We were lucky to catch up with Maris Woods recently and have shared our conversation below.

Maris, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today The more we talk about good leadership the more we think good leadership practices will spread and so we’d love for you to tell us a story about the best boss you’ve had and what they were like or what they did that was so great?

I’m really excited about this question because this is a part of my early career I really don’t get a chance to talk about often.
I moved up to Maryland in July of 2012 and was hired at a clothing company called Express shortly afterwards.
I was 18 years old, had never worked retail, and had absolutely no idea what I was doing.
As it turned out, I worked there for about 6 years in various positions.

My favorite was the visual merchandising side, where I worked for my boss Luis. We worked a lot of early mornings to reset the store with new products, displays, and signage. This is where my creativity really got to shine. Granted, there was documents and rules from corporate to follow; but there was also a lot of flexibility in how the remaining inventory was displayed and that was the fun part.
Luis coached me and taught me how to do things to a certain standard and then exceed it. He was the one that introduced me to the concept of a “color story”- and how keeping consistent colors through the store in different displays would draw your eye around the room. So many things I use daily in my career now are really rooted in techniques I learned from Luis. From composition to color theory, pattern play, and even the juxtaposition of pairing things you wouldn’t think would pair well together, but do.
Towards the end of my “career” at Express, he used to leave me to-do lists of tasks to accomplish before the store opened. I was a full-time bartender at that point- and putting in my headphones early in the morning and having that creative outlet was my favorite part of the day. Allowing me the freedom to do those tasks and the faith that I would do it well was always something that meant the world to me and that I was so proud of.

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 have always wanted to be an interior designer. I pursued a different career path for a while, but eventually found my way to my dream job. I worked in country clubs for years in the Food and Beverage department and loved it. But the hours were long and I found myself back behind the bar working even longer hours. I got laid off during Covid and that’s when I started really thinking about what’s “next”.

My now husband, but boyfriend at the time started encouraging me to look for a new job and to go back to school if that’s what I really wanted. So I did.

I enrolled in a local technical school, then got hired at a high-end furniture store that also offered design services. From there, went on to work in custom cabinetry design a couple years, had a baby, then went into business for myself.
Now here, we are- 2 years later.

I specialize in new build construction and remodels/renovations. So in a nutshell- I primarily pick all of the pieces that really create the house, including the floor, tile, paint, countertops, plumbing, lighting, etc. and ensure that throughout the house these elements feel cohesive, intentional, and functional. I think in the demographic I usually work with, the most integral part of designing homes is making sure that not only is the house beautiful, but the materials selected are durable, the layout is efficient, and the common spaces are places that the family really wants to congregate and enjoy each other. Really making the spaces work for the family and their lifestyle, and usually their pets too. In addition to that, I also select furnishings, textiles, and accessories that finish off the area.

My brand is all about comfortable, intentional living. I don’t want to walk into a beautiful room and feel like I can’t sit down. Everything is thoughtfully chosen to create a place that is inviting and effortless and that will withstand the use of a busy family.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

My intention was always to go into business for myself- but I hadn’t really planned on it being when I actually did.
I was let go from my full time job with a 3 month old baby and it was a pretty sink or swim kind of transition. I wouldn’t even credit any type of personal resiliency to that. Just a whole lot of support from my husband, my mother-in-law, and my mom- and a whole lot of faith in God and trust that’s where he placed me for a reason.

Anyway, we made it work. It really takes a village.
I kept the baby in daycare for a while until my mother-in-law retired. I pumped between meetings. I strapped the baby to me and took her with me to site visits. I worked while she slept.

If you want something bad enough, you just do it. It’s not resiliency, it’s just motivation. I’ve been able to experience the joys of motherhood and the success of a business. It’s been more fulfilling that I could ever put into words.

Can you share one of your favorite marketing or sales stories?

At the very start of this endeavor- I took on one new build client who I had worked with previously and they referred me to someone else.
That couple interviewed a few other big name designers in the area before they interviewed me. I remember thinking there was absolutely no way they would actually hire me. I was new to being in business even though I had years of experience and I was (and still am) just a one person team.

I finished up the interview with something along the lines of “This is like Jerry Maguire. You can go with the big notable design firm with a lot of clients- or you can go with the small business design firm with the ability to give you a lot of personal attention. I am Jerry Maguire in this situation and I’d really love to work with you.”
Thankfully, they hired me. They now live in a beautiful home- and that was a huge jumping off point for my career.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://mwoodsinteriors.com
• Instagram: @mwoodsinteriors