Chapter 2: P9

Trove Table Talk: Meet Our Jack of All Trades

We call Tony our Jack of All Trades for good reason. He's the go-to guy, the one who always seems to have the answer, and if he doesn't he'll surely have some funny quip to offer that will have you laughing instantly. Tony is our General Manager, but he's a heck of a lot more than that to a lot of people.

Tony and his wife Lori live in Clintonville, walking distance from Whetstone Park and Harvest Pizzeria where they often stop for dinner and a Moscow mule after busy work days. Their two children, Audrey and Dylan keep them laughing pretty much constantly and with the addition of their dog Rocky and cat Dottie, it's a full house!

Tony grew up 45 min North of New York City and has lived and worked all over the world since then. He and his wife Lori met in Southhampton during their senior year of college and the rest is history! Shortly after, they moved to the California Bay Area and enjoyed the sunny weather for a few years  before heading back to Ohio to be close to family.

When he's not spending time with Lori and the kids or chasing Rocky around the neighborhood (that dog seems to always find his way out of the backyard gate!), he's looking for something around the house to fix. From cars, to plumbing to computers, he loves to figure things out. He and Lori like to ride their bikes through the neighborhood to one of the parks near their house or stop into Cup O' Joe to take a little breather on the weekends. 

Tony's children, Audrey and Dylan are the absolute loves of his life and you don't have to talk to him very long to realize that. In Tony's words, Audrey's "excelling at being a sassy near tween", loves making homemade slime and is learning to skateboard! Dylan kills it with his fashion sense (those sweet sunglasses are no coincidence) and is all about his video games. This summer he's tossing out the training wheels and learning how to ride without them so he can join his dad on bike rides!



Tony's the kind of guy that doesn't tend to talk much about himself, but our team had more than a few sweet words to describe him- kind, thoughtful, appreciative, helpful, sensitive and goofy were just a few of them.

From Breane:
"Tony brings calm to the store. When he's around he's the go-to guy. He's had a crazy amount of different jobs in his life so he seems to know a little about everything. He's the one you can call on the weekend when you're working on a do-it-yourself project and he'll be right there ready to give you advice on how to get it done! He has a cool, calm demeanor that helps in navigating even the most difficult situations. Tony's one of the most caring people I know. He's always thinking of others and is quick to recognize and reward with words of praise. He has a wonderfully creative mind and a genuine heart to go with it!"

From Cindy:
"We are so blessed to have Tony as part of the Trove family. He brings many years of experience in furniture store management, sales and knowledge. Tony is a generous, kind, caring person and a wonderful family man. I love his humor and his smiles!"

From Lauren:
"Tony was our very first full-time employee. I can honestly say, without him we wouldn't be where we are today. From his knowledge in furniture to his impeccable attention to customer care, Tony is such an amazing asset. We're lucky to have him not only as an employee, but as part of the family. Oh, and he busts out some pretty sweet dance moves when he's setting the floor, HA!"

From Susan:
"I love working with Tony because he's always upbeat! I've never seen Tony in a bad mood and he's extremely knowledgeable about everything. He has a great sense of style and a vast knowledge of our product!"

From Liz:
"I met Tony working at a furniture store called Global Living around 2005. He was working on the visuals and floorset while I was a sales person. He was really shy, so I didn't get to know him for a while until we started talking about music. Tony always played the best music at the store! Eventually he was someone I always looked forward to seeing every day. His calm, patient demeanor is what I have always admired about him. He has guided me through some tough situations and always reminds me that "it's just furniture, Lizzy" if I ever get upset. I love him like a brother and I'm so happy I get to work with him everyday. He's my rock and I hope we continue to fight over the music at Trove for a very long time!"

From Natalie:
"I can't imagine Trove without Tony. He's such an integral part of our team! His knowledge of the furniture industry and his impeccable eye has earned him respect by all, but his kind heart is the real reason we all love Tony so much. He's always so positive and encouraging and he never laughs at my dumb questions. I wouldn't want to have anyone else as my partner and co-manger!" 

From Danny:
"Tony is more than a co-worker and boss to me. He's a man that I look up to and admire. Whether it's personal or work related, he always seems to have an open ear and a shoulder to lean on. Tony is a man that has so much knowledge, experience and wisdom and he seem to know a little about everything. All the funny stories you've told me about Audrey and Dylan make me look forward to having some of my own one day! Tony, you're truly inspirational, a role model, an ideal father and for that I'm so grateful for meeting you!"

Can you tell we like this guy just a little bit?! Tony's a wonderful person and his sense of style is just the cherry on top of the things we love about him. He describes his aesthetic approach as eclectic and comfortable, full of color and lots of unexpected touches. In his own words he said, "I think that your furniture should support your lifestyle with easy to care for fabrics and rustic, no fuss wood pieces that just get better as you use them. I love seeing homes that are just full of things that are beautiful and meaningful to the owners. Eventually it all comes together to become your own unique style". 

It's easy to see why Tony is so great at what he does and why he's such an important part of our Trove Team. Follow along with us as we keep learning more about all of our awesome team members here on the journal!

TROVE

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