Robin Love is the new senior vice president of sales at Brooklyn-based Fil Doux Textiles. An industry leader for three decades, Love’s experience includes stints at Century Furniture, Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams, and JANUS et Cie. Love recently shared her thoughts on the early days of her career, Fil Doux’s continued growth, and breaking barriers in a typically male-dominated field.
Anna Zappia (AZ): Robin, you have been in the industry for 30 years, working for several well-known furniture companies. How has your experience with those firms prepared you for this role?
Robin Love (RL): The most interesting thing, I think, about my background is that I’ve learned case goods, I’ve learned upholstery. I’ve learned outdoor, I’ve learned fabric, and I’ve learned operations. And I think having that type of background and bringing all of that together has really helped me throughout my career. I was very long-term with all of the companies, and I learned procedures and what I could do to make things better. I feel like I am bringing a lot of experience from different places. And it’s interesting how much you find that it translates across the business, no matter what the product is.
AZ: You’ve now moved from furniture to textiles. What about working with a textile company is most exciting for you?
RL: Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams is based in North Carolina, so I was right in the thick of all the textiles there. I went to the mills and the leather tanneries, so I am familiar with fabrics and have somewhat of a background. Designers love textiles. You can go to show them a lot of things and they will be like, “eh.” When you go to show them fabrics that they can touch and use to make a beautiful environment, then it’s really easy. It’s more interesting than showing a basic outdoor ottoman.
Caption: Moody Blues, a collection of Otratex fabrics. Otratex is the first-ever degradable vinyl alternative.
AZ: Can you tell me about Fil Doux’s core values, and how those values align with yours?
RL: I love the fact that Fil Doux is a family-owned company, and that the family has had these mills for 80 years—there’s history. I think the fact that they embrace sustainability, and have for many years, is very attractive to me. It’s not an add-on, it’s not an afterthought. It’s something they are working on all of the time. I’m lucky enough to come in with this team. It’s just a real authentic group of people that are hard-working and smart.
Leo Novik, the founder and CEO of Fil Doux, and his family, have been using solar panels, cleaning water, and recycling water for many years. I don’t think they ever turned a switch on. It’s just such a part of Leo and who he is, and such a part of the company. I don’t think Leo always markets it. We have to find great ways to get to the customer and make sure they know. That’ll be part of my job, to make sure when we come up with these products that are so important to the industry, that we get the word out there.
I’ve just been here for a month, but I’m excited by the growth potential. That’s what drew me to Fil Doux. And the core company values really match mine.
AZ: We have made strides, but we still need more representation and women in leadership roles. How can we encourage and promote the next generation of women leaders?
RL: There was a lot of the “good ol’ boy” mentality back when I first started in the industry. When we were opening up business in Dubai, I wasn’t really allowed to travel because I was a woman going to the Middle East. You know, I’ve always felt like if you do your job and do it well, then that’s the best example you can set for other women. If there are more and more women in leadership positions, that sets the tone. I think that is the biggest thing for the younger generation coming up.
I haven’t felt like it was difficult or challenging like I did when I started out. There are so many female designers in the industry now. It’s part of a company culture as to how balanced they are with their employees, regardless of their race or gender, or whatever it is.
Over the years, I have had people reach out to me and say, “I respect you.” And I have always said, “So, call me.” For the younger women just starting out, I think that is important. I wish I would have had more people to reach out to when I was coming up in my career. It would have been nice.
I have come across companies that have formal mentorship programs. To me, that’s one of the best ways to foster women in the industry. If they had someone they felt like they could reach out to or talk to when they were frustrated, I think that would make a big difference in the workforce. I think it’s happening, as there are more women out there. I see it a lot in the hospitality industry because it is so female-driven in general.
AZ: You are overseeing sales, product development, and project management. What will be focusing on specifically, and why are these areas crucial to the business?
RL: With sales, I think it’s more about having a strategic plan to find new areas of business, and to address some of the areas of the business that we’re already getting, and maybe didn’t realize to what extent. We want to make sure that the sales team is not only representing the brand well, but that they’re happy. The salespeople are the critical first line, the voice of the customers. They are so valuable, and many company leaders forget that.
With project management, it’s about the organization and pulling it all together. The management knew there was a need there. So, we are having weekly meetings and putting some tasks and timelines together with product development. I think you really have to balance your strategy, your forecast for growth, and your company processes. You have to have a cohesive strategy to make sure that the internal support is there. I think it’s a little different with each department, but so far I couldn’t be busier—or happier.