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

Ashleigh, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

Absolutely. I love to help people tap into the power of their environments–but I especially love to help first-generation high earners recognize the importance that their environment has on them, and really harness the power of their built environment to help them become the best version of themselves. Those that grow up wealthy know the importance in getting your money and your environment to work for you. However, there is a complete discrepancy in the education of the impact that your environment has on your overall growth and well-being. Human beings have adapted to their external environments since the beginning of time–it is how we have survived so many years as a species, and how we have evolved over time. The same thing is true to this day, we adapt to our environments without even realizing that we are doing it! So it is crucial that your built environment (aka your home and your workplace) are creating a positive experience that you can adapt to.

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.

Yes, I am Ashleigh Miranda, the owner and principal interior designer at AYM Interiors, an interior design studio in Los Angeles, CA. I’ve been working in the industry since the beginning of 2020 (a career pivot that I made after working in the legal industry) and started my own business in early 2022. My love for interior design started as a young child when I recognized the impact that my environment had on my happiness and on my performance. I became so intrigued by my peer’s environments in relation to my own and how that impacted their ability to perform in school and in social settings. From then on I’ve been analyzing environments everywhere I go. Even out-and-about, I find it truly fascinating how you can feel so at ease in some retail establishments, and want to grab your bags and get out as quickly as possible in others. Because of this, I strive to create environments that are conducive to growth, happiness and peace for my clients.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

The most effective strategy for growing my clientele has been word-of-mouth referral. My industry has a very particular market for potential clients, so it is so important to have a network of people that can create an introduction to your ideal clients. I do this by attending networking events, getting involved in the community, and getting familiar with places that I know my ideal clients frequent such as fitness and social clubs. It can be uncomfortable to put yourself out there, especially at in-person social settings, but it has been the #1 driving force for my business. I cannot stress enough the importance of building and fostering the connections that you make, because when people like you, they end up selling your services for you, all you have to do is answer the phone. I have dabbled in various online ads and ultimately ended up spending a ton of money talking to people that weren’t qualified or even interested in being my client. I learned that my ideal clients typically refer to their network to hire professionals that come highly recommended by people that they trust. So it’s important to put your face out there and build those relationships!

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

There are a ton of lessons that I am still trying to unlearn, however, a huge lesson for me has been learning how to invest in things that pay off long term. Growing up with an immigrant father, the priority was to spend as little money as possible, and so I didn’t really know how to invest in the things that would put me ahead such as education and coaching. Even on the micro-level, investing in things like my personal health and wellness and regular maintenance is still so new to me, but has caused my confidence to sky-rocket and has benefited my business tremendously as a result. Burnout is so real for business owners and investing in your well-being is not a frivolous expense!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ayminteriors.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ayminteriors/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleigh-miranda-9724401a9

Image Credits
J. Churchill Morris