A Few Thoughts on Gratitude
With Thanksgiving just around the corner, this is the time of year when we reflect upon what means the most to us. Like many of you, I have much to be grateful for. I wanted to take this chance to share a little bit about how I consider myself fortunate in this business, and to say thank you.
MY TEAM
Every day, I am thankful for my team. Not only are they supremely talented, they are also outstanding at pulling together in stressful moments and when projects are down-to-the-wire. I try to make gratitude a part of our company culture by making the effort to recognize them and by creating bonding opportunities for us. We plan weekly lunches and fun outings to strengthen the connections on our team. It’s my hope that this appreciation exudes into all our interactions with our clients, and whenever we are making decisions, we have our company values to guide us.
OUR CLIENTS
Trust and transparency are important to me personally and in business, and I feel honored to work with clients who exemplify this. I know it can be nerve-wracking to invite someone into your home. There’s a level of vulnerability in letting us spend time with your family and see your lifestyle, finances, and relationships up close and personal. Your honesty and openness helps us create the most comfortable, unique designs for you, and I have never taken that for granted.
It’s most fulfilling for me to reflect upon the clients with whom we have worked for more than a decade on multiple homes. I feel so lucky for these long working relationships that have grown into genuine friendships. We have one client with whom we’ve worked with on eight homes. When we first met, they were quite cautious with color, furniture forms, and texture. Fast-forward to today, and design-wise, you would never believe they are the same people. The clients who once favored pale blue and sage green now have lacquered teal cabinets in their kitchen! My goal is always to make my clients happy no matter what, but it’s been fun to watch their evolution of style and see them taking chances. That’s the kind of trust I find so gratifying.
I’ll also never forget when I was one of the winners of New England Home’s “5 Under 40 Awards,” and a client attended the awards celebration without my telling them about it. Showing up for each other to say I see you, I appreciate you, you’re doing a good job. Isn’t that what this is all about?
OUR COMMUNITY
In addition to our stellar clients, I feel fortunate to have made a lot of meaningful connections and friends who are designers. The New England design world is a very trusting and supportive community. I know it can be quite competitive in other places, so I deeply value what I have. These are people I genuinely enjoy spending time with. I’m also filled with gratitude for the relationships I’ve built with top-notch vendors. I feel lucky to get to collaborate with craftsmen and vendors that help bring our vision to reality. If I ever get in a bind, they are there to help. They are also wildly supportive of our business, promote us in their marketing materials, and show up to events we are taking part in. That means a lot.
At the end of the day, there can be a lot of hassles in the bustle of being an interior designer, but I always feel lucky that I am passionate about the work I’m doing. I’ve never lost the excitement of finding a new source or the thrill of discovering inspiration. And for that, I am deeply grateful.
Until next time,
