Today we’d like to introduce you to Anita Erickson.
Hi Anita, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I have spent a majority of my career in marketing, from Fortune 500 companies to startups. I had always been drawn to interior design and architecture so once I decided to start my first business I focused on that industry. My first venture, Red Chair Market, was a peer-to-peer furniture marketplace, like Chairish. Through that I developed some great relationships in the design industry and that led me to opening a co-working space called Red Chair Workroom, focused on the design/build industry.
The Marketplace was inspired by my relationships with interior designers, architects and custom builders in Austin who were frustrated with the lack of quality wholesale products available in the area. Dallas and Houston both have design centers, but Austin, the fastest growing and with the highest per-capita million-dollar homes, doesn’t have anything nearly as robust, and my friends and colleagues were tired of driving hours to find good products.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
There are always going to be challenges when you start a business and you have to be prepared for that when you go in. The media glorifies the “overnight success” but it is never that simple. It’s incredibly important to see challenges and even failures as growth and learning opportunities, if you allow yourself to wallow in the struggles then you’ll either burn out or continue to make the same mistakes. You have to go to your corner and cry, then pick yourself up, decide what you need to learn from the situation and then keep going.
I definitely learned the value of being well-funded and of gathering a really solid advisory team that you can lean on. In the last two businesses, I developed a formal Advisory Board that I met with regularly. This was a game-changing experience and allowed me to make decisions faster and feel more confident. I also have a business coach who has really helped me stay the course through challenges and grow as a person and leader.
As you know, we’re big fans of The Marketplace ATX. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
The Marketplace (launching in Summer 22) will be a to-the-trade product destination serving local interior designers, architects and custom builders. We will feature 20-30 product lines, ranging from lighting to furniture to flooring that will display at the space and allow design professionals to shop for multiple products all in one place. While the design industry is changing and many things can be bought online, there is always a need to touch and feel, especially with luxury products. We give brands a place to showcase and connect with their trade customers without the expense and commitment of a full showroom.
An important goal of The Marketplace is to be a hub for the design/build community. We will be hosting industry events, popups and educational programs with the goal of helping the Austin design professionals work more productively and profitably. Our long-term vision is to be a catalyst to develop a vibrant design district, which will attract both the professionals and consumers and show off Austin’s amazing talent and creativity.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
The definition of success should be different for everyone and I think that chasing one common ideal of success can lead to a lot of stress, unhappiness and ultimately, failure. I am also reminded by my coach on a regular basis that “I am not my business”. So what I see as success in business and personally are two different things.
For me, success in business is:
Creating a business that is truly adding value to customers.
Developing a team who feels great about what they’re doing every day and enjoys adding value to customers.
Being profitable enough to weather tough times and to take advantage of opportunities.
Personally, it is:
Working with people I like, respect and who can teach me something.
Making enough to feel financially secure both now and in the future, to contribute to others in my family and community and make some big splurges sometimes.
Being a master of my own time and priorities.
Contact Info:
- Email: anita@themarketplaceatx.com
- Website: www.themarketplaceatx.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themarketplaceatx/
