We were lucky to catch up with Stephanie Reade recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Stephanie, thanks for joining us today. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

Growing up in the Hammerquist family was never dull. I was number two out of four kids. We grew up on a small ranch in Surprise, Arizona. Stores, people, and a big city were non-existent when we moved there. My parents moved to a 2.5 acre, 3 bedroom, one bathroom, 1200 square foot house in hopes to give their kids space to play, explore, and be kids. We were encouraged to play, use our imagination, and create. My parents are both creatives. My dad grew up in Washington state helping his grandpa at his shingle mill and his dad build homes from the ground up. My mom graduated valedictorian in Massachusetts and has always been artistic and creative writing and illustrating children’s books, creating church curriculum, and teaching while making learning hands on and fun. T.V. was almost never on in our home as we were always doing something fun, painting, building the kids projects from Home Depot, or making something like our own treehouse and fort on our ranch. My parents impact in allowing us a space to be creative and use our imagination, being patient with us as we learned, and guiding us but not doing it for us made myself and all of my siblings creative in our own ways. Although living on a ranch, I was the most girly girl. I loved fashion, knowing what is in style, and also home design. My mom was always crafty with our bedrooms making them every kid’s dream. My brother’s room had a built in playground, my room at one point was a school house (I always wanted to be a teacher), or a room built with a boat bed and pirate theme. As I got older, my parents added an entire addition to our house. My mom was the designer, and my dad was the one who figured out how to execute her designs. In order for us to move into our own rooms, my dad told us we had to be part of doing the drywall, framing, and painting. I was taught how to use power tools and problem solve. It wasn’t until after getting married and buying our first home that I realized how valuable the skills my parents had taught us would be. Our first home needed a lot of work and with a very very small budget, I had to get creative to make our home beautiful and functional. Picking up free pallets and tearing them apart, shopping clearance tiles and tiling floors, learning to paint cabinets, fix appliances, make light fixtures look expensive without spending money, patching holes in drywall and painting were all things I did to fix our first house. After seven years in that home, there was not a surface we hadn’t touched. My parents are still there to this day to run ideas by, ask how to do something, or now, I help them design or build. My parents impact is what helped me to be a business owner and designer today. I wouldn’t be here today without them encouraging me to be creative and use the skills that I never knew I was learning.

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.

My name is Stephanie Reade, a certified elementary educator with a master’s degree, mom of 4 and wife who loves everything interior design, using power tools, and building. I am a creator who loves to make my designs unique, classic, and fun! As a child I was always encouraged and given space to be creative, use my imagination, and problem solve. After purchasing our first home shortly after marrying my high school sweetheart at 19, we had a very little budget and a house that needed work. It was my mission to make the space beautiful and do it with as little expense as possible while also working as a full-time 1st/2nd grade ELD teacher and while having our first 3 kids. I used skills that both my parents taught me growing up to make our house a beautiful home that I was so proud of. After purchasing another home and one of my children needing extra care, as a family we decided that I should stay home. When people would come and see the things that I built or the interior design in our home, I had people start asking if I could make them something too. Thus, my business, Leaving the 99 Designs, was born in 2018. It started out as just a few building projects I worked on while my youngest was at preschool half a day and my older kids were in school. Projects such as refinishing an old tv stand into a farmhouse tv stand with barn doors, a ship lap wall, or custom t-shirts for the wives of a military squadron. It then advanced into a full-time job building fireplaces, custom tv stands, corn hole boards, along with built-ins and interior design. In 2022, I found out I was expecting another sweet little one and I had to close up shop so I could do my first favorite full time job, being mom to my 4 amazing kids. After nearly 2 years off, I am excited to announce that I will being opening my business back up but in a new way. My desire to be creative and use those skills to help others, coupled with my skills in teaching, have caused me to adapt what I do in a way that I can still be a creator, while also taking care of my sweet little one year old at home. I will be specializing in interior e-design and eventually expanding in how to DIY tutorials for people, who like me, are on a tight budget but still want their home to be a special and stylish, comfortable space to relax and enjoy.

My business is one hundred percent founded on God given dreams and visions. Even the name, Leaving the 99 Designs, I got when dreaming one night shortly after feeling like I needed to start my own business. It is based on the Parable of the Lost Sheep in Matthew 18:12-14 where Jesus is speaking of a man who has a hundred sheep and one wanders away. Wouldn’t he leave the ninety-nine others to go find the missing one? I feel like my designs are unique, they are still in style, but I try not to do something the same as everyone else. I like to think outside the box and find one design that makes an impact in a way that is special for my clients. I am so proud of where my business has gone, and it wouldn’t have been possible without Gods guidance and timing. I think that is something that makes me and my designs stand out.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

One of the most rewarding aspects of being creative is being able to watch a clients goal, come to life through the creative process. As a certified educator, that was always one of my favorite things in teaching, watching the light bulb come on for a student when they understood a concept. In the same way, taking what a client asks me to make or design and bringing that to life is so incredible. Seeing a client get exactly what they were looking for but not necessarily given all the details initially is an experience that is so exciting. It is what makes sharing my creative ability so worthwhile.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

One of the most memorable times in my business that I have had to pivot is having a new sweet little baby boy. I could exactly build or run my business the way I was when I had a complicated pregnancy and delivery. I had to close shop for a couple years. It is only now that I am able to reopen but in a new way that allows me to do my first full-time job of being a mom. I believe everything happens for a reason and this pivot is going to bring a new exciting angle to my creative career.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: leavingthe99designs
• Facebook: Leaving The 99 Designs