About this episode

Toma Clark Haines interviews Derek Ricketts about his career journey in design and the realities of the travel lifestyle.

In this episode of The Business of Antiques , Toma, CEO of The Antiques Diva & Co, shares a behind-the-scenes conversation with one of the interior design industry’s true unsung heroes: Derek Ricketts, Director of Sales, Hospitality at Palecek. From their chance meeting at High Point Market to an impulsive trip to Buenos Aires that involved polo ponies, countesses, and Austrian-steel fortunes, Derek and Toma unpack how curiosity, courage, and relationships can completely reshape a career in design. Along the way, Derek traces his unlikely path from radio and Shakespeare festivals to national sales roles, luxury linens, and hospitality design, revealing what he’s learned about sales, merchandising, and owning your value in the trade. They also dig into the realities behind the “jet-set” life that shows up on Instagram—points hacking, hotel loyalty, and doing it all on a shoestring budget—versus the polished perception people see online. Derek shares the inside story of how he brought Diane Keaton and The House That Pinterest Built to the Dallas Market Center, and the powerful lesson in doing your homework before pitching a big idea. If you’re an antique dealer, interior…

People in this episode

Host: Toma Clark Haines

Guest: Derek Ricketts

Topics covered

• interior design
• career pivots
• travel
• sales
• merchandising
• business risks

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Palecek

Books & works: The House That Pinterest Built

Places: Buenos Aires, Dallas Market Center

More episodes of The Business of Antiques

• From Budapest to Beverly Hills: How Gábor Újvári Built a Global Antiques Empire · May 28, 2026 · 1h 14m
• Branding, Instagram & Buying Trips: Inside the Antique Business of Tortoise & Hare · May 21, 2026 · 57 min
• Antique Dealer Insurance 101: What Every Dealer, Collector & Designer Needs to Know · May 14, 2026 · 1h 17m
• From Skirted Roundtable to Design Icon: Linda Merrill on Blogging, Podcasting & Business · January 1, 2026 · 58 min
• The New Marketing Playbook for Antiques Dealers · December 11, 2025 · 49 min
• Grow Your Sales: Retail Merchandising & Event Marketing for Antique Stores · November 27, 2025 · 42 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Business of Antiques podcast page.