EP:
26
The Future Of Modern
Featuring
John Edelman
President and CEO of Heller
1hr 36min
March 9, 2023
About the Show
"Cultivating taste starts with having an interest."
Listen Now
John Edelman is the President and CEO of Heller, an American modern design company that makes and sells indoor/outdoor furniture and accessories. John was previously the CEO of Design Within Reach, which was sold to Herman Miller in 2014.
Key Moments
OUTLINE:
- (00:00) - Intro
- (4:09) - Early years in an entrepreneurial home
- (8:13) - Advice for starting a new company
- (11:00) - The Importance Of Taste
- (14:20) - Learning to love modern design
- (18:30) - The art of the flip
- (22:27) - Getting a visit from Andy Warhol
- (24:35) - The power of window displays
- (27:33) - Tips for running a family business
- (29:47) - Changing the strategy at Edelman Leather
- (33:25) - Dealing with family in your business
- (35:37) - Using your competition to power growth
- (40:15) - Discovering the Brazilian show business
- (42:50) - Selling the family business
- (48:09) - Keeping your family happy while running a business
- (50:19) - Almost losing a deal in the last moment
- (56:06) - How to motivate your team
- (1:07:12) - Selling Design Within Reach
- (1:16:26) - The 10/80/10 Management Model
- (1:19:33) - After selling Design Within Reach
- (1:21:24) - Failing in the vodka industry
- (1:24:26) - Having a partnership and also a friendship
- (1:27:36) - Running the legendary design brand, Heller
EPISODE LINKS:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-edelman-4361a012/
- Heller: https://hellerinc.com/
- Design Within Reach: https://www.dwr.com/
Herman Miller: https://www.hermanmiller.com/
