Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Megan Siason. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Megan, appreciate you joining us today. What’s the best or worst investment you’ve made (either in terms of time or money)? (Note, these responses are only intended as entertainment and shouldn’t be construed as investment advice)
Starting a business without having a clue how to run a business is incredibly daunting. I went to school for interior design, but actually running a business was something we barely touched on in design school. 3 years after starting M Studio Interior Design, one of the best investments I made was hiring a coach, specifically an interior design coach who could guide me through the design business- focusing on my zone of genius, how to delegate, how to charge, promote myself, fine tune processes, sell my services, etc.
Essentially, I was one way of being before I sought coaching- unclear as to my ideal client, charging a lesser hourly rate, overcomplicating everything and working way too much. After a year of group coaching, I saw an increase in my revenue and gained clarity on my processes and approach. I also formed new relationships with other talented designers that I still keep in touch with to this day! After a separate one-on-one coaching program with a different coach in the industry, I felt like I had elevated myself to a new level as I finally understood the true value that I bring to my clients. I rebranded, brought on a small team of people to support me and had my best financial year ever. Through coaching, I’ve been able to polish my professional skills to better serve my clients, some really amazing people in which I’m incredibly grateful to contribute to.
Investing in coaching was really investing in myself- both on a professional and personal level. My only regret was that I waited 3 years and wish I had taken action on getting a coach sooner!
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Hi! I’m Megan Siason (pronounced she-ah-son), a Filipino-American national award-winning interior designer based in Southern California. I’m the SoCal design chick of M Studio Interior Design, a residential design firm specializing in home remodels, new builds, and kitchen and bath makeovers. The M Studio mission is to rescue homeowners from dysfunctional and unattractive spaces by designing inventive interiors with a Cali-chic vibe. We are all about making laid-back living look good!! In addition to being published in various local magazines, I’m proud to be an NKBA 30 Under 30 alumni, a Certified Kitchen & Bath Designer (CKBD) and an Allied ASID member.
In a previously life, early college days, I worked in property management and real estate working to pay for school, pursuing whatever degree I could get… as a creative individual, it was natural for art to be my favorite subject. My role as a leasing agent, going from vacant home to vacant home, revealed this desire to revamp all of the interior spaces that I was showing to prospective tenants. From visualizing what walls to knock down and how to rearrange the kitchens to furnishing some of the most awkwardly figured rooms, I was redesigning these rental spaces in my head! While I didn’t know what kind of profession could include these skills, it was through a long series of events (involving a roll-over car accident and opening the door to chat with some friendly strangers) that led to this the light bulb moment- interior design is a career choice AND classes were available at my local community college for $20/unit! I derailed my current educational path and enrolled that summer into design school Several internships, job experiences in the industry and a Bachelors Degree in Interior Design from San Diego State University later… and here I am!
I’ve been in the design industry since 2009 and M Studio Interior Design was founded in 2015. Some of my proudest moments include winning my first-ever design award in 2016 for 1st Place Kitchen Design in ASID San Diego’s Award Gala and 3 years later winning a national award for Universal Design at NKBA’s Kitchen & Bath Industry Show Gala. Lots of fun design awards in between as well. Aside from the accolades over the years, the most rewarding part of being an interior designer is not only having the honor to share my most passion-filled skills, but having the privilege to contribute and serve some truly amazing human beings.
A new adventure and extension of M Studio was recently created with a goal of coaching homeowners on their home projects online. Rock Your Remodel was founded in 2021 with the idea that homeowners everywhere deserve to love their homes. There are times where homeowners do not have the option to bring on an interior designer to their project, but need that professional guidance that their contractor cannot always provide. Thus, Rock Your Remodel exists to help save homeowners from headaches and expensive mistakes on their home projects.
When I’m not coaching homeowners or giving a new home contemporary flair, you can find me at the yoga studio getting my Bakasana on, trying to beat my Sudoku high score, or chasing sunsets and good vibes with my boyfriend David and rescue dog Willow.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
I don’t burn professional bridges! The last job I had as an employee in my industry was not in alignment with how I wanted to serve and contribute to homeowners. As I gracefully left this position, I found that the relationships I had made were still intact and over the years had even received work from various people within this company.
There’s something to be said about the level of professionalism, mutual respect and integrity that can weigh on ones reputation. I believe that these values alongside the delivery of beautifully executed spaces have led to repeat business and raving reviews from clients and colleagues alike.
Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?
While I’m the sole designer of M Studio Interior Design, I have a drafts-lady and 2 wonderful virtual assistants supporting me. Since we are all in different geographical locations, Basecamp and Google Drive have become our best friends and also the easiest way to manage our projects. To add to our communication, we have weekly team meetings via zoom and start off each meeting by sharing a weekly accomplishment, something that we’re grateful for and recap M Studio’s core values. It’s a great way to celebrate each other from afar and remind ourselves why we do what we do.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.mstudiointeriordesign.com
- Instagram: @Megan_of_mstudio.id
- Facebook: @mstudio.id
- Other: www.RockYourRemodel.co
Image Credits
Dana Gaydon Photography, Natalia Roberts Photography, Mino Pro Media Group, Gail Owens Photography