In this episode of The Business of Antiques Podcast, Toma Clark Haines, Founder and CEO of The Antiques Diva & Co and The Republic of Toma, sits down with industry legend, Veronika Miller. Veronika's influence, guidance, and friendship have been instrumental in Toma's career. Toma describes her best as a trailblazer, fearlessly creating paths for others to follow both in the industries of marketing and design. Toma and Veronika have both learned that being ahead of the pack can be scary but worth it. Veronika shares, "I believe firmly that life is lived best on the precipice between the safe broad path and the cliff, and there's this fine line and sometimes you look down and go 'Oooooh, I didn't see that coming. That's a little high.' And so you lose a lot of sleep but I love living there because I'm just a big believer philosophically that that is where life takes place in every regard."

Veronika is the CEO and Founder of Designhounds Influencer Network Group and Managing Director of the M2 Consulting Group, and her mission is to help brands define actionable goals and build creative campaigns and programs – digitally and in real life. Veronika has her finger on the pulse of the design world, and society in general, and has a unique ability to distill big ideas – the big trends and the big obstacles – down to their very essence which is why she is one of the leading minds in our industry. To be able to sit down with her now, especially in this time that is precarious yet filled with possibility, and see clearly what we need to take away from this moment is an incredible gift and one we do not take for granted. Toma and Veronika take a deep dive into the current state of the industry, the importance of remembering why we are designing or selling antiques in the first place, the advantages of going back to our roots, thinking of the why's and our need for a provenance and a storytelling, understanding our value without falling into the trap of design as a transactional process, fostering an understanding of the "specialness" of our vision, and of the prominence of what we curate to sell – and how whether it's a piece of art or an antique – what we do creates special moments in every minute of every day of our clients’ lives.  

Veronika's personal stories, from her unusual backstory as the daughter of Europe's first McDonald's franchise owners, growing up doing her homework in the employees break room listening to training videos and learning the importance of customer service, communication, and a smile, to her recent struggles through the illness and loss of her husband will leave you inspired and empowered to move forward in your own endeavors. Her work as a serial entrepreneur, creating and building successful businesses is exactly the kind of inspirational education this podcast has become known for and is perfect material for growing your best business and your best life as we kick off 2024 in style – Veronika Miller style!