We recently connected with Emily Roose and have shared our conversation below.
Emily, first a big thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and insights with us today. I’m sure many of our readers will benefit from your wisdom, and one of the areas where we think your insight might be most helpful is related to imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is holding so many people back from reaching their true and highest potential and so we’d love to hear about your journey and how you overcame imposter syndrome.
Honestly? I’m not sure I have completely overcome it—and I’m learning that might be okay.
I’ve experienced three major pivots in my life: transitioning from the music industry to interior design, starting my own business after being laid off from Clear Channel Radio, and navigating divorce while raising my son. Each time, that voice crept in telling me I wasn’t qualified, wasn’t ready, wasn’t enough.
When I moved my business from Lake Tahoe to Nashville, imposter syndrome hit hard again. I had international awards, features in Elle Decor, recognition as one of Mountain Living Magazine’s top designers—but in a new market, I felt invisible. I questioned everything: my expertise, my approach, whether I belonged here at all.
What I’ve learned is that imposter syndrome often shows up precisely when you’re doing something that matters. When I completed my internship with Sarah Barnard in Los Angeles, studying LEED certification and historic preservation, I felt it. When I started specializing in biophilic and wellness design after my own health journey with thyroid disease, I felt it. When I won my first international property award, I felt it.
The difference now is that I recognize it for what it is: fear dressed up as fact.
I overcome it—or more accurately, I persist despite it—by focusing on the work itself and the people it serves. When a client tells me they feel more relaxed and rejuvenated in their space, when they’re excited about coming home, when they say their environment finally reflects who they truly are—that’s when the imposter voice gets quieter.
I also lean into my unique background. My dual expertise in marketing and design isn’t a liability; it’s my superpower. My personal struggles with health, divorce, and career upheaval don’t disqualify me from creating healing spaces—they’re exactly why I’m qualified to design them.
Some days I still feel like a fraud. But I show up anyway. I submit my work for awards anyway. I pitch publications anyway. I take on challenging projects anyway. Because I’ve learned that confidence doesn’t come before action—it comes from taking action despite the doubt.
The imposter syndrome might never fully disappear. But neither will the evidence that I belong here: the award-winning projects, the transformed spaces, the clients whose lives are genuinely improved by intentional, wellness-focused design.
So I keep showing up. And every time I do, I prove that voice wrong.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I’m the founder and principal designer of Emily Roose Interiors, an ASID international award-winning interior and product design firm based in Nashville, Tennessee. We serve clients across Middle Tennessee, Georgia, Lake Tahoe, and beyond—including luxury residential projects, investment properties, multi-family developments, commercial spaces, and hospitality design.
What makes our work different is that we don’t just design beautiful spaces. We create environments that actively improve people’s lives.
My specialization is in biophilic and wellness-focused design. This means we’re intentionally designing spaces that support mental health, reduce stress, and create genuine sanctuaries for our clients. We incorporate multi-sensory and tactile natural patterns, sustainable materials, and design principles rooted in how humans actually experience and interact with their environments.
This approach didn’t come from a textbook—it came from my own journey. After being diagnosed with thyroid disease, I became deeply invested in understanding how our built environments impact our health and wellbeing. That personal experience, combined with my internship studying LEED certification and historic preservation with designer Sarah Barnard in Los Angeles, shaped my belief that designers have a responsibility to create spaces that heal, not just impress.
What excites me most is seeing the transformation in clients when they experience their completed space for the first time. They tell me they feel more relaxed, more rejuvenated, more connected to themselves and their families. One client said their home finally felt like a true sanctuary after years of it just being a place to sleep. That’s the work that matters.
I also bring a unique dual background to every project—I have degrees in both marketing and interior design, plus years of experience as a promotions and digital content director at Clear Channel Radio and iHeart Media. This combination allows me to understand not just what makes a space beautiful, but what makes it function strategically for my clients’ lives and businesses.
Our portfolio includes award-winning projects like Brae Court, a 4,500-square-foot mountain modern vacation home in Truckee, California, which earned us recognition in the International Property Awards. We’ve been honored with Best of Houzz Design & Service 2025, named Leading Boutique Interior Design Studio in Tennessee by the Global Elite Awards, and featured in publications like Elle Decor and Mountain Living Magazine.
What’s new: We’re expanding our impact beyond one-on-one client work. I’m launching a series of e-courses focused on healthy homes, biophilic design, and wellness design principles—starting this spring with monthly modules rolling out through summer. These courses are designed for DIY enthusiasts and homeowners who want to create healthier, more intentional spaces but may not be ready for full-service design.
We also offer custom furniture and lighting design for both residential and commercial clients, and we’re developing partnerships with furniture companies and artisans to bring unique pieces to market.
At the heart of everything we do is this belief: your space should reflect who you truly are, not what’s trending. It should support your wellbeing, not drain it. And it should be a place where you feel safe, seen, and genuinely at home.
That’s what Emily Roose Interiors is all about—designing spaces that don’t just look good, but do good.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Looking back, three things have been absolutely critical to building Emily Roose Interiors:
1. Adaptability
I’ve pivoted multiple times—from the music industry to interior design, from employee to business owner, from Lake Tahoe to Nashville. Each transition required me to let go of what I thought my path should look like and embrace what it actually needed to be.
My advice: Don’t get so attached to your original plan that you miss better opportunities. The market changes, life changes, you change. The businesses and careers that survive are the ones that can adapt. When I was laid off from Clear Channel Radio, I could have seen it as failure. Instead, I saw it as permission to finally pursue design full-time. That shift in perspective changed everything.
