Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Emily Roose. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Emily, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about the early days of establishing your own firm. What can you share?
When I started my interior design firm, I was not sure if I was ready to dive into being a business owner. I had spent by that time about 8 years in my industry working for other designers, an architectural firm, two custom home builders, and showrooms learning everything I could about the business and what direction I wanted to take. After my second layoff I decided it was time to take a chance on myself and start my own business. I had money saved up and jumped in with no loans and I worked from home to save on the price of an office. I started my own website, created my own logo/brand image, social media and I worked solely on my own and hired freelancers as I needed them. Eventually I hired a professional web team to build a new website and logo due to a name change, but I waited until I had the money saved up to invest in it. Thanks to the relationships that I had built over the years I started to get client referrals. Not only did I network, but I also pursued many traditional advertising paths to get the name and brand out in the community more. I worked hard and have stayed lean over the years partly because I became a mom two years after starting my company and then went through a divorce. I have been working to get my brand out by submitting for contests, publications, networking, and seeking out opportunities and collaborations to grow as a business owner and entrepreneur. Some key challenges that I have faced over the years are how to charge for my services, the right business structure, and finding ways to still get clients in down economies when people pull back on spending on luxury services. Something I would have done differently was to charge more for my services and to create several package levels to sell to clients. I found out late that I was asking to little for my services and was leaving way too much money on the table. As soon as I found out it was hard to change the course and ask for more money. I got some push back and then the economy dipped so finding clients became difficult. Advice I would give to any young professional who might be considering starting their own business is to do your homework on your market, your competition, the typical costs that potential clients are paying for the same services you offer and know your worth. When you start out it is hard to turn down work because you are trying to get your feet under you, but it is okay to say no to a client that may not be the right fit, or the fee is just too low. Be selective with who you work with because sometimes the money is not worth the stress and headache at the end. Set healthy boundaries so you have time to take care of yourself and your family (if you have one). Burn out is very real and can stifle and end dreams. Build relationships with everyone that you can. You never know where referrals will come from, and you may also find yourself needing other professionals to refer out. It is so important to have a healthy professional network to surround yourself with. Be open minded, open to new ideas, and even healthy criticism. Improving and growing is a lifelong journey. Owning a business will stretch you, challenge you, sometimes break you, but if you can keep going and learn from all the lessons you will weather the storms and keep going and reach heights you may not have imagined were possible.
Emily, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
As most careers go, I started out in promotions, digital content creation, and marketing in radio thinking this was going to be my lifelong career and then I was laid off after years in the business. I decided to go back to school to see what other career I might be interested in, and I had always had a love for architecture and interior design. I decided to take some classes on interior design and see if I liked it and if I had any natural talent for it. I ended up loving it and completed my bachelor’s degree from The Art Institute. I interned for LEED AP and historic preservation designer Sarah Barnard in Los Angeles and then went to work for celebrity designer Steven Cordrey also in Los Angeles. Under Steven I got to work with him on a nightclub, a large hotel, doctor’s offices, a 17-story residential condo building, high-end luxury residential projects, learned about furniture design, and managed his designer showroom. After working for these two amazing designers, I moved to North Lake Tahoe and worked for a lighting showroom, an architectural firm, builders, and then after more layoffs decided to take the leap and started my own design firm. I have owned my firm for over 6 years now. I specialize in residential new construction, remodels, and additions, commercial, hospitality, multi-family developments, home staging, furniture and light fixture design. I solve design and overall function of space issues. Making sure that the full design is cohesive and meets all the wants and needs of the clients while adhering to building codes and construction timelines. Some things that set me apart from other designers is that I have a degree and background in marketing on top of interior design so when working with other business owners the importance of return on investment and designing for their brand and target market are of the utmost importance and part of the overall design process. When it comes to my brand I design for my clients, not a current trend or one specific design style. Part of my brand I am working on expanding is educating more about sustainability, health, wellness, and biophilic design creating healthier environments for the occupants and to have a far less negative impact on our communities and planet. My