Meet Glenn Gissler

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Glenn Gissler. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Glenn, thank you so much for making time for us today. We can’t wait to dive into your story and the lessons you’ve learned along the way, but maybe we can start with something foundational to your success. How have you gone about developing your ability to communicate effectively?

I grew up with a father who was a skilled communicator; he was a newspaper journalist with deep curiosity, broad interests and a rich vocabulary.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

For an assignment in the eighth grade answering the questions:
‘What do you want to be when you grow up? And how do you get there?’

I said that I wanted to be an Interior Designer – and while my educational path was a bit wiggly, that is what I became!

I tell young, and not-so-young, people to be careful what they wish for, and to be very specific!

At a young age, I recognized that if I wanted to have a creative professional life and avoid starving in the proverbial artists’ garret I needed a financially viable way to channel my innate creativity. Even at 14 I saw that interior design could be a viable pursuit.

After seven wonderful years and three different schools, I finally graduated with a degree in Architecture from RISD (Rhode Island School of Design) – the oldest and arguably the finest art and design school in the United States.

I moved to New York City right after college with a mantra that I wanted to start my own business in five years – and it happened in three! Be careful what you wish for!

I am now in my 38th year in business providing a wide range of design services for residential projects in the New York Metropolitan area. These services include architectural design, interior architecture, furnishings and decoration, and fine art and accessories. I have some wonderful clients that we are currently working with and decades of other successful projects in New York City, the metropolitan area, Connecticut, Eastern Long Island, Chicago, and Florida, and many projects that have been published in magazines and books.

I still enjoy my work and the creative opportunities it offers, and count my blessings that I am able to spend so much time considering how aesthetics, in all of its guises, can impact how people experience their lives within their own homes.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Perseverance – Curiosity – Enthusiasm

Perseverance

I am a worker. Born and raised in the midwest I developed a work ethic at an early ago, finding ways to make money starting with a paper route allowed me to buy things that I wanted and having the satisfaction of having made the money and decided how to spend it.
This willing ness to work, and do whatever it takes to achieve a goal has been an asset in weathering the ever changing economic circumstances in the business world.

Curiosity

Before the ease of the internet I was always in books stores and libraries seeking inspiration, knowledge and enlightenment. I have always subscribed to a lot of magazines and to newspapers to stay abreast of the ‘now’. I consider curiosity a trait that has served me well.

Enthusiasm

The proverbial glass is almost always half-full for me. I always seek ways to make something from whatever is at hand, an almost alchemic thought process. As I have gotten older I find I feel freer to express my enthusiasm which can be infectious!

Tell us what your ideal client would be like?

I have actually had the good fortune of having a few ‘ideal’ clients!

These people have been trusting, willing to step outside of their comfort zone and preconceived ideas, have a good to great home to work with, are involved and engaged but mostly willing to follow advice, have adequate resources to fund the project and show appreciation for the work that goes into making their home distinctive and enduring.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.gissler.com
• Instagram: @glenngisslerdesign
• Facebook: glenngisslerdesign

Image Credits

1. Peter Murdock
2. Alexandra Rowley
3. Gross & Daley
4.Peter Murdock
5. Gross & Daley
6. Gross & Daley
7.Gross & Daley
8. Peter Murdock