Show Open And Guest Tease

Voice Over 0:00

This is iDesign Lab, a podcast where creativity and curiosity meet style and design. Curator of interiors, furnishings, and lifestyles. Hosted by Tiffany Woolley, an interior designer and a style enthusiast, along with her serial entrepreneur husband Scott. iDesign Lab is your ultimate design podcast where we explore the rich and vibrant world of design and its constant evolution in style and trends.

TIffany Woolley 0:31

Welcome to the iDesign Lab podcast. What does it take to build a luxury brand that spans continents, serves the world's most exclusive homes and hotels, and is even redefining an airport experience? Our guest today has spent more than three decades doing exactly that. He's the president and CEO of AHC Group and one of the driving forces behind the global success of Adriana Hoyos Furnishings. Please welcome Eduardo Perez Sr. to our podcast today.

SPEAKER_01 1:08

Thank you. Thank you, T, thank you, Scott. My pleasure.

From Textiles To Interior Design

TIffany Woolley 1:12

The funny part is, is like there's so many questions we have in appreciation of your career and your wife's career, but I feel like we need to start at the very beginning. So tell us.

Scott Woolley 1:24

How did it all start? Your wife was an interior designer. Yeah. And a fabulous interior designer.

SPEAKER_01 1:31

Well, uh, we uh we got married. Uh I I am uh an industrial engineer from Texas AM.

TIffany Woolley 1:40

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 1:40

My wife went to school in uh Arlington, Virginia, Merriman College. Beautiful. And uh we met in Ecuador.

SPEAKER_03 1:49

Oh, really?

SPEAKER_01 1:50

I came uh from Texas AM and I started to work with my family uh business, which was uh fourth generation, textile business.

TIffany Woolley 1:59

So there was a little overlap a little bit.

SPEAKER_01 2:02

Oh, yeah, of course. And she started as an interior designer in Ecuador. Back days in Ecuador, interior design wasn't completely known. Uh and uh I believe uh when we started, I say we because I uh I was always behind Adriana, and and uh we started on uh on making this new uh introduction of uh of a category that wasn't wasn't ready. So we we I think we were pioneers in Equal for that for that uh and I started uh as as an engineer on my uh family company and in 1992 I decided uh that I didn't I didn't want to be part of a of a family business uh on on a textile business which was very uh complicated at that time. China came in with the right timing, why so uh I decided to to go back uh I mean to uh to join Adriana and her interior design and start doing uh furniture. So it was interesting.

TIffany Woolley 3:12

So the furniture began in Ecuador.

SPEAKER_01 3:14

Oh yes.

TIffany Woolley 3:15

And her career obviously started there. When did you make the leap to the United States?

SPEAKER_01 3:22

2000.

TIffany Woolley 3:24

So pretty soon, right then after that.

SPEAKER_01 3:27

Pretty soon. Uh and uh uh long story short, we we brought to the market uh I believe more than what the market was uh believing in uh even knowing that they needed it. Knowing they needed it.

TIffany Woolley 3:50

Yes, and like around that time too, Miami was very much coming back. There was definitely a remember this was in Ecuador. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 3:59

This was in Ecuador, okay. So uh I've I I've seen in Adriana a lot of talent. So we decided that uh uh Ecuador and Latin America was was a small for the uh uh the niche of the market.

SPEAKER_03 4:18

Right.

SPEAKER_01 4:19

So we decided to to uh to have that venture coming on a and and why not Colombia, why not uh Peru?

SPEAKER_03 4:27

It's true.

SPEAKER_01 4:27

It was it was our decision to go and try and learn on the big leaks.

Moving To Miami And Dakota

SPEAKER_01 4:33

So we came in 2000, 2001, we opened at the design center uh of the Americas, Dakota.

TIffany Woolley 4:39

Beautiful Dakota.

SPEAKER_01 4:40

Yeah, we were a very small company, yes, and that was really uh uh we were very courageous to come. Was it was it the interior design or were you were you doing furniture at that time? Good question. We always have been doing both. So uh Adriana Adriana has uh the design studio, she has a very distinct style too.

TIffany Woolley 5:04

It's a very warm, modern, I feel like a lot of you know eco, like you know, natural finishes and details.

SPEAKER_01 5:15

And and there's a reason behind it. I'm sure. Because uh we wanna we wanna we wanted to bring to the market uh something different, something that that brings value. And having the uh the resources and and I would say the Latin flair, uh we we understood that that was needed in in this market. And that's why we came with our own style and and be unique and trying always to have that DNA present.

Scott Woolley 5:46

Right. So going back to the beginning, she's an interior designer, you get involved with her.

SPEAKER_01 5:51

Yeah.

Scott Woolley 5:52

What are the first furniture pieces? What is what's where did you think, or where did you both go from a furniture standpoint?

SPEAKER_01 5:59

Well, uh Scott, we uh we used to uh to manufacture, start manufacturing in Ecuador very very classic and transitional at that time. When we came to the US, we signed a lease with uh with the design center. Right, and we had the representation of a brand uh which is called Theodore in Alexander.

