When Los Angeles designer Natasha Baradaran began her career, she thought versatility was the greatest achievement. But when she summoned the confidence to embrace—and commit to—her own point of view, her business catapulted forward.
As you look back, what changes did you need to make in your business to truly achieve success?
I started my career in hospitality about 25 years ago, when there was a different design guard. I was lucky to work in a fairly big Dallas-based office, Wilson and Associates—they’ve closed down now, but at the time, they had about 35 people and they were one of the big hospitality design firms. I was an apprentice for the designers who did The Peninsula Beverly Hills and Montage Laguna Beach. My main project was The Mansion at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, which cost the most per square foot anyone had ever spent in hospitality at the time. Beyond being exposed to people who I think were true masters, I learned through those experiences that being a good interior designer means that you can do whatever the client says they want.
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