Meet Kellie Alkayam | Owner of Triangle Cabin and Daniel Diamonds

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kellie Alkayam and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kellie, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
My father, a lifelong entrepreneur, always instilled in me the importance of being willing to take risks. My mother, always the cautious one, tempers his risk tolerance, so I picked up a little bit from each of them. I am always eager to take a calculated risk. I evaluate various worst case scenarios, and always make sure to have multiple exit strategies in case things go awry.

Buying my first Triangle Cabin was absolutely a risk. It was the summer of 2020, and the real estate market was still slow. The cabin is in a remote, rural location, and it needed work. I wasn’t sure how I would find a contractor to work on it, or a team to clean it, but I wanted to give it a try. I knew if things didn’t work out, or if the economy got worse, I’d be stuck with this property, but I researched the market, and figured that I could rent it out and cover my expenses, or I could flip it and make a small profit if the vacation rental didn’t work out. I did manage to find someone to renovate it, I found some incredible local cleaners, and the cabin is booked 80-90% of the time, and has been for over 2 years now.

Purchasing that cabin changed my life, and ended up being one of the best decisions I have ever made. Without being willing to do what nobody else has done, how can you ever expect to set yourself apart?

What should our readers know about your business?
My family business, Daniel Diamonds, is such a special store. My father retired a few years ago, so my mother and I run it together, along with our employee Talya. There are so many great jewelry stores out there, but what truly sets us apart is our dedication to sourcing high quality, ethical materials, and building relationships with the people who produce our pieces for us so that we can create exactly what our clients are envisioning, every single time. We put a lot of effort and energy into selecting the best diamonds and gemstones, and then designing our pieces around them. The result is heirloom quality jewelry, and designs you won’t see in any chain store. Since custom design is our specialty, nothing we sell is mass produced.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Oh boy, this is hard. The foothills and the 285 corridor are more my domain, and I think they’re worth seeing, so I’d recommend spending at least one day in Evergreen. A stroll around Evergreen lake, and perhaps kayaking or ice skating, depending on the time of year are very Colorado activities. Brunch or lunch afterwards at Willow Creek would be lovely.

The next day, I’d take them to Red Rocks, whether it’s just to walk around and take it all in, or for an actual concert, I think that’s a Colorado must-do. Since it’s not too far from downtown Golden, I’d take them to lunch at Bob’s Atomic Burgers.

A day trip to Fairplay would be fun. I love to hike Kenosha Pass, so depending on how acclimated they are to the altitude, that would be a great way to enjoy nature, and maybe even see a moose! I’d follow that up with a cocktail at Snitching Lady Distillery, and a sandwich from Otto’s Food Cart or a burrito from Dorothy’s Tamales.

Since Casa Bonita is reopening, and since you haven’t truly experienced Denver until you’ve experienced Colfax, I would definitely put that on the itinerary for an afternoon lunch experience. I feel like Casa Bonita and Meow Wolf all in one day would be sensory overload, but I’m just that kind of friend, so I’d make them do both in one day. The reward, however, would be a pizza dinner at Osteria Marco and a relaxing time enjoying Larimer square.

After that, they’d probably fire me as tour guide though, and they’d be on their own for the rest of the trip.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Back in 2010, I was a struggling mechanic, and didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life. My parents recognized my need for a change, and generously invited me into the jewelry business that they built from the ground up. They shared their knowledge and experience with me, and taught me how to be a successful jeweler, and run a successful business. They instilled in me their values, and trusted me to take risks. In addition, my father always taught me that investing in real estate is the best way to build wealth. If it weren’t for his encouragement, I never would have taken the many leaps that let me to starting the Triangle Cabin business. They are the best mentors anyone could ask for.

Website: www.danieldiamonds.com & www.trianglecabin.com

Instagram: @danieldiamondsco & @triangle.cabin

Facebook: www.facebook.com/danieldiamonds & www.facebook.com/thetrianglecabin