TIffany Woolley 6:19

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 6:20

At that time, Theodore was uh was on on their first years because uh Paul Mayland Smith sold Mayland Smith.

TIffany Woolley 6:29

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 6:30

And we knew Paul very very well and Anthony Cox. And we decided Mayland Smith, so he sold that to uh show for later on. Later on. But at that time, uh we had we had the representation, but there was there was a problem on on that high point market, I remember 2000, that Paul came and said, listen, I'm very sorry, but I have uh I have signed a uh a contract for the whole distribution with Cheryl. Cheryl and Cheryl Furniture. And you cannot have the line for for high, I mean for uh Dakota. I say, okay.

Designing The First Signature Line

SPEAKER_01 7:09

Uh it was a big challenge. And coming back from high point on an airplane, uh and after Gin and Tonic, I said to Adriana, Adriana, we need to design our own line. Uh you can do it. And and we started What did you start with? Was it chairs, sofas? On a napkin. She started joining a napkin.

TIffany Woolley 7:31

On that plane.

SPEAKER_01 7:32

On that plane.

TIffany Woolley 7:33

Coming from high plane.

SPEAKER_01 7:35

Coming from that point, uh making that uh threshold, that that that problem, that challenge, an opportunity. And I think we've always been uh driven like that. You know, if there's a problem, there's an opportunity. So what were those first items that you it was called cocoa?

TIffany Woolley 7:51

It was so it was like a capsule collection.

SPEAKER_01 7:54

It was a collection, it's it was a complete collection. We started with the uh with uh a cocktail table, and we have coconut inlays, which which were coming from Ecuador. And with we we saw those uh coconut uh um shells that was uh I think in Phil the Philippines when we went there, we saw that we can do it in Ecuador. Well, Ecuador has all the coconuts. So we came to to uh the high point market at that time in 2001 with this new line, more contemporary to the market. And that uh we didn't think that that uh style was gonna become something that the industry will start talking about.

TIffany Woolley 8:43

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 8:43

Because it was so difficult.

Scott Woolley 8:46

But it's such a risky venture to create your own furniture and then hope that people are gonna.

TIffany Woolley 8:53

And did you have the manufacturing in place at this time?

SPEAKER_01 8:57

No, like you this was all just well we I had uh I had only the um we were uh we were manufacturing with uh third parties back in Ecuador.

TIffany Woolley 9:09

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 9:10

And I I I always thought that the finishing line uh it was it was something that uh we had to take control. So uh I uh I started with that and and just finishing the products and and and designing and and making with carpentries and smaller.

Scott Woolley 9:28

Was it difficult to find the fabricators for when you first started to make the artisans in in Ecuador?

SPEAKER_01 9:35

No. Probably. I mean we had to teach them, but it was and then the factory came.

Scott Woolley 9:41

I uh I uh Well, you integrated and basically you're doing everything. You're designing and manufacturing all within your organization

Going Vertical For Quality Control

Scott Woolley 9:50

now.

SPEAKER_01 9:50

We have a factory uh completely vertically integrated. Yeah. We uh we we have a plantation where we where we uh Unbelievable where we have the trees uh back in Ecuador. So we're completely autonomous now.

Scott Woolley 10:05

So you're actually the tree, you're cutting the trees to make the furniture. So you're controlling the entire did you always have that in mind? Because that's really forwarding. That's really forward thinking, you know.

TIffany Woolley 10:18

And your facility is so unbelievable. I mean, how like so obviously we're kind of went back to hear the story, how it begins. But has the line developed? What what was that, you know, core philosophy that grounded you guys there? Like, was it a certain piece? Like obviously you said the coconut was an inspiration. But where did you decide to go so vertical? Where is it just the demand?

Scott Woolley 10:50

Or control of the quality of the product that you're putting out that you went, you know, integrated everything within. Because now you're creating other businesses, you know, other industries that most people, you know, your your wife's an interior designer, you're building this furniture company. Now you decide we're gonna manufacture our furniture too, and we're gonna build a facility. Because for anyone who I mean, if you go to your website, anyone listening should go to your website. It is magnificent. The the factory you have and the quality and the control and the craftsmanship is just amazing.

SPEAKER_01 11:27

Thank you. Yeah, it's a it's a mix of of technology and and uh and craftsmanship. And you know, we have 400 employees now. Uh and the the integration was part of the uh the vision that we need to have control of the whole process and be and and be different uh within the industry. And in order to play uh a major role, uh we have to we have to have control of the whole process.

SPEAKER_03 12:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 12:00

And and that's what we uh that's what made us uh uh start uh first of all, you need a team, you need a big team. So I would have to to to take tribute to to our people, to our team. Of course. Uh that uh and it was part of selling a dream, I would say.

Scott Woolley 12:20

Yeah. Selling a dream. And we believe it's a lot of why your brand is a luxury brand, because of just how you've gone about building this, you know, the quality behind it.

TIffany Woolley 12:30

There's an exotic element to it, obviously, the quality, you see it in the design and in the execution. Are you constantly adding to the line?

SPEAKER_01 12:42

Yes. Yes, yes, yes.

