We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Erin Talgo a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Erin, looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?
I count myself extremely lucky to grow up with a Mother like mine. My Mom was the youngest of 4 girls and the granddaughter of an Eastern European immigrant who fled the Austrian border in the wake of WW1. She grew up in rural Pittsburgh, PA watching her father work 7 days a week as a Butcher and her Mother stay at home to raise 4 girls. She would later go on to waitress her way through college at the local Denny’s restaurant and continue on throughout Graduate school at Columbia University where she received her Masters in Speech Language Pathology.
A few decades later, I came into the picture and my grandfather came to live with us for 8 years before he passed away at 93. His stories of growing up during the Great Depression and his humble beginnings are forever etched in my memory bank. Paramount among those memories are his story of starting his own business and his pride for the life my Mother built and her work ethic.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
Simply put, I design and source beautiful handmade rugs from Global Craftswomen. Having spent close to a decade in product development and sourcing for two major retailers, I have a strong background in understanding quality and what differentiates a good product from an outstanding one. The story of the weavers who make our rugs, shear the lambs and spin their wool into yarn and then dye it all by hand truly astonishes me. So very few things are still made by hand today and I saw this time and time again in my corporate job. Starting this business was a way for me to support artistry and the handcrafted goods. If everyone knew who made their products and the impact they were having on the environment the world would be a very different place.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
I’ve always been a pretty curious person, someone genuinely interested in people and their stories, and I have learned to not be shy in going after what I want- whether its big or small.
I was definitely that child that kept asking “Why? How? Why not this way” much to the dismay of my parents. I think in a way this natural curiosity served me in my later life as I challenged a lot of tradition ways of making or doing things, and my rug business is no different. If you want to create something different you need to try something different and in my experience that comes from really getting curious with things are done.
I think secondly, I love hearing people’s stories and sparking random conversations with strangers. A lot of my best connections have come from me chatting with random people on a flight or just contacting someone out of the blue to get a coffee with me. This openness partially leads into my third quality which I would say is in business, I am not shy about meeting new people, asking for help, or going after what I want. I remember growing up someone saying to me “You get in life what you ask for” and this really stuck with me. I have certainly been told “No” many times (and it doesn’t necessarily get easier to hear) but I would rather hear that response than lay awake wondering what could have happened if I just had the courage to ask!
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
I would love to collaborate with other artists, designers, or creatives on a rug collection. As I dive deeper into my own aesthetic and look, I have gained a deep appreciation for so many talented creators who have distinct styles very different from my own especially those who work with different mediums such as paint, ceramics or photography. I think it’s an incredible challenge and opportunity to bridge two visions into one and something that could really transform the brand from its current trajectory when executed correctly.
If any creators are reading this and are interested in designing a rug collection, send me an email and follow me on Instagram to get in touch! @ErinTalgoTrading and ErinTalgo@erintalgotrading.com.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://erintalgotrading.com
- Instagram: @erintalgotrading
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erinmtalgo
Image Credits
Lauren Taylor Creative
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