Republic of Toma

Welcome to the Republic of Toma Podcast, presented by ASPIRE DESIGN AND HOME ! ASPIRE DESIGN AND HOME magazine is a storyteller of sublime living. For this reason, we’ve partnered with them to offer a globally chic guide to living a life less ordinary. I’m Toma Clark Haines, and I’m your host. In this podcast I’m going to share my life — and the people I meet — with you. I will sit down to have conversations with emergent and eminent architects, artisans, designers, developers, and tastemakers as well as just plain fabulous people I meet from around the globe. From Paris to London, Bangkok and Beyond… I’m bringing you conversations as if you’re a guest at my dinner table. I use this word “conversations” intentionally, because these are not interviews; they are chats among friends allowing you glimpses from behind the scenes into lives that are well designed. As for me, I’m an American and I’ve lived overseas for more than 20 years. I’ve lived in Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin and now I reside in Venice. But I wasn’t ‘to the manor born’ — I grew up in a small town in Oklahoma and as a child, I had more cows as friends than classmates. Through a magical twist of fate, I moved overseas in my 20’s and infiltrated the luxury market in both Europe and Asia. I’m a CEO. I’m a multi-passionate entrepreneur. I’m a jewelry designer, and I also have my own licensed lines of furniture. I’m a brand and creative strategist. For the last decade, I’ve run The Antiques Diva & Co - the world's largest antiques touring company offering one- on-one customized antique buying tours, spanning 3 continents and 16 countries. Most of all, I’m a Dreamer — one who has figured out how to turn dreams into reality. We will travel together - both in my imagination - and in reality. I am taking you on a voyage to The Republic of Toma. We will travel to see design inspiration, meet design muses and my personal mentors. This is the Republic of Me, but it's also the Republic of You You and only you have the power to create your own reality.