We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Reyne Hirsch. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Reyne below.
Reyne, appreciate you joining us today. Can you recount a story of an unexpected problem you’ve faced along the way?
Opening a new retail business of any kind during COVID is not a challenge most people would tackle. Granted, when we set out on this journey, COVID was not a word anyone knew. In December 2020, we got the keys to our new art gallery space, however we were still in need of an occupancy permit to open our doors to the public.
As COVID hit, delays continued. From inspections to permits. It caused a 6 month delay in us being able to open shop.
During those 6 months, we still had to pay rent, owned a ton of inventory ready to be hung on the walls for customers to buy, and employees to pay.
We shifted gears and focused on internet sales while waiting for our permits. Ironically, people were interested in home improvements as “work from home” became the norm, so making their homes-space “homey” was great for business.
Consumers were online buying things to make their space more enjoyable and art was definitely a must-have.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?
I’ve been fortunate to have an interesting business life. From hosting television shows to appraising rare paintings and antiques for investment firms and estates. I’ve been a writer for HuffPost and have also penned numerous books on collecting.
Working as an appraiser on PBS’ “Antiques Roadshow” for 13 seasons opened the doors for an amazing array of opportunities. I was a repeat guest on Martha Stewart Living Sirius Radio show, along with being featured several times on CBS The Early Show. From there I went to CNBC’s “Treasure Detectives” before landing my own weekly show on NBC, The Art of Collecting and finally as the host of “Ridiculous Ranches” for RIDETv showcasing some of the most elaborate and well… ridiculous properties for sale on today’s market.
Today my goal is to take over the contemporary art world with my partner Pat Jones. We’ve opened two art galleries in Texas and are considering a third in Las Vegas.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
Social media offers a great way to share your passions with others around the globe whose paths might never cross yours. A great image of a painting, or quick video of an amazing sculpture gains a lot of traction (and interest) which is the perfect way to gain followers.
Don’t hesitate to have fun with your posts. With owning an art gallery, a fun post opens the door to a great conversation with a potential customer.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
“Build it and they will come” I’ve learned that this age old saying is untrue.
There are so many options today for everything. From the bread you buy in a store, to the clothes you wear on your back.
People have options. So opening an amazing store filled with beautiful things does not mean the public will race to find you. It takes time, patience, and a lot of marketing. It doesn’t matter how great your product is – if you don’t have a lot of marketing dollars to promote your business, you are dead in the water.
Contact Info:
- Website: patrickjones.gallery
- Instagram: @ReyneHirsch
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PatrickJonesGallery
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reyne/
- Twitter: @ReyneHirsch
- Yelp: https://www.facebook.com/PatrickJonesGallery
Image Credits
Patrick Jones Gallery