Welcome to the business of antiques, where I help you make your passion for antiques profitable.

I'm Tom McLark Haines, CEO of the Antique Steven Company and I'm on a mission to make antiques modern, sexy, fun and profitable.

I hate to break it to you, if you're not making money in your antiques business, then it's just a hobby.

In this podcast, I interview some of the leading antique dealers from around the globe, getting their advice and sharing my own on how to sell antiques to the modern day antique buyer.

We discuss ways to recession proof your antiques business by developing strategic marketing plans, elevating your brand to attract the right target market, and planning for profits.

You make your money when you buy.

Not when you sell.

So we'll discuss some sourcing tips straight out of my antique Stiva little black book.

I'm teaching you the business of antiques.

Oh my goodness.

I'm so excited to meet you face to face finally.

We've been orbiting around each other, had plenty of phone calls, but I think this is the first time we've ever looked longingly into one another's eyes.

I think you're right.

Okay.

It's nice.

Tell everyone who you are, what you do.

So my name's Deke.

I started collected for the home in Birmingham, Alabama, or actually in Irondale is where the store is located, last summer.

So.

And I'm here today with you.

You've been a big part of it.

Well, I am excited to have you here and I'm excited to talk about your journey and also, as I said, to just finally sit down and have.

Yes, this is a work conversation because we're going to be talking about the story of your business, but also to just be having a get to know you conversation.

I can tell you where I was the first time we talked.

Oh, yeah?

Yep.

I was in Corsica in Bastia.

I was on a terrace with the most spectacular view of the Mediterranean Sea.

And I remember it very vividly when we were talking the very first time when you came in with an email query and you, I remember telling you you've got something like you've got a magic.

And I don't remember every phone call.

I do, but I knew on that phone call, this guy is going to be successful.

Yeah, it's interesting.

I remember the first time I found you.

Marcus and I were driving listening to podcasts.

He likes to listen to podcasts.

And I had been thinking about this business and doing this and I was like, surely there has got to be a podcast about antiques, the business of antiques and Everything that goes along with that.

And after a quick Google, you popped up and we started listening.

So it's kind of a full circle moment to be right here with you.

That has to be kind of funny.

You're going to be driving down the road listening to yourself when this launches.

Yeah, that'll be, that'll be interesting.

Okay, so let's back up.

Tell me like, give me your backstory, like where you're from, what you did in your previous life.

Like give me whatever information you think seems important for going forward.

I don't know.

It's interesting because I like, I grew up in a small town in southwest Louisiana.

The roads were not paved, there was no cable television.

Very rural.

And to think that I had.

Welcome to my childhood.

I didn't have.

I know, that's amazing.

Yeah, it's.

And, but.

And then to think about that and to think about like this business that we're in and to have the, I guess the innate style to be able to do it, it's.

I don't know, I think that's when things, that's when you know you're supposed to be doing something.

Yeah.

Like I remember going to the grocery store when I was a little kid and I would look in the magazine sections and I was looking at like Vogue and Bazaar and Architectural Digest and just sucking it all in, trying to, you know, see that.

Like I wanted to know where all of that was in the world and now like I'm part of it.

So it's really kind of cool for me.

That's incredible.

It's.

Now I will tell you, that's the type of story that gives you goosebumps when you think about, when you think about you as a little boy.

I can picture you looking at the magazines and dreaming of far away places.

Yeah.

And now, you know, I've.

I'm starting to be able to go to those places and have things from those places and help people source things from those places.

It's, it's fun now.

So you're just have opened a spectacular shop which I want you to tell everyone about.

But first, what did you do in the meantime, like before you became a antique stealer?

I always like thinking about what other careers people have been involved because very few people in this industry start out as antiques dealers.

I will say I think the highest proportionate number of previous careers to.

For antique dealers is lawyers.

There's a lot of lawyers turned antique dealers.

Dealers.

Yeah.

So in my past, my past life, I. I'm from Louisiana, I moved to Florida Because I wanted to, you know, I wanted to live in the city.

And then I ended up in Destin, Florida.

And my ex and I, we had several salons, so we were in the customer service business.

I was also in real estate.

And then when all of that ended, I, you know, I was, I'm currently in school, still going to school.

And then I just kind of fell into this.

Like, I took my partner Marcus to the warehouse because we're remodeling a house in Birmingham, Alabama.

