We were lucky to catch up with Steven Walker recently and have shared our conversation below.
Steven, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What do you think it takes to be successful?
I think the key to success in business is your ability to be prepared to course correct, be fluid and flexible to meet the needs of clients in the ever changing landscape. If you think of how business practices have changed over the last few years, how technology has changed, how customer experiences and expectations have changed, forever raising rent and operating costs, to the way we communicate and consume. You have to be prepared to pivot and lean into this, otherwise, simply put, you could get left behind.
Steven, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I started Modern Rocks Gallery in Austin just over ten years ago having moved to the US from my native London. Prior to that, I ran a gallery in London while moonlighting as guitarist in the band Modern English, splitting my time between touring and gallery life in between. Modern Rocks Gallery is dedicated to rare, iconic rock n’ roll photography and curated shows from the world’s most recognized photographers and artists, We’ve managed to evolve the gallery into a trusted establishment that attracts private collectors, interior designers, art consultants, and high-profile projects from all over the world. Modern Rocks Gallery is a truly unique space, you’ll find signed limited edition prints from award-winning music and pop culture photographers such as Terry O’Neill, Norman Seeff, Masayoshi Sukita, Kevin Cummins, Brian Duffy and Jill Furmanovsky to name but a few. Modern Rocks Gallery goes beyond just art — it’s a hub for gathering and conversation around the rock and roll nostalgia that stays true to the fabric of Austin. From Bowie tributes to creative exhibitions, the gallery continues to magnetize the community around its timeless collection. What has been key to its success is the simple fact that its a labor of love.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
The pandemic was a big moment for everyone. It was unprecedented, and we had no idea of what to expect in the beginning, change was forced on us, and it bought on many new challenges. We all had to change the way we lived, worked, shopped and studied. Even simple day to day tasks like getting groceries seemed almost impossible. For a business owner, this was terrifying. We had to close the gallery and pivot to only online sales, but still had rent to pay on our gallery space. Thankfully, the gallery already had a solid e-commerce website and good online presence, so we didn’t have to start from scratch. I remember coming to the gallery, grabbing 10 prints that I thought could attract some attention. I set up a sale page on my website, put them all up and started promoting on my social networks. To my surprise, they all sold within a week. So the next week, I put up 10 more, but this time, the discount was slightly less. These also sold, so I just kept going over the coming weeks. Until then, my online sales had all been out of state and international, with local sales always being in person. To my surprise, we also started getting local online sales, so I offered free delivery, dropping off prints to peoples homes, masked up and texting the client when the print was placed outside their door. Logistically, this was a challenge, especially as many people were also ordering their prints framed, so I would drop the unframed prints outside my framers workshop, and pick them up when they were finished. The gallery survived the pandemic and came out the other side. Sadly, I saw so many business go under. Interestingly, it seemed to me that the ones who survived were the ones who pivoted and made the appropriate changes.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
Social media to me is a necessary evil. I don’t particularly like it, but, I continue to use it to promote my business. I work in the visual arts, so its a great way to get my stuff out there. We all spend so much time on our phones, and in some cases, it’s the only way to get to engage with potential clients. it’s a great way to push your brand as well as individual products. I remember opening the gallery and immediately getting all my socials up and running. Posting away to only get a few likes. It seemed soulless and frustrating at first, so all I can say is you’ve got to keep going, keep engaging, responding to comments, following people back and just sticking at it. It takes time, but if you keep at it, you will notice a difference.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.modernrocksgallery.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/modernrocksgallery/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ModernRocksGallery/
- Linkedin: https://www.instagram.com/modernrocksgallery/
- Twitter: https://x.com/modernrocks
Image Credits
Steven Walker picture by Kirk Weddle