TIffany Woolley 12:43

And do you ever retire any pieces? Of course.

SPEAKER_01 12:48

And uh when we uh when we retire pieces from the catalog, many, I mean, it's been it's been 30 years. Right. So we you you you have to uh innovate and come come to the market with different uh different collections, different uh and also uh understanding uh the lifestyle because it has changed so much. So we we are we we have to be very cautious and understanding the the market but bringing also products that are in in and we have innovation that that are different that that will bring added value.

Scott Woolley 13:24

So it's always evolving.

SPEAKER_01 13:26

It's always evolving.

Scott Woolley 13:27

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 13:28

And and I would say that it has been two things. First, uh a dream. A dream of making uh uh a luxury brand out of uh a furniture brand. And I said uh I follow a lot fashion. Well, and I have been following fashion so long.

TIffany Woolley 13:51

They kind of go hand in hand a little bit.

SPEAKER_01 13:54

There's a lot of inspiration, yes, a lot of inspiration, kind of the same concepts on on the detailing, how a bag, a luxury bag is made internally, externally, all the details. And I I I've been so picky on that on that way. And and we have uh a design part uh from Adriana and the team business. It's not only Adriana, now is my my daughter Andrea as well. And it has to be uh uh a complement between the design and also the marketing vision. To make

Building A Global Luxury DNA

SPEAKER_01 14:35

that complete.

TIffany Woolley 14:35

Do you see the vision change much between, you know, now that you've you know 30 years in, between the markets in Miami and South America and you know, the Middle East, do you see people wanting I feel like the visions kind of overlap now.

SPEAKER_01 14:55

Um that's a good question. I believe the vision uh is as one of the things that made us so uh clear uh on on taking the steps has been uh a clear vision. How do we want to make the company and the brand uh uh perceived uh in in the different markets? And then it's adjusting uh each of the markets to what we considered the design DNA that we have. So uh is one vision but it's a different approach to the market according to the vision.

Scott Woolley 15:39

Right, but as a global company and you're on multiple continents, is is what you're selling in diff in South America, North America, in the Middle East, is the product different? Or is it all is it transcend across all the same?

SPEAKER_01 15:56

No, it adjusts to the uh the product is not different, it's the same product, but uh adjusting to the needs. For example, uh proportions and sizes.

TIffany Woolley 16:04

Right, okay.

SPEAKER_01 16:05

That that's very important. The seating, the American seating is very different than the European seating. Big, big difference. And that has been a challenge for us. And now in America, yeah, yeah, because uh we you know the sofas uh you need they need to be plashed, they need to be soft. Uh uh the height of the sofas are are uh higher than than what uh Europe, for example. Right one of the challenges uh from European companies is that they'd made for the European market. And and and this the the low seating, the firm cushions, uh we have to adapt. And going to uh countries like Dubai, right uh Dubai, the the luxury, the very high-end market.

TIffany Woolley 16:52

And the quantity, I feel like, is crazy.

SPEAKER_01 16:55

You have these big living rooms where the patriarch uh of the family, which has, I don't know, uh 12 uh or 20 uh sons and daughters and all can come here, so the the proportions are big. They are they're different.

TIffany Woolley 17:12

What a fascinating the finishing.

SPEAKER_01 17:14

We have to adapt the finishing of the of the woods. Some a little bit more flashy for the for the Middle East, a little bit more uh I would say contemporary to all the South American and Latin American, a little bit more traditional, here transitional.

TIffany Woolley 17:31

Transitional.

Scott Woolley 17:32

How much of it is customized or made to order is everything, right? Is every well or do you stock a lot or no?

SPEAKER_01 17:42

Uh I think the uh uh the smart the smart move was has been uh uh that every product can be customized, but it's not made to order. Uh the the bones of the of the of of uh of the sofas over or the or the case goods are the same. I mean you can uh really move a little bit of proportions, but the design concept is is is is there. However, when you pick your fabrics, when you pick uh the the the firmness of the cushion, when you pick uh what what is the gonna be the finish of the of the wood, then you do it one by one. I mean, you pick your own. It's like a a luxury car.

TIffany Woolley 18:29

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 18:30

When you go to uh one of the these luxury uh cars uh manufacturing, the first of all it's gonna take eight months, probably, six to eight months. So the market understands that. And then you pick how do you want the finishing, what what color of the car, what is gonna be uh the the additional, the extras. Yeah, it's the same concept. So we have we have done uh uh we have a software where you can really uh pick your uh everything, everything, every aspect of of your furniture.

SPEAKER_03 19:05

Right.

SPEAKER_01 19:06

And then that software we do a tracking. So you know that like the cars, yeah.

TIffany Woolley 19:12

You get to watch it.

SPEAKER_01 19:13

But the Scott's uh order, uh, where what what part of the process is a that's amazing. And and and you will know it, and the uh the sales associate in charge of the account will know it, so we have total control of the process. And one of the uh things that I have been very uh firm is to to be on time and and and and what we promise we have to deliver.

TIffany Woolley 19:42

We must deliver.

SPEAKER_01 19:43

Yes.

