Taking a leap and launching a business is a daunting task. This week, we asked four designers—Linda Hayslett, Holly Hollenbeck, Leigh Jendrusina and Caron Woolsey—to share when they knew it was time to go out on their own.
Baby Steps
“For a decade before having children, I worked in various corporate positions in branding, marketing and packaging design. After my second child, I was ready for a career shift. I loved the creative process and really fell in love with home design during my own major home remodel. I initially launched Salthouse Collective as a part-time venture. With young children, I wasn’t ready for full-time work, but I wanted to slowly enter the industry. For about a year, I took on small jobs for friends, such as powder room remodels and living room furnishings. A friend of a friend hired me for a major gut remodel, and from there, my business took off. I’ve now completed numerous new builds, full-home remodels and full-home furnishings. In some ways, it feels like it’s taken a while to get to where I am, and in others, it feels like I launched my company just yesterday.” —Leigh Jendrusina, Salthouse Collective, Carlsbad, California
With a Little Help From my Friends
“I started my firm almost by accident. For years, I considered the idea but lacked the confidence to take the leap, even though I had a strong blend of business expertise and passion for design. Then, a friend unexpectedly shared my portfolio on Facebook, promoting my services without telling me. The phone started ringing, and from that moment, everything took off. What began as an unexpected opportunity has since turned into a thriving business built on passion, persistence and a commitment to excellence.” —Caron Woolsey, CW Interiors, The Woodlands, Texas
Career Shift
“My design career had a bit of an unusual start, as I worked for several years at an investment bank, then a consulting firm, then an internet startup before deciding to go back to school to study interior design. What those first jobs taught me was that I did not want to sit at a desk all day, and I wanted to have control over my own schedule. I knew I wanted children and wanted the flexibility to be with them while also building my design firm. Although I worked for a small design firm while I was in design school, I swiftly launched my own firm in 2002, and have never looked back!” —Holly Hollenbeck, HSH Interiors, San Francisco
Back to the Books
“I decided to start my own firm after going back to school for interior design. This is a second career for me, and after years in the corporate world, I knew the traditional nine-to-five wasn’t for me anymore—I needed a change. Entrepreneurship was always in my DNA; my mom was a business owner, and I grew up watching her not only run her own companies but also scale them into something bigger. So in many ways, it felt natural to follow in her footsteps and build something of my own. Of course, taking that leap can be daunting, but having her as my inspiration made it seem—maybe a little too—easy!” —Linda Hayslett, LH.Designs, Los Angeles
