Personal Self-Employment Mission:
Like the adage says, “if you don’t have your health, you don’t have anything”. I found the stress of my corporate job was robbing me of not only valuable time but also my health. It was finally time to create the balanced lifestyle I wanted. I have been able to maintain my personal, family, and social commitments while exploring other interests. I have been enjoying the entrepreneurial opportunity of building my own business.
History of Employment/Studies:
All my life seems to have been a learning or observing experience from which I am able to draw inspiration for my designs. I do have formal training and am an advocate for licensing of interior designers. I am a graduate of Miami University – go Red Skins (none of that PC redhawks crap!). Initially, I was going for an architecture degree but realized that I really cared about how the spaces worked not why they “stood up”! I transferred to interior design and have been so glad ever since. The economy was lousy in the early ‘90s so I was lucky to find employment in my field directly out of school. While at this kitchen & bath design firm, I was able to hone my computer drafting and space planning skills. Life pushed me from Cincinnati when the branch of that firm closed, and I ended back in Jacksonville, Florida where I became the design assistant to the owner of a high-end interior design firm. I stayed there for four years, learning about all the business aspects of design and running a small firm. Wanting to see how the big guys do it, I move to Vail, Colorado and joined Slifer Designs, a premier resort design company. During my eight years there, I moved up the ranks from associate designer all the way to project manager & lead designer. Along with the team I managed and trained, I designed amazing homes and condos for clients with incredible budgets! This is considered a dream job and I had it! Slowly my life was going by in a blur and change was needed. I decided to leave Vail, move to Denver, and be the beneficiary of all my hard work.
If you could only listen to one song for the rest of time, what would it be? Why?
Pink Floyd – anything but if I had to pick Comfortably Numb. I can be in any mood and enjoy their music. I was raised in a small village just outside of Cambridge, England so I grew up hearing their music.
God comes to you with a plate. And says that you can pick a main dish, a side dish, a dessert, and a drink to put on this plate. But whatever you choose, that is what will be on your plate everytime you eat for the rest of time. What do you choose:
Main Dish: see dessert!
Side Dish: see drink!
Dessert: Cadbury’s fruit & nut bar – made in England not PA!
Drink: Smooth bottle of an Italian Sangiovese red wine
Favorite Quote:
“We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give.” – Sir Winston Churchill