And he was talking about, like, different furniture, things that, you know, he wanted to buy for the house.

And I was like, well, hold up, let's just stop.

Let's just go look and see what I already have.

And we went into the warehouse and he was like, wow.

He was like, just because you have lots of nice things doesn't make you any less of a hoarder.

And I think high class hoarders, yes.

I am a high class hoarder.

But so it's, it's from that that I started to think about, like, what am I going to do with all, all these things?

I didn't know what to do.

And after following some people on Instagram, I saw that they had a successful business of like just selling through Instagram.

And I was like, decided that's what I was going to do.

And then that transition to moving everything to Birmingham, because the community there is very design focused, there's tons of talent there.

And it's, it's.

That's another cool part of it is that I'm getting to work with these people that I've admired for so long.

And the validation that they give me is just.

I mean, it's incredible.

So incredible.

Yeah.

So from that it went to like a warehouse and then us not being able to get the images that we wanted, because style is very important to me.

And now we have a 1200 square foot store and we get to, you know, share it with everyone.

So let's back up because when you were in the process of moving to a store, at first I think you wanted to just rent a warehouse space.

And there was this process that you've gone through.

And I want to like walk, like walk our listeners through this process because ultimately you, you went from saying, I don't want to have an actual retail location to having a spectacular retail location.

So what was that?

I think that, like, I always think of the Lexus commercial of like, the relentless pursuit of perfection.

And I think of like, I'm always chasing that, like everything to be just so.

And I think, you know, I think back about listening to some of your podcasts, about.

Do you think you said in one you're like, do you think it could have sold for more money had it been displayed correctly?

So that's kind of always in my mind.

And is it being shown in the best light in a warehouse?

No, in a store that's styled well and curated and put together.

Yeah.

And so it's all I'm constantly thinking, like, like, is this the best that it can be?

Does it look the best that it can?

And I think through that, it's when, like, that's when the magic happens.

Absolutely.

And I wanted, I wanted an all white space because I think it allows the pieces to shine.

You can take the same table in a warehouse and then place it in a white box and you just see so many more details.

Absolutely.

So I recall that your store is next to a famous landmark, if I'm not mistaken.

Yeah, it's pretty.

We're across the railroad tracks and at the end of the building is the restaurant.

It's called the Irondale Cafe, which is the restaurant that is talked about in Fried Green Tomatoes.

Okay, I am convinced that this is going to be a, like a magic connection for you.

Soon as you told me the location and you said I found the space and you're describing everything about the space and you sent a few photos over, I was like, oh, number one, the space is cool.

And number two, it's like location, location, location.

And this felt like the right audience who, the right audience would already be coming in to this cafe and to.

It'S, you know, it's a very famous Meet in three restaurant.

And for those of you around the world that don't know what a meet in three is, when you come to the South, I hope you get to try it.

Okay, meet at 3.

I will tell you.

I, I.

So I'm technically not from the south because I'm from Oklahoma, and Oklahoma's the big debate on is Oklahoma south?

Is it west?

Is it Midwest?

I thought it was Midwest growing up and I've heard it referred to everything else, but I don't know what a meat in three is.

Just any, they have a selection of vegetables and a selection of different meats and you pick your meat in your three vegetables, a meat and three.

I like it.

Okay, so tonight, here in a moment, I'm gonna have to shut off the rice.

So tonight I'm having chicken and rice.

My, my, I would say boyfriend, but I think that's a stretch.

We'll get into that conversation later.

He's coming for dinner.

I have chicken and rice tonight with three vegetables.

There you go.

I didn't know that.

I didn't know this was an official thing.

Yeah.

Okay.

So going back to the store, you make the decision to get a retail space.

So you start from, you have a warehouse that's just for your own personal goods.

You then start selling on Instagram.

Am I correct here in the order of things?

Yeah.

You start looking for an actual warehouse and instead you end up having a retail location.

And simultaneously, I think you're going to nursing school.

Is that correct?

So I started school.

I. Yeah, it's.

I was going through a divorce.

I didn't know what to do.

I refused to get locked into some random job that I had to have.

I've always wanted to get a degree, so I was like, I'm just going to go get a. I'll get a degree.

They always say that you find out what you want to do as you go through school.

So I'm 2cl.

