Today we’d like to introduce you to Greg O’Neal.
Greg, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Post college, 25 years ago I was happily drug into the world of retail by my cousin Kelly O’Neal who had launched a dynamic home furnishings retail store in the Quandrangle here in Dallas, called Legacy Trading Co, where I cut my teeth and the discovery of my talents. In the early 90’s we were certainly Dallas’ fashion forward and anti-main stream home store and amidst our expanding stores I was courted by Fort Worth based Pier 1 Imports where my world literally changed. With Pier 1 they introduced me every culture, region and people on this planet as well as to the world of giant retailing, I discovered how major factories work and both the joy as well as the difficulties of mass manufacturing and importing. This experience allowed me to realize one of my unknown inherent traits was that of quickly and emotionally connecting with others regardless of language barriers and inherent differences. I not only caught the travel bug but everywhere I went I fell in love with the makers and left with an innate understanding that literally we humans are all alike and that our bonds have an ability to heal false religious and political narratives. Additionally, from my mega-retail experience I knew that my heart was that of a creator and not that of a spread sheet analyzer.
I moved from the corporate world to working with a small Austin based wholesale company Four Hands Imports and we launched a tiny little showroom in the Dallas World Trade Center. We created and introduced products and connected with interior designers and retailers with whom today I still have an almost family like relationship. Before we knew it our little 1500 sq. foot showroom was 12,000 sq. feet and we had been named one of Inc. Magazines “Top 500 Fastest Growing Companies”. And once again… I fell in love. This time the love was making things and selling them to people with whom I also admired and loved. But I needed more creative time and less corporate time. So, in 2004 I launched my own design firm called Philosophy Design where my philosophy was simple: DREAM+BELIEVE+CREATE+BUILD innovative design with GOOD PEOPLE. The key for me was GOOD PEOPLE a way in which I singularly could create my own utopian village, if that was possible. Within Philosophy Design I was able to be a part of hospitality and contract design, residential design and my very favorite, product design but with the understanding I do not want to be your business employee, but rather your design consultant. In 2013 I was invited to help re-build, re-design and re-purpose an early 1900’s home in the booming South Congress are of Austin. Except the goal for this home was to design a dream home around socially impactful, environmentally mindful and artisanal maker-made furnishings and finishes, as well as incorporate innovative connected home essentials that were not “gadgets” but rather beautiful accents to the interior.
And poof: it was fate and this single design job, combined with the idea of my business consultant brained client/now CEO and Co-Founder of CUR8, and business partner Jasmine Jaco, that the stumbling blocks in home furnishings, technology and materials was turned into an opportunity: CUR8, a one stop marketplace for SMART, HEALTHY and MADE HERE products. Where we believe design can heal societies and make lives and livelihoods better. We know that more collaborations and fewer walls create bridges to new horizons and new ideas. In the end we long to build an organization that shows all people the importance of that design that does good is much greater than just pretty objects and homes.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Bringing first of its kind, non-traditional and innovative products into any traditional/mass production industry, but especially the home furnishings industry, has naturally require allot of re-thinking and guts. Even after being in this industry for 24 years in the midst of low-price, highly competitive .com consumption so much has changed at all levels of making, selling and bringing products to consumers. So, beyond the usual market place analysis of who our customer is and how best to reach them, we have so many products that truly impact lives, have rich and honest stories, as well as additionally have to inform, share and explain how the innovative products work or how they were made, we’ve have had to perfect the art of storytelling and become efficient innovation experts, but without offending the consumer, It’s a bit of a tight rope to walk to both explain how 78 plastic bottles were recycled to create the beautiful throw he or she is holding without diverting the customers attention from actually buying the product. Every day we look at: how are we doing connecting our customers with our products, their makers and why the product is important?
