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

Alright, Jill thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Naming anything – including a business – is so hard. Right? What’s the story behind how you came up with the name of your brand?

Home decor, like fashion, has trends. Trends are like a revolving door, what comes in eventually comes out. I didn’t want the word “home” in the name, because there is so much more to a home. All of someones possessions/assets plays into who they are and that is my main focus. My designs are a reflection the person I’m working with.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers?

I believe that individuals should follow their strengths. For me, building relationships and getting people excited about things comes naturally, so my career has always been to serve others in some form.

I bought my first property in Chicago’s River North neighborhood in 2006. Once Cabrini Green, the area was primed for new development, both residential and commercial. I had the most fun picking out all the materials and making it exactly what I wanted. I collected decor for months in preparation of it’s completion and wasted no time the day I got the keys. I told EVERYONE about my new condo and even convinced 2 friends to purchase a unit in my building. Looking back, it was a fantastic investment and kick-started my obsession with decorating and real estate.

Many years later, while living in the DC area, I purchased a 1970’s town home, which needed a lot of updates to make it my own. Unfamiliar with the renovation process, I relied on my agents advice and network of contractors to help me complete the project. It was then that I learned processes and costs involved with fixing up a home. It can be stressful, daunting, and very time consuming – all things that many people don’t want to deal with. I absolutely loved it.

Revolve Estate was founded on this main principal; not everything has to be brand new to be beautiful. I wanted to help others create living spaces that they were excited to come home to, yet affordable. In 2019, I decided to test my interior design skills by working with agents to attract potential buyers through home staging. At that time, I had a ton of my own furniture, so I started placing it in vacant homes that were about to hit the market. None of my stuff was high-end, but it didn’t matter. I made each house look inviting and relatable. I had to get creative with pretty much everything because I couldn’t afford to buy new furniture each time I was hired. Scrap wood became floating shelves, old books became decor, and flowers from my back yard became centerpieces. I was always looking for free items people were giving away that I could transform into something usable for a stage.

For my clients, I start by learning about them first. I walk through every room to determine how it’s used, look at items they currently own and start to compile a mental list of what can be reused somewhere else and what needs to be added or removed to accomplish the finished look. One of my favorite transformations has to be the “Yellowstone” room I did for a family. They had a upstairs living area that was needing a makeover. They had a large brown sectional that had to stay and a TV. They wanted a family hangout to watch movies and since they love the show Yellowstone, we decided to make that our theme. All-in-all we spent about $500 to make this room fabulous.

Have you ever had to pivot?

Pivoting is my specialty!

My dad has always been self-employed and I can remember when times were good and when things were tight. Now that I am self-employed, I understand why that was the case growing up. In the real estate market, things are always up and down. I realized pretty quickly that not everyone sees the value in home staging, so I needed to create opportunities in all things related to the home that people were in search of.

To this day, a month can go by without a single request for staging, but we will get hired to decorate, paint, consult, fix a wall, shop for decor, manage a renovation, hang wallpaper, organize a play room, or refinish a piece of furniture. If I can’t do it myself, I’ll find someone who can. My clients can trust that if needs to be done, I’ll find a way.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

I live by a few philosophies from books I’ve read. Spending almost 15 years in a direct sales business, I learned that reading and understanding who you are and how you are perceived by others can be the difference in your success. A mentor of mine once said, “offer value to your customers that doesn’t cost them anything”. In sales, people can feel if you’re trying to sell them something or if you’re trying to help them. No matter what your product of service is, a consumer can find your competition with a click of the button. By simply showing enthusiasm or actively listening, you can set yourself apart from the rest.

I also studied the 4 Temperaments and would consider myself an expert on identifying my audience. With that knowledge, I can adjust how I approach my potential customers, ensuring that they are comfortable with me and the product/service I’m selling.

The single most important theory I live by is knowing that everything happens for a reason and you have to stay positive in order to overcome obstacles. I seek to understand people and keep an open mind. If I don’t get hired, it was meant to be and I can’t control that. What I can control is how I approach my next lead and the one after that.

Finally, always set expectations. People who have little to no knowledge of my industry are grateful to understand the whole process, detailed costs and potential savings. If they know what to expect and I have been transparent, there are no surprises which can break trust. I never want that to happen.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.revolveestate.com
• Instagram: @revolveestate
• Facebook: Revolve Estate