Fashion Travel And The Design Process

Scott Woolley 19:44

You mentioned fashion, you love following fashion. Yes. Are there any particular lines that you really love more than other, you know, uh super passionate about?

SPEAKER_01 19:53

Good question. Well, there's too many. I think Dolce Gabbana lately and in Miami, I went to the uh exhibition, it was fantastic, even though that is very ornamented. But uh the talent behind creating is is really uh what drives the.

TIffany Woolley 20:16

So it's funny because when I think of Adriana Hoyos, I do think of like a Chanel in the furniture industry or the design industry. It's very um it's particular, it's definitely quality driven, and you know all that. You know that her designs and your furniture brand definitely set a tone. When you set out to do that, I feel like I feel like she didn't fall into a trend but created one, if that makes sense. Yes, it became a classic.

Scott Woolley 20:51

Yes.

TIffany Woolley 20:51

I mean, and that's pretty impressive.

Scott Woolley 20:54

She's a rock star in the interior design world. Yes.

TIffany Woolley 20:58

What is her process for delivering that?

SPEAKER_01 21:04

Um always an inspiration, looking for an inspirational story behind, and uh a lot of research being done, a lot of traveling, and we do it together. The nice thing is that we do it together. So you're getting a lot of inspiration, both of you, from traveling. And now my my son and my daughter are pretty much involved too. Because we need that um new blood.

TIffany Woolley 21:32

I was just gonna say the next generation. What do you think has been the most important thing they've brought to the table in the growth?

SPEAKER_01 21:43

Well, it's a blessing to have uh your kids uh coming on the on the business. And when when they finish college, I said you don't have to come to the business. You can do whatever you want to do in life. But they have been uh uh so much involved in our in our professional life in a way and and when we we used to travel and they were kids we we uh we always uh brought them with us and and and go to a fa a fashion show or as or uh uh a uh we went to Italy uh salon de mobile long time ago so they have it in the broad so uh now is uh I believe that uh they're they're bringing that that new spark on on what what the new living as uh lifestyle approach yes uh does one take more the design aspect and one take more the business or the technology yes portion Andrea uh Andrea uh she is uh like your mother you know I think she has the same passion and the same uh creativity uh uh of her mother but my son Eduardo who is is here who lives here in uh in Miami he he likes a lot of the business development and the business part and uh but we all have that sense of uh and that voice when when they are designing so when they went to college did were they both focused on they're gonna come to work with the two of you? No

Working With Your Spouse On Purpose

SPEAKER_01 23:24

no well it's kind of better that it didn't work that way because it came in a very natural organic way where you know that you can't force that that's and and uh uh perhaps this one question that you you're gonna bring me and I was thinking about that how is working with your wife yeah that's what we wanted to ask because we do that so or you know it's and and uh that sometimes can be a difficult or stressful or yes of course but I I believe that and there's a there's a story that I want to bring when uh I have always been very structured very organized and and had the that mentality of an entrepreneur and Adriana she when when you you're gonna ask Adriana uh she was born to be a designer so design is in her blood blood but we went to a master program I was invited to a mastery uh a business mastery with Tony Robbins a long time ago okay long time ago but it was 15 years ago when when Tony was starting to do this business mastery perhaps it was the second one and uh it was in Las Vegas said Adriana uh would you come with me uh I I can I can invite one uh one person to the to to to what to to be a companion on this business match says she said no way I don't like that I don't I'm not gonna do that but I said Les Vegas let's go to Vegas seven days restaurants you know theater shopping so okay she agreed so I went I went down to the uh conference room uh from the hotel as and and she said okay go with you to see long story short she didn't miss any of the seven uh lessons or uh she was captivated she was captivated but there was one thing that was very special in her professional life that um Tony said in business you need three things you need the artistic part which can be a a designer a marketing a broadcaster a a doctor whatever you are you have on on on on that creativity and the artistic thing you need a manager right someone that manages your business your creativity and the vision part the vision the entrepreneurial part so I said Adriana I think we complement very well you do your your your design part and I do the the management and the vision part the vision part and and that was very well understood so I can I can comment on her designs and and have that uh criticism and she obviously will will come to me on the business part and say listen I think we should do this with that but it's my decision and that's her decision. And now we have created that in the company that level of of understanding the roles of each of the uh executives now on the company and and and I think that that has been the uh foundation essentially the clue and and my son and my daughter they always understood that even though they have shares they have the ownership uh part ownership but they cannot act as owners in in the company right they have to be they are executives and they none of them report neither to uh to me or to Adriana I love that there's a there's a a hierarchy yes a hierarchy and and there's a there's a a a general manager a corporate general manager and and they have to do their things and and I I'm not operating the business anymore I mean since seven years ago.

