a note from my desk....
Today is my birthday. I'm 52!
This past Sunday, my church congregation sang Happy Birthday to me, and someone jokingly asked, "25, right?"
I laughed and thought, Wouldn't that be nice?
Well, sort of.
I'd happily take my 25-year-old body back, but I wouldn't want to be 25 again.
Not for a second.
Because while there are certainly things I miss about being younger, there's something pretty wonderful about getting older.
Perspective. Experience. Wisdom. And the confidence that comes from knowing you've figured some things out along the way.
At 25, I hadn't even started my interior design business. I didn't know that one day I'd be raising two children while building a business, navigating economic downturns, reinventing my career more than once, teaching other designers, or eventually helping entrepreneurs build businesses of their own.
I certainly didn't know how many mistakes I'd make along the way.
And there have been plenty!
But those mistakes? They're part of what makes me good at what I do today.
I've learned that being a successful business owner isn't about having all the answers. It's about knowing which questions to ask, when to trust your instincts, and when something needs to change.
So, in honour of my 52nd birthday, I thought I'd share a few things I know now that I wish I'd understood when I was 25.
Let's dive in! π
This Week Inside the Method
|
|
This Week's Blueprint
πBeing good at what you do and being good at running a business are two entirely different skill sets.
When I started my design business, I knew how to design beautiful spaces. What I didn't fully appreciate was everything required to build a business around that skill.
Pricing, profitability, contracts, client communication, marketing, workflows, boundaries, financial management.
None of those things came with a fabric swatch!
And for a long time, I learned them through trial and error.
Today, I know that creativity might get you into business, but it's the business skills you develop that will help keep you there.
πYou don't need to say yes to everything to be successful.
Oh, this one took me a while.
Yes to projects that weren't a good fit. Yes to clients who wanted exceptions. Yes to timelines that weren't realistic. Yes to things simply because I was worried about where the next opportunity might come from.
I used to think saying yes meant I was being accommodating, flexible, and providing great service.
Sometimes it just meant I was making my own life harder.
I've learned that boundaries aren't barriers to success. They're what make a sustainable business possible.
And the right clients don't need you to be available 24/7. They need you to be clear, capable, and consistent.
πYou don't have to build your business the way someone else built theirs.
At 25, I probably would have looked at someone else's success and assumed they had figured out the right way to do things.
At 52, I know there isn't one right way.
I've built a business with young children at home. I've navigated relocations, changing markets, economic uncertainty, and entirely new chapters of life.
What worked for me in one season didn't always work in the next.
And that's okay.
Your business should support the life you're living, not require you to sacrifice it in pursuit of someone else's definition of success.
That's probably one of the biggest lessons of all.
|
|
|
This Week's Workshop
π οΈ Take a look at what experience has taught you.
Think back to the first year you were in business.
What did you worry about? What did you think success would look like? What did you believe you had to do to make it work?
Now consider how differently you approach those things today.
There's a good chance you've developed more knowledge, skill, and resilience than you give yourself credit for.
Don't overlook that experience. It's part of the value you bring to your clients.
π οΈ Stop tolerating something you already know isn't working.
If there's one thing I wish I'd learned sooner, it's that problems rarely resolve themselves simply because we keep working harder.
Maybe it's a pricing structure that doesn't account for your time. A client communication process that leaves everyone guessing. Or a workflow that exists entirely in your head.
You probably already know what needs attention.
Choose one thing this week and decide what you're going to do differently.
It doesn't have to be a complete overhaul. Sometimes one thoughtful change can make a remarkable difference.
|
|
|
CEO Reflection
βWhat are you still doing in your business today that a wiser, more experienced version of yourself knows you should have stopped doing a long time ago?
And perhaps more importantly, what's keeping you from changing it?
|
π A Birthday Gift From Me to You!
One of the reasons I love working with interior designers today is that I get to share the lessons I've learned over nearly two decades in this industry.
The lessons that came from the projects that went beautifully, the ones that went sideways, the clients who taught me something, and the times I had to rethink how I was running my business.
It's also why I created Bring Calm to Chaos, my eight-week, one-on-one mentorship experience.
Because I know firsthand how exhausting it can be to run a business when you're constantly figuring things out as you go.
Over eight weeks, we work together to bring clarity to your pricing, client experience, workflows, operations, and how you lead your business.
We don't just talk about what needs to change. We work on building the systems, processes, and tools that help you actually make those changes.
And because it's my birthday, I thought I'd celebrate by sharing a little something with you.
For my 52nd birthday, I'm offering 25% off Bring Calm to Chaos.
Not because I wish I were 25 again, but because I know how much easier this journey could have been if I'd had access to the knowledge I have today.
Regular investment: $2,490 USD
Birthday investment: $1,867.50 USD
Your savings: $622.50 USD
And to make it even easier to get started, payment plans are available!
You can spread your investment over four easy biweekly instalments of approximately $560.25 USD.
No discount code needed! Your 25% birthday savings will automatically appear in your cart at checkout.
This special birthday offer is available through Monday, November 9.
πKeep Building
At 25, I thought I'd have so much figured out by 52.
And in some ways, I do.
But the wonderful thing about getting older is realizing that you never actually stop learning.
You just get a little more comfortable with what you don't know.
A little more confident in what you do.
And a whole lot less concerned with proving yourself to everyone else.
So here's to 52. To the lessons learned, the mistakes made, the businesses built, and the chapters still waiting to unfold.
I wouldn't trade the wisdom I have today for being 25 again.
Well, maybe I'd negotiate for the knees. π
Until next Friday, π
Marsha
Helping interior designers build businesses as thoughtfully designed as the homes they create.
β