Amy Finley is the co-founder of Finton Design, a Texas-based company providing broad international experience in design, product development, sourcing and manufacturing. She’s also a Women in Retail Leadership Circle (WIRLC) consultant member! In this member spotlight, we asked Finley a series of questions so that you can get to know her better.

Women in Retail Leadership Circle: Tell us about your background. How did you get into the field of retail, specifically, home furnishings design?

Amy Finley: I’ve known since I was a teenager that I wanted to pursue a career in design and manufacturing. My degree is in industrial design, furniture manufacturing and industrial engineering from North Carolina State University, the epicenter of the furniture industry.

My first job out of college was as a designer with The Bombay Company. I quickly became curious about the business side, working first as a buyer, which then led to executive roles at Maitland-Smith, a high-end wholesale furniture brand based out of High Point, NC. After that, I led design and development of JCPenney’s private label home brands, overseeing $600 million in annual revenue.

My business partner Glenn and I launched Finton Design in 2013, after seeing an opportunity to partner with clients to design and develop their proprietary products.

WIRLC: What were some of your biggest challenges in launching your own business?

AF: Making the transition from executive to entrepreneur. Going from having a team of people with specialized skillsets to doing everything ourselves was a big shift but I learned a lot along the way. In hindsight, we could have outsourced some of the work earlier on but it was all part of the journey, and I’m glad I have that experience.

WIRLC: What do you want women working in retail to know about you and your business?

AF: With in-depth experience in all aspects of the business — sourcing, product development, design, buying, merchandising — we offer our clients a customized solution that meets their specific business needs.

We love working across all home categories too. From furniture design — which involves solving complex manufacturing puzzles — to textiles, which reminds me of fashion in terms of working with color, texture, pattern, we get to flex our creative muscles in a variety of fun ways.

WIRLC: What’s a retail trend that you’re curious about right now?

Do I have to pick just one?

Post-pandemic living trends. What will happen next as we settle back into this post-pandemic living for the long term? How will we really live differently? How will we behave differently?

Stay-at-home dads. My husband is the primary caregiver for our children. I see my children learning and growing with a different perspective, which is exciting to me. I’m curious to see how this affects the habits and purchasing behaviors of this generation.

Price points. In the last year, retail has shifted to become more price sensitive, so we’ve been helping clients re-evaluate their product lines, to anticipate possible shifts in the economy. Getting clients to focus on where the business is heading instead of where it is now.

WIRLC: What’s a lesson you had to learn the hard way in business?

AF: Trust and relationships. After one particularly bad experience with an early client, we learned that we need to vet prospective clients as much as they are vetting us. Our network has been a huge help with that. After 25 years in this industry, I have a long list of colleagues who I now consider close friends and we all have each other’s backs. It feels like one big family.

WIRLC: What’s the best book you’ve read recently?

AF: I like to call myself a “snack” reader — as in, I snack on multiple books at a time. On the bedside right now: “Women, Food and Hormones,” “Midlife Clarity and The Next Right Thing” for personal development; “Boundaries with Teens” for parenting tips; “Remarkable Retail” for business development; and “A World of Curiosities” for fun.

Depending on the day’s events, I choose accordingly .

WIRLC: What’s one thing you do to balance your work with your personal life?

AF: This question is hard because having my own business makes it very difficult to balance. There is no definitive line between work and personal as an entrepreneur. All I can say is I carve out the time as I need it. Exercise is a must for me, I start every day with some type of movement. And you know what they say about all work and no play…

WIRLC: What’s a piece of advice you received that still resonates with you?

AF: “Get uncomfortable.” When we were talking about starting our own business, many people said, you will need to “get uncomfortable”. I never knew what that really meant until I took the leap.

The fear of the unknown is uncomfortable. I had to embrace that fear and discomfort in order to grow.

Interested in connecting with women like Finley? Apply today to become a Women in Retail Leadership Circle consultant member!