Interview with Joëlle Dinnage
Joëlle Dinnage is an award-winning entrepreneur, working in the art industry, becoming a public figure. She is the founder of several art organisations, and work as an International Art Fair Director. We have conducted an interview with her.
What is your story?
I am an award-winning entrepreneur having established a few successful companies within the art industry and growing rapidly. In 2010 I connected with Barcelona entrepreneur Natal Vallvé, together we are launching another company this year, which is already being talked about as a very promising and refreshing concept within the art industry - everyone should be prepared!
How did you started in the art industry and became an award-winning entrepreneur today?
I started selling art when I was of a very young age. I graduated from art academy where I won my first entrepreneur award for starting a business together with 7 other selected final-year students, we tripled the stockholders investments, the awards ceremony was broadcasted on national TV. After I graduated at 21 I moved from the Netherlands to London and started my first art gallery there. The gallery was doing really well so I started organising art exhibitions. That’s how I met Natal and sharing the same passion for the arts together we founded the Global Art Agency, which has been awarded with several awards - amongst them we were shortlisted in the top 30 ‘Grow’ sector of the Virgin Media Business Awards with our pitch to Richard Branson.
Along the way I also worked independently as a Curator for Playboy, and became an Art & Collectibles Expert for Worldguide. My achievements got recognised and in 2013 I was awarded with the ‘Inspirational Business Woman Award’ by Woman in Trade UK. In 2014 I was nominated and shortlisted for the Women in Business Awards “Rising Star” Category. And only a few months ago I won the silver award in the New York Stevie’s Awards for Women in Business as ‘Female Entrepreneur of the Year’. It’s been amazing, and it’s only still the beginning. I haven’t even started yet!
What is/has been the one philosophy that you have based on to achieve what you have and who you are today?
Success is the best revenge! It sounds negative, but it is very positive because as a successful entrepreneur you will get let down by people that you trust, people that befriend you for the wrong reasons, a lot of enviousness and jealousy of some people you would at least expect it of, and there are always the ones that just love to gossip. What better way to show them you don’t give a damn by being more successful. That’s my philosophy, better to positively succeed even more, than to hold a mean grudge.
What is the current image you possess as a public figure? What is the desired and ultimate communication goal you want to achieve?
In the art world I think people see me as a people’s person, I am straight forward, direct and whatever success has made me I am still staying real. I think people love that in a person and I share all my ups and downs on social media hence I think that’s the reason for the big following and make me a public figure… in the making at least…
As I am currently chatting to some TV production stations I think ultimately a TV career is not far from the cards. If this is the goal I wish to achieve… I will have to find out.
Which art organisations have you founded? Which one is the most exciting for you?
All together I have founded more than 15 companies, mostly together with my business partner Natal - and it’s impossible to all list all of them in this article, but the main ones are Global Art Agency, GAA Publishing, MACA, InVogue Art Gallery, Global Art Collector Association. The ones that excite me the most is MACA and the GAA Publishing (we have just published our 2nd curated contemporary art book – a must have for any art collector) as they are the newest babies and have huge potential - A lot of work will be involved - bring it on!
What are your plans for the next five years?
As I said this is only the beginning so the next five years are going to be the most important years for our businesses. We will establish many more art events in different parts of the world, and collaborate with some global key brands. I am also writing an autobiography that I want to have published in the next couple of years followed by a movie based on this (ambitious but achievable). The world will trip!
Joëlle Dinnage www.joelledinnage.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joelledinnage/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoelleDinnage
Snapchat: @joelle.dinnage
