will be emphasizing our layaway options, aiming to boost our balance back up to $100k. Additionally, we will focus on moving some of our aged inventory by marking down prices, making it more attractive to our customers.
Team Florin is energized and eager to see how we can close out this month with strong sales figures. Let’s keep up the momentum and make April another successful month!
“Nothing is impossible. Even the word itself says, I’m-possible”
Mark Xiong
Top Performers in March
March End of Month Balances
(Roseville #3)
Tognolini (Roseville #3) Norma Bobadilla (El Camino #1)
#3)
Xiong (Florin #2) Matthew Stevens (Roseville #3)
#2)
#2)
#2)
Golden 1 Center Upcoming Events
Below is the list of events that are posted as of right now and we will be adding events to this list each month as they get posted! The events in green are available and the events in red have already been spoken for. If you would like to request tickets send your ticket request forms to lauren.l@loyaltypawn.com so that I can get your requests in and if you need a request form email lauren.l@loyaltypawn.com and I can send you a copy or you can ask your supervisor! With the Golden 1 Center opening back up there is a limited number of tickets available, so for every event you are only allowed to request and receive 4 tickets per event!
April Sales Flyer
Monthly Birthstone Guide
This will help educate you about some of the more popular semi and precious stones we come across and it will also help you close some more sales. The idea is to educate you on each month’s birthstone as you can arrange your cases properly and make suggestions to our clients that may be browsing or even looking for a gift. Let’s think outside the box when utilizing this information.
JANUARY – Garnet
MARCH – Aquamarine
MAY – Emerald
JULY – Ruby
SEPTEMBER – Sapphire
NOVEMBER – Citrine & Topaz
FEBRUARY Amethyst
APRIL – Diamond
JUNE –Pearl & Alexandrite
AUGUST – Peridot
OCTOBER – Opal & Tourmaline
DECEMBER – Topaz & Turquoise
Anniversaries, Birthdays and New Hires
April Birthdays
Paul Molina April 15th London Lukowicz April 23rd
April Anniversaries
There are no anniversaries this month.
March New Hires
No March new hires to honor or recognize.
Loyalty Pawn’s Goals, Values, and Visions
“The Leader in Local Lending”
Company Wide Goals
• To Offer Immediate Relief with a Short-Term Loan.
• To Develop, Recruit and Inspire an Elite Work Force, Driven by Loyal Business Practices.
• To Provide the Highest Standard of Quality, Commitment and Value to Every Customer in Our Loyalty Pawn Family!
Core Values
• Loyalty
• Dedication
• Creativity
Company Vision
• Loyal People Committed to Everyday Satisfaction
Loyalty Pawn Employee Services Corner
April cold with dripping rain Willows and lilacs brings again, The whistle of returning birds, And trumpet-lowing of the herds.
–Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82)
APRIL…MORE THAN JUST THE 4TH MONTH OF THE CALENDAR YEAR!
Aprilisthefourthmonthoftheyearandisknownforitsbeautifulspringweather,bloomingflowers,andEaster celebrations. However, there is much more to this month than meets the eye. In fact, there are plenty of interesting and surprising things that make April unique.
April is National Poetry Month in the United States, established by the Academy of American Poets in 1996. It aims to increase awareness and appreciation of poetry, with events and activities held throughout the month. National Poetry Month has become a global celebration of the art of poetry in April each year.
National Poetry Month- April!!
Who started it?
National Poetry Month, a celebration of poetry which takes place each April, was introduced in 1996 and is organized by the Academy of American Poets as a way to increase awareness and appreciation of poetry in the United States.
A Well-Worn Story
By Dorothy Parker 01/13/2023
In April, in April,
My one love came along, And I ran the slope of my high hill To follow a thread of song.
His eyes were hard as porphyry With looking on cruel lands; His voice went slipping over me Like terrible silver hands.
DID YOU KNOW?
Together we trod the secret lane And walked the muttering town. I wore my heart like a wet, red stain On the breast of a velvet gown.
In April, in April, My love went whistling by, And I stumbled here to my high hill Along the way of a lie.
Now what should I do in this place But sit and count the chimes, And splash cold water on my face And spoil a page with rhymes?
