Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Alison Hall. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alison, appreciate you joining us today. To kick things off, we’d love to hear about things you or your brand do that diverge from the industry standard

In general, the architecture and construction industry is a male-dominated space. It’s changing, but there are still strides to be made. As a young wife and mother, I wanted to create spaces for other women and their families. Spaces that were aesthetically pleasing, but also WORKED. While I would ask for images about what the clients wanted to see from their new space, I also asked questions on how they live and what their needs are. Where do you park your car? What door do you come in every day? How many kids do you have, or do you want? Where do their shoes and book bags pile up? How long do you want to stay in this home? All of those answers help me create a space that works for them now and would also work for them in 5, 10, 15 years.
While it seems crazy, sometimes in this industry just really listening is something differs from the norm.

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?

I have always wanted to be an architect, ever since middle school. I would find myself drawing house plans on napkins and ever scrap paper I could find. I went to school at Virginia Tech for 5 years and followed that up with an internship and eventual architectural examinations in order to realize that dream!
I was working for a firm, part-time, after having my first son. That firm was not open to continuing a part-time position and I was laid off with a 6-month-old at home. I decided to pause from trying to find another job and instead do some contract work for another firm that I had worked with in the past. I enjoyed the flexibility of working from home so much that I officially created my business a year later. I went on to have two other sons and was able to meld my business around their schedules so that I could be present for volunteering, someone sick at home, teacher workdays, and vacations. I did have to work at night to make up the time, but since I loved my work so much, it didn’t really feel like work.
While I was working on more commercial projects when I worked at a firm, once I started my own company, I shifted into more residential work. I now specialize in single-family renovations, additions, and new construction. I work with a lot of families to either adjust their existing homes to suit their family or create a new home for them. While doing this, I take time to see how they currently live, what their issues are with their current home, how they see themselves in the future, so that I can create a home that works for them, even if they don’t know why it works!
I am so proud of how I was able to grow my business organically, mainly through word of mouth. I worked hard for each client and word spread. I love using referrals to grow my business as I feel that means so much more than an advertisement or even job site signage!

We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.

I was working part-time in a firm when I had my first son. It wasn’t the right fit for many reasons, but it took getting laid off from that position to be forced to change my plans. I decided to focus on staying home with my son, but because I can’t sit still, I started taking some contract work from an old boss. I worked during nap time, so really only about 10-12 hours a week. My workload gradually increased as my son grew up and started going to preschool, giving me more time to work. As word traveled about my skills and services, I wound up getting additional childcare in order to give me more time to work. What started as something to keep me busy during nap time has now grown into a wonderful business and career and I cannot imagine going back to working in an office!

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

I rely on referrals so much to keep my business growing. When I first started my company, referrals were one degree of separation. So they received my name from my parents, or a friend or neighbor. I remember one day, about 5 years in, I received the first recommendation from someone that I had never even met. It felt amazing to know that my name and reputation were so highly regarded that people were trusting me just based on reputation.
I now have social media which helps create a living portfolio of my work and keeps my name at the tops of peoples’ lists. I do get some clients directly from those sources, but the main source of new clients is still via referrals!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.alisonhallarchitect.com
• Instagram: @alisonhallarchitect
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=alison%20hall%20architect%2C%20inc.
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alison-hall-3211937/

Image Credits

Amanda Anderson Photography
Charlotte Home Photography – Dylan Ellett
Brian Treffeisen with Treffeisen Media