Ian Grant has a job most people would envy—he travels for a living.  He does it by hunting for unusual artifacts and objects overseas, then shipping them back and selling them to top retail shops and interior designers around the country and the world. 

His business, Bjorling-Grant, has earned a reputation in the design world as one of the best sources for beautiful cultural objects from around the world. At the prestigious High Point show and the New York Gift  Fair, Ian’s booth is a popular destination: designers and shop owners know they have to get there early before everything is gone.

To find desirable pieces to sell, Ian travels to places like the Mekong Delta, the mountains of Laos, the coast of southern India, Thailand, and Nepal, as well as Africa and Central America. Ian’s specialty is finding objects that are truly unique, which means his buying trips regularly take him to remote villages and bazaars—by truck, motorscooter, dugout canoe, on foot—whatever it takes.   

Ian also works closely with artisans in developing countries to create products that help support the local culture and are environmentally sustainable.

In college, Ian acquired two degrees: one in history and another in art history. He studied at the National Gallery and the British Museum in London in a self structured course during college, and helped curate shows at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts.  He was lured away from graduate school, however, when he started selling high-end Persian rugs. Ian fell in love with a job that combined art, history, culture and hard-nosed bargaining.

Selling carpets for as much as six figures (while publishing articles on rug history) Ian made enough to follow his dream of starting his own import business.
He quit his job and immediately hopped on a plane for southwest India.  Ten days later he had his first shipment ready.

Ian’s never looked back—he can now tell you the exchange rates for ten different currencies and the exact shipping times from ports on every continent.  

Says Ian: “Tons of people would love to do what I do, but it’s not as simple as getting off a plane, buying stuff, and shipping it home. You have to know your prices, know the competition, and you need an ‘eye’. It’s not a vacation—it’s a business. But when I discover a treasure in a back alley or see the sun come up over Angkor Watt, I realize I have a pretty good job.”

Ian lives in Minneapolis with his wife Lisa and son Alex.  He runs marathons, practices a variety of martial arts, scuba dives all over the world, and plays hockey and the violin, although not at the same time.