"Long Time Coming..."

Five years ago, seeking a creative outlet, I simultaneously launched a blog and business driven by my desire to create a beautiful home on a modest budget.  Things began with friends and associates requesting my help sprucing up their homes and grew from there.

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Looking to learn as much as possible in the area, I made the decision to enroll in a well-regarded, local residential design program and began chipping away at the coursework for the 36-credit hour program.  You can read more about that decision HERE.

It sounded simple enough but working a full-time career, going to school and managing a business in its infancy was no small feat.  I quickly realized that my weekends, evenings and even most weekday lunch breaks were no longer my own.  It was a huge sacrifice but the more I worked, the better I became and the more I learned.

I started to consume every little morsel of design info and inspiration I could find; attending conferences, reading designer's blogs, studying the great's work.

Design Bloggers Conference 2015

The days, months and years passed and the client list began to spill over.  I quickly had to come to grips with the fact that there was NO way I could manage multiple clients, work full-time and be a straight "A" student and thus the waiting list was born.  At the same time, much to my amazement, I started to get emails from magazine editors about features in local and eventually national publications.

 

 

While the thought was terrifying, it wasn't long before I began to imagine life as a full-time interior designer.

After a little soul searching and prayer, in January 2014 I instituted Project 36.  It was my 36-month plan to transition to full-time entrepreneurship; essentially my exit strategy.  I knew that putting a time limit to things would slowly make the decision more and more real.  It would also hold me accountable to doing what I needed to do to make it possible.  Three years sounded like an eternity, that is until it was 24 months and then 12, 10, 8, and 6.  Yikes!  There's something about setting a goal that makes me work just a little harder and this one was no exception.

With the 3-month mark approaching I began to craft my resignation letter, reviewing the details carefully with my mentor and setting the date for my critical conversation with the boss. I spent the entire week leading up to D-day gorging on motivational videos and podcasts.  Here's my favorite playlist if you're interested.   By the time the day arrived to submit my resignation, I was more than ready.  I was pumped!  It all went off without a hitch and I couldn't have been more grateful.  I offered to work a three month notice, explaining that my final day would be Friday, December 30th.

It was DONE.  I'd actually done it.  I QUIT MY JOB!  Say what?  I thought for sure I'd wake up the next morning in a cold sweat, filled with regret....

I was wrong.  I had a strange peace about it; a good sign that I'd done the right thing.

All that was left to do was inform the parents. THIS, I thought, was by far the largest hurdle.  I decided to wait until the Thanksgiving holiday to tell them face-to-face.  For starters, I knew I needed to wait until there was no turning back or they'd totally influence my decision, even if inadvertently. Secondly, I needed to make sure all of my ducks were in a row so they'd worry just a little bit less.  I'm happy to report that the conversation with smoothly and they were super supportive and totally in my corner. And with that, the goal had finally come to fruition.

To say that this has been an amazing journey would be a gross understatement.  When I launched my business and blog with this post on January 1, 2012, I never dreamt I would be where I am today.  It's kind of crazy to think all of the connections I've made, the people I've met, the opportunities I've had and the fabulous clients I've worked with.  It has been an absolute dream come true.

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I'm often asked by social media followers and aspiring designers how I've been able to do it.  I've written a couple of posts about the subject but it really boils down to two things- Faith and Hard Work.  You see, I believe this is my purpose, but I can't see how it's all going to unfold.  However, I trust that things will work out just as He intends.  Knowing what you need to do and doing it however, are two very different things.  Making my dream a reality has involved some sacrifices-mostly time, money, energy and a little sleep.  The sacrifices didn't seem so bad however, when I weighted them against what I had to gain.  It's what kept me moving in the direction of my goals. 

I'm forever grateful to those who have supported and encouraged me along the way. There were many.  I'm also beyond grateful to those clients who took a chance on me very early on. They were willing to be my guinea pigs and I appreciate them trusting me in the process.  For those that came later, they validated my ability as a new designer and I'm appreciative of them as well.  To the folks who read my blog and follow along on social media, they inspire and encourage me to keep sharing my gift with the world.  It makes the journey so much more fun when you know you've got people cheering you on.

It's been a long time coming and I'm so elated and proud of what I've been able to accomplish.  I stand with tip-toed anticipation of what lies ahead.  I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the best is yet to come.  And for those who might need an interior designer, On January 2, 2017, we are officially FULL ON...

To God be the Glory for the GREAT things He has done.

"I Want it ALL!"

Today's the day.  Yep, it's the day that we go back to the grind with new energy, new goals and renewed focus.  And as tough as it is to pull yourself out of vacation mode, there is something nice about a fresh start.  It's....well, refreshing.

2016 is going to be a BIG year for Dwell by Cheryl Interiors and I'm so excited I can hardly stand it.

Before the start of each new year, I take some time to sit down with my friend and professional organizer, Jennifer Burnham of Pure and Simple to strategize for the upcoming year. 

Jennifer is not only a wiz at organizing spaces, she's also great at helping businesses get organized too!  I like to get away from the hustle, so we typically travel to a fun, semi-local place and do a little business planning retreat.  It's been really effective for three years now.  This year, we traveled to Aiken, South Carolina.  Yep, Aiken.  After doing a little research (with the help of a friend), I was super impressed with this small town located only about 2 hours away from Charlotte. 

I'm a bit of a hotel snob (sorry, not sorry), so we opted for the well appointed Wilcox Hotel in downtown Aiken.  The property is a historic home and has been in business since the late 19th century.  It was simply beautiful.

I was sold on the accommodations and knew it would be a nice, quiet and beautiful place to get things DONE.

We were able to outline some new service offerings, update communication materials and set some BIG goals for 2016.  I couldn't be more grateful for Jennifer's help.  With a full-time career, design school, my Habitat ReStore commitments, and life, it's essential for me to have solid business practices in place.

With the technical aspects of 2016 out of the way, I spent some time this weekend vision planning for the new year.  I'll admit, I'm not the biggest fan of Pinterest, but one of my goals for this year is to get better at it.  It's hard to be an expert on every social media outlet, but you at least need to be active on the big ones. 

Follow Dwell by Cheryl Interiors's board Vision 2016 on Pinterest.

You can check out my board above and be sure to follow me if you're on Pinterest.

Lastly, yesterday's sermon entitled "Partial Is Not Enough"  (Joshua 18:1-10) totally struck a chord with me.  Perhaps it's because I sense that BIG things are on the way.  I won't run down the sermon notes here, but essentially it focused on the move from Good to Great.   I don't know about you, but I'm at a point in my life where Good just isn't good enough.  I'm longing for Greatness. Sure, it will require some effort. It will also require that I surround myself with the right people.  It'll mean that I'll have to take some steps based on faith, but I know, in my heart of hearts, that it'll be worth it.  I think I've just gotten to a point where I realize, now more than ever, that partial just isn't good enough.  I want complete.  I WANT IT ALL! And guess what...

I'm gonna get it.