I'm starting my summer semester tomorrow.

And then after that semester I'll have two classes left to get my aa.

And through that, like, while I was going through this process, I decided to go into nursing school and possibly on to CRNA school.

So I started taking all of my, like, anatomy and physiology, went into microbiology, all the other sciences, along with, as an elective through my aa.

And now, like, when I do go to nursing school, I'll have a lighter load and it won't be as stressful.

So.

Yeah, no, you're.

You're so.

You're managing a lot.

I mean, it's clear to me you have so many things that you're juggling time wise.

How are you doing it?

Like, what's the.

How are you staying sane?

And like, describe like, what a typical.

I don't know that there's a typical day, maybe a typical week looks like.

So, yeah, so I live four and a half hours from the store, and so I'm commuting back and forth.

How many days a week is the store open?

So it's open two days a week.

Okay.

Or two days every other weekend is when it's open because we're only able to be there.

And so that's kind of been fun because it creates like a buzz about the store.

Like, you have to get in those two days.

And it's not just us wasting time.

And there's a couple of other people that I follow that do that.

Like, they'll have the store Open once a month and then everybody comes in and it's, it's nice because I'm not having to waste time up there when no one's coming because there's so many other things I could be doing.

But a typical week, like, I don't know, today I dropped the kids off at school.

I came back here to get ready for this.

We'll be leaving on Friday to go back to Birmingham for the store.

So probably around tomorrow I'll start switching my mindset from like being here to being there and, and I'll start working on the store stuff.

I don't.

It's kind of crazy.

My best friend tells me I thrive in chaos and I believe him.

So it's you saying this about switching gears in your mind.

So my schedule is also a little chaotic and how I manage is I time block and I task focus.

And so if I'm doing something creative, I do 20 creative things.

If I am doing something sales oriented, I do 20 of those.

Like I administrative finance, etc.

I have my categories of tasks and I power through them.

When my brain is in one wave, then I just continue to, to ride that wave.

Because if I do, if I put administration on every single day of my week, I spend 10 times longer doing one little thing.

Whereas once I'm already in the check, check, check, check, check.

And so time blocking is my survival technique.

And it sounds like even you saying turning your brain to.

Now I'm going to be focusing on Birmingham.

It sounds like you're also doing some time blocking.

Like tomorrow, tomorrow I, I'll post on Instagram, you know that we're going to be open on Saturday and Sunday.

I've had some shipping issues in California, so I'm trying to work towards through that.

I've got a table that some furniture that was supposed to be delivered on Saturday that is now not coming.

So I'm going to have to find alternative routes to get those items here and figure out how I'm going to tell the client that their table's not going to be here.

But we will figure that out.

They're great.

So hopefully they'll be understanding.

Yeah, so that's, I mean, that's challenging.

Four hours away from the store.

Even if I love your explanation on creating a buzz because I think a lot of, a lot of my clients aren't wanting to be tied to a retail store.

But I think a lot of my clients have the fantasy of having that retail store experience.

But I mean there has to be those logistical challenges of being Four hours away.

Yeah, it was, you know, I think it was.

You have to do some soul searching and figure out like what it is that you want.

And I, I don't want to be at a store every day of the week.

It's not.

And I don't think in today's time, with everything that we have, all the tools that we have access to, I don't think you have to do that anymore.

Like, I, I sell more stuff off of Instagram than I do probably like at the store.

But it's nice to be able to be in the store so people can come in, meet you, learn your story, see the things that you have.

You have time to figure out what else they're looking for, you know, what projects they're working on, if there's anything else that they need that they don't know that they need.

It's just, it gives, I like the face to face time, but I don't have to be there all the time to make that happen.

Yeah, that makes, it makes complete sense.

So when you started your business, you started right away with, with reaching out, I think, to a variety of people to, to get the most information, to get the most knowledge and also to like, I think you originally hired people to help with social media or branding to get you going.

Is that correct?

It is correct, yeah.

A friend helped me.

She was instrumental in getting it launched.

I didn't, I'm not really a social media person, but I have become one for the store.

So I didn't know, like, I didn't know.

I mean, how do you start selling stuff when you have nothing to, like, you're opening a store, but, like, where is it?

Well, it's, it's on this page and that's really all I had.

So.

She was extremely creative.

She was.

I don't know.