Stepping Back AI And Leadership

SPEAKER_01 27:02

Wow which is so how was that for you transitioning to a new phase of your I love it I bet I love it because when you are an owner and you are uh uh you know in front of operations uh you um you suffer a lot that's true so you're you're in in the in in the the day to day in the day to day and the details and sometimes uh that makes you not not not seeing the whole the big picture so when I came out which which meant I I I leave my office I don't have an office in Ecuador I have an office in Miami I don't have an office anywhere I go and and and check and check the showrooms but I don't have an office on purpose I do a lot of home office but it that makes me be out of the operations so I can I can see uh different perspective a different perspective yeah I read a lot I do a lot of research I love now the the chat GPTs the interface uh the uh AI I love it because that m gives us resources to it does are you integrating any of that yes into the business?

TIffany Woolley 28:13

Of course yes yeah slowly but we have to do it we do I know we we're we're kind of learning how to integrate that you know in our own little spaces now so what would your advice be to someone getting started into this industry first you have to be your own don't try to be someone else you guys really are your own I mean you really set a tone with your personality what what you like then you need to set up goals and vision be persistent uh have uh resilience and uh keep swimming yeah so keep working when did you guys realize that this was working like when did you know you hit a level of success and you know the growth when did you be able to stop and appreciate like oh my goodness this is like look at what we've created this has taken off this is really so only at COVID I would say so wow I would say that uh we have been so so busy uh building building building building building building opening new uh new countries new uh uh dealers for here there but after COVID we knew that we had we have something very special because uh when those kind of challenges come on a business and this was the challenge right we had the uh first of all we have the resources but then we also had the mentality how are we gonna serve this opportunity and and at that time uh especially here in the US when when China and all Asia stopped you're right we we have uh a near shore manufacturing uh facility which is only a week from uh from the port of miami that's amazing so uh that was for us a big challenge to to to come and get that opportunity and deliver what the market was uh craving because craving at that time which was availability yes and and then uh we have we have that credibility that uh Adriana oyos as a as a company is a company that um really uh delivers uh it it's there we uh we have the compromise and what I'm very proud of it is that whoever are our clients they love to work with us and we love to serve our clients I was recently coming from Boston yesterday and one of our tiers said Eduardo we love working with you because your team is so great everybody is is trying to serve you to to be part of it so that's that's that's a personality of a brand and uh and treat treat your client uh the way you want it to be treated of course of course if there's a problem always gonna be problem solve the problems take the problems for sure in the growing of the business was there one obstacle or situations that was really difficult to overcome or well manufacturing is is always a challenge yeah to grow that uh that capacity of uh of of doing things but that but you must have had to put a lot of time into that to to build and put together a manufacturing facility because that's a whole nother you know from just hiring and finding the people and that's like your niche I feel like too I feel like you the the quality that is coming out of Ecuador is not something can be easily duplicated.

Scott Woolley 32:20

Yes. It's like that quality has kind of disappeared it's not it's so difficult to find such great wonderful craftsmanship and quality that your your organization is putting out every day.

SPEAKER_01 32:35

I I think you uh when you have a when you have that um commitment to to luxury and and when you follow the luxury brands and you see that they're coming with uh quality is not is not part of a a negotiation I mean quality has to be always be there and be improved so we have that commitment and and again I have a great team if if in and and that a great team of executives that I I bring them I they they travel they understand uh each of the markets uh the needs they take their decisions so that in that way uh they they they take their responsibility on each of the processes and and that's part of being uh uh to have that growth uh not on your shoulders but on on a company on a team and I believe that they are coming also with uh solutions with new uh innovations and and it's part of uh having that mentality on on growing and growing very formally and also I would have to say that now my role is is bringing the best resources uh for my team and one of those is getting the best consultants and and business consultants not only manufacturing consultants worldwide right to the company but also business consultants and what are you looking for in the business consultants help in growing further or adding to the markets that you're already in Tiffany we are in a we are uh we have a uh now the the program is is called scaling up yes scaling up is a is a nice uh way and I hear about that on a lot of business podcasts I listen to Burn Harnished yeah he created that scaling up uh program and and uh I also read the mastering the Rockefeller habits yeah that's part of the uh two of those that I follow so when you give you your your uh your team uh um a road a map yeah they have to be they they first of all you need to sell them and not only enforce it but you have to be part of it.

TIffany Woolley 35:09

Right.

SPEAKER_01 35:10

I think that's that's very important. It's their company they is not uh right they're building this is the building for them and I believe that uh having that multicultural company uh makes the necessary blend to to also have that drive or becoming better.

Hotels Airports And Five-Star Lounges

TIffany Woolley 35:38

Of course for sure so when as the business grew and you have the furniture side of everything and obviously Adriana has the design side of things and they are the same but yet ran probably separately a little bit when did the hospitality become such a huge component of your work it comes from the design studio.

