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

Cindy, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s start with something countless entrepreneurs have had to figure out on the fly – how have you dealt with the rise of remote work?

I started working remotely before Covid which helped me put procedures and communication styles into place long before they became the norm. I have been able to work around the world with clients and other designers to bring their ideas and projects to life via the computer, emails and zoom meetings. Rarely do I make site visits, although those are always options if needed.

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

I made my mark on the design industry after working in the field for the past 30 plus years. After attending Oklahoma State University and achieving my Bachelor’s of Science degree in Interior Design, I went to work in London, England alongside a premiere designer, designing for prominent families, companies and dignitaries. Upon my return, I went on to work with high end, reputable clientele in the Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Texas, Montana and Oklahoma areas, as well as overseas. In addition, I count a country western star and a famous athlete as two of my Oklahoma clientele.

The past four years have been life changing for me and my business. I started working remote before Covid was a thing due to needing to be in Oklahoma and Colorado with family for part of the time, while residing in Jacksonville, FL. I grew my design business by providing plans, 3Ds, specifications and elevations through email packets, zoom meetings and phone calls with clients. My clients and I found that this was just as good as meeting in person due to my communication skills and having to prioritize work. When Covid hit, I was already doing what everyone was having to learn to do, so it was a seemless transition for me and my clients. Since most people started working from home, my business started to soar with people wanting renovation plans for kitchens, baths and home offices or additions.

Although I will work out furnishings for some long time clients, my primary focus in my company is to provide interior designed plans, 3D concepts, elevations and specifications for them to give to their contractor or builder to price and build from. I still work with artchitects and engineers, but my approach makes everyone’s job easier because the “design” is already done upfront. With every trade being so busy, I provide a great tool for them to be able to efficiently price and bid on projects without the hassle of the back and forth design time with their clients. This is a reason I’ve started working directly with contractors and even other designers that do not generally get into the remodeling aspects.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I’ve always been driven by my deep need to want to help people create their dream. Since I am a creative but also an empath, it has made it somewhat easy to be able to “feel” people and create their dreams into interior design, not necessarily my own. I know some designers have a distinct style, but my style is to help my clients find “their” style.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

The biggest pivot point in my career has been this year. I made it through the Covid years just fine but starting in 2022 I knew things would be changing dramatically. Due to some big life changes (almost every single one you can think of) this year, I found myself actually building a home and moving to rural Oklahoma. Huge change for me personally! However, because I had built my business over the past 5 years to be remote, my business continues to thrive and not miss a beat. I still work for all my Florida clients, as well as those in Colorado and Oklahoma. Most of my work is still in Jacksonville FL and I continue to come back to town as needed. I am able to service my clients needs through email and zoom, just like during Covid and before.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://cdharris.design/
• Instagram: cdharrisdesignco
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cdharrisdesign
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cindy-baker-cdharris-design-co/