American Rental Association Show

Behind the scenes here at Dish & Decor Vintage Rental, we have been busy! In February Kristina, my full-time assistant, and I attended the American Rental Association Conference in Orlando. As my business is growing, I decided it was time to attend this conference once again and bring along my right-hand woman! Kristina had never flown so that was new for her. And this was her first business conference as well. I am thrilled to be able to mentor her with the goal of her taking over most of my workload. As Dish & Decor has grown, it is tough for me to handle all aspects of this company on my own. My part-time team is important too. I truly feel I have all of my employees in the positions that utilize their strengths and talents. Love my team!

So let me share a bit about the conference. We met some gurus in the marketing and styling business. Steve Kemble, the lifestyle expert from Texas, was energizing. His vision for table styling affirmed mine. Mix it up! Textures and mismatched! The more patterns and textures the better. And he advised always, always, always use a charger at each place setting for added elegance. Daymon, from Shark Tank, spoke about going with your gut, believing in what you are doing, and sharing your passion. As the keynote speaker, he pumped us up!

We participated in a table styling event. And we walked the trade floor looking for new trends and collections. Kristina found some items she would like us to add to our inventory. I learned what items are going out of style and what is on trend. We met other vendors and swapped stories. I did sort of take over a trade booth. I couldn't help myself. The sales rep was explaining to another vendor how to use the glass caddies. Dish & Decor uses and relies on these caddies. In the past six years, I have figured out what works with packing glasses. So... I just sort of jumped in and shared what I do. Before we knew it, the reps stood back and let me do my thing. In truth, a vendor sharing with another vendor was probably most useful. I think the sales reps may have learned a thing or two as well.

The chance to meet others in similar businesses and with similar goals is rejuvenating. I met an interior designer from Indianapolis. As we chatted about our businesses, she could not believe that we had handwashed over 35,000 dishes and 29,000 glasses last year. I explained that our collections are vintage and can't be run through a dishwasher. She was amazed. Later in one of the vendor booths, I overheard her telling her team, "That's the lady I was telling you about. They handwashed 35,000 dishes and glasses last year!" Sometimes I can't believe it myself! I know my strength is to maximize what already exists. I am at heart a maximizer. As my company continues to grow and improve, the future is bright.

Stay tuned...