We were lucky to catch up with Patrick Furlow recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Patrick, thanks for joining us today. Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.

One of the biggest risks I’ve ever taken is putting all our eggs in one basket…quitting my corporate job and joining my wife Anne Furlow in her home staging business, Step by Stage Interiors. There was always a comfort about receiving a salary, paid bi-weekly with benefits, and 401K match, working Monday – Friday and being able to turn my brain off from the office once I walked out the door. All that changes when you become a small business owner. However, looking back, I’m glad I did. There is a different kind of freedom and stress when you own a small business. Being able to make all the decisions, call the shots, hire who you want, and create your own systems, processes, and procedures is wonderful. It certainly beats working the typical 9-5 and running the rat race. There are certainly all types of stresses that come with owning a small business, but at the end of the day, they are worthwhile if the business is successful…which it is!

Patrick, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Patrick grew up in the small town of Poolesville, Maryland. He completed his degree at The Florida Institute of Technology, earning a B.S. in Business Administration. Patrick’s experience and background have been in leadership and management within the education field along with account management in the textile and facility services industry. After growing and developing successful business teams, he took the leap from the corporate lifestyle to join Step by Stage Interiors full time as President and Co-Owner. He has a knack for detail, organization and efficiency. We provide vacant home staging services to realtors, home sellers, investors, and builders. Our staging services help provide a competitive marketing advantage when selling a property, helping facilitate faster sales than listing a home vacant, and for maximum profit. Step by Stage has recently been named as a Top 10 Vacant home staging company in the United States by The Real Estate Staging Association for 2023! We are most proud of our exceptional customer experiences, while helping out clients make the most possible money for their home sales. Our brand is that of a curated, designer look. We provide elevated staging services that differs than most competitors. Our experience, expertise, quality and on trend inventory, design knowledge and skill, and most importantly results are what sets us apart in the industry.

As an industry influencer, Patrick has been a featured speaker at events such as RESACON, been a guest Zoom speaker w/ multiple National RESA Chapters and has presented to numerous Real Estate Brokerages in the Central, FL area. Patrick is also the Co-Founder of The Staging Collective. The Staging Collective is a pioneering and unique international network of home staging companies, aggregating some of the best, high-end, elite stagers across the country and Canada as premier go to home staging companies for Realtors, Brokerages, and home sellers.

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

We’ve always been firm believers that if you provide a product or service that offers a client or purchaser exceptional results or benefit, your client base grows…leading to more sales, referrals, credibility, recognition, and influence. Holding ourselves to the highest of standards in business and in our personal lives, working hard, and doing right by our clients has helped us achieve just that. Work hard, stay focused, and you reap what you sow. It’s just that simple!

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

Just be nice, firm, and fair. People don’t like working for jerks, or bad bosses. People want to be valued and respected. Set clear cut expectations and boundaries. Reward people for a job well done. Keep communication lines clear and open and pay employees a quality wage for their work and skill sets they bring to the table. Doing all those things leads to having an effective workforce and keeps morale high.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sbs-interiors.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stepbystage
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stepbystage
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-furlow-29964267/

Image Credits
Kelley Summerville Mike Walker Pix360, Inc Kelly Thomas