We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kaelyn Guerin a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Kaelyn , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?

Most small business owners would admit that securing the capital to start a business–and keep it going until it is fully profitable–is one of the greater stumbling blocks for the first few years of business. Conversely, at every turn of my young business, I find time to be my greatest enemy. Earlier this year, my family and I re-located to Oahu. Aesthetically, no one denies the beauty of the Hawaiian Islands. Logistically, the move was nightmare fuel. Re-structuring a young business after such a short window has been exhausting but remains time critical. Yet there is simply not enough time for the solo-preneur to learn every skillset to a profitable level of proficiency and execute every task behind the scenes to keep their business moving. Doing (and re-doing) tasks make processes messy and inefficient. The struggling businessowner will get bogged down in decision paralysis and their inability to identify and outsource lesser tasks that eat up their day. However, the successful small business leverages their ability to be adaptive and enact changes more swiftly than larger companies as they hone in on their ideal market. Recognizing and leveraging time as a tool and resource is a huge predecessor to success.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Long before I was a military officer, military spouse or boy-mom, I was an artist. Creating and re-imagining spaces in my room and around me was a large part of how I spent my childhood. When I was barely eight, I moved into a guest bedroom in my parents’ home so that I could explore my own taste separate from my younger sister. It was here that I routinely decorated (and re-decorated) and practiced my take at 90’s interior design. While I did not turn to interior design formally for several years, my skills were continually fine-tuned by my experience as a military spouse. As we moved from coast to coast, the traditional furnishings that I grew up with were relaxed by the mid-century spaces I encountered in San Diego and the oversized drama of handmade leather pieces in South Texas. I would be completely enamored by the coastal charms of the Lowcountry when I returned as an adult to my home state of South Carolina and was fully re-introduced to southern formality in Mississippi. With every move we made for the military, I prioritized making our house a home. It has been my exploration of style and culture, with an emphasis on submerging myself in the surrounding identity of the architecture and locale, that cements Haus Guerin as an interior design collaboration with heritage and comfort as its focus. Currently, I am re-structuring Haus Guerin to fully support quality furnishings brought onto the island as well as joint efforts with local artisans to support interior design for the Hawaiian Islands.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Despite all of the challenges of starting a business, the sense of pride it generates is completely unmatched. Having and building relationships with families as they entrust me with one of the most intimate components of their lives–their homes–is quite remarkable! I am truly honored by the task and privilege.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Much of 2024 has a been a story of resilience. Deciding to continue after a hard pivot requires so much energy and (dare I say) even a bit of stubbornness. However, with anything that you are building from scratch you have to get over inklings of perfection. You really have to be able to look past your own ego to acknowledge that your first or several earlier drafts of your business are not sustainable. Pivoting has been the central theme for the last six months as I explore how to better serve my client base here in Hawaii and it has been met with challenges: Getting things on island is timely and expensive and the cost of living puts much of what I offer as a luxury interior design service further out of reach for my typical client base. Exploring creative solutions to these issues have been a new puzzle to explore and one that I will continue to attack for the betterment of my business and product offerings.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.hausguerin.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hausguerin/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaelyn-guerin-21017b77

Image Credits
Angela Brown Photography | Meridian, MS