Telling Authentic Stories - John Edelman - Defining Hospitality - Episode #106

Sitting down with us for this week's episode of Defining Hospitality is someone who is highly skilled in modern furniture, retail, and textiles. As the recipient of an honorary doctorate from the NY School of Interior Design, he is revamping the furniture design industry. Our guest this week is the Executive Chairman of Crypton Fabrics, Former CEO of Design Within Reach, and the President and CEO of Heller, John Edelman! Host Dan Ryan talks with John to dive into the intricacies of modern furniture design, the importance of telling an authentic story, and the main requirements when designing for the hospitality industry. 

Takeaways: 

• For John, hospitality is how you would like to be treated as a guest in someone else's home. To put this in action, all guests at the stores he oversaw were given a water when they walked in as a welcome gift. 
• Delivering good service goes beyond just creating a welcoming interaction, you need to apply that service to what the client really wants. You may have given them great service, but if it was service they didn’t want, you’ve only lengthened their journey.  
• When you design an experience with furniture you need to tell an authentic story. Knowing the stories of the furniture and the way it’s presented reinforces the rest of the experience that has been created.  
• If you can speak in superlatives and tell the truth, you’ve won. When building an authentic brand, start with a true statement, explain it, and be very honest about it. Once you’ve identified your statement, expand upon it. 
• When designing furniture for the hospitality industry, there are three main requirements. Your product must have fantastic and fresh design, it must be in stock and readily available, and it needs a sustainability story. 
• When designing furniture, you need to have a sustainability story. For Heller products there is a multi pronged approach. Their furniture is long lasting and 100% recyclable by design. Should you wish to part with your piece, they will take back and recycle it.
• When implementing hospitality in a retail environment, encourage employees to ask questions to address customer needs. If you're practicing the concept of hospitality, you're never selling anything. You're defining a need and then servicing it.

Quote of the Show:

• “If you're practicing the concept of hospitality, you're never selling anything. You're defining a need and then servicing it.” - John Edelman

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-edelman-4361a012/ 
• Website: https://hellerfurniture.com/ 

Shout Outs:

00:32 - New York School of Interior Design

06:13 - Be Original Americas

08:00 - Aloft Hotels

10:23 - John McPhee: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-mcphee-a3a80418/ 

14:01 - John Edelman New York Times Article: https://www.architecturaldigest.com/gallery/design-within-reach-chris-hardy-slideshow 

25:12 - Hlynur Atlason: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hlynur-atlason-4770a66/

32:00 - Savannah College of Art and Design

Ways to Tune In: 

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0A2XOJvb6mGqEPYJ5bilPX
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/defining-hospitality-podcast/id1573596386
• Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZGVmaW5pbmdob3NwaXRhbGl0eS5saXZlL2ZlZWQueG1s
• Amazon Music: ​​https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8c904932-90fa-41c3-813e-1cb8f3c42419