Today we’d like to introduce you to Shelly Coleman.
Hi Shelly; I’m so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, how can you bring our readers up to speed on your story? How did you get to where you are today?
I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, around abundant architecture and design. I was always interested in design, decorating, and organizing from a very young age. Throughout my childhood and into my adult years, I recall my living spaces being in a constant state of change. Growing up, I won art projects in school, and in my spare time, I’d use clay to create tiny furniture pieces that I would continually change into new furniture pieces. Fast forward, and I’m in college, where I had big dreams of working in tourism, traveling, and living abroad. I earned a BS in Commercial Recreation Management, where I worked for a travel company and could travel. Still unsatisfied and looking for more, I pursued an entirely different path and worked in IT for a major telecommunications company. While there, I earned an MS degree in Management of Technology and pursued this career until the birth of my son. My love for Interior Design never diminished during all of these career variations. I continued to fulfill this innate desire within my home and by helping out friends.
I took an Interior Design class after my son and daughter were born, but we moved to Austin, Texas, where I found my life with two toddlers fully consuming. I was a stay-at-home mom for over 10 years. Once the kids were older and more independent, I was ready to return to work outside the home. I found an opportunity and became an Event Planning Coordinator, which inspired more of my creativity and design. Following this, I became a Marketing coordinator for a local Commercial Real Estate company, inspiring more creativity and design. Even with these wonderful positions, I felt a great pull to become an Interior Designer. I was almost 50 years old and thought I had missed my opportunity to do what I’d loved since childhood. With the support of my husband and a very close friend from college, I was encouraged to take a leap of faith.
I signed up for an Interior Design class and loved it so much that I continued the program to finish and earn my Interior Design certification from a local college. I remember being so excited to do my homework that I would be the first to turn it in. My first intention was to work for an Interior Design company as I was nervous, scared, and intimidated to start my own business. My entire career background never involved owning my own business and certainly not in Interior Design. This was a path never traveled. In 2022, I jumped in first and began starting my own Residential Interior Design business. For the past two years, I have had the pleasure of helping clients design, decorate, stage, and organize their spaces. It has been a blessing to me! I started my business very late, but I have realized there is always time to do what you love. My passion and talent is Interior Design, and I am thrilled that I leaped to pursue it!
Please talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned. Looking back, has it been easy or smooth in retrospect?
My journey had a few challenges that come with launching your own business. How would I find clients? How would I market my business? How would I ensure that my clients fully trusted me and my work? It was a solo journey that would fail or succeed based on my efforts.
I appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Shelly Coleman Designs?
My business provides designing, organizing, and staging services to clients. I can help clients in all these capacities, which sets me apart from other design firms. My design projects involve design and consideration of organization and how it will impact staging in the future (for home reselling, etc). My business is a “one-stop shop.”
We love surprises, fun facts, and unexpected stories. Can you share something that might surprise us?
What may surprise me most is that I also have a technical background – I am a former programmer at a large Telecommunications company and earned a Master of Science in Management of Technology.
Pricing:
- 1 Hour Free Consultation
- Jobs based on $85/hour
Contact Info:
- Website: www.shellycolemandesigns.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100071071477773