SPEAKER_01 36:03

Okay because uh uh I would see uh I would say that that was wasn't something that we were looking okay but her designs were so well recepted that uh clients with uh this type of uh projects have come and say would you would you do a design on my on my hotel wow and and we came we came up with that and but uh also there they're two separate uh businesses one is the design part right and and we started doing the manufacturing because we saw that uh the great lobbies on on hotels they they wanted our product correct so the hotels are reaching out to you yeah and now we are well I mean maybe well airports oh that's the VIP experience of airports how did that come about that's another story but that's an amazing story like how did that uh you mean you've transformed the way the experiences that people are having yeah first in in airports on on on on the same way uh the first project that we had it was was FBO private aviation in uh in London when the uh when the Olympics uh were coming we're coming we were coming to London okay there was a an uh an old if FBO and uh one of the uh uh well the owner of the company that has a concession for FBOs is an American okay company uh Universal uh weather and aviation from Texas and uh he's a client and good friend and he uh he called us and said uh uh would you uh would you mind uh taking a look at this we don't have much time because the Olympics are coming and we say we take the job okay we'll do it and we'll do it in a way that is gonna look like uh a more high-end resid residential uh than then experience than just an airport so you that's the first one you transferred then we went to then we went to France and did the same thing and after that was it the same company that was the same company okay but then in Ecuador they were building a new uh a new airport a new in quito very nice small but very nice and the CEO of that airport said uh uh came to us and said I want to make Quito airport the first five star sky tracks airport which is a is a is a level uh a very high level quality performance uh with in the aviation industry there was none in America no none that's crazy I know you wouldn't and I said are you in he said we're in okay so you need to the uh was he a client as well didn't well no it was not a client I was just heard friends guys yes heard of us and said yes we're in and he said uh well we all have to be trained by Munich airport Munich airport has that um certification power facilities so we went to to Munich and saw and understood what was going on in the industry because it was not only designing nice it was the it was the the waypoints the way uh the the passengers uh come to come to an airport the anxiety of of uh of having and finding the gate it's a lot of things yeah like possibly through cyber security i mean it's a lot of stress so and then it happened that we did such a great job we got the uh priority past lunge of the year worldwide in Quito Ecuador uh that was five years ago so uh our brand came and uh came out and and people are are coming and and looking for our design and now we have a uh a segment of you're you're starting to do airports like this and and so forth VIPs how do you rearrange your team that you okay you're now going to be doing airports and you've been doing furniture or homes that's is it hiring new people or is it just moving people around within the company is hiring new people and having uh a comp competent uh uh uh teams and and uh but but there's there's an educational factor which you would just getting up to speed sure and what was like the big thing you took away creating a VIP experience in an airport I mean a home it's so much more you know approachable and you're working with a client versus you know this the global scale it blends very well because you're talking about experience the client experience right at the end you're an interior designer you you you have to understand your client of course the first thing that we do as interior designers is talk to your client what the client needs what the client feels and then you come and and and bring whatever you think you you have in mind but always being part of the experience on on on and the on on coming into a home or house or and the same thing with the airport I mean you need to understand from the perspective of uh why not you have you cannot have a a nice a nice chair a comfortable chair correct it doesn't have to be uh all contract and and and and and and very tough and very you know it has to last right and we can do that and now with the the industry has evolved so much it sure has the fabrics the uh the new intelligent fabrics the uh all the all the uh whatever the foams and everything has evolved so much it's understanding what what resources we have and we can bring to the uh and and now nowadays uh that private aviation experience is coming to the commercial right uh the airlines and it's amazing it is it is it really is because it has changed so the the the airport spirit is changed so much when uh uh uh after the uh after uh after 9-11 I would say remember yes before it wasn't that as a a hassle no now it's and I remember my grandparents when they used to travel get dressed up I know we still believe in that philosophy you know now it's almost in pyjamas that you call it but you know you need to understand the the passenger and the passenger the especially the high-end passengers that don't drop the they don't fly private right they will still want to want to have experience.

TIffany Woolley 42:32

I know and we've we've like noticed that in some of the nice VIP airport like lounges and everything that this the level is definitely we were in Los Angeles a few months ago it was late we're flying home with red eye and we were two of us were sitting in the airport and we were both talking about how we were watching hundreds of people yeah going through the airport no one was dressed nice we were with the two of us I'm in a a sports jacket and and we're both going like why why right why aren't people dressed like that yeah and LA has the uh they they were pioneer PS the company was pioneering uh the uh the that commercial experience with a private terminal right right for commercial experts which is lovely it is lovely yes yeah so what do you think the secret with working with your spouse for 30 years is I know you mentioned obviously having a good balance but where do you guys kind of separate business and or don't you? Do you

Family Rules Legacy And Long-Term Brand

TIffany Woolley 43:38

agree on everything?

SPEAKER_01 43:39

No I'm glad to hear that no way but I think it's a lot of respect right of what everybody everybody does and and and and also give the credit where credit is to yeah to to what are the uh um things that we have been accomplishing and And of course, you need to have that same passion. You need to love your business.

SPEAKER_03 44:05

Right.

SPEAKER_01 44:06

So I don't think that we stop talking about business. But I have I only have one rule in my house, in my home, with everybody. We can talk about business, but we can never talk about problems, business problems, just solutions at home. At home. At home. Just uh positive things.

TIffany Woolley 44:27

I like that.

SPEAKER_01 44:28

Just we create, we're gonna create this, wah wah, wah. The dream. The dream, today, the nice things.

TIffany Woolley 44:34

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 44:35

But if there's a problem, there's only a Monday.

TIffany Woolley 44:37

There's a Monday problem.

