We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Pamela Merritt. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Pamela below.
Pamela, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Risking taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.
The biggest risk I have taken was when I made the decision to walk away from my guaranteed and successful position in the Fortune 500 Corporation I was working for and start a new career from scratch. I went from working in a traditional corporate America marketing department to flying solo as a freelance designer. It took a few years to finally hone my career into upscale Interior Designer and Artist as I slowly reduced the graphic design services that I started out offering. I realized that the real purpose in taking the risk to begin with was so that I could do something I genuinely loved instead of just going through the monotonous 9-5 motions that I felt my corporate career had become. While there is the risk of not having a constant source of project work there is also the opportunity to hustle and make it happen for yourself. In reality, your life at any moment is what it is because you chose for it to be. So if I want 10 clients a month, nothing is stopping me from making that a reality. And that is worth the risk all day long.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
Pamela Merritt: Eccentric and Elegant Designs For Whimsical Souls
The Creative Canvas
My journey began with crayons and paper, scribbling outside the lines and dreaming up imaginary worlds. Fast-forward to today, and I’m still that kid—just with better tools and a grown-up title.
As an artist, I’ve learned that every room is a canvas; whether it’s a cozy nook or a bustling office. I believe in infusing personality and playfulness into every square inch.
From Pixels to Pillows
Residential or commercial, virtual or brick-and-mortar—I’ve navigated them all. Virtual spaces? Oh yes, I’ve designed entire pixelated realms! But let’s not forget the tangible spaces—the ones you can touch, smell, and rearrange on a whim. My secret sauce? A pinch of quirk, a dash of elegance, and a generous sprinkle of color. Because life’s too short for beige, my friend.
Designing for Joy
My mission? To create spaces and art pieces that hug your soul. When you step into a room I’ve touched, I want you to feel as though you have been wrapped in your favorite cozy throw blanket. My designs and artwork stray far away from cookie-cutter and always include a touch of magic.
Find me at pamelamerrittdesigns.com.
What else should we know about how you took your side hustle and scaled it up into what it is today?
It was more of a hobby than a side hustle, but yes, this ended up stearing my decision to change careers in mid-life. I received rave compliments over my decorating style from friends, family, and even neighbors walking down the sidewalk past my house! Several friends and family members asked if I would help them with their own interior design and of course I didn’t hesitate. I mean, it is what I love to do after-all. After completing a couple of these friendly (and free) design projects someone said to me, “You really need to do this professionally. You are extremely talented and could make a fortune.” And others said to me, “You HAVE to start selling your artwork! It is too good not to!” I heard these suggestions just enough times to actually start believing it and finally decided to claim life for myself and do what really makes me happy! And so a new business was born, Pamela Merritt Designs. At first I worked as an independent contract designer for Modsy and Havenly while also serving my own clients under my own business name. Now I am exclusively operating Pamela Merritt Designs full time and loving every minute of it!
What’s been the best source of new clients for you?
So far, and by far, word-of-mouth has been the best source of new clients for me. Even when I worked at Modsy and Havenly where they fed us our clientele I would have clients select me as their designer because a friend or acquaintance of theirs used my design service and recommended me to their friends. It is always so great to get a client in this manner because they always tend to be a sure thing and are really serious about their interior space which makes it my perfect scenario for an engaging and enjoyable design project.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Pamelamerrittdesigns.com
- Facebook: https://Facebook.com/prmerritt
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pamelamerritt333
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/pamela-merritt-designs-villa-rica