I, I don't.

I could have done it, but she just made my life so much simpler.

So.

And sometimes that's all it is, is literally having someone who makes your life simple, simpler, or helps.

I'm going to use a PG13 rating.

Get shit done.

Someone who simply helps you get it done is important.

And I've since started doing it myself and like, I, it's what she was.

I.

And I have a lot more material to work with now than she did in the beginning.

So the fact that she was able to build this page and get it going with nothing is just, I don't know, it was incredible.

Like, I'm forever grateful.

Yeah.

I am impressed with, with this sentiment of asking for Help.

And also, there's something, I think, when you, I think, like, of a relationship as well as a business, the same way as the best person equipped for driving drives at a given moment.

And I know in my case with Antiques Diva, I'm the visionary.

I set the vision.

I talk to every client who incomes for a sales call.

Any client who wants to talk to me, a free consulting call.

I will always do that first call because I know that that's what I'm best at driving.

However it's taken, it took humility for me to be able to say, okay, well, my colleague here in Paris, they're better at leading the Paris tour than I am because they are French.

They do have more years experience.

They speak the language better than me.

And I think it's a really important thing recognizing when it's good for someone else to be driving that car.

And I think simultaneously, there's a moment where it's like, oh, I'm the right one to be driving today because I know how to manage on ice, or I know how to drive better in the rain.

And so you, with you doing this with Instagram, you had someone get you started in a time in your life that you were super busy.

I mean, I remember.

I remember so much was going on, and you had someone help during a time you were super busy, and she got it going.

But you are the voice, you are the personality behind the brand.

And so now you've stepped forward because you understand that your presence is important for continuing to grow in intimacy with your clients and grow the brand to the next level.

Right.

She was.

She was really on me about, like, she wanted more of me in it.

She wanted more of my voice in it.

And.

And I wasn't comfortable doing that because people want you.

And that's something that, like, I remember from our conversations, she was like, you said, she was like, they want to see pictures of you.

They.

They're not buying from a random person.

They want to see who they're buying from.

They want to know what they're buying.

And it's just, that's what people want, you know, give them what they want.

Like, we're renovating a historic home in Birmingham, and I didn't have anything to post, so I was, like, struggling to have content.

So I decided to post something about our house.

And I did a poll.

Like, would you guys like to see more of this?

It was the highest return rating on a poll that I had ever done because people are interested in me.

And that's so weird to say but it's why I started watching or listening to your podcast, because I was interested in you.

Like, how did she go from Oklahoma to Venice?

What is that story?

Baby, I'm telling you, it's not just an ice cream.

It's.

It's.

Yeah, but people, like, people are interested.

So.

Yeah, and I'm.

I figured out early on, even before I started Antiques Diva, I had this really random job.

So I had moved overseas in 2000, end of 99, early 2000, and I didn't work from when I lived in Paris.

I didn't have a work visa and I studied.

I had an amazing time in Paris, actually.

It was incredible.

My ex husband had been transferred to Paris and I had this period of five years where I was basically paid a stipend to be unemployed.

And I used it for education.

I used it to study and do all these different things.

And he was transferred to Amsterdam and this company.

So, you know.

Have you heard of SAP?

The computer technology?

Not really.

I hadn't either.

Apparently people who are like IBM people, they know what it is.

Like people who are in that tech world.

SAP means something to them.

Yeah.

So I am with a friend and this friend looks at me and she goes, have you ever.

Have you ever been.

Do you ever do any public speaking?

And I hadn't started Antiques Diva yet at the time.

I had worked in advertising in the States before moving to Paris, but only like two short years.

And so I'm like, well, I'm the president of my woman's club.

I talk at my women's club.

And she goes, do you know how to read a teleprompter?

And I said, no, I don't know how to read a teleprompter.

And she goes, are you willing to try?

And so I tried, and I actually could read a teleprompter, which was apparently not a skill everybody's able to do and look natural.

So there is this conference in Vienna called the SAPPHIRE Conference, and it's with SAP, and it was a big technological conference.

And for a couple of years I became the spokesperson for this conference and I said, and I got hired to do this for a couple of years.

Just small gigs here and there, and I knew nothing about technology and I would, I would butcher all of these abbreviations like SAP.

I called SAP and I did acronym acronyms wrong.

