Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Keith Sweat. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Keith, appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about your team building process? How did you recruit and train your team and knowing what you know now would you have done anything differently?

Regarding team building and hiring, I had great training from my days in “corporate America”. In between my stints of working in the art gallery/picture framing industry, I ran hotels for Marriott. This company is extremely focused on their associates to the point that, as General Managers, part of our compensation is based on Associate Satisfaction surveys.

Bringing that focus to my independent business, I started out with one associate. As the business began to grow beyond the revenue projections from previous owner, I saw a need to readjust my business model; thus, needing additional staff. Using the interview techniques and training principles, I started building my team.

As the business model fluctuates, so goes your staffing requirements. When the mortgage crises hit, our local economy took a large hit. I had to downsize by moving into a building with a complimentary business. We were able to support each other’s respective business, but I had to sacrifice my staff so that I could keep the business going. Once business levels started getting better, I was able to add staff back to my business. I was very fortunate to find a couple of new associates who had experience in my industry, which is very specialized.

After a few years, the other business that I was sharing the space with departed to expand their business model. I renovated the space, added the art gallery back to my business model, and we have increased our revenues, along with our staffing levels every year for the last 3 years.

My team is a dedicated, creative, fun-loving group of very talented individuals. I believe in good communication, training, fun work environment, having the tools to do the job, and rewarding that good work with associate awards, group functions off site of the job, and constantly showing my appreciation for jobs well done.

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 back background and context?

As mentioned before, I used to have a career in the hotel industry. I ran various brands of hotels, from 100+ room, limited service hotels, to conference size hotels, 1700+ rooms. My staffs were from 30 people to 1000. I was very fortunate to win several international awards, along with promoting many young individuals up through the industry to achieve high levels of management within the industry. One thing I have learned is your best laid plans can change in an instant. Having left a position so that I could return home to be with my brother who was terminal with cancer, all of a sudden I was out of a job due to 9-11. With corporate travel taking a very big hit due to the event, hotels were no longer busy and, therefore, did not have a place for me to return to once I relocated. Having grown up working in the gallery-picture framing business, I walked into a shop and asked if they would like some free labor to help get them through the Christmas season. They immediately told me they were relocating to Florida with or without the business: “Do you want to buy it?” Hmmmmm, this was definitely a turning point. I closed on the business January of 2002.
Being the first contemporary art gallery in the market, I was not sure if I made the correct decision. Stepping out on faith, I began creating the environment of high energy laced with high end service with a laid back Margaritaville style. Guess what? It worked. Don’t get me wrong, I have made plenty of mistakes, but I would not trade any of it.
I truly believe in wearing all my past as a suit of armor, not a coat of shame. I share all my learnings with my staff so that they can know that it is just fine to make mistakes, but do not waste them.
We now are on a historic square that is enjoying a renaissance of sorts. We are developing a very active pedestrian lifestyle of multi cultural and diverse people that are loving what we are creating. Making ourselves accessible to everyone is key. We speak to everyone that visit the gallery, we offer free installation of all our framing jobs, and we constantly exceed client’s expectation by giving back much more than promised. Couple this attitude with monthly wine events to raise money for various non-profits, quarterly themed art shows, Summer Saturday Sidewalk artshows, and fun other pop-up events, you can’t help back want to be a part of our “gallery group”. As we constantly say, “A gallery space as a gathering place….Georgian Gallery”.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

Relationships if my “marketing plan”. My energy, and, thus, my staff’s energy, is very welcoming, hospitable, and service oriented. We over deliver on everything. We give much more than the client is expecting while making sure that they know we care very much about seeing them again. We host events at the gallery securing their personal investment into our space, while getting to know them and their needs. We offer free installation service for all of our art and framing purchases. We offer design/home setup services. We always let those relocating into the area that they can reach out to us for ANY info they may need about the area, even if it does not fall within our “wheel house”.
Finally, we stress that “this space is a very safe space for ALL”, making sure that they understand we welcome all lifestyles, cultures, economic levels, etc….

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

The most trying time I have gone through was deep into the mortgage crises. I had to surrender the building I was in for 8 years and I moved into a space with a complimentary business that was already established in his location. I was able to raise the caliber of the environment and service levels. During this transition, I also took on a side job as a designer for a tile/flooring distributor. I was able to increase my design client list while expertly providing a new level of design support for flooring company’s customers. My “roommate business” and I worked seamlessly together for 7 years until he moved out to expand. I took over the space, added an art gallery back to my business model, renovated the space from the front door to the back, pulled in the frame production from my garage at my home, and have steadily increased our revenue year over year for the last 4 years.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.georgian-gallery.com
• Instagram: georgian_gallery
• Facebook: facebook.com/georgiangallery
• Linkedin: Georgian Gallery
• Twitter: @ggalleryframer
• Yelp: georgian gallery