Meet Wally Stryk | owner of Asian Art Imports

We had the good fortune of connecting with Wally Stryk and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Wally, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I have a varied vocational background. I’d played music professionally for years (still play) but just wasn’t earning steady enough of an income. I’ve also had jobs working for others but never found a rewarding position. Starting Asian Art Imports in 1998 gave me satisfaction in being in control of my circumstances and allowed my to travel extensively with I appreciated.

What should our readers know about your business?
I traveled to Thailand in 1998 and loved the culture. I had Thai friends here in Los Angeles so I wasn’t totally surprised by the friendly nature of people I met. I loved the architecture and the esthetic people created around their businesses. I thought their may be a market here in the U.S for the wonderful handicrafts I found. I also saw beauty in the architectural elements (i.e. roof pinnacles, columns, wall carvings) that were actually being disposed of when buildings were dismantled. I started small and built up the amount of my imports as time moved on. Starting our wasn’t easy. I worked seven days a week and found many of my customers during the first few years by cold calling. It took faith, perseverance and stamina to get the ball rolling but I was determined to make it work.
The thing that I can look back on and be proud of is that my wife and I built this from scratch. We’ve treated people fairly and have applied ourselves in creating a business that’s always emphasized a creative element in the lines we’ve carried.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I would hope that they enjoy camping because we’d travel up the 395 to Alabama Hill, then head further north and camp in Bridgeport, Ca. area. We’d head over to the Donner pass and head to the Giant Sequoias. There are numerous campgrounds in between and we would just take our time enjoying nature.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I was raised to beleive that you are in control of your destiny. Things may not take the path you plan but if you are open to what life offers, wonderful paths present themselve. I had many wonderful encounters early in my business with business travelers, suppliers in Thailand and customers here. The one major influence that deserves the most credit n the development of Asian Art Imports is my wife Pat. We met on one of my earlier business trips to Thailand and built the business together.

Website: asianartimports@yahoo.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asianartimports/ https://www.instagram.com/wallystryk/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/asianartimports/ https://www.facebook.com/wally.stryk.5/

Other: www.asianartimports.net