We recently connected with Francis Dominguez and have shared our conversation below.

Francis, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?

Ever since I started Architecture School (a few years ago), I’ve always enjoyed helping family and friends with their projects, from picking paint colors, to coming up with layouts for different spaces, to picking out furniture, I was always there giving my advice, and also learning from the process.

I got my first “real” project back in 2013; renovating my parent’s kitchen, and thanks to this project I learned that there’s much more that goes into it other than the Design Proposal, there’s also picking out finishes, placing orders, dealing with delays, working alongside contractor(s) and other trades, troubleshooting everyday problems, and much much more! But once this project was completed, I knew that one day I wanted to do this full time and have my own Architectural + Interior Design Firm.

I moved to FL later that year and started working full-time. From the year 2013 to 2017, I always had side projects going on (e.g. nephew’s nursery, friends’ bedrooms, family members’ bathrooms, etc), and I didn’t charge a Designer Fee for most of these, just because I enjoyed the process so much, and I was also able to build my Professional Portfolio, and that was more than enough for me.

In 2017, I was in Peru on a Thanksgiving trip with some friends, and this is when I decided that it was finally time for me to go on my own and take the plunge, so as soon as I got back home, I handed my boss the resignation letter, a task that was really difficult for me to do because I really enjoyed my job and the projects I was involved in, but most importantly, I had a great boss! Someone who gave me an amazing opportunity and trusted me to make design decisions on a daily basis.

EFE Creative Lab was born in January 2018, and a few weeks later, I had my first real client, an actual PAYING client! This was a huge validation for me, and it encouraged me to just keep going, but trust me, is not as easy as it sounds, there’s a lot of sacrifices and self-doubting that, still to this date, happen, and I’m sure this is something that ALL business owners go through!

I consider myself extremely lucky and blessed because I get to do what I enjoy every day as a career; renovating all kinds of spaces, working alongside great clients, contractors, trades, and vendors, being able to learn something new every day, and I really hope that I’ll continue doing so for as long as I can!

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?

My name is Francis Dominguez, I was born in New Jersey and raised in the Dominican Republic.

I did all of my studies in the Dominican Republic, graduated at 23 years old with a bachelor’s in Architecture back in 2012. A few months after graduating, I got my first real job as an Architect, where I was in charge of designing a residential project with over 1,000 affordable apartment units, after concluding this project I decided to move to Fort Lauderdale where I lived for over a year before I moved to Miami.

In 2015, I started working for an Interior Design firm focused on high-end projects, this is where I learned to love interior architecture + design, I was able to work on amazing and beautiful projects, where I saw these flourish from beginning to end, from the day we started demolition, to the day we went in and completely furnished and accessorized these homes. My former boss was (still is) a great mentor, I learned so much from her and will be forever grateful to her for taking a chance on me and giving me the opportunity to be part of the projects I worked on for three years.

At EFE Creative Lab the main goal is to make our client’s life easier, I can come in at any stage of the project and help you with everything, I can come in at the beginning and come up with several floor plan solutions and go with the best option that works for the client, or I can come in after your project started because you simply can’t take on the task, all my services are tailored made to what the client needs.

What I feel the proudest about my company is the way I treat my clients, I want to make them feel special and like they’re the only client I have, how it should be, because at the end of the day they’re not only paying me for a service, they are trusting me with the big responsibility to make their life better and more functional.

I believe my ability to take on a project from beginning to end, combined with my personal one-on-one relationship with the client is what sets me apart from others.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

Quite frankly, I’ve been very lucky when it comes to getting new clients, my main source is Word of Mouth, followed by Social Media (IG) and also my Professional profile on Houzz.com.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

Yes, and it’s very simple. I want to continue learning from all my projects and get to meet new, wonderful people (both clients and trade), which makes the job much more enjoyable and interesting, as well as challenging.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.efecreativelab.com
• Instagram: @efecreativelab https://www.instagram.com/efecreativelab/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EFE-Creative-Lab-162692997694355
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/francis-dom%C3%ADnguez-f-3a147978/
• Other: Houzz Professional Profile: https://www.houzz.com/pro/efecreativelab/efe-creative-lab

Image Credits
– Christine Michelle Photography – Gabriel Volpi Photography – Francis Domingue / EFE Creative Lab