Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Sallie Lord. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Sallie, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. One of the things we most admire about small businesses is their ability to diverge from the corporate/industry standard. Is there something that you or your brand do that differs from the industry standard? We’d love to hear about it as well as any stories you might have that illustrate how or why this difference matters.

Interior Design can be a very competitive industry. I really found that was a place that didn’t fit me as a person or how I wanted to move forward within the industry. So, I did something different. I stood back and tried to figure out how I could uplift my peers and not see them as competitors but other women in the business working hard and needing support. My approach has been to tear down walls and help to motivate us all to shatter our own glass ceilings.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My Uncle and aunts owned a boutique that sold British goods, antiques and reproductions. I started working there when I was 15 years old and I loved the entire process of working with customers, creating displays, and seeing new items come in. A few years later, I started college majoring in Interior Design at Marymount University, right outside of Washington, DC.

I love meeting with clients and really hearing what their needs and wants are for there homes. This is their special place in the world and I want them to feel amazing in it. It’s always an honor to be invited in. I think for me what I am most proud of is touching people and making them feel amazing in their home each and every day and them sharing that with me. How proud they are, how at peace they feel and how much more functional. It’s an opportunity to uplift people

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

When I started my business it was only me. As my business grew, I had to learn to let go of some of the control and trust others to help me accomplish my vision. That was so difficult for me but I once heard “if you say yes to everything, you are saying no to everything.” I find that is true if you think you alone can manage it all, you shouldn’t. I think it is key to teach and trust your team. To create a successful team you have to understand you and your team are making investments in each other. I value them for their time and belief in what I am building. I make sure to celebrate special moments such as birthdays or life events, and holidays and in big and small ways let them know I care and believe in them and our team. Besides, it isn’t fun to get to the top and be by yourself!

Have you ever had to pivot?

I had gone part-time in design when I had my sons. In 2009 I started my own design firm when Greyson was 3 months & Hunter 3 years old. When I went through a divorce, my life completely changed. I somehow had to find a way to run a home on my own, raise 2 little boys aged 5 &8 yo, and run and instantly grow an interior design business. I gave myself 1 year to turn my part-time job/career into not only a full-time job that could pay for the roof over our heads and provide for myself and the boys. If after one year in 2015, I wasn’t able to achieve this goal, I vowed to get a full-time job working for someone else. The drive and passion I had to succeed at this goal and not fail as a business owner that carried my kid’s name was a huge driving force. I refused to have a ceiling put on me, my business, my dreams, and my passions. I was told I could never do it and wouldn’t succeed. That is a gift, as I take those words as a challenge and say, “WATCH ME!” I was lucky to have the support of friends, family, and clients as I continued to grow. My advice is to take those tough situations and not just have a life challenge you but challenge yourself to rise and shatter ceilings.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.greyhuntinteriors.com
• Instagram: greyhuntinteriors.com
• Facebook: GreyHunt Interiors LLC
• Twitter: GreyHuntID
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/greyhunt-interiors-chantilly-2

Image Credits
All Images are from Christy Kosnic EXCEPT the photo of the Foyer with the black and white ceiling, a white round table. That is Sarah Sheilds.