SPEAKER_01 44:39

Monday through through Friday. Where did that come about?

SPEAKER_03 44:42

Was that always your philosophy?

Scott Woolley 44:44

Or is that something that you learned along the way?

SPEAKER_01 44:48

I've learned. I've learned. And now we have five grandkids. And when you see that that family growing, and then you then you feel how blessed you are and how how uh how nice the accomplishments as a family in business uh is doing for the entire family.

SPEAKER_03 45:13

Right.

SPEAKER_01 45:14

Because being having I I always say to my to my daughter and son, building a luxury brand is gonna take generations. It's gonna be a long it's gonna be a long uh run. It's not what is happening in many businesses that today that uh suddenly there are multi-billion businesses uh in one year, two years, three years, or financially. This is a different industry. This is a different business model. So it's gonna be so you need that persistence and and and you serving uh you're serving a client, you're serving a a market is different than a business. When you're a businessman, there's a difference between a businessman and an entrepreneur.

TIffany Woolley 46:06

Oh, for sure.

SPEAKER_01 46:07

An entrepreneur has to go, uh the mindset is different.

TIffany Woolley 46:12

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 46:12

A businessman is how to make a business uh and and if it's a sh short term is better, and and get that value as soon as possible, much better. Uh business, I mean an entrepreneur, it doesn't matter.

TIffany Woolley 46:26

You're waiting, you're you're doing it for the long term, the long-term goal. And do the kids feel that same way too?

SPEAKER_01 46:34

Yes, they do.

TIffany Woolley 46:36

So will one of them step into a lead role? Who gets to make that decision?

SPEAKER_01 46:44

They need to make that decision at that time. Uh it's gonna be in five years. I said to them, I'm gonna be five years more. Uh I will I'm not gonna retire.

TIffany Woolley 46:54

No, never. I I agree. Never. To retire, they say, is to expire. You know, you have to keep your mind, you have to keep that dream.

SPEAKER_01 47:03

There's never never seen it's only changing roles. Right. And it's it's it's gonna happen. Uh I believe they have both have the uh capability.

TIffany Woolley 47:14

The capabilities. Oh, what a wonderful feeling.

Scott Woolley 47:17

Yes.

Travel Sourcing And Next US Growth

Scott Woolley 47:18

So you mentioned you love to travel. Are there places that travel that really inspire you more than others?

SPEAKER_01 47:26

I'm a golf player.

TIffany Woolley 47:27

Oh, you are?

SPEAKER_01 47:28

And my whole family uh we are golf players.

TIffany Woolley 47:31

I love that.

SPEAKER_01 47:33

And we love golf. And I've been playing, we everybody has been playing since we were kids. Good players. We're good players. So part of uh wherever we go, it's gone around the golf course. And they're on the golf course. Even Adriana. Adriana is a golf player. I we've been to Scotland. Done some golf there? Yeah. But we well, we we always want to be uh to travel um according to what we are selling as a business, which is uh staying on good hotels and looking at which which means feeling that experience on on uh on uh on traveling uh uh uh at the high end, because you need to have that feeling.

TIffany Woolley 48:20

I agree.

Scott Woolley 48:21

That's Tiffany is very much like that. I mean I it's always about the ex we travel quite a bit ourselves, and she always wants to be.

TIffany Woolley 48:30

We work hard, you know, and you wanna like that. Is where you're a great inspiration, your source of gratification, and obviously wanting to share that with our next generation too. Sure.

Scott Woolley 48:40

See, I'm a little different. I've traveled the world, but but like when I was single, I I rode across a motorcycle from one from the top of South America from Panama all the way to the bottom. I rode across Russia, rode across Australia, and in doing all these trips, it didn't really matter where I stayed from a beautiful luxury, but it was just experiencing the world. But right now, Tiffany has kind of over the years has changed me and the fact of with our kids, you know, where we stay and experiencing.

SPEAKER_01 49:13

And now uh my traveling is about the entertainment.

Scott Woolley 49:17

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_01 49:18

I I I believe that nowadays I've seen many museums, many monuments in my life. So I can go and see in something special, but I want to experience the uh the life life or yeah, go go to a nice restaurant and and and stay there. Yeah, and watch the people and walk, enjoy the experience, and live more like a local than than a tourist. Right. That's what we like.

TIffany Woolley 49:47

And do you do that for times? Do you go and like stay somewhere for a long period of time?

SPEAKER_01 49:52

Or well, we have a place in Madrid. We love Madrid.

TIffany Woolley 49:55

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 49:55

Madrid's a nice city. We spend a lot of time. And it's a hub for uh for uh for Europe as well.

TIffany Woolley 50:00

Right.

SPEAKER_01 50:01

Yeah.

TIffany Woolley 50:01

How often do you have to go there for work reasons?

SPEAKER_01 50:07

Well, uh we we uh we're doing some sourcing in in uh Spain for special products. Uh but we go two, three times a year.

TIffany Woolley 50:18

Where else do you source for obviously is it fabrics, is it metals, what are you doing?

SPEAKER_01 50:23

Fabrics, fabrics, fabrics in Italy, Italy and Belgium. And Spain also, yes.

