When storage and moving fees became an insurmountable hurdle for her clients, Nicole Roe went out and got her own warehouse space—a big commitment with an even bigger upside.

Located about an hour east of Tampa, Lakeland is a lovely central Florida city known for a university campus designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and a flock of swans descended from a pair gifted by Queen Elizabeth II. It is not, however, a hub of trade resources. So when Nicole Roe of R. Nickson Interiors started her design business there, she began by sourcing from retail brands that could ship directly to her clients’ homes.

Nicole RoeMichael Holden