Conversations: Jalal Al Halabi
In today’s Conversations of The Coffee Table Club, we speak to the man behind La Vida Furniture, Jalal Al Halabi- Managing Director, marketing enthusiast and simply a family man. As we sat down, Jalal revealed how the idea of La Vida Furniture came alive, his future plans for the company and one great piece of advice he has been given by his father.
How the idea of La Vida Furniture was born?
The idea came to me a few years back when I was working in procurement. The job is all about comparing and find the best deals available in the market. When I got married and decided to refurnish the house, we started visiting different showrooms- that’s where I got the chance to implement my procurement experience outside work. We’ve started looking everywhere but we always faced the same issue- either we didn’t like the design, the size didn’t fit or the price point was too high. After of several weeks of visiting different companies, and going through hundreds of websites we’ve failed to find something. One day I sat down and asked myself - why can’t my needs be met? Why is it difficult to find unique furniture? That's how La Vida Furniture was born and the rest is history.
Who is the La Vida customer?
The La Vida customer understands the importance of well-crafted furniture. Apart from this, the La Vida customer doesn’t like to be limited- that’s why we have a team of specialists on board that provide customization services with a wide variety of materials, fabrics that help reflect the individual’s taste and lifestyle.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
The people that you work with says a lot about the future of the company. The La Vida Team has dedication, passion and strong skill sets to succeed, that’s why I can certainly say that I see the company serving as a key player in the market. Our next goal is to focus on interior design services. To me, furniture and interior design go hand in hand. We always look for ways to innovate and make sure to build long lasting relationships with customers by exceeding their expectations.
What is the latest book that you read and loved?
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey is a great read. The author explains the 7 universal principles that helps succeed in career, relationships and other aspects in life. I enjoy the part where he encourages individuals to change their perceptions on things which I find very useful, considering the fact that we are all programmed by the society to think or behave a certain way.
What’s the best advice you can give to someone who just started their career?
My father would always tell me to think of ways I can add value -whether it’s to yourself, the society, your finances, social or personal life. After all, human beings have such a high potential, it hurts me when I see it go to waste. Read a book, do some exercise, reach out to those in need, the options are endless.
Karina Ananenkova
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