MY STORY
BRUTAL HONESTY.
That’s where this story starts. At the end of 2024 I finally listened to what the universe (and my friends) had been trying to tell me, and decided it was time for a change. A massive, scary, life-altering change.
But let me back up a bit. About a year and a half earlier, a fellow designer and longtime friend said something I couldn’t shake. We were having one of those honest conversations about work and life when she looked at me and said, “I don’t think you want to do this anymore.”
Whaaaat??? I immediately pushed back. I had been an interior designer for 20 years. I had a beautiful studio. A fantastic team. I had built a successful business I was proud of, and I loved everything about design! How could I not want to do this anymore? But she saw something I didn’t. She had known me for a long time, and she could see the fire I once had was gone. Over the next year and a half, her voice kept ringing in my ear. Could she be right? No. Maybe just a little… maybe?
Whaaaat??? I immediately pushed back. I had been an interior designer for 20 years. I had a beautiful studio. A fantastic team. I had built a successful business I was proud of, and I loved everything about design! How could I not want to do this anymore? But she saw something I didn’t. She had known me for a long time, and she could see the fire I once had was gone. Over the next year and a half, her voice kept ringing in my ear. Could she be right? No. Maybe just a little… maybe?
I do love everything about design, and about being an entrepreneur, but – here comes the brutal honesty – she was right. I finally admitted to myself that the ins and outs of my day-to-day were no longer bringing me joy. My business was no longer serving me in the way I wanted it to. I needed to shake things up, in a big way. I thought long and hard about what I really wanted… European projects, an office in Paris or London, a larger team with an architectural department… But none of it felt right. Those were things I used to want, but for some reason they no longer felt aligned. Then I remembered why I started my business in the first place. Two main reasons. The first was to bring beauty to others – to inspire them and create something of value that would bring them joy and enhance their quality of life. The second reason was autonomy, control over my own time and how I spent it.
AND THEN IT HIT ME LIKE A TON OF BRICKS.
When I started my business I was single, in my 30s, and my priorities were completely different. I had built a successful design firm based on goals and dreams from a different time – and those dreams had taken me to amazing heights. But now, at over 50, my life had completely changed, and so had my priorities. I realized that what I really wanted was not an office in Paris, but something much more simple, more grounded. What I really wanted was to spend more time at home with my family. I wanted to reconnect with my founding principles – helping others create something of value, something that would inspire, bring joy, and enhance quality of life. And then I got hit by the second ton of bricks.
After over 20 years in the interior design industry I realized I had something else to offer – experience, wisdom, and guidance. I could help others create fulfilling and wildly successful businesses. I could inspire, support, and mentor them. I could give back to this industry that has given so much to me, and help elevate it – and the people working so hard within it – to new heights. I could do something meaningful that really helps.
Suddenly everything felt perfectly aligned. The fire was back.
And so operation Massive, Scary, Life-Altering Change was set in motion. I closed down my studio and moved my office into my house. I changed my team from full-time to contract. I started taking on fewer projects so I could spend real time with my son, and I started building LSI Workshop. I’ve poured my heart and soul into this. Everything is on the table – all of my experience as a designer and business owner, plus my experience in branding, marketing, and graphic design. It’s all here, and it’s for you, for your success. I hope you find something here that fuels your fire and brings value, joy, inspiration and growth.