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

Alright, Katharine thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. The first dollar you earn in a new endeavor is always special. We’d love to hear about how you got your first client that wasn’t a friend or family.

This probably isn’t the story of my very first client ever BUT this is the story of my largest client to date. I previously worked for a custom home builder here in town as the designer and selections coordinator; I would meet with potential clients, work through their selections with them and build a relationship prior to them signing the contract to build. I met a couple during this phase, and we immediately hit it off, however, during that time, I was already bouncing around the idea of Sixth and Steel and decided to pull the trigger and go off on my own. Months later, I received a message on Instagram asking if I still was designing and the answer was yes, of course. One of my initial questions is always something along the lines of “How did you find S+S? What made you want to work with me? etc”. What was the best feeling and rewarding for me, was that they sought me out, chose a different builder, just so they could work with me. Building that relationship early on has brought me one of the best and most special clients I have had.

Katharine, 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 am on year nine of being in the design and construction industry, coming from college with a degree in Interior Design and Business, I still really had no plans to ever launch my own company, but here we are!

After college, I moved to Wilmington, NC to work as a junior designer for a company here in town. I quickly learned a lot and from there sought out a different role and was basically snagged by a multi-million-dollar custom home builder in Wrightsville Beach and Figure Eight Island. Having that time and knowledge of construction and learning the ins and outs of what it takes to build a truly custom home is probably the main reason I felt comfortable enough to create Sixth and Steel. I now specialize in the selection process of a new build or renovation, no matter how big or small. It is so important to create a fun and easy client experience and I make that a priority for each client.

I want future clients, potential clients, followers, to know that this is YOUR home and YOUR space. I am here to create and dream up exactly what you and your family want and need.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

YES! I wish I knew about all of the networking events, business retreats, and systems to use to streamline the process for myself but also for my clients, subcontractors and trades.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Putting yourself out there, not being afraid to play around with marketing tools and social media, investing in advertising, building strong relationships with trade partners and subcontractors. Word of mouth is mainly how my clients find me, minus Instagram honestly, and it always feels so good knowing that a client enjoyed working with you so much and loves their finished space enough to recommend you to others.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.sixthandsteelinteriors.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sixthandsteelinteriors/

Image Credits
Michael Blevins of MB Productions