Long before the term “Entrepreneur” became popular there were generations of merchants, retailers, jobbers, distributors, vendors, shopkeepers, tycoons and many other risk takers simply know as the self employed. My bloodline is a family tree that includes a carpenter, a shoemaker, a fruit and vegetable store owner, a kosher butcher and the most recent past: two generations of retailers. There is no doubt that the entrepreneurial spirit is in my blood.
From the time I was a child working under the watchful eyes of my parents and grandparents, I spent most of my non school time working in “the store”. These experienced shopkeepers watched and groomed me to be the next generation to sell, buy, and finance the family business.
My story began in a store in the Bronx during the Sixties. My grandfather’s story however, goes back further. As World War II ended, Harry Gordon was discharged from the Navy and embarked on a career as a retailer of housewares. This included such products as toasters, cutlery, dinnerware, and an assortment of items that grew as customers asked for things he didn’t have. After the war, there was a shortage of goods. Harry knew his success would depend on being resourceful and finding products to fill the shelves of his store on Burnside Avenue.
His charming personality with vendors and customers allowed him to grow a successful business. In 1963, Harry and his son Walter (my father) partnered in their biggest venture: purchasing an existing housewares business on the Grand Concourse in the Bronx. The store was called Gaylins’ and was located directly across the street from the landmark Paradise movie theater and next door to Krums’, a famous chocolatier. During the sixties, the corner of Fordham Road and the Grand Concourse was the premier shopping address for the Bronx.
Gaylins’ was right in the middle of it all and was a busy store. I have memories of being five years old and coming to work every Saturday with my parents. We all worked in the store: my grandfather, grandmother, father, mother, uncles, my brother, and of course, me. I remember getting paid a dollar a day for a variety of assignments. I swept the floors, restocked the shelves, and worked at the cash register with my grandmother’s supervision.
In 1968, my parents and grandparents decided to open a store in the nearby suburb of Rockland County. The store was located across the street from a soon to open indoor shopping mall. Indoor malls at that time were new to America, and customers flocked to them. Fortunately, they flocked to Gaylins’ as well.
Now there were two stores, one in the city and one in the country. We would alternate Saturdays, spending one week in Nanuet and the other in the Bronx. I recall those rides back and forth to the city. It seemed like an eternity for me, my brother, and sister, but actually it was only about a thirty-five-minute commute.
Once the Nanuet store found its footing, my father and grandfather sold the Bronx store and we all worked in the one location. Upon reflection, I realize it was a unique experience to be around my family in a business setting. To me, it was not just a business, but a way of life. During snowstorms when schools were closed, my parents would take the three of us to the store. Naturally, we were the only workers who would come in. We would shovel the parking lot and the entrance and open for business. I recall the sense of pride we all had when a customer would come in on these snowy days and make a purchase. We all felt a part of the success, even if it was only a ten-dollar sale.
I am now in my fifties and have owned Decorating with Fabric for twenty five years. Yet, I still serve my clients the same way my father and grandfather taught me. It’s about giving them what they want: a great experience. This includes caring more about the happiness of each client, then squeezing out the extra profits. This is why we are different.
Testimonials from my past clients would attest that working with Decorating with Fabric is a partnership. We do whatever it takes to reach a successful outcome on each and every job. I believe that this sense or business savvy comes passed down from the Gordons, Rubenfelds, Rothmans and Cohens. All whom owned their own businesses.
That is why I am continuing the family bloodline and introducing my son Samuel Gordon to the organization. Sam will continue in the tradition of my ancestors. A proud tradition of being self employed. I know if my grandparents were alive today they would be proud of this moment.