KF colleague spotlight / Patrick Mouton
Patrick, you joined our San Francisco showroom team in February 2001. What career and life experiences brought you to KF?
My story of joining Kneedler Fauchère was not a direct line of me saying, “I want to be in this industry”, or “I love Interior Design and need a starting point”. I finished college with a degree in Theater Arts. Years later I was still waiting tables and in my early thirties, so I decided I needed a change. I wanted to work with my brain and not my legs (the body does not like waiters in their later years). So, I took my resume to a company called Blue Moon Hiring Agency with the hopes of maybe finding something in the Tech world. Tech was exploding in San Francisco at the time, and I felt there must be something out there for me. I didn’t know how to program but I was good at Excel and Word and knew my way around a PC. A woman there called me in for an interview and she saw that I worked at Stars Restaurant, where she had worked in the past. Something about that made her want to help me. She knew the difficulties of getting out of the restaurant business. She said, “I will get you a job and get you out of restaurants”. She got me the interview at Kneedler Fauchère with Candy and Billy. They only needed a receptionist, but I thought, “Well, let’s at least get some interviews going. I know nothing about this world, but they only need someone to answer the phone, and no one talks more than me, so let’s give it a try!”. 23+ years later, I am still here.
Now a 23-year veteran (Congratulations!), you have witnessed quite a bit of transformation in the company. How has your role changed over the years, and how has it remained the same?
I started as the receptionist and instantly started making some changes to make the job more challenging. Just answering phones gets boring. So, I started doing sales numbers on the only lap top the company owned - I built a few spreadsheets to keep track of sales for the reps. I then built a spreadsheet for keeping track of employee’s hours and breaks. Next, I moved into customer service where I spent 1.5 years fixing problems and doing order follow up. Eventually I moved on to the Outside Sales Department where I did assistant work for the two reps at the time. It was in that role where I really learned about furniture, and I also built the worksheet that we still use today to write up all our Conrad quotes. Finally, after a couple of years assisting Outside Sales, I made it to the sales floor where I have been ever since. (Not to mention I get to make a little trip to Hawaii every year to show product to our clients on the Islands.) What has remained the same? I think my commitment to be the best and most successful sales rep in Kneedler Fauchère history. I will be the fastest. I will be the most accurate. No one will outwork me. That and typing. Every day, all day, typing.
Which are your top picks from new collections for the Fall 2024 season?
The Dune Lounge Chair by Holly Hunt-this little elegant chair is flying off the shelf. The Déjà Vu Dining Table by Holly Hunt is also fantastic – I have yet to sell one yet, but it is coming. The Giovanni series by Gregorius Pineo is fantastic. I would love to own an Ironies Droplet Cocktail table. And Porta Romana also has this great new Lucille Glass Lamp – I love the Cerulean blue colorway.
What is your favorite part about our industry as a whole?
Because we work with the same clients and suppliers for years, you really become family. I have been invited to many of my clients’ homes for dinners, goodbye parties for long time employees, and staff holiday parties. And buying floor models at warehouse sales for 90% off is a plus - my house is covered in Ironies!
You have made the journey with Team KF to Paris a handful of times now for the January new collection launches and Deco Off. Is there a standout moment that you cherish most?
Of course, everyone will say the American Party in Paris is the most outstanding moment, and it is, but there are others worth noting. The Pierre Frey presentation is simply the most entertaining. Holly Hunt always puts together a great presentation. The guys at Nobilis are like watching two stand-up comedians bantering off one another. There was also an amazing lunch that a customer took the team to in this beautiful private club that blew my mind away. I love Paris and every time I walk the streets, I just feel alive. I go with my husband and our BFF Tania, and just having a lunch with them at any restaurant brings happiness.
What advice would you give to someone entering the design industry today?
To work in a showroom, start early, learn first before you try to run. And just for giggles: “Open the file before you dial”. This was a motto we used in Sales Support before email existed, when people would call us and start talking about an issue, but they were not prepared for the call.
Rapid Fire
Define yourself in three words.
Funny, “Extra”verted, Adventurous
Favorite holiday tradition?
Going to Bali for Christmas with my chosen family
Celebrity crush?
Henry Cavill. I mean, come on. Superman.
Biggest adrenaline rush?
Scuba Diving.
Favorite food/s?
Crawfish Etouffee (Cajun), Steak and Potatoes, and Mexican
Least favorite food?
Lentils and shredded coconut
If you had to choose a different career in your next life, what would it be?
I was supposed to be a Movie Star. Not an actor, but a Movie Star.