Start small with adaptability: try a new approach to a problem you’ve been stuck on, experiment with a service or product you’ve been hesitant about, or pivot your messaging based on what your audience actually responds to. Adaptability is a muscle—the more you use it, the stronger it gets.
2. Dual Expertise (Marketing + Design)
Having both marketing and design backgrounds has been my secret weapon. I understand not just how to create beautiful spaces, but how to communicate their value, tell compelling stories, and position my work strategically. This combination helps me understand my clients’ needs on a deeper level—both the aesthetic and the business or lifestyle goals behind their projects.
My advice: Don’t silo yourself into one area of expertise. Whatever your primary skill is, develop a complementary one. If you’re a designer, learn about business development or marketing. If you’re in sales, understand the product or service deeply. If you’re a creative, learn the numbers side of your business.
You don’t have to get a second degree like I did—take online courses, find a mentor in a complementary field, read voraciously, or volunteer to work on projects outside your comfort zone. The intersection of two skills is where you become irreplaceable.
3. Purpose-Driven Work
When I shifted from just creating beautiful spaces to creating spaces that actively improve people’s health and wellbeing, everything changed. My thyroid diagnosis led me to biophilic and wellness design, and suddenly my work had deeper meaning. That purpose keeps me going when business is hard, when clients are difficult, when I’m doubting myself.
My advice: Find the “why” behind your work that goes beyond making money. What impact do you want to have? Whose life do you want to improve? What problem in the world are you uniquely positioned to solve?
For me, it’s creating sanctuaries that support mental health and wellbeing. For you, it might be something completely different. But when you connect your work to a larger purpose, it becomes more than just a job or a business—it becomes a mission. And missions are a lot harder to give up on when things get tough.
Start by asking yourself: What personal experience has shaped how I see the world? How can I use that experience to serve others better? Your struggles and your story aren’t weaknesses—they’re your unique qualifications for the work you’re meant to do.
The common thread: All three of these qualities came from embracing change, combining unexpected skills, and letting my personal journey inform my professional purpose. You don’t need to have it all figured out from day one. In fact, some of the best parts of my business came from things I never planned for—they came from being willing to evolve, learn, and let my work mean something deeper than just a paycheck.
Tell us what your ideal client would be like?
My ideal client isn’t defined by a specific budget range or project size—it’s about mindset and values.
The clients I work best with share these characteristics:
They Value Expertise and Invest Accordingly
They understand that good design is an investment, not an expense. They’re hiring me for my knowledge, experience, and creative vision—not just to execute their Pinterest board. They trust the process and are open to being guided, even when that means challenging their initial assumptions about what they think they want.
These clients recognize that my dual background in marketing and design, my ASID membership, and my international awards represent years of expertise that will ultimately save them time, money, and costly mistakes. My education—multiple degrees, specialized training in LEED certification and historic preservation, continuing education in wellness design—required significant financial investment and years of dedicated study. My ideal clients appreciate that depth of knowledge and are ready to invest in professional services that deliver lasting value.
The best partnerships happen when both parties respect the value exchange—clients invest in expertise, and I deliver transformative results that exceed expectations.
They Want Their Space to Mean Something
My ideal clients aren’t just looking for a beautiful room—they want a space that genuinely improves their life. They’re drawn to the idea of biophilic and wellness design because they intuitively understand that their environment affects how they feel, think, and live.
They might be dealing with stress, seeking more peace in their daily life, wanting to create a true sanctuary for their family, or simply feeling disconnected from their current space. They’re ready for something that reflects who they actually are, not what’s trending on social media.
They Allow Creative Freedom
While they have opinions and preferences (which I want to hear!), they hired me because they trust my creative vision. They’re excited to be surprised, to see possibilities they hadn’t imagined, and to collaborate rather than dictate.
The best projects happen when clients give me room to innovate—to bring in unexpected materials, suggest bold solutions, or incorporate wellness elements they didn’t know existed. That creative freedom is where the magic happens.
They Communicate Openly
Ideal clients are honest about their budget, their concerns, their lifestyle needs, and their non-negotiables. They respond to emails and calls in a reasonable timeframe. They understand that good communication is a two-way street and that the best results come from true partnership.
They’re also willing to be vulnerable about what they really need from their space—not just aesthetically, but emotionally and functionally.
They See the Bigger Picture
Whether it’s a luxury residential project, a multi-family development, or a commercial space, my ideal clients understand that design impacts more than just aesthetics. They see how thoughtful design can increase property value, improve employee wellbeing, enhance guest experiences, or create spaces that people genuinely want to spend time in.
They’re thinking long-term, not just about what looks good today, but what will serve them (and potentially future owners or tenants) for years to come.
What I offer in return:
When you work with me, you get personalized attention, innovative solutions, and a designer who genuinely cares about improving your life through your space. You get someone who will listen deeply, advocate for your wellbeing, and create something that’s uniquely yours—not a cookie-cutter design that could belong to anyone.
You also get someone who understands the business side of design. I respect budgets, timelines, and the practical realities of bringing a project to life. My marketing background means I can help investment property owners and commercial clients think strategically about how design impacts their bottom line.
If this sounds like you—if you value expertise, want your space to truly support your wellbeing, are ready to invest in professional design services, and are excited about a collaborative, creative process—then let’s connect. The best client relationships are the ones where both parties are excited about the journey, not just the destination.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.emilyrooseinteriors.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erooseinteriors/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erooseinteriors
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilyrooseinteriors
- Other: https://www.houzz.com/pro/emilyrooseinteriors
Image Credits
Photographers: Kat Alves, Rob Retting, Katey Hamill, and Paul Hamill
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
