What made you go into design and home staging, is this something you have a knack for or something you have always wanted to do?
I always knew I wanted to pursue design at some point in my life. I played professional volleyball straight out of college for 10 years, but as soon as I retired from my pro career, I knew it was finally time to pursue my passion for interior design.
Did you have any experience prior to the course?
I didn’t have any formal experience prior to the course. I had renovated my own home which was a really fun and fulfilling process for me, and helped a good friend furnish her home up in Calabasas. Hearing her feedback on how happy she was with the way her home came together helped give me the confidence to take the next step to pursue certification.
What stage is your business at now ?
I’ve built out my business to a point where it’s something I’m extremely proud of! Since going to the Academy in Oct 2018, I’ve worked on 22 projects and counting! My projects have been primarily located in southern California, but I’ve also completed projects in Chicago, Florida, Lake Tahoe, and Portland!
What are some other challenges you faced and how did you deal with them?
When I got my first remodel job, there were multiple things that came up that – thank God – I was able to talk to Wanda about.
There is a lot of planning that goes into a kitchen remodel, and if things don’t get planned for and executed correctly, they are very expensive mistakes to fix. Having the ability to talk to my advisor Wanda as I planned and prepped for the construction phase of that project was absolutely invaluable!
What advice would you give someone comparing courses? What advice would you give someone taking this one ?
Take this course and don’t look back! This course gives you all the information that you need to get started, and then the support to keep going! I am so grateful to Kim and Wanda, as I can honestly say that finding them and taking the Design course at the academy changed my life!
