We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Anne Jean Pierre a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Anne thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Looking back, do you think you started your business at the right time? Do you wish you had started sooner or later

If I could go back, I definitely wish I started sooner. As early as 6 years old, I wanted to be a designer, I used to change my room around a lot and my parents living room and redo things. After graduating high-school, my goal was to study architecture, unfortunately with the crash, I was discouraged to pursue anything related to housing and I let others opinion and fear get the best of me. The desire to really go for it started a few months. After years of friend, family and my very supportive husband telling me I should follow that path and hearing several sermons, I felt God was letting me know I should go in that direction and after asking for a specific sign and was given that sign, I knew it was time to start.
If I did go to college and pursue that path, I do think I would have been further along in my dream and not feel like I am behind sort of speak, but I believe doors and opportunities are always available even if not in the way we expect.
One thing I definitely would changed was take pictures of the project I have worked on over years for family and friends but never thought to start a portfolio, I am glad I am starting now due other knowledge I have gained from other businesses and the opportunities those businesses and careers have afforded me. Because I had the opportunity to design for short term rental and manage rental spaces for professional travelers, I have even more knowledge of what it takes to design for high traffic spaces verses a personal space and that is very valuable experience.

Anne, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am inspired by everything around me, I live and breathe what I do, designing it how I express myself, it’s a joy and comes natural to me, it is truly my first love. While I have always designed, my entry into the business professionally started out with another business that my partner and I own where we provide housing for traveling professionals. I of course love designing the spaces, and my guest always complemented me on the spaces. Soon other friends who wanted to get into short term rental space like airbnb were asking us to help host but also help to design and style the space and relators with staging homes, and the business started. One of the things I am a big proponent of is beauty and functionality work hand and hand and you don’t have to break the bank to elevate your space. Your space should feel like you, represent you, your home and work place are the two places we spend most of our time in and both should help us to focus, be inspiring and help us to recharge, especially our home. I help my client to discover their own true style, not go base on what’s trending and help them stay focus to achieve the look, feel and to stay on budget.
Because I am a mom of toddlers, I love working with families who want the look, without the fuss and want to incorporate the creative and fun side of their little ones into their design. I want all my clients even the furry ones, to enjoy the space.

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

Because I am relatively knew, word of mouth have been the best source of clients for me, realtors and real estate investment meet ups. The best advertisement is referrals.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

One of the thing about being an entrepreneur, there seems to always be new opportunities and you often have to just stay focus but also not ignore the opportunities made available. For example, while I was focusing on building up my clientele for the corporate housing, I notice the opportunity for interior designing as I would often get approached for that and I started to work on that and with the interior designing, it opened the door for wedding decor and now I am getting ready to use one of my properties , which has over half an acre to host events such as weddings, parties and engagement and more. So always be opened, not everything is for you but sometimes where you are is an open door for something else, don’t ignore it.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @housedefrancois
• Other: housedefrancois@gmail.com website under construction: housedefrancois.com

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