Ron and I opened our first business in 1995. However, as the years went by, we began to realize that we were doing much more concierge-type work than meeting planning. We also learned that the concierge services industry had the potential for taking off and was fast becoming the wave of the future. So after a few modifications, we changed our company name and targeted concierge services. Triangle Concierge was born in the fall of 1998. It was a good fit for us because I had been a concierge and meeting planner for over 10 years in New York. However, as we began Triangle Concierge it soon became apparent that there were no resource materials available on the market to help us get started.  

At the time, there might (and I stress might) have been 20 concierge companies around the U.S. There were no books on the subject, no articles, no courses, no consultants to approach, nothing. Frankly we were unable to locate any helpful information at all. We were on our own. It took us approximately a year to teach ourselves and research how to start a concierge service (truly the ultimate of self-taught) and we were ready to open for business. In those early days, if there was a place to bump our heads, we bumped our heads.

Almost immediately the telephone started to ring. First one call, then ten. People started calling and emailing me from all over the world asking me to spare just a moment of my time to tell them how I started my business, and I told them. I spent hours answering each question as best as I could. Until one day my husband Ron overheard me and asked me what I was doing. When I told him he said, “Why are you doing it for free?”

Good question! Why indeed was I?

So, based on my expertise in meeting planning (where I did as much meeting planning as concierge work), concierge work, and the fact that I had started two successful companies I decided to write a manual on how to start your own concierge business. Just because I learned everything the hard way doesn’t mean that others have to. There was most certainly a huge need for the information because in those early days there was no information at all. Anywhere.

I spent the next few months writing the first edition of The Concierge Manual. Once the book began to sell, the phone calls increased dramatically in a matter of weeks. I received calls and emails from all over the world from people wanting more services and information, asking questions and the like. As a result of all this we realized that we had to make a decision regarding our company’s focus. So, after a long discussion, in 1999 Triangle Concierge, the concierge consultants, was born. We officially turned ourselves into full time concierge consultants and let go of our local concierge business.

Today, we’ve consulted companies (both large and small) and individuals from over 40 countries around the world and every U.S. State. Triangle Concierge was one of the first two companies in the world to do concierge consulting, and more have popped up since we started in 1998. In fact, I've actually trained a few ... although not on purpose.

Ron and I, being the entrepreneurs that we are, have also started several other successful companies including NewRoad Publishing, plus I am one of the co-founders and Chairman of the Board of the International Concierge and Errand Association (ICEA).

The key to our success? A mixture of extraordinary honesty, fairness, respect, trustworthiness, integrity, determination and love. It is the hallmark of all our companies. Persistence, determination, passion, a willingness to change and over-the-top customer service. The true key? Intuition. We listen to its guidance and trust the direction it tells us to go.

The true meaning of prosperity doesn’t mean having as much money as possible. For us, prosperity is having the means to help as many people as possible … and still be more than able to pay the bills. Prosperity means being able to give it away and pass it forward.

Because if you have faith you can do anything!