We recently connected with Deborah Gregg and have shared our conversation below.

Deborah , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?

Well, that’s a question that can be answered in a few ways, depending on how you define success. Some people consider success relating to revenue, which no doubt is important for a business to thrive, so we are in line with that thought. But more than just making money, it is equally important what our business allows us to do professionally and in our personal lives. I personally believe, even if you are successful from a monetary perspective, but feel unfulfilled, then that’s not a great measure of whole success.

As a designer, I really thrive on creative challenge and love showing people how to have their best living experience at home. It is so fulfilling to hear a client tell me how incredible they feel in their home since we finished their project, or how they use rooms that they never felt driven to spend time in, but now has become a favorite family or private space. Improving living experiences is a measure of success that I work towards with each project. Additionally, we volunteer for and support Habitat for Humanity and help the kids ‘aging out’ at our local area foster care group, helping the 18 year olds get set up in their own home. Doing for others is an important goal we incorporate regularly. The ability to give back through our professional skills and means are a very important measure of success to me and our team.

As I have grown the business, I have learned a lot. It is not my first business, so I was not starting from scratch. I recommend industry research, taking workshops, joining business groups and reaching out to those already in my business. It’s who you know that can make a world of difference, so get out there and network. You’d be surprised at the number of people who are eager to share their knowledge and experience. And honestly, rolling up your sleeves, putting in the overtime in the beginning (and maybe always) is crucial to getting to where you want your business to be. Coffee is your friend.

Success is not a straight line, but rather a series of learning experiences.

Deborah , 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 have a BFA in design and have worked over the years as an Interior Designer, Creative Director and Art Instructor. One common thread in my work experience is creative thinking and problem solving. As is common with a lot of true creatives, the actual design platform doesn’t really matter, because the problem-solving thought process is the same.

My woman-owned, full service interior design firm, Deborah Gregg Interiors, is located in South Florida where there is great growth and opportunity – we design renovations of older homes or updates to newer models and complete the job through furnishing, wallpaper, windows and finishing touches. Our extensive team of pros have the same high standards and fit perfectly into our mix. We design custom feature wall units and custom-designed furniture for our clients as well. We have a special knack for designing creative storage solutions, as storage is always an issue for Florida residents.

Our tagline is ‘Your Home Tells Your Story’. We help our clients discover their unique story and focus on their needs, rather than imposing a certain preferred style. Once we learn how you live, what you need, only then do we determine the best course of action. Curated listening and asking important questions is an important skill that we tout. It provides key answers that we translate and incorporate into our design plans. Making your home or work environment distinctive is the goal. Considering everyone, including the family pet(s), who are no doubt the prized members of the family, make for a happy ending to your story. We have built a reputation for personal service, creative and unexpected ideas, and going the extra mile. We try to do a little personal extra surprise for each client when the opportunity presents itself. One time a client had a large shell collection sitting in boxes tucked away in a closet. We labeled bottles with sand and shells from the beaches from where they came, and filled lit niches in the primary bathroom for the owners to privately enjoy in their spa bath retreat. We made a cool work of art with the shells for the bathroom too. They were so delighted that they could enjoy their beloved shell collection, rather than having them stuffed in boxes.

Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business mentor?

My business mentor and overall guru is my husband, Michael. We met in college in Art History, and as I like to say, the rest is history. We have been in creative endeavors together time to time over the years. People always ask how it is to have worked with your spouse. The answer is… it works! We know each other so well, it is so easy. Our personalities balance out and our skills couldn’t be more complimentary. We’ve been married over 30 years, so if you can make it that far, it’s smooth sailing. Just like in marriage, communication in business is key. He also happens to believe in the saying ‘Happy Wife, Happy Life’. Lucky me. :)

Is there something you think non-creatives struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

The difference between creative people and non-creatives is the thought process. People who engage in less creative activities have more of a linear path of thought and problem solving. Creatives, on the other hand, draw from many sources of inspiration and combine that information in unexpected ways. Sometimes we store inspiration, for which we have no immediate use, tucked in a corner of our brains and then pull it out when we find the perfect application. Once I read that the creative brain is akin to a million open tabs on your computer desktop all the time. I couldn’t stay it better myself. My brain is filled to the brim with ideas floating around in mental cyberspace, ready to pull out the right one at just the perfect time. In those moments, there is nothing
more exciting. That said, I’ve taught many people to tap into their creative side. We all have it to some extent, you just have to hone it. Like anything else, it’s a learning process.

The fact that I am a creative is not something I really understood about myself earlier on in my life. Being a creative is being different from others, but in the best way possible. I feel very fortunate. So a little interesting fact: My husband and our 2 daughters all graduated from school in design, so it’s lucky for us to have each other to bounce ideas off of and have great creative critiques. We don’t have to explain any of this to each other. We all get it!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.DeborahGregg.com
• Instagram: @deborahgregg.interiors
• Facebook: @deborahgregginteriors