We recently connected with Nena Speed and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Nena, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear how you think where to draw the line in terms of asking friends and family to support your business – what’s okay and what’s over the line?

In my opinion, asking friends and family to support your business is the best way to test your skills. These are the people who will be the most honest about what you do well as well as help to identify areas of improvement. The appropriate thing is to treat them as you would any other client, offering them professional design consultation as well as finishing the work on time. I personally draw the line when family or friends expect me to do work for free. This should be a no brainer but it is not wise to cheapen your services to suit anyone, it just makes you look unprofessional and like you don’t know what you are doing. Never forget why you were hired, it is because YOU are the expert.

Nena, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Nena Speed and I am a Florida native residing in the Atlanta GA area for the last 14 years. My journey to creating B. Speed Home LLC is deeply rooted in an obsession with fashion and stylish aesthetics. Embracing a love for colors, patterns, and fabrics, I cultivated a unique approach through years of retail merchandising as I put myself through college. This experience honed an eye for detail and fostered a passion for organizing spaces that marry functionality with flair. Over time, friends and family were the early beneficiaries, experiencing transformations in homes of various sizes.

In 2024, after finishing my MBA, I decided to flex my entrepreneurial wings into the home staging services industry. I became a certified Staging and Design Professional and launched my company B. Speed Home LLC. I provide professional staging and organizing services for residential or commercial properties.

What sets me apart from others is that I emphasize functional optimization, my niche expertise guarantees full utilization of space with style and ingenuity.

What I am most proud of is the chance to help others to realize their dreams and the main things I want my potential clients to know is that I do this because the work is rewarding. My work in the design space is my happy place it transcends any corporate job that I have held in the past and gives me the freedom and space to be a creative.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

The best source of new clients for me has been word of mouth. I know that social media is a huge thing right now with so many ways to market yourself but honestly its been the work that has gotten me the next job. Always do good work and obsess over your clients!

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

I wish I knew about the local small business resources on social media ie.. Facebook or Instagram groups that are focused on design creatives in my industry. There are also a number of industry associations where you can meet like minded entrepreneurs who will share their stories and insights to help you when you are first starting out. These associations will often host retreats or conventions where you can keep up on the latest industry trends.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.bspeedhome.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bspeedhome/

Image Credits

Nena Speed