So they had to teach me how to say it correctly.

But what they told me, and this has been an ongoing thing in my career and I think it's changed the history of my business the friend of mine who had introduced me to Luke, who hired me for the job, she said, you just are so trustworthy.

And I said, I am trustworthy.

She was, I know you're from Oklahoma.

It's clear.

She goes, but it's your face.

She said, your face is trustworthy.

And I thought, you know what?

This is like a multi billion dollar company and.

And they want to use my face to represent them.

And I thought, holy cow.

When I started Antique Steva, I thought if this major corporation used my face because my face looked trustworthy, I thought maybe I should use my face in my marketing because people like, it'll make people trust me.

It was something I did not understand then what I was doing.

And.

Right.

Like most things in my life, I lucked into it.

But the thing that was amazing is it is the reason why I think people feel comfortable to do business with someone overseas, because you do have that face that you're connecting with someone.

And I think the same applies with your business.

People connect with you when they see your face.

I think it's one of the, you know, we've been.

Marcus and I, who's.

He's been on this journey with me and been so supportive and helped me.

Like, he came to France when we went on a shopping trip and he, like, he sees a lot of things and does a lot of things that, like, I don't think about.

So it's nice to have that.

But we have been talking a lot about, you know, maybe we should have someone there at the store, like a couple days when we're not there.

But it's a struggle because I don't want people to come in for the first time and meet someone, someone other than us.

Because I think it's like, I want, like, I.

When they think of the store or collected, I want them to think of me or I want them to think of Marcus.

Like, I don't want them to think of anyone else.

So that's something that I've not let go of.

But I think we're going to have to.

You know, it's a good problem to have, but it's.

I don't know if it's one that I want to do yet.

Yeah, you'll know when the time is right.

Yeah, you have good instincts and you'll know.

You'll be like, oh, this is the right person at the right time.

I have with Antique Steva, I have never put an advert out for an employee.

I've never put an advert out for a diva guide.

People have always, over the years just found me and like, it was this organic thing that people, people, the right people always come to me and I have a suspicion that the right person is going to be maybe already in your life or, or appear in your life and at a certain moment you're like, oh, yeah, now I feel comfortable for handing the reins over handing the steering.

I think I totally believe, like, timing is everything and it all happens when it's supposed to.

Yeah, I agree.

So no doubt about that.

Talk to me about France.

You mentioned your buying trip in France, but you.

So two things.

One would love to hear because I don't know that you and I've ever actually talked about your buying trip in France.

So that's number one.

And two, you've also bought auction all over the world.

Obviously you don't want to reveal any of your buying sourcing secrets.

I would not ask that of you.

However, you're what I would call an intrepid buyer.

Like you, you really, you're fearless and it.

I'm impressed.

Often you'll send me a photo and it'll be a photo of something you bought that's spectacular.

And oh, I saw you sent me the thing that Robert Basalt had commented on.

And Robert, I, he is, he is my design crush.

He's a dear friend.

He is also, in my opinion, one of the best, like style makers in America.

And so Robert Pattle is liking your stuff, you know, that you're doing things right.

But so you send me photos of great items that you said, I bought this.

What do you think?

But like, you're buying everywhere.

Like, you're really impressive.

I don't, I, I mean, it's just shipping, you know, it's like, if you're gonna buy things and ship them, why can't you buy things and ship them from Australia or California or.

I mean, you're, it's so common to ship from France or Europe, but like, why can't it be from somewhere else?

I think you, you have to.

I think it's just, I, you know, ignorance is bliss.

I didn't know anything.

I just started buying things that I loved and that has, you know, I don't buy anything that I wouldn't use.

Yeah.

In my home.

And I think that if you can stay true to that, I think that's been very successful for me.

I've talked to dealers that they tell me that they buy ugly because ugly sells to people that like ugly shit.

And I get, I get it.

But I don't want, like, I don't want to do that.

I don't want to put my name on something that I wouldn't use.

So if I see something.

I had a small container come in from Australia.

You know, Australia is not known for buying antiques, but they just happen to have some stuff that I found online that I loved.

And it's, you know, the first day that it was on the floor.

Like, some of it sold, but shipping is just.

I don't know.

I don't.

I guess I didn't know.

I.

Not knowing was kind of good for me.

Yeah, you didn't know to be afraid.

