Las Vegas Wrap-up
NGN MEMBERS NETWORK WITH INDUSTRY ICONS
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ouldn’t it be nice if someone could whisper all the right moves in your ear? Volunteer for that assignment with the impossible-to-please-customer. Here’s how you make the right hire. Let me show you how to upsell the customer. You’re planning on covering up that tattoo, right?
The Lunch with Leaders program, facilitated by the North American Home Furnishings Association (NAHFA) gives Next Gen NOW members a chance to learn from some of the home furnishings industry’s most successful leaders. During the Las Vegas Market in July, 18 Next Gen NOW members had the opportunity to meet with three of the industry’s best and brightest: City Furniture president Keith Koenig, Gallery Furniture president Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale and Steinhafels president Gary Steinhafel.
Seth Aaronson, business analyst and digital strategist for Lacks Valley Stores in Pharr, Texas, enjoyed getting to sit down with some of the industry’s biggest leaders even if only for an hour.
Matt Shuel, a business administration major at Central “For me, it was invaluable because you don’t get the opportunity every Washington University, called the lunch “the highlight of day to sit down with leaders of a major industry that are also in a way market for me.” your competition,” Aaronson said. “Really, I could have stayed there all day and talked with The Vegas Lunch with Leaders program was the second for Aaronson, them,” said Shuel, who works at his family’s store, Meredith who had lunch with RC Wiley at the January Las Vegas Market. Both Furniture, in Yakima, Wash. “You get so caught up in work lunches gave him the opportunity to talk candidly with potential and you’re doing so many things you don’t always get the mentors and get their advice. chance to talk to guys like this, who obviously have great ideas and don’t mind sharing them.” “It’s nice to hear a different perspective or take on some part of your business or validate ideas you’ve had that your leader back home hasn’t Shuel said Koenig offered him some great ideas about deliv- bought into yet,” Aaronson said. “Just listening to them made me ery charges, employee training and how to make the right feel good about some of the decisions I’ve made and made me rethink hire. “Everything he talked about was relevant in some way some other things I’m doing.” to our store,” Shuel said. “Now I just need to go back and try to implement some of the things.” Emily Severson, operations manager for FurnitureDealer.net, said her time with McIngvale, the legendary mattress king, “was beyond Shuel said his store does not have any full-time female inspiring. His experience and passion make it easy to remember why employees, a problem Shuel and his father Mike are trying I love this industry and my devotion to doing my part to keep this to change. He said Koenig was a big help in offering advice industry flourishing.” on how to make the right hire and how to empower them once they are brought on board. The Next Lunch with Leaders will be held Sunday, October 19, at the High Point Fall Furniture Market. To get involved as a leader, contact “So there’s an example of getting to talk to an industry giant Cindi William at cwilliams@nahfa.org or 916-960-0277. To get and applying what he said when we get home,” Shuel added. involved as an attendee, sign up to receive all the NGN information “You can’t put a price on that kind of knowledge or insight.” at ngnow.org.
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Las Vegas Wrap-up Next Generation Now is a hosted community of the North American Home Furnishings Association “The Lunch with Leaders was fun and interactive,” said Keith Koenig of City Furniture. “I learned more from them about their generation’s expectations, as customers and as employees, than they learned from me.”
Next Gen members, from left, Lee Beatrous, Groovystuff, Jon Tenpenny, Tenpenny Furniture, Emily Severson, FurnitureDealer.net, Seth Aaronson, Lacks Valley Stores and Alex Macias, Del Sol Furniture enjoyed their meeting with Jim McIngvale, president and founder of Gallery Furniture (center) in the Serta showroom.
NGN members met with Gary Steinhafel, president of Steinhafels in the Simmons showroom. From left: Bill Elliott, Simmons Company, Lael Thompson, Broyhill Home Collection, Gary Steinhafel, Steinhafels, Richard Tomkins, Crescent Fine Furniture, Alex Kirsch, FurnitureDealer. net, Michael Herschel, FMG, Diana Razulis, Bekaert Textiles and Matt Huber, Belfort Furniture. www.retailerNOWmag.com
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