Karl Miller, Owner of Hudson Goods

Karl Miller was good at math.  Originally majoring in architecture, he moved on to a 25 plus year career on Wall Street, in his own words, “working his ass off.”  Tired of looking for consulting work, and with the economy in a downturn, he became his own boss.  What was just an idea one year ago has now evolved into Hudson Goods, a profitable start-up, one he bills as the “Old Navy of Furniture, but with better quality.”

I like Karl’s furniture, but most of all, I like Karl.  He is upbeat, full of business knowledge, and as enthusiastic about my business as he is his own.  When asked if he had the same passion for his old line of work, he says, “Sort of.  But now at the end of the day, I never feel the urge to escape the fluorescent lights of an office.”

To Karl, may you never be a fluorescent, Wall Street lab rat again.

1. Tell us a little about your product line and how you got started.

I believe that homes are meant for living and not for looking.  So I designed my own line of home furnishings that are sold exclusively on-line at HudsonGoods.com.  The furniture is affordable, made of all solid wood and of course built “jack-tough” as inspired by my dog and company logo.

2. After so many years working on Wall Street, did you ever doubt your ability to succeed in a creative field?

I actually never doubted myself in changing career fields.  I felt I was equally good at both and just gave it the same drive and work ethic that I did working on Wall Street.  It is much more fulfilling to work hard when you reap all of the benefits!

3. How has your life changed since last November?

My life has totally changed.  First, I have never worked so hard, as running a small business is much more challenging than a 9 to 5 corporate job.  It is on your mind 24/7 but the good part is that I really enjoy what I am doing.  I can also be myself and not have to fit into a specific corporate image.  I also see more of my family which has improved the balance between work and my personal life.

4. We talked at length about your successful marketing strategies.  Give our readers some specifics about which of these has been the most useful in managing to stay competitive with places like Pottery Barn.

Although on a smaller scale, I advertise in some of the same places as Pottery Barn on BizRate, Shopzilla, etc. and undercut them on price.  I also utilize Google Ads but I have also put myself and my face out there to make my product more personal than the generic Pottery Barn by using youtube videos, facebook, and more importantly the bloggers world.  I started a blog at HudsonGoodsblog.com on home design which I love and run frequent giveaway contests on fellow blog sites which has proven to be very successful.

5. You mentioned to me you had a mentor who was invaluable to your start-up.  How has this relationship affected your business?

As with anything in life, you can’t be an expert at everything.  Having someone that has gone through a similar process and has experienced all of the ups and downs has proven to be invaluable.  Having a mentor that tells you what to expect and sometimes how to do things has enabled me to get up and running much faster than if I had stumbled along on my own learning through my mistakes.  But believe me, I still make mistakes!

6. Has being a single entrepreneur helped you or hurt you in business and why?

I am actually in a relationship, with my business!  Being single has helped me in that I am able to devote all of my energy to growing the business and driving sales.  Right now, I live and breathe HudsonGoods.com and just would not have the time to be in a healthy relationship.  My family has been a great support system and of course my trusty sidekick Buddy!

7. Describe the ideal person who would complement both your life and your business.

Right now, that would be Buddy as she supports me in both.  But seriously, that person would need to have a passion to follow their own dreams and the drive to do it.  I find it hard now to enjoy people that are stuck in dead end jobs with no ambition to make a change.

8. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

In ten years, I see Hudson Goods as a household name right up there with Pottery Barn.  But, this new life has opened up so many doors and I have met so many different types of people that I dare to predict what I will be doing.  For now, it’s just all about HudsonGoods.com.

Karl’s Bio:

Karl Miller is the owner of HudsonGoods.com, an on-line store that features his personal collection of home furnishings.  After spending many years working on Wall Street, he decided to follow his life long passion for home decorating and designed his own line of furniture.  Karl has a bachelor’s degree in Communications from Rutgers University and an MBA from Monmouth University.  He has worked for JPMorgan, Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley, but now enjoys working for himself and spending more time with his favorite Jack Russell, Buddy.  Karl spends most of his time designing new pieces, traveling for unique decorating finds and writing for his design blog at HudsonGoodsblog.com

Want to connect with Karl?  Follow him on Twitter!