We were lucky to catch up with Brittney Stephenson recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Brittney thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?

Being a business owner is a very emotional thing. I am happier as a business owner because I own my time. As a mother, with two young children, flexibility is important, and entrepreneurship affords me that flexibility. However, I would not be honest, if I said I did not think what it would be like to have a regular job. In my corporate career, my boundaries were clear. Though I may occasionally work a late evening, once I logged off, that was it. I did not work on weekends, holidays, etc. As a business owner, though my schedule is flexible, I often work way harder and longer than I did in my regular jobs.
The last time I considered what it would be like to have a regular job, was about a week ago. I spoke to an old colleague, and she was interviewing for a position, with a very generous salary. In that moment, I knew I had the experience and expertise to also be in that position, and even better ones. I would not have to worry about what my income would be, or in constant strategy mode. In all honesty, it could carry the lifestyle I wanted to temporarily have as I grow. As a small business owner, my finances are still shifting as I grow, and so I must sacrifice a lot in this period, and the thought of a regular job with great pay, I wouldn’t have to sacrifice as much. However, I would be trading the time and freedom I currently have, which is priceless. The more I thought about it, I realized that I would essentially be quitting on myself, my earning potential could be so much higher than that salary if I stay dedicated. I would be having similar situations like I had previously, having to balance time off, explaining why I need to be late or leave early, doing end of year reviews that really means nothing for my compensation, wondering if I would be affected by the next major layoff, etc. What I am doing right now, is a very unfamiliar road for a lot of people, most of us have been conditioned to work hard for someone, retire, do the best you can with what you have. I want to be a light to others and show them that isn’t the only path, you can truly do what you like and make a great fortune from it. I want to put my children in a position where they can pursue their dreams, and not just what will pay their bills. Those reasons reminded me why I chose this lifestyle.

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 am the Owner and Principal Designer at Call Me Homey LLC. Call Me Homey LLC is a full-service Interior Design firm. One of the most treasured places in our lives, is our home. For many, that is where we make memories with loved ones, we get to be the truest version of ourselves, rest and relax, eat, for some- work. Consequently, that place should reflect you, and always feel like somewhere you want to be. My main goal is to provide an aesthetically pleasing place, but also very functional. It will vary from person to person. Similarly, if you are setting up a short-term rental space, like for Airbnb, you still want that place to have a certain “feel”, you want your guests or tenants to feel a certain way when they stay there. If you have a commercial space, for example your office, salon, etc. you want it to represent you and provide an individualized experience for the people that come there. I work with clients to understand what they are trying to accomplish, what do they like/dislike, their budgets, and try to provide a one-of-a-kind luxury experience for them, I aim for the “wow” as their first response to the reveal of their space(s). I got into this industry after receiving a great number of compliments from friends and family, as I shared designing my own home. Growing up, I always joked that I had no talent, now I know I just hadn’t discovered it. As someone that is very structured, and have always worked in the Finance arena, I never thought of myself as a creative. But with my first home, everyone enjoyed watching me transform my fixer upper. Then on my second home, a new build- I have been sharing as I change my home from a builder grade home to a custom home. I would also find myself in places, redecorating in my head, or picturing how I could elevate that space. I started spending hours on Pinterest and Instagram looking at Home Décor, realizing that I had a true passion for it. That coupled with the feedback I received, I decided to start my own design business.
Since embarking on this journey, I have formed a network with other designers and décor enthusiasts, I have invested in learning the craft more, and making my clients happy is truly the most important thing to me. I want my clients to not only brag on the work I did, but also the luxury experience they had working with me.
I want people to know they can do anything they set their mind to. I, one of the “girliest” girly girl, have had so much fun working with power tools, learning construction, etc. From not knowing anything or without any formal training, just hours of YouTube, I have created accent walls from board and batten designs to wallpaper. When you have an end goal in mind, you just have to focus, and it can get done. Also, remember that is why professionals exist. We cannot do everything ourselves, and that is when we hire the people that are trained or enjoy doing those things. We all want our spaces to look and feel great, but sometimes you simply don’t have the time or know how to, that is when you should invest in an Interior Stylist or Decorator, an investment in your peace is priceless. I also just enjoy sharing my DIY projects, hoping to inspire others to try them.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

Being able to do something for others, they couldn’t do for themselves. The joy and gratitude you bring to them. Being able to impact another person’s happiness or life.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life by Jen Sincero was a life changing mindset book for me. Imposter Syndrome is something that a lot of entrepreneurs (and creatives) struggle with. This book helped me to realize where a lot of my thoughts came from, and how to attack anything negative, or that I no longer wanted. It spoke life into me, to believing myself and my dreams, facing fear, and truly living unapologetically, so when I die, I have no regrets or things I wish I would have done.

While I was pursuing my MBA, there were books assigned to us for reading, that I would recommend, like-
How To Win Friends & Influence People – Dale Carnegie
How Successful People Think- John C. Maxwell

Networking with people who are where you are heading, has also helped me to think bigger.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.callmehomey.com
• Instagram: @callmehomeyinteriors

Image Credits
Home Photography by Nate