Two women holding up cell phones with a peace sign on them.
Black diagonal cross or X symbol on white background.
home
Creator Marketing

Test Joanna Mahserdjian of Upstate Rug Supply on building a modern heritage brand Copy

September 17, 2021
Joanna Mahserdjian
Sponsored

While in college, I would frequent flea markets and explore design magazines at every chance I could. I was drawn to art history classes, and had a curiosity to understand the culture and story behind each piece we studied.

Today, I still get to pursue these passions. My company Upstate Rug Supply ticks all the boxes as a dream career for me: it’s a daily combination of beauty, design, and history. By hand-picking antique rugs that I then sell online, I get to focus on helping others bring items with a story into their homes.

When my friends started admiring the antique rugs I had picked for my home, they affirmed what I believed all along: I have an eagle with an eye for the hunt. I was hooked. 

  • Centuries worth of quality: Handwoven as long ago as 1920 or earlier, our antique rugs bear organic dyes which soften with time and uphold the weavers' tradition. Innovation and technology drive human existence, but traditions preserve human heritage. 
  • Handmade and handpicked: All of our antique rugs uphold the rich tradition of carpet weaving. From the weaver’s village, with no modifications, the antique rugs retain their original traits. We find them and get them new homes for people to enjoy for years to come.
  • ~this is indented level-1
  • ~~this is indented level-2
  • Uniqueness: No two rugs are alike.
  • ~indented level-1
  • Education: We teach our customers how to maintain the rugs we sell so they last for years to come. I also help customers choose the right antique rug for their needs to ensure they’re buying a product that will suit their lifestyles. In case of any damage, we offer a full professional and transparent restoration.

We source all our products within the US, and we love to find and source these gems so we can bring them to our customers. It’s like a modern treasure hunt.

related articles

July 29, 2026
Roger Figueiredo
A study finds creators outdrawing celebrity endorsements at the World Cup, Instagram rebuilds its grid to look like TikTok and apologizes, and creator-economy dealmaking hits a record high
The tournament is over, but its lessons kept landing this week. A cross-platform study of 2.4 million posts found creator partnerships consistently beating celebrity endorsements, with one creator repost nearly doubling the reach of Adidas's star-studded film. Away from sport, Instagram rebuilt its profile grid into a TikTok-style rectangular layout and its own boss apologized for the disruption, while the money side of the industry hit a milestone: creator-economy M&A set a first-half record as buyers chased audiences over software.
See more
June 30, 2026
Kristen Philippi
In the creator economy's abundance era, perspective is worth more than reach
AI has made content production accessible enough that the feed is full and the trends all look the same. What's scarce now is a creator's perspective: their trust, taste, and category expertise. That's why the question worth asking has shifted from "how big is your audience?" to "how valuable is your audience?"
See more
April 21, 2026
Roger Figueiredo
Chili's taps creators to put fast food on trial, Barbie goes to Coachella with creators, and David's Bridal rebuilds around them.
Chili's handed the creative reins to Trisha Paytas for its 'Food Court' campaign, signaling that legacy restaurant brands are treating creators as campaign leads, not add-ons. YouTuber Ryan Trahan raised $11.6M for St. Jude on a multi-week road trip series, outpacing most brand-led charity campaigns. And David's Bridal is betting on a creator-first marketing strategy to power its post-bankruptcy comeback, skipping the traditional retail ad playbook.
See more

Want more insights?

Join thousands of brands who already subscribe to the BANKNOTES newsletter