It’s been one year since the gallery opened and what a year it has been! Adding a retail arm to my company has taught me so much and although I had had my art advisory company 7 years before opening, in many ways it felt like I was starting for the first time. With that in mind, I put together a list of 10 things I have learned from the gallery in the past year.
1. There are too many talented people in the world to have to work with jerks.
We say this over and over again. Whether it’s artists, designers, or anyone we collaborate with—we want to work with people who have a passion for their work, love what they do, and are kind. Those are the people who we want to promote and further their careers and we ultimately have the most successful projects with. Our shared respect and ability to collaborate always shines through to the final project.
2. Create the type of company you want to run not the one people think you should.
Early on, when I decided I was going to start a gallery, I took a lot of meetings. I asked people I truly respect what they thought about my idea and for feedback. Ultimately, it has become clear that their vision of what my business could be and how it thrives today are completely two different things. I don’t fault them for their advice—I asked for it! But the things they advised me against—like committing to representing at least 50% women artists—are now important hallmarks of my business that set us apart.
3. Don’t be afraid to go against the grain.
Some people may say to you, “oh that’s not how the industry does it,” about whatever idea or service you may offer—and then you have to ask yourself if that’s a good thing or not. The times we have gone against the industry grain are the times that we have set ourselves apart for our clients. They take notice when we are trying to create a better level of service for them and it pays off.
4. The extras matter.
Speaking of taking notice, our clients see that we believe that details and extras matter. For example, we have to wrap each piece of artwork we send or deliver. This protects the artwork, of course, but there’s no reason it can’t be beautiful. We want the unwrapping and experience of the artwork delivery to feel like a gift. We hand-write thank you notes. We create a relationship with our clients, installing the artwork if needed, and following up after so they know how much we care and appreciate the sale.
5. Start before you’re ready and start before you’re good.
This is one of my favorite sayings I turn to over and over again. Start before you’re ready and start before you’re good—because that’s how you’ll get ready and that’s how you’ll get good. With everything we do, we bring in years of experience in the art world, of course—but—we also love to take on new projects we’ve never done before. This is how we have grown the business so quickly because we have been willing to live in the discomfort of figuring things out as we go.
6. Never stop learning.
One lesson leads to the next and starting before you’re ready, means you have to be willing to learn. We spend a lot of time learning, researching, and honing our craft. We want to be the best and that means we need to continue to educate ourselves about best practices. It also means making mistakes from time to time, owning up to them, and learning from them. Mistakes have been made this year but we commit to learning from them and not letting them happen again.
7. Honesty and integrity are everything.
Without these things, you will lose. Doing the right thing may be the harder route from time to time, it may cost more money, or even some opportunities but ultimately you’ll never regret it. It may be a month from now or 10 years from now but it always catches up with you if you forfeit your integrity.
8. Don’t equate hard with bad.
Year one of a business—or even year eight of a business—is going to be hard. You’ll come across issues, opportunities, obstacles that you’ve never seen or done before and in some cases, the answers will be hard. Some of the most important, most fun, most rewarding things in my life are hard and they are wonderful. Dive into your business knowing things will not always come easily but hopefully, it will be worth it.
9. What starts with hard work, ends with champagne.
Anyone else watching the Bulls documentary on ESPN? Michael Jordan said this to his team before a playoff game in one of the most recent episodes. With any luck, you’re going to have the opportunity to work your ass off because the opportunities won’t cease. With commitment, passion, and drive you will work hard but you will find success.
10. Don’t forget to celebrate.
Speaking of champagne—take time to stop and celebrate. It’s so easy to want to keep the ball rolling when you get big wins. Even if it’s only for an hour, take time to celebrate with your teammates. It keeps the team motivated and gives you the opportunity to feel the reward of a job well done. I wish that feeling and opportunity for all small business owners.
And here’s a bonus number 11—choose your team wisely. I feel incredibly lucky to work with Tina and Aly and our incredible group of artists. Like I said, I’ve made plenty of mistakes owning a company for the last 8 years, but teaming up with those two were some of the smartest decisions I’ve ever made. I feel lucky to do the work we do with people who are as passionate about art and service as these two. People make or break your business—choose wisely. I’m lucky to say I did.
