We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Keely Gow a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Keely , so many exciting things to discuss, we can’t wait. Thanks for joining us and we appreciate you sharing your wisdom with our readers. So, maybe we can start by discussing optimism and where your optimism comes from?
I would say it comes from my powerful intuition. This deep knowing and understanding when things are bound to work out, or knowing that I can always pivot when they don’t.
It’s taken years of learning and listening to myself to be able to see that there is always a choice, optimism is a choice that i keep making day in and day out.
It’s not to be confused with realism…. if i am having a crappy day you are going to know about it… that’s real life.. but knowing there is a reason and choice always helps to turn things around
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I am an interior designer who is passionate about making spaces not only beautiful, but incredibly functional for the people who use them on the daily. Our build worlds have such a huge impact on our day to day lives. They are the canvas to where we live our lives and therefor should work to make life easier and more beautiful. I am currently in the process of transitioning from owning a design build company to focusing my efforts on full service interior design. For the busy families who understand the need for creative and functional spaces who don’t have the time knowledge or capacity to undertake these tasks on their own.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Being able to read and understand people. We are humans all have the same basic needs, but our lifestyles can all be incredibly different. It’s my job to meet people and understand how i can help them solve a problem. Most times they can’t tell me what they need…. only what’s not working… it’s my job to uncover the solution.
Understanding my intuition. Design is something that comes naturally to me. Especially when i give myself the time and space to slow down and sink into a project. It’s been a process to get to this level of understanding, I wasn’t always so aware and it took lots of trial and error to understand how i work best.
My technical abilities and ability to learn new things. I have a natural ability to pick things up quickly and with years of working in the construction industry i am able to easily transition ideas into functional working drawings.
Slowing down and sitting with your thoughts… get to know yourself. Get comfortable with the uncomfortable as that is where the magic happens. It takes time and generosity towards yourself, but it’s amazing what can happen when you commit to yourself.
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?
My life coach, by far, has had the biggest impact on my journey. Her ability to add clarity to situations i was dealing with while also shining my strenghths back at me helped me realize my talents and my worth.
She made me realize the amount of energy i was using to keep broken things together, when some things are just meant to fall apart. A new life can be built from the pieces.
Her guidance is what lead me to take the biggest leap of my career.
Image Credits
Valerie Wilcox
Sabrina Groomes – The North Studio
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
