I’ve known of MartinPatrick 3 long before I knew Greg Walsh and Dana Swindler personally. Like so many others, I experienced the brick-and-mortar first — the way it makes you stand taller, breathe deeper, feel more yourself. But what I came to learn only recently, sitting across from the duo in the studio during their first-ever podcast conversation for Rise to More, is that the beauty of MartinPatrick 3 is inseparable from the inner lives of the two men who built it.
Greg and Dana don’t like to do interviews. They don’t chase press coverage. They believe the work should speak for itself — and it does. So, when they agreed to join me on the Rise to More podcast, I knew this wouldn’t be a typical conversation. It was about listening to what they’ve never shared publicly before.
Photography provided by Rise to More
MartinPatrick 3 began with an empty warehouse in Minneapolis’s North Loop and a question that sounded almost naive: What if we built the most beautiful store in America? Not the biggest. Not the most profitable. The most beautiful. What they didn’t have — investors, retail backgrounds or a safety net — they replaced with discipline, taste and an unwavering trust in their instincts.
What many people don’t know is how early the blueprint for this vision appeared. Last summer, when I visited their home, Dana showed me an intricate model house Greg built from scratch at just 12 years old. I have a 12-year-old of my own, so as I stood there taking in something so deliberate, detailed and beautifully imagined, I felt almost breathless. This wasn’t a child’s toy; it was a fully formed vision guided by flow, proportion and an intuitive understanding of space.
I asked Greg about it on the show and he shared, “There was no Internet. No Pinterest. It was all memory, observation and instinct. I just loved the world of home and design. I couldn’t build a real house, so I built the biggest one I could.” In that moment, it was impossible not to wonder how early some of us arrive with our gifts already intact. Greg’s eye and understanding of his own taste set the stage for big dreams ahead, ultimately evolving into the vision for the luxury lifestyle destination.
Photography provided by MartinPatrick 3
Dana’s story during the early days of MartinPatrick 3 unfolded differently. For the first time, he spoke openly about selling an engineering company, stepping into a world he didn’t understand and teaching himself retail finance because there was no other choice. He learned inventory metrics, accounting systems and cash flow management out of necessity — not from textbooks, but from hands-on experience. At one point, the CFO quit because Dana asked too many questions — so he took an accounting manual home over the holidays and learned it himself.
The pair also shared what it actually took to survive the early years. MartinPatrick 3 opened in October 2008, just days before the economy collapsed. There were no profits. There was uncertainty. They put their home up as collateral. They cut personal spending to nothing. They made sandwiches for years so the business could live. Greg spoke about his optimism during this time, believing they would find a way. And Dana spoke about fear and how he carried it so that Greg didn’t have to.
What struck me most in our conversation is how their partnership clearly works because of their differences, not similarities. Greg holds the vision with near-reverence — how something is displayed, wrapped, lit and experienced. Dana creates the structure — policies, sustainability and long-term stability. They stay in their lanes and trust each other completely. And as a result of this artful balance, MartinPatrick 3 feels cohesive rather than chaotic, elevated rather than performative.
As we talked, they also shared why they’ve repeatedly turned down private equity. Not out of ego, but protection. They want to remain nimble and curious. Able to pivot without permission. They don’t want five stores if one can be exceptional.
Photography provided by MartinPatrick 3
Listening to them talk about their team — many of whom have been with them for years — it became clear that MartinPatrick 3 isn’t just a store. It’s a culture. Customers don’t rush in and out. They sit, they talk. They’re known. In a world obsessed with speed, this place insists on presence. As AI and automation reshape nearly every industry in our world, both Greg and Dana believe that the future belongs to humanity. To environments that feel real. Hearing them say this felt less like a prediction and more like a quiet certainty.
What stayed with me after our conversation wasn’t just admiration, but gratitude. Gratitude that two people so committed to letting the work speak for itself finally allowed themselves to be heard. Gratitude that beauty can still be built slowly, intentionally and without compromise.
MartinPatrick 3 stands as proof that when you lead with integrity, partnership and patience, the result is more than a business. It’s a place people return to not just to shop, but to remember who they are when they’re at their best. And I’m honored that, for the first time, they told that story out loud with me.
Listen to the entire conversation now, available exclusively on the Rise to More podcast.
