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

Alright, Yolanda thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you share an important lesson you learned in a prior job that’s helped you in your career afterwards?

Prior to launching Styled and Staged Spaces, which is an Interior Design and Staging company, I worked many years in sales. In all the different sales environments I lent my skills to, there was a common thread of expectations. Set goals, hunt for new business, create a sales funnel, build client relations and close deals! I found out early on that regardless of what product or service I was selling, every step in this process was extremely germane to my overall success in sales. It was not an easy endeavor, especially when you place this process in a competitive environment where everyone wants to be on top. What helped me was that I love people, I love competition, and I love to win! Running an interior design business is so different from the past high-powered sales environments. I love what I do at Styled and Staged Spaces and get great enjoyment from utilizing my creative expression and helping my team transform spaces into works of art. However, the previous lessons I learned translate beautifully. The same process I practiced from my years in sales is in place at SASS, shaping our client on-boarding process, our relationship building paradigm and our business management processes.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am Yolanda Vallier, founder and CEO of Styled and Staged Spaces. I truly believe that beautiful spaces are inspirational. There is a feeling a room gives you when you walk into it. Good interior design evokes productivity, calm, relaxation, positivity, and a myriad of emotions that impact the quality of life. At Styled and Staged Spaces, also known as SASS, we are dedicated to transforming spaces that are custom curated to our clients taste and lifestyle, focusing on where beauty meets functionality. We are a team of positive and creative people who love what we do and we bring that energy to each project. Our services include residential interior design; ranging from one-room make-overs to whole house interior styling, consulting for remodeling projects and custom build designs, and residential staging. Our aim is helping our clients make key design decisions. I have always been a connoisseur of all things fabulous. As a child, I wanted to be involved in ‘styling’ myself, my dolls, and my own room. As an adult who loves to travel, the beauty in the geography has and is always the stand-out. My journey has shaped my keen eye for color, shapes, patterns, spacing, cultural nuances, and an understanding of the historical impact on architecture and design aesthetics.
The thing I am most proud of is the portfolio of work that SASS has amassed and the client feedback that we receive. We are artists, passionate about style, and our clients space is our canvas!

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

In the times and season we are in, it is important to be flexible and ready to pivot if you must. Styled and Staged Spaces is the result of a necessary pivot. Prior to 2020 I was running a commercial loan brokerage and designing the spaces of family and friends just as a creative outlet. Without going into detail, suffice it to say the pandemic had a dramatic effect in the commercial lending space. By January of 2020, I put a game plan in place to launch Styled and Staged Spaces. I lined up key players, partners, business processes, and technology. I set the official launch date for March 1, 2020. Unbeknownst to me, the world would shut down on the same date. Initially I thought to myself, what bad timing Yolanda! However, I didn’t feel like it was another ‘pivot’ moment, but a time to forge ahead. That is exactly what I did. We are in year three and business is stable, healthy and preparing to scale. In life and business, situations may cause us to bend, and even sometimes break. What I’ve learned is always be prepared to regroup and recoup.

Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?

When I began to build the business plan for Styled and Staged Spaces, I was already running another business full time. Therefore I knew I wanted to collaborate with a partner or a team for this business endeavor to avoid being overwhelmed. I have a good friend who at the time was the CEO of a very successful business that was formed via a partnership. Her advice to me was, ‘a business partnership is like a marriage, don’t go into it lightly, properly vet all areas for compatibility, and take the commitment seriously”. Well, this advice scared me a bit because every good Christian knows that marriage is trouble in the flesh. And reflecting on the 25 years my husband and I have been married I could definitely relate to the serious commitment part. But I kept that advice in mind when I thought of who to partner with. I made a list of all the things I thought a great business partner should possess (intelligent, creative, mature, entrepreneurial, stable, focused, loyal…) just to name a few. They would also need to have the willingness to personally invest as the business would be self-funded. Well without much ado, I approached my good friend Lynette to partner with me. After several business meetings, going over mission and vision goals, determining potential risks and rewards, she agreed. We have been a dynamic duo ever since.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.styledandstagedspaces.com
• Instagram: @SASSHOUSTON
• Facebook: styled and staged spaces
• Linkedin: LINKEDIN.COM/IN/SASSHOUSTON
• Twitter: @styled_staged
• Other: Pinterest @SASSINTERIORSTYLISTS

Image Credits
Great Scenes Creative