Recent Interviews

January 29, 2009

Recently I had the pleasure of being interviewed by two different students about my life and business.  The first interview below was done by a student and was based on my entrepreneurial history and experience.  The Second Interview was about being an Interior Designer.  I love sharing this information to help anyone who has questions about either of these topics.  Please feel free to ask additional questions here!

Thanks for reading,

-Jason

Entrepreneurial History Interview

September 15th, 2008

What has been your greatest business success?

Having other clients refer me to their friends and family.  It’s the greatest reward to know that people like your work and want to recommend you to others.  Also, being in charge of yourself without having anyone else to answer too is also great.

What has been your greatest failure?

Documentation and lack of expansion.  Bringing my ideas to a larger audience, marketing and organizing my financials.  Giving to many “extras” to people thus losing potential income.

Who have been your role models, especially pertaining to your business and how it developed and became reality?

Martha Stewart, I know its cliché.  If you look at her business and the way it has developed through TV, radio and product lines in multiple stores, it is amazing to see what one person can do when it comes to decorating.  Also, the architecture of Frank Gehry.

Did you grow up surrounded by creative and innovative people?

I grew up the opposite.  Bad décor, track homes with pale white walls.  My creativity came from my Lego’s when I was a kid.  I loved Lego’s and made little villages.  From there it went into re arranging my parents furniture and faux painting when I was 16.  I started making a business for myself and its kept growing ever since.

How have the people you have discovered throughout life influenced your creativity and innovation?

Bad décor and design has influenced me to create better living and working environments to feel comfortable in.  The people have not been as much of an influence, moreover the places I have visited such as England, Scotland, and Ireland.

How did you get started with your business?

I started as a faux painter working on peoples houses, then transitioned into a painting and light construction.  It further developed into interior design and I still do all the other things on occasion.

How did you turn your ideas into opportunity?

I am still working on that.  Currently I am remodeling my website to sell homegoods and products online.  My ideas have created the opportunity to work on my projects.  Also, my work landed me a job with the E! Entertainment network on a show called “Guess Who’s Coming to Decorate”, for which I was one of 3 designers on the first season.

Do you have a set of core values and vision upon which your business is based and can grow or expand in the future?  If so, what are they?

“Work with what you have and make it better”.  You can take anything and make it look better; from simply painting to moving things around the house.  Good Design shouldn’t cost a great amount of money.  Designing environments that are comfortable and suit the clients needs while still expressing your own vision.  Tailoring and editing your own vision to ensure client satisfaction is key.  Design spaces that are challenging to you.  Bring good design to the masses and share your knowledge with anyone who asks for it.  Good design should hug you when you enter.  People should want to linger for a while.  To me good design shouldn’t be distracting.

What made you realize that there is a need for your business?

Everywhere I went, things were out of date and it appeared that no one cared about what they presented to themselves and to others.  I offered the unique (at the time) faux painting experience to people and they were looking to personalize their space.  This is still the case today.  People want a place to call their own, but more importantly, a space that reflects them as a person and one they and their family and friends can be comfortable in.

How did you choose your demographic/geographic location?

I didn’t, they chose me.  I followed behind.  The business I do has many different subsets of demo’s Financially, its upper middle class and up however I don’t like to limit myself to anything of the sort.

Did you have a plan of any kind? If so, how well did you follow it?

One of my problems also, I had no plan.  I now have a picture in my head of where I want my business to go after figuring out over the past 10 years.  My new plan is starting to form and we shall see.

How did the parts you followed influence the outcome, as well as those you did not choose to follow?

Well, since I have not had a long-term plan, I have to work elsewhere to financially support myself.  That has been very disappointing for me.  Now that my plan is beginning to formulate, I can start working towards the goal of financial independence from outside employment and become financially self-supporting.

How did you decide how closely to follow your plan?

Well, the plans I have made are flexible.  You need to be constantly reevaluating and researching the ever-changing world.  You need to be able to adapt and change as necessary.

How was your idea or opportunity realized?

Every time I get to work on a project and see my idea in my head transmit into real life, that’s when I realize I can shape the physical structure around myself and others and also perhaps change the feelings of the place.

Have you ever gotten to the point of failure? How did you know that it was time to abandon the idea?

No.  Some projects have not gone the way I wanted them too.  But it’s not failure if it’s a learning experience.  I only abandon ideas when it’s cost prohibitive.

What is the most creative resource (or creative use of a resource) you took advantage of in starting the business?

I have yet to do so. I shopped around in all different stores.  Magazines related to design where my original source of inspiration.

What resources are you willing, and not willing, to put at risk?

Money and Money.  I will risk my time any day of the week.  Even if it seems to be a waste of time, I learn not to do it again in the future, or perhaps try something different next time.  I am also careful where to put money since it isn’t around as much as I would like.

What skills do you possess as the leader and how did you go about forming your team?

Compassion, treating people with respect.  Knowing how to teach people when they don’t know or understand something.  Being equal yet authoritative when tasks are at hand.  My team consists of me, myself and I with the occasional assistance from my Friends and Partner Bryan.  

Are there skills for which you specifically chose the members of your team, to help balance and complement your own skills?

Being able to do what I ask based on previous experience and willingness to learn and listen.  Personality and confidence is key.

What previous experience do you have in your business?

I have been doing this since I was a kid, at least in my mind; from Lego’s in the pretend world, to Homes and Business’ in the real world.

Do you currently have a plan for growth?

I do.  It calls for an overhaul of my website and the addition of modern technology such as bloging, online shopping and other items to bring JDL Interior to new heights both service wise and financially.  I want to be able to pay myself a salary and then start hiring others.

Do you anticipate a change in customer needs, considering the impending generational/income changes coming with baby-boomers approaching retirement age?

