Meet Elissa Hall

 

We were lucky to catch up with Elissa Hall recently and have shared our conversation below.

Elissa, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.

I think many people believe that confidence comes from a strong sense of self, but I often feel it’s the opposite. I try to approach life with flexibility and a sense of curiosity. I don’t want to become too stuck in a fixed sense of identity or what I should be doing in my career, instead I have a core belief that I am capable of trying new things- that it’s ok to fail, but it’s important to try, and I approach my creative endeavors with a sincere desire to learn and connect with others.

I also don’t worry much about impressing people, because that will always provide false confidence. I believe that what I have to offer professionally provides value to others and as long as I am working from that place, it brings a sense of levity to my practice and the creative collaboration part is all sharing connection, beauty, and discovery.

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 work in interior design, specifically in boutique hospitality design and decorating short term rentals. I worked internally at vacation rental companies for years and, when I became a mom, decided to freelance and ramp up my own business so I could have flexibility for my child. Let’s be honest, childcare is a mess in this country and it’s expensive, so I needed a job I could do in the evenings, during nap time, and still be able to nurse or change diapers throughout the day. Fortunately. I had garnered about 10 years experience by this time and have a strong background in operations and logistics, so building out an interior design business went well.

I’ve been running my own design business, EDH Interiors since 2020, and full time since 2022. I specialize in short term rental design but also do residential and commercial projects. I also recently co-launched a vacation rental design company called Sojourn Interiors that helps folks maximize their vacation rental revenue through impactful design.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

1. Find your niche- I always knew I wanted to have a creative career but I didn’t know what that would look like. After I spent years in the tech, vacation rental, and hospitality design world, I analyzed my skills and saw that I had carved out a very specific and valuable offering.
2. Become an industry expert- It’s important to remain flexible and try new approaches but it’s also important to hone your craft. I always aim to refine my skill set and be thorough in my work so that my creative work has integrity, continues to grow, and that my clients or collaborators feel confident that they are getting the best I have to offer.
3. Take care of yourself- it’s a lifelong journey to learn how to be gentle with ourselves but I have often found myself deep into burnout when it’s already too late, and my mental health suffers. For any person, creative or not, but especially for folks in nontraditional career paths, with the ups and downs of freelance, it’s essential to build in time each day for ourselves. I schedule workout classes, schedule time to meditate, force myself to sit down and have a meal, because if I don’t overtly set aside time, it’s very easy to lose sight of the everyday rituals that maintain my health.

What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?

I am facing the challenge of balancing career with motherhood. My toddler is almost 3 and, since birth, the demands of motherhood and the working world have felt in conflict. My child will always be my main priority, that’s just the way it is once you’ve brought another life into the world, and there is so little time left over in a day as a parent. Yet, we are expected to still make a full time income and be a full time parent. Childcare is expensive and I’d rather not work 40 hours a week to send my kid to childcare 40 hours a week.

Overall, I feel lucky to have found a balance between making a living and being a present mom but every day is a challenge to make it all work.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Headshot- William Anthony Photography
Motherhood Portrait- Nikki Carlson Photography

Suggest a Story: BoldJourney is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems,
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
Highlighter Series
What would your closest friends say really matters to you?

If you asked your best friends what really drives you—what they think matters most in

Highlighter Series
When do you feel most at peace?

In a culture that often celebrates hustle and noise, peace can feel rare. Yet, peace

Highlighter Series
When did you stop hiding your pain and start using it as power?

Almost everything is multisided – including the occurrences that give us pain. So, we asked