TIffany Woolley 50:29

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 50:29

Yeah.

TIffany Woolley 50:30

And then what is it like sourcing those products? Like are you are you looking for local families, local manufactu like olds, their technique?

SPEAKER_01 50:39

What is it that well we look for uh for uh boutique firms, high-end textiles? Uh most of them family owners. Yes. Uh and many of them they manufacture also for fashion. So that's that's where I that's kind of your little overlap. Yes. And we see we always see in fashion what's coming in fashion and for the textiles is very important.

TIffany Woolley 51:12

So what's next for the Adrian Ajoyos brand? I mean, you've done obviously hotels, residential, I mean you're doing furniture. Will you branch into other categories?

SPEAKER_01 51:26

Will you open not really?

TIffany Woolley 51:30

No, okay.

SPEAKER_01 51:31

Uh that's that's part of our our uh our definition on on uh on getting more and more focused on what we we can do best, and uh we'll still have uh a lot to grow, I think so.

TIffany Woolley 51:45

That scale.

SPEAKER_01 51:45

The mark yeah, the youth market is fantastic. I've I've been traveling the youth market because uh here we have great opportunities. Uh I I love I went to Boston. I uh we're opening Atlanta. Uh I love Texas. I I went to school in Texas. Dallas is a fantastic city.

TIffany Woolley 52:02

Yeah, I know, beautiful city. Yeah, so I think in great style there, very high-end lifestyle.

SPEAKER_01 52:10

So I would like I would like uh the company to be more um into the uh into the American market. Yeah.

Scott Woolley 52:19

Where do you currently your showrooms? Miami?

SPEAKER_01 52:25

Scott, we have uh okay, we have uh six six flagships stores, and we probably have uh where where are each one of those located? Well, two in Ecuador. Two in Ecuador. We have two in Miami. I mean uh Corgables and uh and and Hollywood. Uh we have uh one in uh High Point as a flagship store. Uh and the other ones coming is well, it's a mono brand. That's more of a license, I would consider, is in uh in Washington, DC, in Georgetown. Oh, really? Yeah, we're open in Georgetown.

TIffany Woolley 52:58

Okay, not California.

SPEAKER_01 53:02

Not yet.

TIffany Woolley 53:03

So you definitely have a little. Yeah. But there's reps, you have reps in the all the designers. And do you focus heavily on hoping to sell two designers to the trade?

SPEAKER_01 53:17

We are. To the trade. Yeah, to the trade is very important for us. Yeah, we are not retail, not at all. So uh designers and design firms, they they trust us a lot, they they want to work with us, and and that's a big part of uh of what we do here, the the design trade. And and we opening these uh designer showrooms in in those other uh states where we have uh we're active in 16 states more or less. And and we have uh 14 countries where we are also active.

TIffany Woolley 53:54

But you so you think the US is your focus versus the Middle East or Oh, yes, yes, yes. Oh, I love that.

SPEAKER_01 54:01

Yes. We have Dubai and we've we've covered Dubai and and and is a biggest client. Dubai fantastic. Uh by the way, Bloomingdales in Dubai. Bloomingdales uh in Dubai is a very, very high-end in the uh Dubai mall, and we have the biggest licensee license there. Wow, yes, we have to do that.

TIffany Woolley 54:21

So you have things on display there, yes, yes, yes, yes.

SPEAKER_01 54:25

Dubai, Qatar, Doha, Saudi, where we have uh a presence in the world.

TIffany Woolley 54:30

Just so much growth.

SPEAKER_01 54:32

Yeah.

TIffany Woolley 54:33

And your manufacturing can definitely handle it all.

SPEAKER_01 54:37

We can. I love that. Yes. That's part of it.

Closing Thoughts And Thanks

TIffany Woolley 54:43

So this has been really wonderful being able to speak with you today and learn about your journey into this amazing market and also what you have both created together. And it really is. It's inspirational, and we look forward to continuingly work together and watch your success in the next generation scale, Adriana Hoyos.

SPEAKER_01 55:08

Scale up.

TIffany Woolley 55:09

Scale up.

SPEAKER_01 55:10

Thanks for spending the case. Well, it's been it's been my pleasure, and congratulations for your podcast. Thank you so much. Very interesting, and it it brings to the to the industry uh a lot of things that probably they they are not known.

TIffany Woolley 55:23

I know.

SPEAKER_01 55:24

And I love this industry. Me too. So it has a lot of uh it's a positive industry.

TIffany Woolley 55:28

It's a positive industry. And you're bringing beauty to the world. You're just making things more pretty.

SPEAKER_01 55:35

Yes. I'm I'm very blessed to be part of the industry.

TIffany Woolley 55:40

I agree.

SPEAKER_01 55:40

It's it's been my pleasure.

TIffany Woolley 55:41

Thank you so much for joining us. Thank you for tuning in to the iDesign Lab podcast. See you on the next one.

Voice Over 55:50

iDesign Labs Podcast is an SW group production in association with the five star and TW Interiors. To learn more about iDesign Lab or TW Interiors, please visit TWinteriors.com.