And so then you.

You jump in and then you figure it out.

You figure out all the details along the way that you need to know.

Yeah, but I, you know, if I see something that I'm obsessed with and often, like the stuff that Robert, that he liked, there were a lot of people, they were expensive.

They were expensive to buy.

They're, you know, whoever buys them, it will be expensive for them.

But they're incredible cabinets, you know, with inlaid lapis and marble and semi precious stones.

But because those.

Like, another friend of yours, Michael Mitchell, like, he messaged about those.

Dennis Bracken from Houston messaged about those.

Bam.

Doing things right.

Yeah.

And that's really cool, too, when people like that, that I've looked up to for so long, like, send a message or click the like button or follow the account, because it's another form of validation that I am doing the right thing.

I'm good enough.

I've got the right eye.

Like, Mary McDonald followed the page.

I'm like, are you fucking kidding me?

I love Mary.

Mary is a hoot.

She.

She is absolutely one of the funniest people on earth.

And she's also, I think, one of the arbiters of style in America.

Like, she's in my top 10 list.

I should have her on the podcast, actually.

She's incredible.

She's.

I was able to meet her last October at the Antiques of the Garden in Birmingham, and it was her, Barry Dixon, Michelle Nussbaumer.

And it's.

I don't know, like, when you're in a room with those people and you're a little gay boy from rural Louisiana, like, it's.

It's like magical for me.

These are Marvel comic book hero characters.

Right.

That's what I was interested in.

Yeah, it's kind of.

So it's.

It's cool.

Okay.

I'm thinking we need to make Mary McDonald into a superhero, like an action figure.

She is a superhero.

Exactly.

Like, I'M trying.

Like that show, Million Dollar Decorator.

Like, I've been a fan of hers since that.

And it's just.

I don't know.

It's cool.

Like, I remember the day that she followed the page.

I was.

It was just like, I.

It's.

I don't know.

I was like, okay, I'm good.

I'm.

You know, it's just.

I don't know, it's happy, Happy times talk.

One time that she did at High Point, and she said something that was so profound to me.

I had hired a publicist at a certain point in my career, actually.

So I'm.

I'm 51, and I hired my publicist when I was 40, because the year I turned 38, the business was growing like crazy.

39, it was growing like crazy.

And I knew I needed to invest some money back into the company, so I didn't have a huge tax bill.

And I thought.

I thought, one of the best things you can do is have other people talk about you.

So rather than.

So at first I thought maybe I should invest in some advertising.

And I thought, no, I think PR is the thing.

Because PR is the thing that.

PR is the thing that when other people say, if I say I'm fabulous, maybe you agree or you.

Maybe you don't.

But if someone else says you're fabulous, you listen.

Like, you listen when someone else says you're fabulous.

And so I was, at this point in my career, I just hired a publicist.

I was at a tipping point, and my publicist did a brilliant job of pushing me over that tipping point time and time again.

And I was listening to her talk, and she says.

And she says, you know, the problem is, no matter how high you get in your career, you can be the absolute pinnacle of where you want to be.

You're the bottom of someone else's pinnacle.

I was like, this is soul crushing.

I'm like, wait, you mean I get to hear you?

And I think it's actually a really good lesson because people who are like us, we are always striving for more.

We're always going to be striving for that next thing.

I don't settle like that.

Same thing you said about perfectionism.

It's.

I'm always wanting things to be.

To be perfect.

Yeah, I think it's.

So I was on the phone yesterday with, like, we're talking about Mary McDonald.

I'm going to go the other way.

I was on the phone yesterday with this girl.

Her name is Rose.

She has an Instagram page that That I followed that I love.

She's so smart.

I.

She lives in maybe 10 minutes from the store.

And so when I found that out, I was like, you have to come.

You have to come to the store.

And so she came with her mom, who helps her with the business.

And it's been fascinating to chat with someone in their 20s that is doing things on Instagram that, like, I want to do.

And it's another.

It's.

It goes back to being able to ask for help and be okay with that, because last night, while I was trying to cook dinner and get the kids out of the pool and dried off, I had her Instagram live on.

And she, like, she sold almost everything that she put up on the screen.

And it's.

And it's just.

It's so impressive.

And it's kind of.

I was like.

I messaged her after.

I was like, okay, I have to do this.

