One of the things I love most about being an entrepreneur is, that when facing a new challenge, most times you just have to go out there and trust your gut feeling. Earlier I used to depend on knowledge I had gained through my education or experiences from older colleagues.
As an entrepreneur you can not do this. Instead you just need to go out there and try out different ideas and approaches. This way you will get your own ” hands-on “ experiences. Fortunately, it is a learning process that comes very natural to me.
This was also the best way to learn during the seminar in New York. Here we had to go out and test our products and concepts in the real world. In my case, I had to go out there and find new retailers for Denmark’s newest design brand.
After a few good pep-talks from Mik, it was time to leave the safe surroundings at Lemonsqueeze. The first time I walked into a design store in New York, it was a bit scary. But I soon discovered a comforting pattern. Unlike in Denmark, where Danish design basically just is… Well… it is just design. So it turned out, that in New your Danish design is super sexy. That afternoon I visited a total of 5 design stores. For each visit, my pitch got a little better and I quickly learned more and more about what caught the retailers´ interest. Despite some good interest in the first 4 shops, no one bought anything.
When I walked in to the last retailer, I finally hit jackpot. Here it was the owner himself, who stood behind the counter. He welcomed me inside and was very excited about my designs. So excited that he invited me back two days later, so that we could get all the practical details sorted out. I was truly happy and excited. Did this really mean, that I just landed my first retailer in New York!? I think it did!
It turned out to be the funniest meeting in a long time. Despite preparation, I did not know anything about their “basic terms and conditions”. Nor did I know anything about how we would deal with the logistics or in what way we should come to terms with the payments. But we sat at down and went through all the terms and conditions point by point. Eventually we were able to shake hands and they could start selling my designs.
Tony from ABODE with his first Tokens of Happiness
If you some day come to New York, do not hesitate to stop by ABODE in Williamsburg. Tony and Brian will certainly invite you in and take really good care of you. And please do give them my best.
But it did not stop with a new retailer. Mik had just one last thing hidden up in his sleeve. Throughout the week, we had discused the possibility of getting my designs on for sale at one retailer in particular. We where talking about a retailer, that in my world was completely unattainable. But Mik might just have a way in. Back at the office Mik came up to me and said “Friday at 17:00 you will show up at this address! Dont be late”
That friday at 17.00 I showed at one of New York’s most respected design agencies. After a tour around there offices, we sat down and had a good talk about my products. Again a crazy and surreal experience. Half a year ago, I was back home in the wooden workshop in Denmark. Here I was making my little happy designs while I was dreaming about what might be. Now I sat in an impressive office in midtown Manhattan and spoke with an iconic in the design business. A man who now tried to help me sell my designs through the nr. 1 retailer on my list. It was almost impossible to comprehend.
The most exciting coffee meeting in a long time.
The seminar was coming to its end and it was about time to return home. The suitcase was now missing all my designs and instead filled with good experiences, lots of impressions and not least a new retail contract.
What I did not know at the time was, that a random meeting on the last day in New York, with a not so random schoolteacher would turn out to change the whole concept of Design by Witt… But more on that in the next blog.
Stories by Witt 