When you jump into a market to fill gaping holes and create new opportunities, there is a risk of being the “very first”, in our first year of business in 2017 we were called “bleeding edge” when it came to what we were bringing to the home goods space, it honestly took me a few months to let that description settle in my psyche as a compliment and realize the validation that we are indeed doing exactly what we had developed our company around: “to bring what’s next to the home furnishings and design community”. In this first year of business have been overwhelmingly embraced by both market centers, the industry press and the national media. The love and praise has further fueled our belief that the products that we are so passionate about are not only a need but important. As we continue to grow and become the one stop market place for social good, eco-chic and innovative products we must always be mindful to embrace the growth but never let go of our dedication and company ethos to identify products that are more that pretty, but do collective good for all of us,
So, as you know, we’re impressed with CUR8 – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Happily, I must say, we have been compared to the WholeFoods of home furnishings, in that our entire business was created to only bring products to market that do good and what we call “have an AND”… which means its more than just pretty it has a purpose, supports a cause or a societal need and insure that the consumer knows exactly the source as well as the maker from whom the product was crafted. We are normalizing products produced from radical recycling, though I do not love the word “radical” it does resonate in the process required to turn recycled paper, plastic bags, plastic bottles, discarded children’s toys and industrial waste, into luxurious home goods. We are collaborating in non-traditional manufacturing processes by supplying both national and international refugee and women’s collectives with raw materials and equally empowering them with the opportunity of making a living wage, provide long term and secure work and positively impact their community. We are developing and designing non-gadget but beyond beautiful products in the smart – connected home space that not only wirelessly charge our devices but provide us with opportunities to disconnect from our phones and reconnect with our families, friends and lives. We are building artisan collectives which bring painters, graphic artists, photographers and creative brains into areas beyond their normal canvas, such as textiles, upholstered furniture, moving digital art and virtual reality. Both Jasmine and I are passionately searching for the art of the possible. We look, assess and try to help makers with a unique vision and talent to bring a scalable product to the forefront of home furnishings and deliver it in such a way that the consumer forgets the innovation behind the product and is absorbed in the greatness of each piece.
My role in the company is CCO (Chief Collaborations Officer) and co-founder… what do I specialize in… making impossible things possible. I also realize a part of my role within CUR8 is to spread the great news, connect people together to instill success across all channels and to embrace my love and connectivity of people to positively impact people, makers, communities and market places. I am most proud of the fact that there is no company like ours in the history of home furnishings. I’ve seen the industry that I love change for many reasons but became an albatross in ways in which put weights on once creative spirits feet, until one day we turn around and everything in stores is either grey or brown tones, made of faux linen and linen-looks, that everything great design is knocked off and the copyright laws are meaningless and that inspiring people is secondary to making a profit. I feel like after 24 years in a single industry for the very first time I am making my greatest impact. At the end of the day, it just feels good.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
In 2011 my then partner of 10 years (and now husband) received a call that we had waited about two years for. In less than 2 hours we became the responsible for two siblings with whom adults and the world in general were not kind to say the least. Thankfully through grace and many miracles we became their forever parents in 2012. Ever since 2011, instantly, my priorities have been that of building a life and being the best example that I can be for our children. I long to be an example on how you love others, care for others, heal from trauma, let go of resentment, forgive, embrace your flaws, identify your talents, build people up, create healthy boundaries, work hard but yet keep your priorities aligned to insure your life has purpose and those around you know that you are fully present and truly loved.
On May, 29th this year I turn 50 years old. In looking back at my life and career, I can easily look forward to my own future through the eyes of my children. I know that our children are the arrows that point the way for all of my future endeavors. They have been the reason I take better care of myself. They are the reasons my work day ends so that I can spend this valuable time now as I know I will never regain it. I have finally figured out how to work smarter and not harder, all because of becoming a parent, and wanting to love and be loved. Our children are certainly the reason that I helped to create the business Jasmine and I call CUR8. My children are why I know that through CUR8 we can be a “cure” of sorts by positively impacting the lives of others and reach an enormous goal of impacting the world positively in some way. I know that whatever we achieve via CUR8 the future we will have an impact.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @gregonealphilosophy @cur8design
- Facebook: CUR8
- Website: www.cur8.com
Image Credit:
Paul Ernest Story Teller
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