We recently connected with Veronica H. Speck and have shared our conversation below.

Veronica H. , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your business sooner or later

Hindsight is always 20/20 so as much as I would like to say I wish I had started my business earlier, I actually think it happened organically and at the right time in my personal and professional life.

Entrepreneurship runs in my family and I had always planned to start my own business, but I am glad I waited and gathered as much experience as possible. As of early 2020, I was working with Chef Daniel Boulud, spearheading the communications and marketing strategy for his global hospitality group, and a member of his Executive Team. With the onset of Covid-19, we were forced to close all restaurants and hotels and become extremely creative with delivery options and eventually outdoor dining. It was during this time that I decided to open my own agency and begin working with clients that incorporated my past experiences ranging from artists, designers, galleries, restaurateurs, hoteliers, publishers, luxury brands, beauty companies, and more.

A silver lining of the pandemic was having the freedom and time to focus on building out a business plan and launching the company, which proved more time-consuming than initially imagined. As the world reopened and art and design fairs, events, and exhibitions came back to life throughout 2021, I was ready to greet and embrace new clients and projects. Therefore, I feel very fortunate to have started my company when I did and to be in a state of growth and in the process of scaling currently in 2022.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I began my career in New York City interning at publishing houses including Condé Nast and Hearst, including in the Special Events Department of Vogue where I assisted in the planning of the Costume Institute Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. During Graduate School, I worked in the Special Events Department of Christie’s, which was in the process of transitioning into the Strategic Partnerships division, which was responsible for funding many of the endeavors of the auction house apart from the actual sales. I continued to work in fundraising and for the art and non-profit world at The Whitney Museum of American Art and amfAR The Foundation for AIDS Research.

Leveraging my experience in the art world, I joined Bernardaud as the global Director of Public Relations, promoting artist collaborations and limited-edition objets d’art with artists including Jeff Koons, Vik Muniz, JR, Marina Abramovic, Julian Schnabel, David Lynch, The Campana Brothers, and the Alexander Calder, Joan Miro, and Marc Chagall Foundations.

In 2018, I oversaw the opening of collectible design gallery, The Future Perfect, in New York City and managed all exhibition openings, and art and design fair participation, including Art Basel, Design Miami, Frieze, Salon Art + Design, The Armory Show, Salone del Mobile NYCxDesign, and more.

In early 2020, I left a full-time Executive role as Head of Global Marketing and Communications at Chef Daniel Boulud’s hospitality group to begin VHS Ventures. Currently, I work with a range of clients including artists, automotive companies, designers, architects, galleries, luxury brands, tech companies, restaurants, hotels, publishers, fragrance houses, and more providing affinity partnerships, branding and business development, celebrity and VIP relations, digital marketing, e-commerce, event production, experiential media, public relations., and social media.

Let’s talk M&A – we’d love to hear your about your experience with buying businesses

I have not bought a business outright yet; however, I am a partner in a luxury brand. Eventually, I would like my agency to operate as a portfolio fund in which I invest and/or acquire brands and businesses from various verticals.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I think our society as a whole had to pivot in business and in life during the pandemic. I, for one, took the opportunity to begin my business, work remotely, build a team, etc. The Communications and Marketing industry requires one to be nimble and adjust quickly to market trends so being able to navigate that (and enjoy the process!) is a prerequisite for anyone on this career path in my opinion!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.veronicahelenspeck.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vhs.ventures/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vhsventures
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/venturesvhs/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/veronicaspeck?lang=en

Image Credits
Daphne Youree