• April was the second month in an early Roman calendar but became the fourth when the ancient Romans started using January as the first month.
• April is named for the Greek goddess of love, Aphrodite.
• The name for the month of April originally came for Aprilis which means to open.
• Small animals that hibernate usually coming out of their burrows in April. The birds fly back northward and settle down to have their families. The bees and butterflies begin to gather nectar from the first flowers of the season.
• In some parts of the world, it is planting time, while in other parts, it is the harvest season.
• April is Humor Month, so laugh it up!
• The birthstone for April is the diamond.
• The zodiac signs are Aries (March 21 – April 19) and Taurus (April 20-May 20).
• The birth flowers for the month of April are the sweet pea and the daisy.
• America’s first astronauts were announced by NASA on April 9, 1959.
• The first Webster Dictionary was copyrighted by Noah Webster on April 14, 1828.
• The Titanic sank on April 15, 1912.
• The Revolutionary War in America began on April 19, 1775.
• The United States Library of Congress was established April 24, 1800.
• Our first President George Washington was inaugurated on April 30, 1789.
Special Days in April:
• April 1 is All Fools’ Day otherwise known as “April Fools’ Da.”
• April 12 is the start of Passover, which begins at sundown
• April 18 is Good Friday
• April 20 is Easter Sunday (May 5 is Orthodox Easter.)
• April 22 is Earth Day
• April 28 is National Arbor Day
Just for Fun Days In April:
• Apr. 5 (first Saturday in April): International Pillow Fight Day
• Apr. 7 (first Monday inApril): Sweet Potato Day
• Apr. 7: National No Housework Day
• Apr. 10: Gopher Tortoise Day (Florida)
• Apr. 17: Blah, Blah, Blah Day
• Apr. 20 (third Sunday in April): Go Fly a Kite Day
• Apr. 26: National Richter Scale Day
• Apr. 26 (last Saturday in April): National Sense of Smell Day
April Astronomy
The Pink Moon
The pink moon, otherwise known as the first full moon of the spring, will rise April 12. Named for the moss pink wildflower that sprouts this time of year, the moon won't appear as pink to our eyes here on Earth. But that won't make it any less spectacular to witness.
Venture outside on the night on April 12th to catch a glimpse of April’s full Pink Moon. This full Moon actually reaches peak illumination at 8:22 PM Eastern Time which means that it will be at its peak on the night.
Why Is It Called the Pink Moon?
The full Moon names used by The Old Farmer’s Almanac come from a number of places, including Native American, Colonial American, and European sources. Traditionally, each full Moon name was applied to the entire lunar month in which it occurred, not only to the full Moon.
April Recipe. Cream of Fiddleheads Soup
Early spring means fiddleheads. These are the ostrich fern’s young fronds. If you can’t find fiddleheads, try this soup with sliced fresh asparagus, but we urge you to try to hunt down these delightful tender plants of spring if you can. Fiddleheads are the tender, tightly furled fronts of the Ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris). They’re named for resembling the ornamental ends of fiddles and other stringed instruments. You can harvest fiddleheads for free if you know where to find them. These edible ferns grow prolifically in wild and wet areas near water throughout New England and eastern parts of Canada. Also, you can often find fiddleheads at local farmers’ markets and health food stores, but this short-lived delicacy can be pricey. https://www.almanac.com/recipe/cream-fiddleheads-soup
401K-Loyalty Pawn Retirement $avings Program
Are you saving for retirement? Why not start today? If you have completed 12 months of service with Loyalty Pawn, you’re eligible to participate and start putting away those pretax (or post tax Roth) dollars into your very own 401k account. To enroll, send me an email and I’ll help you get started. Contact Employee Services at employeeservices@loyaltypawn.com Start saving for retirement’s tomorrow, today!
Shout Out→Thank you to my subscription to the Old Farmer’s Almanac for inspirational quotes and content for LP’s Three Ball’s Chronicle each month.
If you need HR, Payroll, Benefits, or Family support, Loyalty Pawn’s Employee Services is only a phone call, text message, or email away, on demand, anytime! 916-752-2255 employeeservices@loyaltypawn.com