I was like, but I have to let go of that fear of not being perfect on camera, you know, and she didn't know everything about everything, but she.

I still trust her.

I still would have bought it, like.

And I don't know, she's just so smart.

Like, these kids that are doing these incredible things, like, I can't wait to see what they're doing in the future in this business.

Yeah, I. I can't.

I can't even imagine how the business is going to change in the next.

I will even say six months, because AI has changed so much of what's possible.

And I really do feel that we're living.

We're living in a digital revolution for sure, but we're living in a moment that I. I think two years from now, the way in which you are running your business is going to be entirely different than it is today.

If you get on the.

You.

And when I say you, I mean me.

If we get on the ride, that ride, that technology ride.

I think you have to.

I was talking to my parents about, like, the store, and they were just.

They could not wrap their head around having a store, but only being there four days out of the month.

And I'm like, you kind of don't have to.

Like, the store is.

With Instagram.

The store is open 24 7.

You know, I don't know.

I think I usually respond to your messages at, like, when I wake up for my 2am snack and sometimes connect.

In the middle of the night.

Yeah, sounds so scandalous.

But I think it's, you know, being able to respond to people or talk to people.

Like, at Any given hour.

I think that makes it, you know, your accessibility.

You.

Yeah, you have to be accessible and you have to be willing to do that.

Have you ever heard of that book, the Four Hour Work Week?

No.

Okay.

The book's kind of boring, to be honest, and it's about this thick and I actually use it as a doorstop.

However, the book.

Book is.

Everything is in the title.

The Four Hour Work Week.

After the pandemic.

When I.

During the pandemic, of course, my whole job had changed.

And as I came out of the pandemic, I and was restarting Antiques Diva, having lost three quarters of my staff.

And I mean, it was a really difficult time for Antiques Diva.

And as I came out into returning to the work world, I thought, I don't want to go back into the crazy craze that I was in pre pandemic.

And I will say I'm in a craze.

I'm in a post pandemic craze now.

So I, I did go back.

However, the thing that this book taught me, skim it.

Don't read the whole thing because you'll be bored.

Maybe there's got to be like an audio version that's like an abbreviated Reader's Digest version or something.

But the thing that it taught me was how much I was doing that wasn't necessary or giving me results.

And it gave me permission, and this is a word you used earlier, gave me permission to let go of some of the things that I used to do from a work perspective, that they weren't resulting in a lot, or maybe they were resulting in a lot, but they were taking so much time, it wasn't worth my time.

And this book gave me a degree of time freedom.

I'm still not working a four hour work week.

I don't think I ever will.

But it means, I think some of the skills you can learn in this bit, I think some of the skills you can learn in this book are things that would help you have your four day, your four days a month open.

Yeah.

I think some of the skills that you would need for doing that are in this book.

And I will say a lot of it has to do with letting go what's not important and investing your time in the things that are showing results.

And that's what you're doing.

You're investing time where it matters.

Yeah.

And they also say if you do what you love, you never work a day in your life.

Which it's, you know, I know when I'm like, things are.

Can Be so crazy.

And then, like, I walk into the store and it's just like, it feels good.

Like, I like the way it feels.

I like the way it looks.

I like the way it smells.

It's become my happy place, and I love.

I love having that.

What do you have?

A signature scent.

So when.

When we were in Paris on our shopping trip, I had dinner at Hotel Costas in Paris.

And I remember walking into the lobby and I was just like, this scent, like, just hit me and I bought a candle and a room spray.

And so that's what I've been.

I brought that up there, and I use that there.

So that's a pretty chic signature scent, I would say.

Yeah.

Not so bad.

Yeah.

I would like to duplicate it and.

Sell it so we can make that happen for you.

By the way, do you know this?

Yeah.

So when we were on our buying trip there, they.

We were talking about a.

The candle company in the south of France that can do signature scents.

So that's something that Marcus and I are both wanting to do on our next trip.

Okay, so which.

Go.

Say that again.

Sorry I cut you off.

I said it's something that we want to do on our next trip.

I love it when you say the words next trip.

I just wanted you to say why I was like, next trip.

The.

So in addition to doing candles, they will do body lotions.

They will do like, like soaps, room fragrance.

They have a whole variety of skin care products you can do.

And I convinced.

So we do a lot of.

