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

Erin , appreciate you joining us today. Alright, so you had your idea and then what happened? Can you walk us through the story of how you went from just an idea to executing on the idea

I love a good origin story! I wish I was one of those magical people who knew exactly what they wanted to “be” when they grew up. But honestly, I never really thought about it! My first job was in retail in high school, and then throughout college. And while people tend to diss this profession, I learned so much. As I made my way from a high school kid in the stock room, to a buyer for a local department store, I was constantly learning about customer service, merchandising, team management, supply chain, marketing…..you name it. And eventually travelling the country as a corporate merchandiser, I discovered my knack for shop design and product placement. And while I really liked my job, I always had a calling to become an entrepreneur.

After taking a break to start a family, I helped a friend stage their home for sale. I played with the idea, as this was a relatively unique concept here in St. Louis in 2005. I bought books, did web research, and asked friends if I could mock stage their homes for photos and marketing content. I felt for the first time absolutely clear on my future path. Shortly after I staged a house, a real estate agent called and asked me to consult on a new listing for them. And as word of mouth grew, I suddenly had a home staging business. I began consulting only, but slowly scaled up to include renting furniture, rugs, art and accessories to homeowners.

I did a lot of thinking about what a potential buyer would want to see in a listing, and pushed my clients to create this look and feel. And as I gained their trust and success in fewer days on market, my clients began asking me to help design their new homes. One day, it hit me-I was going to start an interior design firm. And the next day, someone called and said they heard I was a home stager, but would I consider helping them design their new home? My new career as an interior designer was born, and I am still happily loving my decision many years later.

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?

Well, you got the back story, so let’s talk about the day to day business of interior design.

To best help my clients, I need to understand how they live in their spaces. What inspires them. What relaxes them. How they want their friends and family to feel when they arrive in their homes. Your dining room may need to seat twelve people at the holidays, but how do you and your partner live every other day of the year? How do we replicate the gorgeous bathroom you saw in a Paris hotel on a fairly tight budget? What products stand up to kids, pets and everyday living?

It is my job to translate this into reality. After meeting with clients and discussing their project, what begins is a process of presenting materials and services to them: this is my vision, here are the wallpapers, fabrics, and furniture I think you will love, and here are the contractors who will support us in this process. At the end of the day, I am a project manager. Sure, you could run all over town or the internet sourcing these things, but I have the knowledge and resources to help you get the look you want at a better price and without the logistical nightmares. Good designers manage all of the details, so you can relax and look forward to the finished product – a home that you love.

What I am most proud of is the trust I have built with my clients, so much so that they recommend me to their friends, family and neighbors. I am so fortunate to have such fantastic clients that take me into their homes and businesses here in St. Louis and beyond. And this word of mouth has kept me well stocked with terrific clients and exciting projects around the country.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

I would say the Covid pandemic was the most challenging time. For everyone! But when your business is face-to-face, and within client’s homes, well, this was a dilemma. Like most people, I leaned hard on FaceTime and Zoom. This was so helpful in maintaining the close relationship I build with my clients. But, as I am so used to measuring and walking spaces when discussing design, I had to rely heavily on trusting the numbers and images I received from clients. And thus began the supply chain nightmare. A sofa that took 8-10 weeks in production now took 40 weeks – or longer. Lighting, fabrics and furniture were massively delayed, especially when coming from overseas. Getting people comfortable with contractors in their homes once we started to lighten restrictions….there was a lot of hand holding and stressful conversations. Thankfully, this is in the past, and served as valuable lessons learned in patience and trust.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

This one is easy – imposter syndrome. I was raised in a world where you went to school and earned a degree, then went into that profession. Boom. So when I started my business, it bothered me that my degree was not in design. I felt like I was making it up as I went along, and that it must be much easier for other designers. But here is the thing: no matter your education, no matter your upbringing, every job you have and every failure teaches you something. All of my previous work in the retail and wholesale world taught me so much. How to solve problems. How to effectively communicate. How to lead. And most important – to never stop learning. I must have hundreds of hours invested in vendor presentations, and interrogating contractors on how to hang paper or install kitchen cabinets! If someone is offering education on their products or services, I am first in line. This is how I ditched imposter syndrome. By becoming as knowledgeable as possible, and surrounding myself with people who are tops in their fields. If I don’t know the answer, I will find someone who does. Never stop learning, and you will love what you do.

Thank you, and I wish your readers much success in all of their endeavors!

Contact Info:

• Website: under construction
• Instagram: @erinshawdesigns

Image Credits

Photographer: Ciara Samana Creative