We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Lindley Favor. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Lindley below.
Lindley, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Do you take vacations? How do you keep things going – any advice for entrepreneurs who feel like they can’t step away from their business for a short vacation?
YES absolutely! One of the main reasons I decided to work for myself was so that I was in charge of MY OWN schedule. Being that I am a one person team, communication is huge when working with my clients. I let them know before hiring me that a work/life balance is incredibly important to me and that while I absolutely love designing interiors, I equally love traveling to get that inspiration to design! I’m not going to say it’s always easy working around the construction schedules but I’ve made it a priority and for the last 3 years (since I’ve incorporated more vacations into my life) it’s been working! If you have a team, I think it’s equally as important to have employees who you can trust to hold down the fort while you’re away and communicate with your clients.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Salt and Willow is a full-service residential interior design firm specializing in new builds, large scale renovations and interiors in Southern California. Over the years I’ve realized the tremendous impact that your home can have on your overall well-being. The stress of remodeling, renovating or even just furnishing your home can be overwhelming. My goal is to make the process as stress-free and enjoyable as possible. Yes…I said enjoyable. Designing your dream home should be fun! At the end of the day I want to help our clients transform their home into a space where they wake up inspired and go to sleep with gratitude. Your environment should support and encourage a life of wellness.
I inherited my passion for construction from my father, who was in the residential custom staircase business. Growing up in a large family with five other siblings, I had to share everything from toys, bedrooms, clothes, you name it. It wasn’t until I moved out and had a space of my own that I realized just how important having a space tailored to your needs was. A well-designed interior can contribute to the creation of a space that feels welcoming, comfortable, and relaxed, thereby reducing stress and anxiety. So, at the age of 22 and after completing 3 years of nursing school, I withdrew and took a huge leap of faith and moved out West. I enrolled in the Interior Design program at Mesa College and got a job working for a well-known boutique builder in La Jolla, where I worked for almost 4 years learning the tricks of the trade. After i received my degree, my boss began encouraging me to start my own business and well, here we are 5 years later!
I have lived in San Diego for about 11 years now. I tied the knot with my husband last September and am fully embracing and loving married life! My husband is a carpenter & custom furniture maker who has a great eye for design as well. So, you can imagine, we are always tinkering with our home and coming up with fun and creative projects together! We have a 14-year-old pup who goes everywhere with us. We don’t have children yet so for now she is our pride and joy. When we’re both not working we are either traveling, backpacking or hanging out at Sunset Cliffs or Kellog Beach.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
I created a story for myself that in order to be a successful designer, I needed to have a large team of employees to make that happen. When in reality, I have never wanted nor seen myself as someone else’s boss. I thrive on being independent and doing things alone, not to mention, I enjoy being a part of every aspect of my business. I’ve realized that by taking on fewer but larger scale projects, I can profit more income than if I were paying a team of employees, not to mention health benefits! We are all individuals that work in different ways and instead of following your peers sometimes you have to do what feels right to you.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
About 5 years ago I was working for a big construction firm in La Jolla while waitressing on the side. My goal was to eventually start my own business and do that full- time. The only thing holding me back was fear. One day my boss at the construction job sat me down and told me that he thinks it was time that I branched off on my own. At first, my feelings were incredibly hurt, I thought maybe he was firing me but in reality he was pushing me to do something that I was scared to do. He believed in me and didn’t want to watch me continue working 70-80 hour weeks for the rest of my life. That moment was such a gift that I’ll always remember and appreciate. I picked my official “last day” that way I was forced to kick it into high gear with the business and the rest is history! Finding yourself a support team who not only believes in you but pushes you as well will do wonders in your life!
Contact Info:
- Website: saltandwillow.com
- Instagram: @saltandwillow
Image Credits
Photo Credit: Pixelsandpigment/ Lauren Armellini Pillich