We recently connected with Mary Gerard and have shared our conversation below.

Mary, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?

I’m not sure if I had the idea or it was thrust upon me! After graduating, I spend most of my career working for two of the largest international interior architectural firms. Although an interior designer, I found myself using my education to communicate for these companies through marketing and business development Corporate – very big on communication, organization and relationship building. After 13 years of 80 hour work weeks, I slowed down enough to marry and start a family. 3 children in 4 years later, I had the hardest career of my life – Mother! 12 years later, divorced. How to take care of my family. I took a sales person for a high-end Audio Visual firm. A small networking group had been loosely pulled together by the owner and called it Environments by Design. It was made up of numerous contractors and vendors in the construction industry with the thought that they could refer clients back and forth. My first sale was a $500k outdoor living pavilion. I used everyone of those vendors. Getting to know their products, scheduling, pricing, communication and project oversight became my world for the next several months. The firm had designed the audio and visual components for custom theater but the client did not have a designer or contractors to build it. And this is where my world changed. I was asked to speak with them and ultimately take on the project. Scared to death, I said yes. I wasn’t sure what I didn’t or needed to know but I wasn’t afraid to ask and rely on the different subcontractors to explain so that I could make the right decision for the outcome. I fell in love with the organization and flow of construction, proper scheduling, multiple finishes and the things that matter most to make it all work – HVAC, rough plumbing and electrical, and so much more. There years later, I had completed not only the $1.7 M, 8 seat theater but an amazing work out room, supporting kitchen, 9600 bottle wine room and e-sommelier office to keep track, five bay garage re-inforced to have lifts for five additional vehicles and several outdoor improvements. It was time to hang a shingle…. that was 8 1/2 years ago.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Back story – I grew up with a dad who was a fix it guy and for whatever reason wanted his daughter to be able to take care of herself. He would call me up to see the leak in the bathtub and how he fixed it. That kind of stuff. Good to know right?! That kid, however, moved furniture around in my room to change the overall feel, robbed other bedrooms of different light fixtures to “create” a different mood – drove my mother nuts. I loved transforming spaces way before it was popular. So when I hung my shingle as a Design/Build Firm, that is what I wanted to focus on for others. I had worked with clients who shared similar unhappy experiences with renovation projects both from the financial side of things but most importantly, the results were not what they expected. My Sr Project Manager and friend, Michael, and I discussed this often. How do we make a difference and change their experience? Design. Putting Design first made sense. How do you know what you want to change and what it looks like until you can? How do you borrow money for a project you have know idea what it will entail? The old fashioned way a homeowner went about renovation was to bring three contractors out to bid the project. The results, three very different estimates! Not totally the contractors fault. Did the homeowner tell each one the same things they wanted done? Is the contractor busy and put a premium on the estimate? Good for him if he gets it but is it good for the homeowner to be squeezed into his already busy schedule? What attention will that be given? Many contractors use allowance numbers to get a project, knowing they will make up for it with better quality finishes. You get the idea. Results can sound like this, “It’s not what I thought we were doing? Not the look I was expecting? If I had known, I would have changed….”X”. It took so much longer than I was told. No direction of finishes and they don’t really go together.

At Environments by Design, we start with the design. We talk with our clients their needs for change. We ask more from our homes now than ever before. Function and flow is extremely important no matter what size house you live in. We put in the existing home plan, and provide our clients with multiple options of what could be possible. Floor plans are great for the overall flow, but what does it look like? 3D images are fantastic. They can actually visualize living in the space. It comes in great later during build out when the contractor can see just what he is installing.

We don’t stop there. Allowance numbers give me the chills. They are empty space holders. I personally walk my clients through the cabinet shop, natural stone warehouse, tile, flooring, plumbing and electrical. We build the overall aesthetics based on their style and personalities along with budget.

Simultaneously, we build the construction budget line item by line item. We want our clients to understand where THEY are spending THEIR money. If there is a line item they feel is high, we figure the solution out together. Maybe it is a different flooring material or maybe a different way to address the same look i.e. open floor plan with HVAC running through a wall, so maybe creating a decorative column to house the hvac run and not move it, less expensive! We call it – Value Engineering. We take the time that others do not.

Once we get through the very important details, the schedule and budget can move smoothly. For instance, since we selected the actual plumbing, electrical, tile, and flooring, we order it and have it in the garage or warehouse just waiting for installation – no delays! Our vetted contractors have worked together before and are familiar with each other. Why is this important? They don’t take the easy way out during rough in. Each contractor leaves something for the others to content with. Our guys talk to work it out.

The last step in our process is project oversight. We problem solve challenges found on the job site, collaborating with the contractor and the owner to maintain design integrity and budget. Additionally, we inspect workmanship to ensure industry standards and code compliance. Facilitate weekly construction meetings.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Honesty + Communication + Knowledge = Relationship.

Construction is not an easy profession. Emotional to renovate a family home for lots of reasons. Money is a significant driver of emotion as well. Nobody wants a sales pitch. They want facts, they want to know that you understand your business and can trust your guidance.

My first project after hanging our shingle, was an older couple who had built their home for their family 20+ years prior. Their kids now adults, starting their own families. Mr and Mrs has been talking about renovation/alterations for years but it got so overwhelming that Mrs would shut down. She read an article in our local hub about our company and called me on a Friday evening. I could tell right away that she wanted to do some changes but needed a process and an advocate. One of my most favorite projects. Transformed the whole first floor. Opening up walls and marrying details. Beautiful. The whole construction, Mrs was nervous and worried but she Trusted me. Months went by and she worked her way through the disruption. Light bulb color changes, wall color etc – all to the very end. A few weeks after completion, I had our photographer come in for final photos. Her house cleaned and put back into place, she greeted us. She sat back and read a magazine as the photographer and I talked about different angles and the important shots to tell the story. I left the room to take a call and when i re-entered the room, she was telling him how happy she was with the result but also, telling him how I had made it possible for her to get through it. That is all I needed to know. It wasn’t money but her peace that made me feel successful.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

This one I’m going to be brief.

I used to think that success was calculated by wealth. What I unlearned was that the people I have met through my business have been the most rewarding and biggest payoff i could ask for. I have learned so much for everyone of them.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.exdgroup.com
• Instagram: environmentsbydesignllc
• Facebook: ExDGroup
• Other: pinterest.com/EnvironmentsbydDesign Houzz.com/pro/marygerard66

Image Credits
mailer was designed by Chris Stevens Stevens Design, Arizona