We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Lauren Gonzales. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Lauren below.
Hi Lauren, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about the early days of establishing your own firm. What can you share?
How I Started: I like to say, my firm is was a happy accident of the COVID-19 Pandemic. April 2020 I was laid off from the architectural design firm I worked at, while this was quite heartbreaking at the time, the end result was just what I needed. During my time away from work, I dove into renovating our home that had not been updated since we purchased it 10 years prior. And after sharing my renovation chronicles on social media, I decided that running my own firm by my own rules might be the best way to enter back into the workforce. When there’s no door to knock on, you build a window to hop through!
My Firm, My Rules:
Early in establishing my firm, I wanted to make sure I was setting up a business that would make me proud to come to work. There were a few experiences I had with past employers that I wanted to implement in my own firm. .
I sat down to make a list, and here are the top 5 rules still in place from the early days:
1. No more than a 20 minute commute from my Gilbert home. Having a 1 hour commute has it’s benefits, I was able to catch up on a lot of podcasts during my time on the road. But when I realized how much personal time I was losing, I found the travel just wasn’t worth it for me.
2. Lunches and local coffee are provided for employees while in the office. Being located in Downtown Gilbert, there is no shortage of yummy food! And supporting our local shops is awesome too.
3. Communication is a necessity, in and out of the office. And is a constant work in progress. New team members, communicating time away from the office, and adjusting as we get busier and busier are all reasons to keep adjusting and refining the way our team stays in touch.
4. Remote work works, but cannot replace face-to-face collaboration. I have found that coming from the traditional office environment, remote work feels so unnatural. On the contrary, students coming out of school have really only known remote work, as a large portion of their schooling was done entirely online. So while remote work will likely be a large part of the foreseeable future, it takes refinement and clear communication to ensure it works efficiently. It also has to be balanced well with in person interaction and collaboration.
5. The dress code is “Business Comfortable”. While I don’t expect my team to show up in heels, by all means they are welcome to! We are often jumping from presentation to site visit, and now the temperatures are sky high here in Arizona, so as long as we all look professional I’m not too worried.
Words of Wisdom:
For any young professionals looking to start their own firm, I encourage involvement in the industry and community. Networking and volunteering have been two of the most fruitful things I have done for my business. People want to work with people who care, so find an organization to connect to yourself and your business.
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?
My name is Lauren Gonzales, lead interior designer and owner of Casita & Co. Interior Design Studio, an award winning interior design firm located in Gilbert AZ. The team is currently made up of myself and a handful of dynamic ladies. We serve clients in Arizona and beyond, who are looking for functional solutions to their homes and commercial spaces. Service offerings include full service interior design packages and interior design service consultations, for both commercial and residential spaces.
Where do you think you get most of your clients from?
The best source for new clients has been referrals from friends, family, and my industry network. My thought behind this is that it helps to have a bit of connection to a business that you will potentially be working with for a year or more. Especially in cases like ours, where customers are spending their hard earned money, their free time, all while opening their home to a complete stranger. Connection helps our Clients feel much more comfortable from the start.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
As a relatively new business owner, pivoting in big and small ways is a pretty frequent occurrence. I feel every new project, employee, and vendor relationship provides an opportunity for learning and refining the way the business is run. The small pivots we do everyday within the firm are ultimately helping us work smarter, widening our learning, and giving our clients the best overall experience in working together.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.casitaandco.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/casitaandco/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/casitaandco.design/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/74158622
Image Credits
Zofia Sells- Zofia Sells Photography Randy Raish Chris Frailey – Chris Frailey Weddings