We recently connected with D’Shante Clarke and have shared our conversation below.
Hi D’Shante, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?
Resilience, for me, comes from responsibility and purpose. When people depend on you, whether it’s your family, your team, your clients. You learn quickly that you don’t always have the luxury of stopping when things get difficult. You adapt, recalibrate, and keep moving forward.
Balancing a full-time engineering career, motherhood, and building a business has taught me how to stay grounded under pressure. Engineering trained me to solve problems methodically, whereas entrepreneurship taught me patience, consistency, and the importance of learning through uncertainty.
Faith plays a quiet but constant role in that journey. It reminds me that not every step needs to be perfectly mapped out, and that progress often comes through trust and persistence. In uncertain moments, prayer helps me stay focused on what truly matters.
Launching my business, oak + SHADES, required showing up daily without a perfect roadmap and trusting that disciplined effort would build momentum. Ultimately, my resilience comes from knowing why I do the work. It’s to create something meaningful, sustainable, and rooted in integrity for my family and the people I serve.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I’m a co-owner of oak + SHADES, a custom window treatments brand rooted in thoughtful design, craftsmanship, and a highly personalized client experience. I run the business alongside my husband, and together we take a hands-on approach to every project. We specialize in custom shades, drapery, plantation shutters, and tailored solutions designed to enhance both function and aesthetics.
What excites us most about this work is transforming spaces through intentional design. I bring an engineering-informed, detail-driven mindset and design vision, while my husband leads measurements and installation, allowing us to deliver a seamless experience from consultation through completion.
oak + SHADES was created to offer a more intentional, client-focused approach to window treatments; one that prioritizes clarity, quality, and trust. We’re currently in an exciting season of growth, expanding our custom drapery and motorized shade offerings and formally launching the oak + SHADES brand as an evolution of our work and aesthetic.
Looking ahead, we’re focused on growing with intention, strengthening our local presence, and continuing to deliver solutions that are as functional as they are beautifully designed.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Looking back, three areas that had the greatest impact on my journey and the way we operate oak + SHADES: structured problem-solving, decision-making under uncertainty, and continuous learning.
Structured problem-solving has been foundational. Whether it’s custom measurements, design planning, or installation logistics, breaking complex projects into clear, manageable steps creates consistency and trust. For those early in their journey, my advice is to build simple systems early structure reduces overwhelm and allows progress to compound.
Decision-making under uncertainty has also been critical. Entrepreneurship and custom work rarely come with perfect information. Learning how to assess risk, make thoughtful decisions, and move forward confidently has helped us stay flexible without sacrificing quality. Early on, it’s important to take action, learn quickly, and refine as you go rather than waiting for certainty.
Finally, continuous learning has kept me relevant and competitive. I’m intentional about ongoing education through trainings, certifications, and independent learning, including industry content and hands-on resources. My advice is to stay curious as industries evolve quickly, and committing to learning ensures you grow with them rather than fall behind.
Together, these skills have shaped how we build, lead, and grow oak + SHADES, and they’re qualities that develop through consistency, experience, and a willingness to keep improving.
Who has been most helpful in helping you overcome challenges or build and develop the essential skills, qualities or knowledge you needed to be successful?
When I feel overwhelmed, I slow things down and focus on what’s directly in front of me. I’ve learned that clarity often comes from simplifying and prioritizing the next right step rather than trying to solve everything at once.
I rely heavily on structure and planning, whether that’s breaking tasks into manageable pieces or creating clear boundaries between work and personal life. Prayer and quiet reflection also help me reset and regain perspective, especially when things feel uncertain or heavy.
My advice is to give yourself permission to pause without quitting. Overwhelm doesn’t mean you’re failing, it often means you’re carrying something meaningful. Staying consistent, grounded, and connected to your purpose makes even the busiest seasons manageable.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.oakplusshades.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oakplusshades
Image Credits
Momentos by Camille
Mosa Marketing Solutions
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