We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ashleigh Clark. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ashleigh below.

Ashleigh, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today One of the toughest things about entrepreneurship is that there is almost always unexpected problems that come up – problems that you often can’t read about in advance, can’t prepare for, etc. Have you had such and experience and if so, can you tell us the story of one of those unexpected problems you’ve encountered?

Beginning in 2018, my family moved to Strongsville, Ohio. This was a brand new city for us and I quickly realized that there was a lot of potential here. I left my job in 2019 to begin my interior design firm. That’s right, one year before 2020! What a ride it has been. 2020 was nothing any of us imagined. Interior Design is considered an essential field. Imagine if we had a kitchen in the middle of construction, we had to finish to keep that homeowner in their home. Just like the rest of the world, I had no idea how this was going to pan out.
Fast forward to 2021, when I had a major health scare and I was going to be out for eight weeks if everything was successful. The day before my surgery my key employee put in her notice.
The uncertainty of 2020 and 2021 opened my eyes to what a successful firm actually looks like. I took time to create protocols and systems, revised our client experience and spent many hours researching ways to overcome and plan for uncertain times. Having a firm that does not rely on one or two people was not the answer for me, Ashleigh Clark Interior Design Group now has many key employees, all of who are equally important as the other, a system that allows us to prepare for the future and makes our clients our number one priority.

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

Ashleigh Clark Interior Design Group specializes in new builds, large-scale renovations, and full-scope furnishings for busy clients ranging from executives, entrepreneurs to local leaders. I love to create projects that offer a fresh take on Midwestern design and have been fortunate to have graced the pages of HGTV, Forbes Magazine, Cleveland Magazine and Homes & Gardens.

I was born and raised in the industry, 4 out of 5 of my siblings work in the industry and my mother owns a boutique drapery business. This love for the industry led me to go to Ursuline College studying interior design.

Similar to my clients, I am rooted in my passion for art, travel, career and family – it is these foundational elements that inspire my bold portfolio of work. Throughout my career, I have overseen numerous large-scale construction projects for high-profile Ohio’s executives, entrepreneurs and local leaders, both residentially and commercially. I like to think my turnkey designs allow for each space to be infused with personality and carefully curated.

I am a seasoned designer, and I love to bridge the gap between high-design and everyday life. I am a mom of two boys, so I understand what it takes to balance a professional family. When weekends allow for free time and are not filled with their children’s schedule, My husband, Brian, and I enjoy spending time with their dog Bleu, friends and family.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

I always knew I wanted to own a design firm. Beginning in College, I have always worked at a commission based job, which I accredited my drive to. I decided early on, that I wanted to fund my own company, without an investor or loan. I began striving for the projects that I could earn the most commissions from. In 2017 I was able to take on some larger projects and I worked extremely hard to balance them all in order to make enough to begin Ashleigh Clark Interior Design Group. In 2019, I was successful at earning enough to invest in myself. This was a scary moment in my life, as I put it all on the line, my entire life savings.
I am not recommending this for everyone, especially looking back now and seeing what the next year was going to turn into, but I am proud of what I did.

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

My team is extremely important to me. I spent a lot of time in 2021 researching best business practices with a team and keeping the moral high and workmanship excellent. As for the team morale, I talk to my team as much as possible. Every Monday I sit with each person individually. This is a time to not only discuss work, but also a time to address concerns they may have in the firm in general. I encourage my team to come to me with anything and it will remain in confidence. I have learned over the years that resentment builds without a person even realizing the foundation and walls are already constructed. Once a person feels resentment towards someone or something, it is hard to get rid of it. I try very hard to keep this from happening in the firm. Another practice I began is to have our quarterly meeting somewhere outside of the studio, allowing team building and zero distractions. Last quarter we spent the day at Kalahari, this quarter we are heading to a cabin for two days to work on team building and review our systems.
As for managing the team, thanks to an industry co-worker, we are now implements the EOS system. I am very excited about this and feel it really does help with team management.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ashleighclarkidg.com/
• Instagram: @ashleighclarkidg
• Facebook: Ashleigh Clark Interior Design Group
• Linkedin: Ashleigh Clark, Allied ASID

Image Credits
Photography: Kamron Khan