Starting a Commercial Furniture Business: Keelan Freitag’s Journey | Furniture Success Podcast

In this episode of the Furniture Success Podcast, we sit down with Keelan Freitag, founder of NextGen Workspace Solutions, a rising independent rep firm in the New England commercial furniture market. Keelan shares his inspiring journey from a 9-year teaching career to becoming a key player in the contract furniture industry. Learn how Keelan: Built a multi-line rep firm in just seven months. Combines traditional sales with cutting-edge technology. Navigates challenges like tariffs, changing work trends, and dealer loyalty. Uses Lunch & Learns and face-to-face events to build trust and grow his client base. Helps clients create flexible, dynamic workspaces adapted to modern hybrid work models. Balances patience, persistence, and customer-first values in a competitive market. Whether you’re in the furniture business or considering launching your own firm, Keelan’s advice on cold calling, relationship-building, and understanding market trends will resonate. Learn more about Keelan Freitag and NextGen Workspace Solutions: https://nextgenworkspacesolutions.com/ 👉 Apply for your FREE 1:1 Furniture Store Acceleration Session. https://go.furnituremarketingpros.com/schedule 📥 Download your FREE marketing checklist 🎧 Listen to the Furniture Success Podcast: Spotify Apple Podcasts YouTube Watch more episodes and webinars: Podcast Playlist Webinars Contact us:📞 Call Ahmet Yavuz at 973-832-0923 💻 Schedule your FREE strategy session Follow Furniture Marketing Pros: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/furnituremarketingpros Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/furnituremarketingpros LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/furniture-marketing-pros/ 00:00 - Introduction 00:20 - Keelan’s Background & Starting NextGen Workspace Solutions 03:50 - Unique Go-to-Market Strategy 06:20 Overcoming Challenges in the Contract Furniture Market 09:10 Trends: Tariffs, Recession & Industry Giants 12:00 How Keelan Qualifies Clients’ Needs 18:00 Aligning Furniture Solutions with Company Culture 20:45 The Shift to Hybrid Workspaces 24:15 Innovative Office Furniture Solutions 27:20 Advice for Starting a Furniture Rep Business 33:00 Cold Calling vs. In-Person Networking 35:40 Memorable Projects & Lessons Learned 40:00 Future Plans for NextGen Workspace Solutions 42:50 How to Contact Keelan #FurnitureMarketing #FurnitureSuccess #furniturestoremarketing