portfolio is diversified with styles ranging from traditional to transitional to farmhouse to modern. I have worked on projects that were Hollywood Glam, Speak-Easy, and California Coastal. I love a challenge and I love to work on just about all design styles. Over the last 10 years I have worked primarily on large vacation homes from Lake Tahoe, CA/NV to Kauai, Hawaii, but I want to work on projects of different types, styles, sizes, and locations. Eventually, I want to start my own furniture collection and showroom and continue to do more speaking engagements for interior design panels. Not only have I entered design contests and have won numerous awards regionally, nationally, and internationally, but I recently got on the judging panel side of several contests. As a designer I look for new opportunities to grow both professionally and personally and look for ways to expand my brand from a regional setting to an international platform bringing design and how it can improve the lives of those that it touches anywhere.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
Life is always a journey and always seems to take you on unexpected twists and turns. Over the last 6 years I have been through more than I could have imagined going through. I started my firm in January of 2018 trying to navigate being a business owner, finding clients, branding myself, and just putting in the time and effort to see my dream get off the ground was enough to deal with. Then came personal problems in my marriage, then in 2019 we got pregnant with our son. We ended up separating while I was pregnant and then I had my son in January of 2020. By 2021 we were divorced, I already had been dealing with being a single mom and trying to keep my firm going and dealing with the fall out that comes from a painful divorce and being a single parent. It started becoming harder to get clients because people like to talk and because my firm was small, I think people assumed I could no longer do my job. My son, my family, my dog, and my business were what has kept me going through such a rough time and I still put in all I have to keep it all going. Through all of that I have won an incredible number of awards and have been published in so many publications including international publications. I have been a part of two interior design panels, I am working on learning the ropes of designing for a lighting manufacturer, I am studying for and taking the tests for the NCIDQ qualification, then I plan to obtain my LEED AP and Well AP accreditations as well. I have been networking throughout the country to find more projects since the economy has slowed way down. Through so much pain and adversity I have kept my faith in God and trusting His path. I fight to keep going so I can care for my little family and hopefully show other women that have gone through similar situations that we cannot give up because our kids are watching and learning from us. We are strong because we need to be. I do not rely on anyone, nor do I expect anyone to save me. I love my career and I want to keep doing it so I have worked hard to find ways to stay in my industry and make myself as valuable as I can and to be a respected expert in my field. So, I have learned to pivot with each challenge that has come my way and reinvent myself or my brand so it can continue to morph and grow as needed to stay viable. I offer services in so many different areas so I can have more opportunities to find projects. I have branched out into and working on fully relocating to the Nashville area so I can provide a better life for my son and have more career opportunities as well. I try to stay as open-minded as possible and look for opportunities anywhere that I can even if it may be something I would not have previously entertained as an option in the past.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
I think what has helped me build my reputation within my market is that I work hard, I am organized, I am flexible, and try to be easy to get along with. I protect my clients and I also protect my colleagues. My relationships are important, and I want to avoid burning bridges with people as much as possible because you never know who you are going to need in the future, or they may need you. The construction industry can be a tough industry. Finding people that are a great fit to work with can be challenging. Once I find people that are a perfect fit, I want to stay working with them then I know my clients will be happy in the end and they will get what they are wanting too. I am constantly networking not only so I have people to work with, but I can also refer out if I come across a client or colleague that is looking for someone with a specific skill set. Relationships are everything in my industry so making sure my reputation is held in high regard is important. I have had clients hire me based off my testimonials not only being from clients, but from architects, contractors, cabinet makers, electricians, to vendors and showrooms I work with. It gives clients the peace of mind that I can work with everyone involved in the project to ensure its overall success in the end. Many designers are known for being difficult to work with or responsible for delaying a project. That is something I work hard to avoid being labeled as. I work hard to keep my clients on budget and on time so we do not delay the project which can cost time, money, and straining relationships with colleagues.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.emilyrooseinteriors.com/
- Instagram: https://www.emilyrooseinteriors.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erooseinteriors
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/emilyrooseinteriors
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/@emilyrooseinteriors
Image Credits
Photographers: Katey Hamill, Paul Hamill, Vance Fox, and Rob Retting