We recently connected with Tam Coriell and have shared our conversation below.
Tam, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about your team building process? How did you recruit and train your team and knowing what you know now would you have done anything differently?
For years I have wanted to own my own Design Firm. Having acquired my degree in design, I began my interior design career in Winter Park Florida, an affluent suburb of Orlando. Expanding my horizons, I moved to Utah about five years ago with my husband and son to begin working at Barclay Butera.
A year and a half ago, determined still to own my own design firm, I contacted a close friend of mine who was looking for a side hustle herself. For months, she worked on getting my LLC up and running while I was maintaining my full time senior designer position with my current firm. Once the LLC was approved, I paid her as a contractor to create accounts all the necessary vendors I’d need to run projects through my own company.
For over a decade my dreams of owning my own design firm included Franky. Franky has been my best friend since the day he walked into our first design firm in Florida. He too moved to Utah four years ago and I needed to find a way to take this leap with me.
Franky’s long time best friend and now husband, has been a close friend of mine for many years too. I knew, that if I could get Derek, a non designer, to do everything non design for me, that Franky wouldn’t be able to resist jumping ship!
Looking back, there’s no way that I would do anything differently. While we continue to be a small company of four, the circle of trust is strong. I am grateful to have the team I do.
Tam, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I ascertained my design degree over ten years ago in Florida. I have had the unique opportunity to combine some of my flashier design aesthetic roots, with the lux mountain decor that the west has to offer. The product of these blended design style, I believe lend to an elevated look for Utah.
Studio Interiors is an Interior design firm in Park City. Our projects range from new builds, remodels, and furniture/accessory packages. Myself and my partner Franky stay up to date on all the latest trends, and newest materials. We attend conferences all over the country to see what’s new, and how we can incorporate it into our designs. We work closely with contractors, to come up with solutions during the construction process. We welcome these challenges, that push us to continue to color way outside the lines.
Right now, I am most proud that after over ten years of working, learning, and hustling, on either side of the US, that my best friend and I have the opportunity to do what we love together. Franky and I each believe that we make the other better, and every project will include both of our creative minds.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
I fortunately had the opportunity to kick off my interior design career in Park City at one of the premier firms, in the role of senior design. My experience and education in Florida, sets me apart from many of the existing designers in Utah. The design community in Florida happens to be more competitive, and as such more was expected from me early on in my career. That experience afforded me a great position in Park city, with and outstanding support team. I was able to leverage the reputation and support of the firm I worked for, while executing a new wave of east coast inspired, modern mountain design.
Having projects sent my way all over the Park City region, introduced me to countless contractors and vendors all over town. Nurturing those relationships helped to design a narrative that attracts others to want to work with me. I started by creating a reputation that I am easy and reliable to work with. From there, when people want to work with you, they recommend you. Beyond that, I back up that narrative with outstanding design, if I do say so myself, and the remainder of what my reputation is comprised of falls into place on its own.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
So far I believe that the biggest lesson I’ve had to unlearn is having the mindset of an employee, versus that of an owner or manager. The backstory is simple, I’ve never owned my own business before haha.
With every new hurdle I come across, not just myself but Franky too, we are having to remind ourselves that we create our own answers. I am so accustomed to having the ability to “pass the buck” when a client needs to hear “no.” I find myself needing to be reminded that “the buck stops here” – Harry S Truman. We have really had to establish company standards and create a foundation that we can rely on, to feel empowered to have those hard conversations, that owners just have to have sometimes. Learning how to be a business owner, really is having to unlearn what it is to only be an employee.
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