We were lucky to catch up with Nicole Choate recently and have shared our conversation below.
Nicole, appreciate you joining us today. Almost all entrepreneurs have had to decide whether to start now or later? There are always pros and cons for waiting and so we’d love to hear what you think about your decision in retrospect. If you could go back in time, would you have started your business sooner, later or at the exact time you started?
I’d like to say that I wish I would have started sooner or jumped ‘all in’ sooner, but I truly feel that by being patient, I was able to set my business up in a more strategic way.
I started Nicole Lynn Interiors when I was still working at my corporate job. I had been working in Talent Acquisition for 8 years, and was at a stable place in my career. I had been promoted twice at my company and was overseeing a nationwide team. I was working on meaningful initiatives, like diversity and inclusion, was making a great salary. In terms of the general idea of ‘success’, I think I was there if most people looked at where I was in my career.
The idea for my business started accidentally. I had just gotten married and finished a large renovation on our first home; it was a 1950s fixer upper, and I realized how much I loved going through and managing the process of the renovation. I loved the physical work that went into it, really enjoyed and working with the trades, and I felt such a sense of satisfaction seeing my vision turn into reality. I lived in Colorado at the time, and was dreading the upcoming winter, so I decided to enroll in an Interior Design program to have something to look forward to. I started taking classes, while continuing to work full-time, and began helping friends and family with their design dilemmas.
My husband and my goal was always to get back to Florida and when the job opportunity for my husband arrived, we quickly made plans to relocate. By that time, I was almost finished with my Interior Design program and was pretty much spending every spare minute I had learning design skills, taking classes, listening to podcasts and when we relocated, I decided to register my LLC.
I started a business Facebook and Instagram page, sharing projects I was working on, as well as our own new build process, and soon I had additional prospective clients asking to work with me! It was amazing, and terrifying all at the same time. It was a couple years later that I finally decided to make the leap & make this my full-time focus. I think the timing was just right because I was able to take my time setting up my processes, building my reputation and taking on clientele before jumping in fully.
Nicole, 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?
I own Nicole Lynn Interiors, a boutique residential interior design firm in St. Petersburg, Florida. My clients range from 1st time home owners to retired snowbirds who are building their winter homes. I work with clients from all over the US.
We offer full-service interior design, new construction interior design and Virtual Design Plans. My intention for our business model is to continue to work on new construction and full-service projects, while also saving space for smaller, more budget-friendly projects sprinkled in. I am from a small town in Michigan, and I think it’s my small town roots that make me want to always be an approachable designer. I created our Virtual Design Plan for that reason. These projects can be done completely virtually, so we can work with anyone, anywhere. The client does have to be willing to do some measuring and installation, but in turn, will be saving money, while also getting a professionally curated space. This offering allows our services to be accessible to those who aren’t ready or in need of full-service, as well as those who aren’t local to us.
How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?
Like many new business owners, I had another career prior to this one, but felt pulled to do something else. Before I transitioned fully into Nicole Lynn Interiors, I was taking on projects in my spare time. I opened a business account & all of my business earnings went directly into that bank account and were only used toward business expenses. This, along with saving as much additional money as possible while planning to leave my full-time job is how I was able to feel secure when I transitioned.
What’s been the best source of new clients for you?
My best and almost only source thus far has been referrals. A referral is literally the best compliment! It means that my client enjoyed working with me and the end result enough to put their name on the line for me. I am SO thankful for every single referral that comes my way. It’s true that small business owners do a happy dance every time they get a referral or bring on a new client!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.nicolelynninteriors.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicolelynninteriors/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nicolelynninteriors
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-choate-10433220/
Image Credits
Amanda Zabrocki