Ask Kelly
Q & A WITH KELLY FERM
Q: WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO GO OUT ON YOUR OWN AND START YOUR BUSINESS?
A: It was definitely time for me when it happened. A growing family and the desire to set my own design path inspired me to go off on my own. I had a vision of creating a brand, opening a boutique and building a career around home fashion & interior design. Direct involvement in my kids’ lives is so most important to me. Having a family and a career that is creative and always changing is good for my soul. I get stuck in the mundane. By starting my own design practice, I gained full control of my personal and career life.
Q: WHAT ARE SOME CHALLENGES AND HURDLES WITHIN RUNNING YOUR OWN BUSINESS TODAY?
A: There are things I love about the digital world and things that make me a little crazy. I have been a designer long enough to see all of the changes. From clipping roomscapes from high-end design magazines to now the moment by moment social media activity. With this - we have developed a culture of "I need now and I need fast". Thoughtful design in high-end homes, quality renovation work and tastefully curating a space takes time, patience, expertise; this won't be found on an app. While that sounds amazing, that is not real. It is very personal to design a well-appointed home for somebody and their family. Each design, each decision and each step forward is unique to every project.
Q: HOW DO YOU MANAGE WORK AND LIFE BALANCE?
A: As much as I love to work, I love time away with family and friends. It is like anything, too much of one thing is not good for you. As an employer I respect my staff's time away from the office, I want them to feel full and refreshed when they return. I have the same needs for myself. When I started my business I worked tremendous hours around the clock; with the years of hard work I am able to schedule myself out of the office and my great team runs the show flawlessly. I am grateful for that -me overworked is not very pretty.
Q: WHAT IS SOMETHING SURPRISING ABOUT THE DESIGN WORLD THAT YOU DIDN’T EXPECT WHEN STARTING?
A: I had no idea what an Interior Designer / business owner did in a day. It is impossible to explain it to the general public, but the design community knows how miraculous it is. When you think about building a home, a space, a project; there are thousands of pieces to this puzzle, it is overwhelming to visualize. An experienced designer has a process to start a project systematically and bring a vision into a reality. I love the power in that. With everything we do in a day as designer's we do need to be very cautious with our time, if not our wheels don’t stop spinning. Time is like currency, we have to spend it wisely if we want our business to grow and be profitable.
Q: WHAT IS THE BEST ADVICE YOU CAN GIVE TO SOMEONE STARTING IN THIS BUSINESS?
A: Don't think it will happen overnight. As a designer, it takes a long time to build a portfolio, build a team, build vendors, and building a Client base. Business is about building people and you will make a series of mistakes along the way. There are stepping stones to go next level each time. You start small but keep your eye on the ball. Have an external mission statement and an internal mission statement (for you and your teams ears & eyes only); read it often, keep it front of you and suddenly your vision becomes real. "Dreaming after all, is a form of planning", Gloria Steinem.
Q: WHAT DOES "MAKING THE WORLD A PRETTIER PLACE ONE ROOM AT A TIME" MEAN TO YOU
A: For me it is two-fold; The obvious is I feel so fulfilled when I take a space and transform it. I love beautiful things. I love textiles, furniture, art, home-decor. I love taking a space and working through the architectural flaws and fixing them. I love taking a harsh space and softening it with beauty and sophistication. I love to bring joy to people and their family ... but bigger than that, as a Principal Designer, wife, mother (on a quest for anything beautiful) I love contributing as a human on this planet in a beautiful way. I hope that my families and my own footprint leaves joy and beauty/I have a philosophy that by "Making The World A Prettier Place One Room At A Time" I did my share - KF
cartoon credit: SHARON HUTCHISON, KELLY FERM, INC.
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