We were lucky to catch up with Bekah Blagg recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Bekah thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Almost all entrepreneurs have had to decide whether to start now or later? There are always pros and cons for waiting and so we’d love to hear what you think about your decision in retrospect. If you could go back in time, would you have started your business sooner, later or at the exact time you started?

I LOVE what I do, so it would be easy to say that I wish I would have started sooner! But in reality, I’m very aware that my past experiences and the people I’ve met along the way have played a huge role in where I am today. After college, I worked in the oil & gas industry for several years where a learned a LOT about problem solving, deadlines, performing under pressure and working with a team of people. That’s also where I met my husband, who is my biggest supporter! When we had kids, I had the opportunity to stay home with them for a few years and during that time I learned all about patience, compromise and balance – emphasis on patience ha! All this to say, even if I could have started this business sooner, my support system and experiences would have likely been different and I can’t imagine doing any of this without those two things.

Bekah, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

For sure! My love for design dates back for some time, but it was honestly becoming a real estate agent that sparked my desire to start a home staging business. I saw the struggle home sellers would have when listing their homes for sale, a lot of the time they just didn’t know where to start! That time period between when you decide to list your home and when you actually do can be extremely stressful. I also saw the way buyers experienced homes during showings – what they noticed, what was distracting, and what really left a lasting impression on them. This is the disconnect I aim to solve through my staging company, Lemons & Lace LLC. I’m all about transforming homes into marketable properties that allow buyers to notice the home’s best assets. It can all be done using just the homeowners furniture, too! That’s really what sets my services apart – I’m focused on helping those home sellers that are going to be living in their homes while it’s for sale. The way you live in your home is not the way you should stage it to sell and I can help with that!

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

Talking about my business! This seems so small but it’s something I really had to train myself to do. It doesn’t come natural to me to go into detail about myself and what I do, so it was a definitely a step outside of my comfort zone. Once I got over that and actually started bringing up and talking about my business, it changed everything! I had more connections, more bookings and more referrals – all just because I was talking about my business instead of assuming my future clients would find me.

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

The 9 to 5 work schedule routine. It is really something I’m STILL trying to unlearn! Due to my corporate background, I was used to being in the office from 9 to 5pm. The same story goes for most people, of course. They get up in the morning, commute to work, stay until about 5 and then commute back home. As a small business owner, obviously I am not tied to this 9 to 5 schedule. I actually end up working early mornings, late nights and weekends in order to take care of client questions, etc. However, I still get stuck in the mindset that between the hours of 9 to 5, I need to be doing something for the business. That is an excellent recipe for burnout! So unlearning that old corporate schedule and allowing myself to redefine what my schedule can look like, is something I’m actively doing but a lesson thats been really key in creating a good balance.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: lemonsandlacellc
• Facebook: lemonsandlacellc
• Other: Facebook Group: Home Furniture & Decor Deals