We were lucky to catch up with Nicole Reid recently and have shared our conversation below.

Nicole, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear your thoughts about making remote work effective.

For years, in person Full Service Interior Design has dominated the design industry, however, a huge shift towards virtual (i.e. remote design) has taken place since COVID. Virtual design has made Interior Design affordable and accessible to clients all over the country. It has allowed me the ability to work with clients who have a range of budgets and needs. Using an online platform that allows me to communicate design schemes, presentations, contracts, feedback and product links have helped my business tremendously. Clients can review design documents at their convenience once they have access to my online platform. It doesn’t matter what time of day, they have to ability to review and provide feedback. This shift has benefited myself and my clients because we no longer have to work around busy schedules. While virtual design has been great, it does not replace the intimacy that designers and clients build when working together in an in person setting. There is a unique relationship that is built between designer and client because of the client’s welcoming me into their most personal spaces. This aspect is often lost when working virtually.

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.

Since I can remember, I’ve been obsessed with making everyday living beautiful. I have a passion for creating rooms that feel like “home”, and I love to help people evolve their homes as their lives change over the years.

After earning a B.S. in Business Administration and Management from Virginia Commonwealth University, I went on to explore a few different careers, ranging from cosmetology to baking. But it was Interiors Design that birthed a passion within me to work alongside families to create spaces that bring about a sense of peace and comfort.

While exploring an Interior Design course at Watkins College in Nashville, TN the idea for my company began to take shape. After purchasing my first home with my husband, design became a special part of my life as I learned more about myself and what made me feel most at home. It was a feeling I wanted to share with others about their home.

I then enrolled in an online design program to further strengthen my foundation in design as well as nurture my natural ability to curate thoughtful and beautiful spaces. There, I also learned about the technical aspects of design and color theory, and also the importance of collaboration with clients and industry professionals.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

From the beginning of my business, it was important for me to establish a relationship with my clients. Getting to know who they are, what they love, what they feel is missing from their lives through their home was key to establishing those relationships. I try to allow them space to share and truly listen to the things that aren’t said. It can be something as simple as them sharing about a vacation they went on and the small details about their hotel stay that they truly fell in love with. For me, it’s reading in between the lines and and listening in order to create designs around core memories or feelings for them that they never would have been able to verbalize as a need for their home design. This type of relationship building has allowed me to build trust with my clients and because of the trust, referrals have always been the best source of new clients.

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

Like most business owners, growth for my business has been slow with lots of peaks and valleys. During COVID, my personal life and business life changed dramatically. Not only did my children transition from in person to virtual learning like the rest of the country, my mother with diagnosed with breast cancer. Her diagnosis meant my need to shift into being a full time caretaker for her as her treatments and recovery were extremely aggressive. At that time, I was experiencing a significant growth in my online presence, bringing in more consistent inquiries for virtual services. But with the demand from my personal life, I simply could not juggle. I eventually felt like I lost my audience due to my lack of consistency which led to me deleting my social media and starting completely from scratch. While I have not seen the growth I experienced previously, I still remain committed to my business.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.poplarcreekinteriors.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/poplarcreek_interiors/