Today we’d like to introduce you to Amber Wilhelm.
Amber, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
In 2015, I was going to school for interior design in Long Beach, CA and got accepted into CSULB. The program was going to be over $100,000 for a 4 year degree, so I decided to take a different path. Staging sounded similar to design, but I didn’t need to have a degree. I started reaching out to staging companies in Los Angeles to see what experience I needed, and one company happened to be hiring an assistant. It was the best thing that ever happened to me. The owners of the company always hyped me up, and were so confident in my abilities to lead & create that I began to believe it too. I worked there for a few years, and ultimately ended up moving away, leaving my dream job. This also meant stepping away from design for a number of years.
I ended up in Austin, TX in 2019, working for a home building company. I reached out to staging companies in Austin to see if I could work as a designer, but no one was hiring at the time. In 2021, my partner, Miles, and I decided to start a staging business of our own. We both worked full-time 9-5 jobs at first, then I transitioned into a part-time role while also building our company. My partner continued to work full-time, and helped with our business when he could. I drove large box trucks, built hundreds of pieces of furniture, helped move furniture for 4 years in the Texas heat, and created something I was incredibly proud of. I couldn’t have done it without my team or my partner. I’m grateful for every client that ever worked with us, sent referrals our way, or left positive reviews that allowed us to keep growing. I’m also so thankful for my team’s hard work. They always moved things carefully in and out of homes, improvised whenever there was a problem, and helped me live out my dreams.
Currently SoCo Staging is undergoing a transition. I want to bring both of my passions together in the next phase of my business. I’m a local artist, and my intention is to collaborate with other artists and build a strong art community that continues to support creatives in Austin for many years to come. I’m selling our staging inventory and focusing on interior design, which is what I wanted to do all along. I’m currently learning AutoCAD so I can create floor plans and renderings. I’m becoming more involved in the local art community, making connections with other artists, designers, and trades I’d like to work with, and slowly reshaping this company to reflect my passion for both art and design. My plan is to have interior design clients choose pieces of local art that speaks to them, and I will build a design entirely around the artists’ work. Some clients don’t know what they would like to achieve aesthetically. This would be a great way to design their space around something that identifies with them, and also uplifts local creatives during a time when they increasingly need more financial support.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There were many challenges, as there always will be as a business owner. I’ve been great at adapting as circumstances change. It’s not about what happens, it’s about how you react to any given situation. In my opinion, having confidence and knowing that you are capable of overcoming the obstacle is half the battle.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m an artist and small business owner. I make art with acrylic paint, and create high-quality prints of my work. My art brand, Vivacious Dexterity, is about living boldly. I love using bright colors and incorporating contemporary street art elements. I’ve created more art last year than ever before, and I’m hoping that trend continues. I’m proud of my motivation in life, and I continue believe in myself and overcome difficult moments where I could have easily given up.
I also created a product called Life’s Chroma. It’s a paint journal, and my goal is to help people bring positive change to their lives. Life’s Chroma encourages a daily routine, identifies patterns, and helps relieve stress. Every day, a tiny portion of the paint journal is filled in using paint, markers, or other mediums that work well on a poster/canvas. At the end of the year, the art is complete. I hope Life’s Chroma motivates more people to be artistic and set aside even a small portion of their day for a creative outlet.
How do you define success?
If you pursue something long enough and with great effort, eventually you will achieve success. Initially, the thought I had when it came to starting a business was, “oh, I could do that.” You can, but it’s a hell of a lot harder and takes ten times longer than you’d ever imagine. It takes an incredible amount of dedication and effort to balance all aspects of a business and make it successful. You can never let up, as there’s always something that needs to be taken care of, or improvements that can be made. Success is about evolving and shifting until you get where you want to be.
Contact Info:
- Website: socostaging.com and vivaciousdexterity.com
- Instagram: socostaging, vivaciousdexterity
- Email: info@socostaging.com
- Phone: (512) 663-3950
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/soco-staging-austin
- Other: https://www.google.com/search?q=socostaging.com
Image Credits
cdw21 – photo of me with my art.
