NEWH - Fall 2013 - (Page 22)

Q&A One-on-one with Julia Marks NEWH’s international president and president of Dossee, Inc. Why/how did you become involved with NEWH? I became involved in NEWH when I was young and new to the industry. I was very shy and I didn’t know anyone but I needed to get out there and meet people to do my job. I wasn’t a great networker so I figured the best way to get involved was to join the local chapter board of directors. I took on the daunting task of programming and held that position for a couple of years before moving up to president and then onto the NEWH, Inc. Board of Directors. What has it done for you? NEWH has been one of the best opportunities I could have asked for. Participating on the chapter and international boards gave me confidence, leadership, and management skills, and contacts throughout the industry that have become colleagues and friends. Highlights of the year so far? The highlight of the year was most definitely the Leadership Conference in San Francisco. The caliber of programs and events was outstanding. I am so proud of the team that put the event together and can’t wait to see what they have in store for us in Dallas in 2015. What are some of the major goals of NEWH, Inc.? NEWH, Inc. has tremendous potential for growth and we are very excited about opportunities in the UK, Europe, and Asia. As we are a part of a global industry, NEWH intends to give our members opportunities abroad as well as here at home. Looking back at your two-year term as NEWH, Inc. president, what are you most proud of? Managing an all-volunteer board as diverse and varied as NEWH has its challenges and I knew going in that it would be a tremendous amount of work, but I have to say, the term has flown by and I can’t believe how supportive everyone has been of my presidency. I owe a huge thank you to all of the NEWH, Inc. board members, chapter delegates, and NEWH, Inc. staff for making the experience truly enjoyable. I am most proud of the reputation NEWH has built over the last few years. People and organizations are coming to us and asking how they can be involved in what we do. NEWH is ’en vogue’ and I am privileged to be a part of it. Can you tell us a bit about your new company Dossee? Dossee is my new and improved online resource for the interior design and hospitality industry. We are an e-commerce company 22 www.newh.org that provides quick ship FF&E and exclusive design products to hotels, restaurants, and corporate offices. As with any new business, you learn a lot along the way and we felt rebranding at this point was an opportunity to build some buzz. I know I am going to hear a lot of ‘what is it’ and ‘how do you pronounce it’ but I love the name. Dossee is a misspelling of the British word dossy. It was mainly used to describe a person as overly dressed or fashionable, some definitions say pretentiously so. I loved that it could be used to describe dressing up places rather than people and we modernized the spelling to be different, maybe pretentiously so. What is Dossee’s newest initiative? I am very excited to launch our Dossee Exclusives. We are working with a handful of manufacturers to offer unique custom products that won’t be available anywhere else. The products will change as we find new and exciting things we think our clients will need; currently, they will include custom and original artwork, sculpture and accessories, and handmade furniture. Why hospitality? What do you love about the industry? I love hospitality, I love to travel, and I love the idea that we work in an industry that’s sole purpose is to create a pleasurable travel experience. But not only that, the work I have done in hospitality, both as a volunteer for NEWH and as a consultant and business owner, is fun. It’s a lot of work, but I get to work every day with people I consider my friends and family. What influencers are you paying attention to? As I build out this new website and consider marketing options, I’ve been spending a lot of time on the technology side and how our online experiences shape who we are, what we do, and what we expect from the virtual and physical world. I think the younger generations are our influencers and we look to them to define what work is, what’s important in work life balance, and most importantly, the trends in buying and selling. When you are not working or at an NEWH event, where can we find you? My husband and I have an 11-month-old baby girl and she keeps us pretty busy! Luckily she is still small enough and happy enough to just do what we do, so we continue to enjoy restaurants, traveling, and every now and then, a baby-free round of golf. ❙❘❚ http://www.newh.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NEWH - Fall 2013

NEWH - Fall 2013
Table of Contents
News
Who’s Who
Sustainability
Conference Roundup
Q&A: Julia Marks
Q&A: Scott Pope
Icon of Industry
Have You Seen?
Product Know How
On the Scene
Cover Story
Project: A Bar
Project: Trademark
Save the Date
New Members
Partner Profiles
Ad Index

NEWH - Fall 2013