Our industry has a select few publications that speak to the actual business of furniture. After spending a career in writing a daily newspaper, Rob Kirkbride decided it was time to create just that. He created The Business of Furniture Magazine and he’s sharing all about his inspiration and the drive he feels to inform our industry.

Rob has always had a foot in the furniture industry. He’s been reporting on all things furniture and business for over 25 years so he’s uniquely qualified to give us the information we desire on our industry. But creating a weekly magazine is no small feat.

His goal is to report on what is important. From the lawsuits that are filed to the new trends in the industry to how recent events have impacted and shaped our future. And he succeeds in every way.

You won’t see him publishing beautiful pictures of office spaces without sharing the story behind that space. He also takes time to monitor court filings and reports on all of the mergers and acquisitions in the industry as well.

Rob has been a light in our industry for many years and he’s poised to stay shining for many more. If you’ve been interested in the story behind The Business of Furniture Magazine, then you won’t want to miss out on this intimate conversation with Rob Kirkbride.

In this episode:

[01:17] Welcome to the show, Rob!

[01:44] Rob shares his background, his business, and what he does.

[04:27] Rob speaks about the fifth anniversary of his company.

[06:25] His weekly magazine has about 55,000 subscribers.

[08:14] What goes into producing a weekly magazine?

[10:32] How he stays excited about the industry.

[14:00] Rob speaks about the column he writes and why he started it.

[16:40] Our experience interviewing together.

[18:44] Rob believes their success comes from focusing on trying to help the industry be better.

[20:56] Rob discusses his thoughts and opinions about what is going on in the industry.

[23:49] He believes the industry needs to start selling home office furniture with real variety and options.

[28:08] Rob speaks about the shift from working in the office will go on a lot longer than what they originally thought.

[32:47] Reach out to your customers and add value to them with what they are going through now.

[33:10] Why the industry needs to shift from a product-centric industry to a problem-centric industry and why.

[37:56] Thank you for being on the show!

Links and Resources:

Connect with Rob Kirkbride

The Business of Furniture Magazine

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Email Rob

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The Trend Report introduction music is provided by: Werq by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4616-werq License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Episode 18: Overcoming Challenges and Thriving with Tabatha Utley & Meredith Hesby with Shaw Contract

The Trend ReportBy Sid MeadowsAug 10, 2020