Today we’d like to introduce you to Emma Holland Denvir.
Emma, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I started in the interiors industry as a woodworker about ten years ago — designing and creating my own sculptures and furniture. That landed me a position as a junior designer at Bishop Pass, a boutique hospitality firm. We worked on a bunch of local restaurants, such as Maude by Curtis Stone, as well as larger ones in SF & Las Vegas for Michael Mina. I learned so much there and would not be where I am today without that position. I bounced around the industry landing at House of Honey as well as PaliGroup as a consultant while working on my own brand under my name, Emma Holland Denvir.
Ultimately I made the switch to the “vendor side” and became the first US employee for a Swedish furniture brand named Hem. I left there as the Head of US Business Development after doubling their sales, opening two showrooms and offices on the east & west coast, and hiring a team of ten. I recently founded my own company, Denvir Enterprises.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I think starting a business is always bumpy as you are doing something you most likely have not done before. I feel very well equipped for this specific business, however, and feel very fortunate. It feels like all of my past experiences have aligned to make me a great candidate for starting Denvir Enterprises.
We send monthly gift boxes to our clients and getting that together has been one of the most challenging and frustrating aspects in the past few months, funnily enough. We were not familiar with packing and shipping so figuring out logistics around that was nightmare-ish but now it’s a bit more smooth sailing. Debbie Bean, a friend and brand we work with, saved us by telling us about some resources that could help us streamline the logistics. I think when you are starting something new, you often forget to ask your community for help and try to do it alone, but that’s definitely not necessary! Entrepreneurs often love sharing their experience and expertise with others, you just have to ask.
Other than that, fear can creep in about the future pretty easily. Especially during a global pandemic. I do my best to stay in the present and tackle life and the business one day at a time, otherwise, it can get quite overwhelming.
Denvir Enterprises – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
We are a multi-line agency representing sustainable & contract grade furniture, lighting, and accessory brands. Although we are a sales agency, we are marketing and PR driven, meaning we approach sales in more creative and unorthodox ways. This also means we have a lot of fun doing what we do.
Our target audience is businesses in the interior design industry. As I mentioned previously, we send out monthly gift boxes, these are shipped to 100 designers around the country. In each gift box, we feature a brand we represent. It’s often hard to get designers’ attention, especially during COVID/quarantine, so the gift boxes have been a unique way to stay in touch and top of mind and reach a national audience. We not only send designers a surprise gift they didn’t pay for, but the gift also functions as a physical sample of each brand’s capabilities.
I am most proud of the focus each of our brands has on sustainability. Each brand has environmentally-minded methods interwoven into their material sourcing and manufacturing processes. It is paramount that as people and companies creating new products, we are extremely mindful of what those products are made of and how they are made.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
My best-self defines success as being fulfilled by my career. At the end of the day, I run a sales agency, so it’s hard not to define success by how big the numbers are. As we are getting started, I have to constantly remind myself that progress and success are based on relationship building. Once we gain momentum, we will donate monthly and volunteer with non-profits that are helping diversify the design industry, which really starts with education. I am very grateful for the opportunities I have been given in my life and know that once we are a bit more established, giving back to the community will be integral to our definition of “success.”
Contact Info:
- Website: denvirenterprises.com
- Email: hey@denvirenterprises.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/denvirenterprises/
Image Credit:
Portrait: Michelle Pullman, Each brand the photo is c/o that brand — Debbie Bean, bläanks, Shift, RAD, Poketo, Gantri, Dims, Fyrn
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