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To date, more than 350,000 guides have been printed in multiple languages,
resulting in thousands of commissions for public and private spaces. In 1992,
Toni’s coffee table and how-to books were added to the publishing line.
The
launch of The Guild’s website and catalog in 1999 took the math major’s dream a
bit further, cyber-connecting to the art-loving market. “I’m a bit of a geek, so
I pounced on the internet like you wouldn’t believe,” she says.
Through its
consumer brand, The Artful Home, the company offers catalogs and a web gallery
featuring more than 12,000 works in every variety imaginable. Other career
pinnacles? Toni’s book of the same name came out last fall, and her first ever
Artful Home show in New York City wowed shoppers in November. “It was
unbelievably fun,” she says.
Success is sweet, but lessons were learned along
the way. “At first, managing people didn’t come naturally to me,” she admits.
“Happy employees are your backbone.” She now gleefully leads a staff of 58.
“There’s an art to that, too!”
(g) Telling time is fun with this quirky cup-and-saucer clock by Emi Ozawa.
(h) Daniel Pohl’s hand-carved buffet in a kaleidoscope of colors topped
by a Van Bankston abstract painting. (i) Prints by Rachel Paxton and (j)
whimsical works like this pincushion teapot by Laura Peery are available through
The Guild..
Toni’s Artful Advice
how to build the business of your dreams
 Solicit feedback to test your ideas, especially with people in your desired
field. After doing so, your thoughts will be much more developed when you pursue
your goals.
Use the internet as a research library to learn about your
profession.
Design a realistic budget. A rule of thumb? Double projected
expenses and cut anticipated revenue in half.
Recognize that employees are
your company’s most important asset and learn to manage wisely.
Originally published in the February/March 2008 issue
Artful Alliances page
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