Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jill Rae. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Jill , thanks for joining us today. Often outsiders look at a successful business and think it became a success overnight. Even media and especially movies love to gloss over nitty, gritty details that went into that middle phase of your business – after you started but before you got to where you are today. In our experience, overnight success is usually the result of years of hard work laying the foundation for success, but unfortunately, it’s exactly this part of the story that most of the media ignores. Can you talk to us about your scaling up story – what are some of the nitty, gritty details folks should know about?

I am definitely an entrepreneur at heart and when I knew I wanted to start my own design businesses, I wanted to make sure it was different than all the other firms out there. I put a ton of my focus on the community and how to involve them. When outfitting my studio, I wanted to have it be available to everyone. I got in touch with our local Guild of Artist and decided to feature an artist quarterly. So, each quarter we host an artist in the studio, we hold an Artist Reception where they invite their network in to view their work. I also allow other organizations to rent out the space for talks, or meetings.

One of the bigger involvements that I have as a firm is supporting Habitat for Humanity. I have been helping habitat over the last couple of months with a special home that will be built for a family in need. This home we have pulled our industry partners together to donate their time, donate building materials and donate housewares to allow for this family to live in, without a huge overhead. We are very excited to be conducting the groundbreaking early summer for the “Jill Rae House”.

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 founded Jill Rae Designs six years ago, embarking on a journey that a new chapter in my career. Design has always been passion. I graduated high school with a specialized arts degree and my professional life as a merchandiser for one of Canada’s largest department stores. A natural DIY enthusiast, I tackled projects like upholstering my own furniture, creating window treatments, and crafting homemade gifts with creativity and artistry. However, the majority my early career was spent in the high-tech sector, as a Sales Directory for a large global company. My job brought me from Canada to the United States, was an incredible opportunity, but when asked to move again just a year later, I decided to pursue something I was truly passionate about.

I launched my design business just before the COVID pandemic. While this timing could have been challenging for most industries, it proved to be a boom for ours. As word spread of my new venture, demand surged. Over the past six years, I have a well-recognized brand in our community, backed by award-winning service and a dedicated team that has remained with me throughout this journey.

Jill Rae Designs is a full-service design firm, undertaking projects from new home construction to nursery decorating. We take pride in seeing every project through to completion, helping our clients create the homes they have always envisioned. Our commitment to excellence has earned us the Client Satisfaction Award from Houzz for four consecutive years.

I remain committed to innovation in our processes and am enthusiastic about expanding the business further through mergers and acquisition, while leveraging advancements in today’s exciting AI surge.

Can you talk to us about your experience with selling businesses?

So, interesting enough, this is one of my goals for 2025. I have been doing a ton of research in mergers and acquisitions. I have three different companies in mind to purchase. Currently I am going through their initial evaluation process. These businesses will allow us to expand outside of the state of Connecticut and expand the brand as a global business as well as expand our offering.

Have you ever had to pivot?

Once I knew that the high-tech world would not work with my family needs, I had to pivot what my initial career path was! I moved from Director of Sales to Principal Designer and Owner over night!
Covid had brought a ton of new families into the Fairfield County. People needed help with their homes, they wanted more space, they needed home offices. We started quickly designing, working with vendors that were still shipping out products, being strategic with the lack of inventory and creating a portfolio to showcase our work.
I put a lot into our marketing. Since we were a new firm, it was important to establish a solid website and have a clean and activate social media.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.jillraedesigns.com
• Instagram: jillraedesigns
• Facebook: Jill Rae Design
• Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/withjillrae
• Youtube: Jill Rae Designs

Image Credits

New Light Creative, Main Ridge Design & Mindy Blaire Photography