We recently connected with Cindy Carpenter and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Cindy with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
I think it comes from a few different sources. One is from doing something I love. I love the challenge of being a business owner and growing my business. Every day I learn something new, and that pushes me too. I never want to become stagnant. This is a second career for me, and I sometimes think to myself, how much further along the road would I be if I had just switched into design earlier? But then I remind myself that every experience, every skill that I learned in my prior career has led me to be the person and business owner I am today.
I am a very driven person. (My Enneagram personality type is Achiever, of course!) A successful project is one where my client is delighted, feels that their space reflects themselves and is one that they couldn’t have accomplished on their own. I know when I’ve hit the ball out of the park, and it feels great! That desire to succeed pushes me to work hard, sometimes so much so that I forget to stop for lunch or stretch breaks.
But I also think there’s a part of me that is driven by fear of failure. When I left my prior career, I never allowed myself to think, “I can always go back to it if this switch doesn’t work out.” So failure was not, and is not, an option.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I’m an interior designer and founder of my firm, Cindy Carpenter Interior Design. After over 20 years in an entirely different career, I decided to pursue my passion for design. I went back to school for interior design and then started my own design firm. My focus is on residential interiors, whether it’s a remodel, new construction or furnishings and décor only. People often ask me if I design in a particular style. The most straightforward answer is no, in that I design in the style that my client wants, whether it is “modern glam,” “eclectic traveler” or anything else. That is what excites me—I get to design in all sorts of styles even if it’s not what I would actually do for myself. It’s a bit like living vicariously through others! I don’t do cookie-cutter designs. I fall in love with whatever project I’m currently working on, and when I move to the next project, it’s entirely different and I fall in love with that new project. However, the common thread that runs through all my projects is attention to the detail; every element must work together to create a “blend” that tells the story of the client. I love to create a flow from one room to the next, one view to the next.
My philosophy is that it’s not just about making a home look good. It must function well. It’s about careful planning of the space, the layout of the cabinetry, the attention to the needs of the client. It’s about solving the problems of the space as well as doing it beautifully.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
1) I never stop learning. Treat every situation, good or bad, as an opportunity to learn. I do a lot of research on my own, but I also take advantage of the many tools and resources out there. I reach out to my vendors for product education. They are very willing to help (and they know that helping me helps them). I take advantage of webinars and continuing education offerings; a lot of them are free. My fellow designers and I ask each other questions and give each other advice. Podcasts are great too; I found industry-specific ones that I listen to each time I get in my car. If I ever get to a point in my career that I think I can run my business on auto-pilot, then I know I’ve gotten complacent.
2) I constantly work ON my business. Developing processes and systems is crucial. I want my clients to be confident that I’ve got my stuff together and that I have a well-run business. I documented many processes even before I actually used them. Later as I actually went through the processes, I had more confidence and I refined them based on experience. Staying on top of my finances is also important. I track all my spending, I know my profitability, I know where I make better margins and where I make less; I know my monthly P&Ls. But processes and finance are just two of the many areas to stay on top of as a business owner.
3) I get uncomfortable. I’ve always believed that the best way to grow is to just jump in. You have to put yourself out there. Go to those networking functions. Sometimes after a long day I just don’t feel like going, but afterwards I’m usually glad I did. Also, take the guest speaker opportunities; you might get a client or two from the audience.
What would you advise – going all in on your strengths or investing on areas where you aren’t as strong to be more well-rounded?
Ideally, it’s better to go all in on your strengths and bring in support for areas you aren’t as strong in. A solopreneur has to wear many hats, including some that aren’t fun or comfortable. For example, I do not enjoy doing social media posts for my business. It takes me a long time to think up ideas for posts, create them and then schedule them for posting. Additionally, it stresses me out; I dread having to buckle down to do them. So pretty early on, I hired someone to do them for me. We work together to create about two months’ worth of posts; she comes up with the bulk of ideas, I give her some pictures and ideas, and I do final approval. Now, I only have to think about it every two months rather that every week. It’s a load off my shoulders and a better use of my time.
But for varied reasons it may not be possible to hand off the areas I’m not as strong in. For example, as the principal of my firm I don’t think I’ll ever be able to completely hand off sales. So I might as well try to get as good as I naturally can at it.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ccarpenterdesign.com
- Instagram: @carpenter_cindy
- Facebook: @ccarpenterdesign
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/cindy-carpenter-0892a62
Image Credits
Michael Sage Photography
