We recently connected with Madisyn Barker and have shared our conversation below.

Madisyn, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Coming up with the idea is so exciting, but then comes the hard part – executing. Too often the media ignores the execution part and goes from idea to success, skipping over the nitty, gritty details of executing in the early days. We think that’s a disservice both to the entrepreneurs who built something amazing as well as the public who isn’t getting a realistic picture of what it takes to succeed. So, we’d really appreciate if you could open up about your execution story – how did you go from idea to execution?

I’ve always known I was going to own my business, it was just a matter of- what kind? When I was little it was a cupcake shop, then a yoga studio, then an apothecary… I’ve never been short on ideas! The execution part was always a little trickier, I think a lot of creatives feel this way.
After I went back to school for design, I wanted to get my feet wet by working under someone before I took the plunge to start my own thing. I was living in Denver at the time and got a position as a junior designer at a firm doing both commercial and residential work. At first, I absolutely loved it- going on site visits, spending hours in the sample library, working on presentations, taking selfies in the bathroom in my fancy work outfits! But quickly I was reminded of all the reasons I’m not built to work for someone else. The walls of the office started to feel like a prison and I soon began daydreaming at my desk and making plans and detailed lists on my lunch breaks.
Airbnbs. It was the end of 2021 and investing in short term rentals was all anyone could talk about- at least that’s what it seemed like on my algorithm. I too loved Airbnbs and had stayed at plenty over the years; but I remembered how I would always turn to the people I was staying with and say things like “wouldn’t this place be so cool if-” and “this house has so much potential I can’t believe they didn’t do-”
And that was my lightbulb moment! I went home that same day, created the most embarrassing flier on Canva with a headshot I had taken during school, some infographics, and my contact info, and posted it to a Facebook group for Denver Airbnb hosts!
I have a “woo woo” spirit at heart and knew I was on the right path when the next morning I got a call from my very first clients. The next week I put in my notice at the design firm, then I started work part time at a Tile showroom because that felt like the responsible thing to do while I got started building my business

Madisyn, 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 remember taking my moms Home and Garden magazines to my dad’s job sites and wandering through the 2 x 4 skeletons of almost-homes imagining what each space could look like. I’m sure my taste at the time had me filling the kitchen with rooster decor and the bedrooms with way too much teal, but the way I needed to effect the beauty of a space ran just as deeply then as it does now.
I’ve always been keenly aware of the visual nuances of my environments and how they impact my thoughts, moods, and experiences. After the rollercoaster that was exploring education and career paths in my early 20’s, I finally landed back on my first love, interior design. By working at the design firm, I learned some really invaluable lessons that helped me niche down within the industry. I knew I needed to be my own boss, I knew I wasn’t interested in building a big team, I knew I liked the approachability of residential design, and I knew I liked the boldness and impact of commercial design. Oh, and I knew I really liked having as much creative control as possible. The realization of all of these things led me directly to vacation rental design
For me, this type of design is all about creating an experience for guests. When you book a trip to the mountains of Colorado or the beaches of California, you want the place you stay to reflect the feeling and aesthetic that comes with those locations. Why? Because it impacts you. It shapes the way you experience your getaway- you wake up delighted with your surroundings, you feel transported, not only physically but mentally and emotionally as well.
As a designer and a business owner whose clients are primarily investors, I think my greatest strength is my commitment to beauty. Many designers and hosts I see in this field operate on a cheap & quick model when it comes to design. Way too many cookie-cutter rentals are being churned out that just simply lack quality, curation, and soul. Beauty is not trite or trivial, it’s a psychological need. Society today is slowly shedding itself of it in the name of modernity and efficiency- and I hope to have a small impact on reversing that, at least a little bit.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

Don’t ask for too much.

Or- ask for less, because you’re not worth more.

I actually just recently realized I had unlearned this while I was talking to my contractor a few months back. I heard this quote once; “When you give advice you’re really talking to a past version of you.” That’s exactly how it felt having this conversation with him. We were chatting on a job and he mentioned doing a lot of work for free on a recent project. I was lovingly chastising him for not charging for change orders and that dove us into a deeper part of the issue. The art of confrontation; not just with clients but with ourselves when we ask for more. Fear of scarcity; with so much competition out there, don’t we have to undercut ourselves to get or keep the job? Worthiness; do I really deserve this? Is my work good enough?

He had just had his first baby, and after lots of back and forth I encouraged him to remove himself from the equation if that helped. Just think of that little girl. Ask for more for her. Allow yourself to receive more for her. And while I don’t necessarily regret giving that advice, I still wish that it was easier for us as humans and creatives and entrepreneurs to have the confidence to ask for it for ourselves.

I’m not sure exactly how I unlearned this, and I don’t know if I have completely- but if I were to guess I think the conviction for myself came from the conviction I have for others. The passion I’ve created over the years for my friends asking for raises or leaving less than stellar relationships has had a bit of an osmosis effect on myself I suppose.

Whenever I’m feeling insecure I tell myself I deserve it because I work really hard. I care about my clients investments like they’re my own. When someone hires me- I eat, sleep, and breathe that project. I will absolutely torture myself over picking the perfect lampshade off of Etsy, or scouring Facebook Marketplace for the “just right” vintage guitars to mount at the “just right” height so they balance the entry mirror but don’t block the table decor- (curated, of course!)

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

My three years in business has felt like a journey of resilience to be honest!

The transition of moving from Denver to Austin was challenging. Losing all of my contacts and starting from the ground up less than a year after starting was really hard and scary. It turned out to be the best thing to ever happen, but that took a while. Lots of tears, lots of “no’s”, lots of doubting myself and looking for odd jobs to keep myself afloat.

Even after things started to get rolling, I still found myself in ‘Challenge’s’ path. Getting into deals with bad people, having trades go MIA, clients ghosting, losing money, feeling like an utter and complete failure.

I don’t want to completely discredit myself, but I feel like I owe the majority of not giving up to my support system. I have some of the most incredible friends and family who backed me, loved me, and fervently reminded me of my ability to carry on. A special shout out to my step-dad, who should definitely have part ownership in the business at this point for all of the ways he’s helped me!

It sounds so cliche, but truly, every single one of those hardships was a lesson I am so grateful for now. Even the situations where I got screwed over- those are the ones that catapulted me forward. That gave me years of experience and understanding in one fell swoop. That made me a more patient, business savvy, and determined woman.

Owning a business is really hard, doing it on your own is also really hard. But the self-esteem, freedom, and control over my life and my destiny is beyond worth it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.madisynbinteriordesign.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madisynbinteriordesign/

Image Credits

Drew Elaine Photography
Duston Haley/DH Media