I have yet to address that.  The only thing I can guess at this point is perhaps a whole new supply of people with disposable income and the possibility of changing homes, weather its moving, selling or downsizing.  The staging business that I do could become much more in demand.  I look forward to it.  It creates 2 jobs out of one customer.  Selling their existing home and decorating their new one.

If so, will this create a need for change in your business?

Yes, I would like to have a staging division of my business and a whole separate furnishings and accessories warehouse to allow my business a superior offering in the region.

What one life lesson would you like to share?

It takes a long time to come in to your own and become yourself.  The confidence you build should never fade.  It will be challenged time and time again.  You are whatever you believe you are.  Think positive more than you think negative.  Laugh.  Enjoy everything you do, or don’t do it (for long anyway).

Interior Design Career Interview

January 27th, 2009

Why is it that you decided to become an interior designer?

I think I fell into it really.  I always had a knack for rearranging things in my parent’s house.  It drove my mother particularly nuts.  As I grew up, I just loved creating environments.  First it was with my faux finishing and then it led to accessorizing those rooms.  Eventually, I just had feelings about how things should look and be.  Its hard to explain, I feel that you either have it or you don’t when you’re a designer.

Had you wanted to be an interior designer when you were a child?  If not what did you want to be?

I loved to draw as a kid and constantly designed and built homes with my Lego’s. I originally pretended that I was a car designer.  I changed to an architect at some point, primarily due to the fact that I didn’t know Interior Design existed.  I love to draw cars and houses of the future.  I particularly enjoyed created a Lego town that was my pride and joy.  I spent countless hours imagining and building the various shops and houses on my 4 x 8 sheet of plywood my father set up on saw horses in the basement.

What is your favorite part about being an interior designer?

Researching; constantly being amazed at what others can create.  Inspiration is all around us.  My mind is always creating, it never gets tiring and that’s what keeps me happy.  I love seeing designs in me head turn into real life spaces.

Where did you go to school?

I went to school originally for Fire Protection Technology, and then decided I didn’t want to be an Arson investigator.  I then pursued Media and Communications associates thinking I wanted to do Public Relations.  All the while working for myself as a painter and faux finisher.  After working for myself doing Interiors, I decided to go back to school in NYC and attended the Fashion Institute of Technology for Interior Design.  While at FIT, I was offered a job on TV with E! Entertainment.  I tried to work and go to school full time, but I left school after my first year to pursue my job.

What experience did you have before starting your own business?

None.  People just started hiring me to paint and do faux finishing.  It landed me a job at Thomasville Furniture where I did furniture sales.  People then started hiring me off hours to come and decorate their house.  My business then developed past just painting and selling furniture to creating rooms.  Running my own business for me was self taught through mistakes.  I still am learning how to grow and expand.

What does running your own business entail?

Everything.  You have to be your own CPA, Secretary, Marketing department, Graphic Designer, and everything else.  You name it; you have to do it.  Eventually when you make enough money, you can then expand and hire people to do these for you.  They don’t teach you how to run your own business in school.

Do you work more than one job?

I do.  Interior Design in this climate does not make you rich.  It is tough to establish yourself and make it your full time job.  I work part time as an EMT with Henrietta Ambulance.

What do you consider your style to be and why?

My style is a blend of timeless, modern, rustic and inviting elements with a sense of detail and simplicity.  I design for my clients and each one has different tastes.  A good designer can create any style.  Understanding your client and addressing their needs should be the top priority regardless of you own style.

How do you feel about green design?

Green design in my thoughts is just the movement to get back to our roots.  Stop wasting.  Stop creating mass production of low quality toxic materials.  Quality over quantity is becoming more customary.  Paying attention to how things are made.  Green Design is also about elevating and challenging our creativity to a new level using existing materials as inspiration.  Creating a healthier environment for all.  You can’t go wrong these ideas.

What area of interior design do you do (commercial, residential)?  What is your favorite?

I do both.  I love them equally.  They each have their own set of challenges.  Client needs and wants vs. functionality for residential.  While commercial is taking what the client wants and transforming it into the message or feeling they want to send through good design to their patrons, employees and the public.

What is your favorite space that you've designed?

So far it’s my home.  It always a work in progress but its my favorite.  When I finally get everything in place; I will totally change it all up.  I can’t wait.

Where does your inspiration come from?

Everywhere and everything give me inspiration. Seeing other designers’ creations.  Magazines.  Art. However, nature is the most important element of inspiration for me.

Where do you tend to do your work?

I usually work in my office at home, when I am not at a client’s home or office or at a store.

How often do you get clients?

It varies.  Since I recently changed and added new online Marketing, I have been getting on average 1 new client a month.

Approximately how long does each project take?

It varies of course.  I have some projects that take a month and some that have been on going for a long time.  On average a major project takes 6 months to a year.

What aspects do you take into consideration when designing?

The clients needs and wants.  Creating a design that is both comfortable and functional.  Budgets, also something they don’t teach you in school.  Always put the needs and wants and style of the client before you own.  Every clients’ has a style, even if they don’t know what it is.  You have to understand them enough to know what they would love to see.  This is the challenge and the most rewarding one.

Who is your favorite designer and why?

I have several.  One of my favorites is architect Frank Gehry and his amazing sculptural structures.  The buildings he designs seem to defy conventional building practices.  He makes buildings look like art pieces rather than uninspiring concrete blocks.  The detail in his designs and the engineering is beyond comprehension and extraordinarily innovative and mesmerizing.

Finally, do you believe you've made the right choice in becoming an interior designer?

I made the only choice that makes me truly happy.  So yes; I love what I do everyday, otherwise it’s not worth doing.