Eaton Fine Art
Terry Eaton of Eaton Fine Art turned his childhood passion for art into a thriving business, and you may have seen his work in some of your favorite hotels around the world.
Meet Terry Eaton of Eaton Fine Art
The world needs more LGBTQ entrepreneurs. But starting your own business isn’t easy. It takes a lot of inner strength and a strong desire for success. It means overcoming limiting beliefs and growing your enterprise step by step. Terry shares that if you embrace your uniqueness, surround yourself with a supportive community, and put in the work, you too can become a successful business leader with the resources to give back to strengthen others in our community.
Terry Eaton is the President and Chief Curator at Eaton Fine Art, a full-service fine art consulting firm based in Austin, Texas. The Eaton Team serves as the premier innovative art resource for developers, brand leaders, interior designers and purchasing agents producing the art programs for hospitality and healthcare-related projects in the US and internationally. Terry’s prestigious portfolio includes The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, the St. Regis Princeville Resort in Kauai, and The Ritz Carlton, San Juan.
Terry joins us to share what it takes to be a successful LGBTQ entrepreneur, describing the drive it takes to start a business and the value of surrounding yourself with the right people. Terry speaks to the evolution of his business, sharing the challenges he faced as the firm grew from a spare room in his San Francisco apartment to a custom, feng shui building in Austin. Terry shares how he overcame limiting beliefs to become a leader in his industry with the means to affect change.
Learn from Terry Eaton:
Topics covered with Terry Eaton
Terry’s role as a fine arts curator
- Hospitality projects and healthcare facilities
- Collaborate to choose wall art, accessories
Terry’s responsibilities with Eaton Fine Art
- Work with other curators, a production team
- Travel (client meetings, museums and galleries)
The Cosmopolitan Hotel Project in Las Vegas
- Collaborate with Rockwell and Friedmutter for 3½ years
- 12,788 pieces in guest rooms + 400 in public spaces
Terry’s insight on what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur
- Hard work + passion
- Thrive on challenges
What gave Terry the courage to start his own business
- Supportive family environment
- Inner strength + desire to succeed
What Terry learned from business school at UT
- Emboldened by connecting with business leaders
- Surround self with supportive, successful people
Terry’s advice on overcoming limiting beliefs
- Don’t let bullying get you down
- Embrace your uniqueness, creativity
The challenges Terry experienced in running a business
- Long hours and hard work
- Let employees go in the economic downturn
The evolution of Eaton Fine Art
- Started in a spare room of SF apartment
- Able to build own feng shui office in Austin
Why Terry pursued the NGLCC LGBTBE certification
- Embrace a sense of community
- Support other LGBTQ businesses
The significance of being an LGBTQ business leader
- A seat at the table to affect change
- In a position to give back to the community
Terry’s daily practices for staying centered and focused
- Energize day by starting at the gym
- Connect on Instagram for inspiration
Eaton Fine Art’s current projects
- 130 on board across US, Canada and Caribbean
- Includes NY Marriott Marquis + Baha Mar Resort