Daily Inspiration: Meet David Clair

Today, we’d like to introduce you to David Clair.

Hi David, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started as a summer intern working at the French Embassy in Washington D.C. for the old cabinet maker who maintained the furniture at the embassy in 1995. That turned into a full-time career. I spent a few years working for a different German-run company and then later started my first business venture at 24 years old. I worked all over Washington, D.C., for various design firms. I was handling a lot of insurance work for the World Bank and the IMF. I work all over the D.C., Baltimore, and Northern Virginia areas.

I was head-hunted by a competitor and offered a good position to come in as their lead restoration specialist. It was a good opportunity to work with a large firm, which I took advantage of to learn how they ran their marketing department and the inner workings of their large operation. It allowed me to focus on improving my skill set while it gave me many great opportunities to work on large projects. I left that organization in 2011 to start my current business. Early on, I worked for amazing clients. I was invited to work for the White House on a few projects. In the time from 2011-2018, I was primarily a restoration business working for many well-known national politicians, celebrities, and design clients.

I decided to move into a large 6000 sqft facility in 2018, which had a wonderful space for my studio but also was downtown and had a retail store front, so I decided to also start to deal in period artwork and antique furniture. After Covid, I decided that I wanted to leave the East Coast and move back home to Tennessee. I was born in Clarksville and still had family in the area. So, I moved my operation to downtown Nashville in November 2022.

I am currently set up on 4th Ave South in SOBRO. I have already started to build a reputation here in town, working for some of the best designers. I also run a YouTube channel and a robust Instagram. I attend many antique markets throughout the country and sell online to clients all over the globe.

Alright, let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what challenges have you had to overcome?
I have had numerous roadblocks in my career. Early on, it was more about learning how to handle the books and find good help with the business end of the company. I never struggled to find clients or produce good cash flow. Covid was a minefield to navigate. I did downsize my staff at the time and have since changed my business model.

The decision to relocate from DC down to Nashville presented some challenges as I was essentially running my small business from two states. For the first year, I was traveling back to D.C. every month to handle clients. I eventually closed down my DC location, and now I am operating full time in Nashville.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I specialize in the restoration of period antique furniture and French Polishing. I have a large skill set though and handle oil painting and art restoration. I also sell my own original art.

At the time of this interview, I mostly deal with period antiques and art. I travel around the country to specific markets. I also travel around the country for clients who hire me to handle certain restoration projects. It is a dying art, and there are not many competent restores out there, to be honest.

My specialty is the vast wealth of knowledge I have of antiques, from the dates, production methods, appraisals, and how to source and maintain large or valuable collections. I have spent a lifetime with antiques in very unique settings all over D.C.

Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
I like to take risks. I would prefer to “fail forward” which means that if I was ever offered an opportunity and I wasn’t exactly sure how to tackle it. I trust that I will find a way to make it work out. I know that the journey forward in business is one day at a time. I have learned from a lot of mistakes with clients, taxes, hiring, etc. There is no better teacher than hands-on experience.

It was a major risk to pick up my well-established business in D.C. and move to an entirely new market without having clients lined up for me when I arrived. I had to do some cold sales calls again, which I had not done in a while. Fortunately, I have a good resume and a long list of top-notch referrals that can help to open the right doors.

Once I had a few good connections, the rest started to run on auto-pilot. My clients pass my name around to other designers and collectors, who bring local work in.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.clairandco.com
• Instagram: @davidclairofficial
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-clair-47030aa2/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJadVHHN6j1O2nmSKJcQxvQ