Meet Kaydee Smith, the numismatics manager at Lincoln Coin and Bullion (LCB, lincolncoinandbullion.com).
Tell us a little about your business. – Lincoln Coin and Bullion is Nebraska’s largest Coin, Currency and Bullion Dealer. We deal in Gold, Silver, Platinum and Palladium as well as Historic Coin and Currency. Whether you are a seasoned precious metals stacker, new to investing or dealing with an inherited collection, our team is here to help. Since we are not a commission-based sales team, we get to focus on education and facilitating services to meet your needs. LCB has existed since 2006 near Union College and changed ownership about three years ago. We have just three full-time employees and two part-time students that work around their class schedules. We do operate by appointment only for privacy and security reasons, so if you want to visit us, just call a day ahead! If you’re brave, come try to lift our 1,000-oz. bar of silver!
How did you get started in the business? – I was desperate to find a new position so I took a chance on applying. I actually didn’t hear back but sent the owner an email telling him he needed to give me an interview. He took me up on my not-so-subtle request, and here I’ve been nearly two years!
What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced professionally? – You don’t learn about coins and precious metals as investments in school, so I really knew nothing about the industry when I began. The markets change constantly and there is always updated information regarding coins many thanks to technology and research. My first two weeks of employment I left exhausted daily by all the brain power used, and even experienced a bit of imposter syndrome! The team was great and calmed my worries, and after enough practice, I talk about these things with ease. My goal in every customer interaction is to help them feel that same sense of ease when talking about investments and collections.
What has been your most important achievement professionally? – Working for a small business allows you a lot of room for impact. I’ve been a part of creating and documenting proven processes, developing a training manual for new employees as well as the creative portion of our new website build, which we hope to roll out to our customers within the next six months!
What is your favorite thing to do on a day off? – Weather permitting, I love sitting outside over coffee or a meal with friends and then wandering around the area to see what else is nearby. I like visiting small business that I’ve never been to before and seeing what they have to offer! I love a good hidden gem.
What is your favorite quote or the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? – Intelligence isn’t how much you know, but rather recognizing all the things you don’t know and being relentless in your efforts to learn.
What local nonprofit organization(s) are you passionate about or involved with, and are there any special reasons why? – Lincoln’s Big Brother Big Sister (BBBS) program is something I would encourage everyone to give some thought to. My uncle mentored a Little for over 11 years who is now a husband and father, and still very much so a part of our family. My youngest child has a Big currently and I can’t express to you how much that relationship means to our family! BBBS has great community relationships which allow for matches to spend quality time together at no or very little cost. They don’t just provide mentorship, but they also help families find other resources to set them up for success. If you have just two hours a week, consider mentoring through BBBS. It is lifechanging for the youth served.
If our readers would like to contact you, how should they do so? – (402) 327-2853; kaydee@lincolncoinandbullion.com; lincolncoinandbullion.com.