We recently connected with Anitra Terrell and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Anitra, thank you so much for agreeing to open up about a sensitive and personal topic like being fired or laid-off. Unfortunately, there has been a rise in layoffs recently and so your insight and experience with overcoming being let go is relevant to so many in the community.
I was laid off in 2014 but instead of feeling defeated, I sat and thought about the happiest moments in my life to that point. A trip I’d taken to Ghana kept resonating and in that moment I knew the next chapter of my life had to be on my terms + be passion driven. I knew I wanted to create a business that would allow me to share my passion for African art and culture. One day while shopping for bedding, I noticed a huge void in the marketplace for authentic African decor and Reflektion Design was born.
Starting a business after being laid off meant I needed to hit the ground running and rely on savings in the beginning to fund the business. This involved learning about my industry from pricing to terminology to learning about my customer’s needs, wants likes and dislikes.
Because you don’t have steady income you have to make calculated risks and test whether there’s a need for your product. Participating in pop up shops was a huge source of marketing research for me. Getting direct feedback from customers at those events helped me fine tune my offering, pricing and more.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
Reflektion Design offers heirloom quality home decor with heritage and story. I design woven baskets, wood tableware, African fabric pillows and more in Atlanta then work directly with artisans in East and West Africa to bring my designs to life. We’ve worked with the artisans for almost nine years providing 100’s a skilled artists with a fair livable wage.
Since launching, Reflektion Design won the Home Shopping Networks (HSN) Next Big Find pitch competition followed by launching a collection of baskets on their website. You can also shop our products on wayfair.com and at Westside Market in midtown Atlanta.
I am equally proud of the amount of press Reflektion Design has received from HGTV to Architectural Digest to name a few.
This year we launched a YouTube series called, How We Live (HWL). HWL is a home tour/interview series which celebrates the lives and homes of people across the African diaspora. You get an inside look into their home while getting decorating tips and inspiration.
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?
Four qualities impactful on my journey so far have been a commitment to learning, listening, testing and relationship building.
My strategy starting out was to understand the terminology of my industry and how items are made. From sewing to woodwork it was important for me to not just design but understand the production process as well. Secondly, I sought out to understand my customers. Who else they followed on line, where they currently shopped for home decor, their lifestyle, needs and frustrations.
Before launching new products I’d get feedback from customers and on social media to test or gauge interest.
I also send customer surveys out to my email list on a regular basis and pay attention to social media comments to keep a pulse on customers’ needs. Third, I felt it was important to forge genuine relationships with individuals in complementary industries.
For example interior designers, many of whom have incorporated my pieces into their client projects which has resulted in significant press. Social media has been great place for building those relationships.
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
Collaboration is a big part of my mission and strategic plan. The more projects in the works the more opportunities for us to provide work for the artisans in Africa.
I would love to collaborate with more interior designers, set designers, stagers, model home builders, nonprofits in the housing space and event producers. The best way to connect with me is via email anitra@reflektiondesign.com
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.reflektiondesign.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reflektiondesign/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/reflektiondesign
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anitraterrell/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq4fl2-w62SdfLZFBRLA7mQ
Image Credits
All images courtesy of Reflektion Design