We help a lot of clients who are building their brands, their stores to do white labels of various home or body products.

And not just body.

We also do ceramic sometimes, sometimes lighting.

Because I think when you have a brand that has your name on reinforces it.

People go home, they have this scent.

It's not just the candle that reminds them of the smell of your store.

It's also.

It's.

They've got the hand lotion next to the bed, and they're putting their hand lotion on when they take their rings off.

And your brand name is being reinforced every time they use the product.

And it's like, how can you be a part of their life?

Right.

Always think of me.

Yeah, exactly.

Always think of me.

Okay.

Yeah.

We need to be wrapping up because we're nearing the end of our hour.

I want to go into your trip in because you were in Paris of Provence, and we're making some plans for the future.

What.

What was your biggest surprise about buying overseas?

Being there again?

I Didn't.

I didn't know what I was getting into.

And so I had that.

My biggest surprise.

You don't have to answer that question.

You can say whatever you want about the trip.

I just threw that one out.

There was so.

There was so much like it was.

I wasn't prepared for the amount of choices that I was going to have to make in the time that I had to make them.

That I think that was probably the.

I got to be quicker.

And then.

I've always loved to dig, and so that was not a problem for me.

But I have an amazing photo of you show shopping.

The flashlight late at night.

Oh, yeah.

And that was fun, too.

Like, I didn't think that I would be in some of the private villas looking at, like, antiques and that.

That was incredible.

So I think the.

The accessibility that was granted to us through you was really cool.

I like that it wasn't just shopping at the Paris flea markets.

There were things that would have never happened had I not, you know, gone under your umbrella.

So thanks for that.

That was nice.

Yeah.

No, I like that.

I appreciate that.

And that's something that I.

It's something that means a lot that you.

That you said it.

Yeah.

So what's next for your business?

Like, what's.

You've done so much in such a short time.

What's next?

What's next?

So what's next?

A magazine that I've been reading probably my entire life.

Well, since it be.

Since it was published.

Milou.

I have an ad coming out, like, a tiny ad coming out there.

We are showing at Marburger Atlanta in July.

So I'm really excited about that.

I'm just.

I'm looking forward to getting more involved with the community in Birmingham and working with antiques of the garden there.

We're not showing there because we're a local store and they don't.

You know, I would love to show there, but, you know, we'll still be there and our presence will be there.

And then we're looking at Marburger, the Marburger show in Round Top.

Trying to figure out if I can make that work.

So just.

I just.

I want to do more.

I. I'm.

I don't know.

I'm happy.

I want to be.

I want.

I want my name known.

Yeah.

Trust me, it's gonna be.

As I said, I know the moment that we were talking, you're on speakerphone.

I'm staring at the Mediterranean Sea, and I heard it.

I heard it in your voice.

I knew he's gonna be known like, you're going places.

And I'm incredibly honored that I've been able to just kind of witness and be there from time to time during your journey.

It's been a pleasure.

It's been a pleasure doing business with you and a pleasure getting to know you on a personal level.

You're someone that I. I genuinely like and see, like, I see you and I think you see me.

I absolutely do.

And I thank you for the time and the help that you've given me, the walking me off the ledges that I get to.

I always tell a lot of walking people off ledges.

I was like, if you haven't cried with someone, then are they really your friend?

I don't know.

And I. I have cried with you because it is.

It's.

It can be stressful, but it's all good.

It's all worth it, so.

Well, it's been fun.

I think that is the perfect way to wrap this up.

Thank you so much for being here.

Tell everyone how they can follow you on Instagram or how they can get a hold of you where your store is.

Give them all the deets that are important for contacting you.

So the store is collected for the home.

You can follow us on Instagram at collected for the home.

We also have Facebook collected for the home.

And if you're ever in the Birmingham area, we are in irondale, Alabama, at 1916 First Avenue North.

And you can go have some.

Wait.

Meet and 3.

Meet and 3.

Meet and three.

Yeah.

When I come to Birmingham, I'm gonna have meet in three.

Yeah.

It's awesome, but thank you.

Thanks.

It was a pleasure chatting with you.

Bye.

Bye.

I hope you've enjoyed this episode of the Business of antiques.

I'm Tom McLark Haines, the Antiques diva, and I'm helping you make your passion for antiques profitable.

Talk to you next time.

Ciao, Ciao.