We were lucky to catch up with Amanda Heineman recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Amanda thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?

Good relationships, clear communication, and follow-through.

I think being successful is heavily based on the relationships you build with people over the years. It doesn’t have to be in the form of networking. It can easily be through friends, family, coworkers, neighbors and people who you’ve met doing things you love. In the design industry, word of mouth is better than any marketing tool, and making genuine connections with people definitely leads to projects happening naturally.

After securing a project/client, I would say quick and clear communication is extremely important and underrated. It’s such an easy way to build trust and keep up the positive momentum.

Lastly, you need to follow-through on what you’ve promised. It sounds obvious, but it’s true! Executing a job well will also help you build confidence in your abilities, thus making it easier the next time!

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?

My name is Amanda Heineman. I just started my own interior design business, Studio Heineman, in May 2022. I specialize in commercial hospitality projects including, but not limited to, hotels, restaurants, country clubs, apartments and retail stores.

Interior design is all about helping clients solve functional and aesthetic problems through thoughtful design decisions. A lot of my job consists of listening to my client’s goals and concerns and asking questions to figure out what the space needs to achieve and how it should feel. I really enjoy working collaboratively with clients, architects, engineers and contractors because we get to create a truly unique space all together. We share the same end goal, and we also get to share our success.

I’ve always been interested in entrepreneurship, but I wanted to feel confident in my skills before setting off on my own. Prior to starting Studio Heineman, I worked for Austin-based, boutique hospitality firm, Michael Hsu Office of Architecture for 1.5 years and global design giant, Gensler, for 5 years. While at Gensler and MHOA, I was able to work on a variety of different projects, with lots of talented people! It’s through these experiences that I learned how to work with a team, how to present to clients, and the technical knowledge required to do my job well. I also found a few really good mentors who I still meet up with.

I am most proud of myself for taking the risk to venture out on my own. It’s been such an exciting and fulfilling journey so far, and I cannot wait to see where it takes me!

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

I think that trust and positivity are the most important qualities for a manager to have. My favorite managers have always pushed me out of my comfort zone but never let me fall. They are responsible for so much of my growth and confidence because they always let me take on more, but they were also always there when I needed help. I think this is the best way to encourage growth and create successful, supportive teams. Generally, I think people always want to do a good job for someone they like and admire, so why not be that person?

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding aspect about being an interior designer is seeing my ideas come to life and knowing that the space I designed is helping another business thrive!

Contact Info:

• Website: studioheineman.com
• Instagram: studioheineman, amanda_heineman_
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-heineman/