American Association of Entrepreneurs gives its annual Independence Day award to Guy Lyman of New Orleans: fine art dealer, advertising consultant and Internet businessman.
New Orleans, LA (1888PressRelease) July 05, 2010 - The American Association of Entrepreneurs has awarded New Orleans art dealer and businessman Guy Lyman its annual Entrepreneurial Independence award, according to AAE spokesperson Samuel Hamm.
"We believe Guy Lyman represents the ideals we like to celebrate with this award," said Hamm. "He has built a thriving Internet business from scratch, established an advertising consulting business, a mineral specimen brokership, and parlayed his intimate knowledge of art into an art gallery and consultation business in New Orleans."
Following the dot com crash at the turn of the millenium and the collapse of his partner's advertising business, Guy Lyman first exploited his knowledge of rare mineral specimens to form a partnership with Dallas mineral dealer Rob Lavinsky, which lasted five years. During this time, Lyman not only continued in the advertising business, but also established Flor Nutraceuticals, LLC, which distributes natural nutraceutical products to treat health conditions. Flor Nutraceuticals will gross over $350,000 this year.
"What the committee really admired was that Guy Lyman started his nutraceuticals company with no former knowledge about the business. So he had to learn the ins and outs of running a successful Internet-based business, while also formulating and producing these herbal formulas based on research that he did himself; we felt this was very impressive for someone with a background as an advertising writer. And he did this while continuing to work in two other businesses."
"The mineral business was relatively easy to pick up, but there was a huge learning curve for the first year of the nutraceuticals business," said Lyman. The Internet is crowded, and it takes a real effort to make money with an Internet business. And, I really didn't know anything about herbal treatments for health conditions, but I saw it as a growth industry with plenty of pre-existing research I could take advantage of."
Guy Lyman is most excited about his new art gallery and consultation business in New Orleans. "I always wanted to move back to my old hometown, and this business was the perfect excuse. It allows me to indulge myself in a life-long passion for art, and it's something I can do while still running the other two businesses."
"Here's a guy who within a span of 10 years is writing ads, dealing in mineral specimens, starting a health products company, and establishing an art business -- and being successful at all of them," said Hamm. This maverick spirit is exactly what the Independence Award is all about."