We recently connected with Danielle Billett and have shared our conversation below.

Danielle , appreciate you joining us today. Coming up with the idea is so exciting, but then comes the hard part – executing. Too often the media ignores the execution part and goes from idea to success, skipping over the nitty, gritty details of executing in the early days. We think that’s a disservice both to the entrepreneurs who built something amazing as well as the public who isn’t getting a realistic picture of what it takes to succeed. So, we’d really appreciate if you could open up about your execution story – how did you go from idea to execution?

Prior to being an interior designer, I was a very successful hairstylist. I worked for companies like Paul Mitchell, I was a salon manager for Ulta beauty and I had my own salon suite. The pandemic shut me down a lot and I was pregnant with my third child at the time. I knew that the pandemic was causing a lot of unpredictability, and I knew I would have to take time off for maternity leave. I was at a crossroads. My husband and I decided to close my salon, it just made sense at the time.

I’m the type of person who can’t sit still. I want my kids to be able to look up to me, to see that not only can you be a mom and be there for your kids but you can also run a business, be successful at it, and love what you do. I had noticed over the years that I had an eye for design and what I ended up doing was started by making my own home decor and flipping furniture. I got super confident working with power tools, and that turned into doing cosmetic home renovations.

My husband saw my passion and we had talked about having our own renovating business since he’s an electrician, so I told him that I wanted to go to school and he was all for it. Since I worked for a few salons here and there and owned my own business, I knew that I didn’t want to work for someone. So once I got my diploma I went and I applied for a fictitious business name, business license, and I just started creating content. Started getting my name out there. I ended up running an ad on yelp for a couple months which generated my first couple of clients and now I’m just self-promoting and networking.

I have realized in my life that when I have a gut feeling, a goal, and motivation, things end up falling into place and I do whatever it takes to get me to my goal.

Danielle , 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?

I am a solo interior designer, I specialize in eclectic design, 3-D floor plans, and sourcing finishes and accessories. The thing I love most about eclectic design is that it expresses a lot of different designs into one and even if you’re not eclectic I can still help you with your mid century, traditional, or minimalist design, etc. because I just have a thing for functional beautiful spaces whatever that means to you. I offer a wide range of services from designs for a full remodel to just cosmetic and accessory updates. I can gather all your finishes for you or send you a product list for you to go shopping yourself. It all depends on how involved you’d like me to be in your project.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I truly can do whatever I put my mind to.

In my previous marriage I was never encouraged, I was isolated, and I was criticized to say the least. I started to heal by recognizing that I deserved better, so I left, I got some therapy, and then built a business. Then I met a man, now my husband, who encourages me and wants to see me thrive. Every idea I have he says go for it and when you have an amazing support system like that and an attitude of ‘there’s a solution for everything’, your world becomes filled with possibilities. I am amazed at the things that I have accomplished over the past few years. And looking back and seeing how dark things used to be for me, I am basking in the light, knowing that I truly can do whatever I put my mind to.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

So far Yelp and instagram have helped me gain new clients. Yelp is super expensive (in my opinion, especially for a new business) however it got me my first three clients that gave me enough content to post on instagram and build. I also post a ton of content doing diy projects which helps me gain more views and in turn builds trust with my clients that I’m not afraid to get dirty and there’s a creative solution for everything!

Contact Info:

• Website: Interiorsbydaniellerae.com
• Instagram: Interiorsbydaniellerae