Meet Jacqui

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jacqui. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Jacqui , so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?

Life Purpose – How did I get there

By taking everything have learned – the good, bad, heartbreaking, fabulous experiences and applying it to my third act!

I grew up with ambitious, game changing parents who started their business out of our garage late 60’s. We lived in Cheviot Hills just behind 20th Century Fox.
As a kid I would dream about working on that lot – so much so that what I was 5 I ran away from home and slept at the gate. I knew where I wanted to be – not sure what I wanted to do and had NO IDEA how to get there. So, when I was ushered into the family business.
My parents built an empire from scratch – I resented that they were never home – I was a latchkey kid – I didn’t understand and they, certainly, didn’t have a playbook. All I knew is that they were hard workers. They were partners. We lived big and it was tumultuous.
The throughline – never take anything for granted because it can change overnight. And it did – in business, out of business, big homes, packing up and moving in the middle of the night. Risk taking is not for the faint hearted.
I worked in the family business. I had to prove myself every minute of the day that to not just be the bosses’ daughter. I mastered the art. As a “Nepo Baby” in the Fashion Industry, I had a leg up, yet I had to have the chops to earn my keep.

Ultimately, I had to leave the nest and pursue my dream of working in Film and TV.
I worked SO HARD to get where I ended up. My family’s last name meant nothing. Finally. From doing wardrobe, painting sets, art direction to back surgery. I needed to redirect and that meant going back to school to really understand the business of show. I ended up writing dept – assisting and finally producing. And just when I thought I had it in the bag.

I landed a great gig on America’s Most Wanted. It lasted 13 years. I felt that I was an undercover vigilante – I could work out all my high quality “traumas” with this hybrid experience of TV and Law Enforcement.
They say “don’t get too comfortable cause things can change overnight”
In 2006, my infallible, larger than life Mom was diagnosed with Cancer.
I took my producing skills and redirected helping her during treatment – managed her home, helped her move and Knapp House was born. Mom recovered and it changed my perspective. THIS was my opportunity to put my career on hold and find a bigger purpose.
I applied all my skills. creative and problem solving – left brain & right brain.
Controlled Chaos is my friend. My work must be meaningful and service oriented.

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?

Knapp House provides clients with custom functional designs, professional organizing & total home management. We specialize in creative and curated space design for optimum functionality with added beauty. During Covid I faced a big dilemma – did I want to “create content” like my previous TV biz career to stay in business? The thought overwhelmed me. I decided to assume the identity of “the best kept secret in town” and focused on referrals. I busted my tush. I took on seemingly impossible projects to completion. I did not do this alone. I curated and executed with an dedicated team. They understood the vision. Earning trust and being authentic is EVERYTHING. When I walk out my door it’s SHOWTIME. That means I have the client’s best interest, and they can feel it.

The thing that I keep learning over and over, is that I get to bring options to clients and help guide them. I cannot force anyone. They get to decide if they’re ready to execute or if we need to revisit. When I first started my business, I was coming off numerous productions for years where it had to be my way or the highway… And through the years I have softened up through my own interpersonal relationships and devastation that has helped me to become more human and intern has helped me to humanize the services I bring with the next level of compassion and intimacy finding that line between what is mine and what is not mine what is theirs their reaction what’s personal what’s not personal it can be a slippery slope but ultimately we are on the ride with them. It may be their ride, but we are on the ride full force until we are finished, and they are set up. No matter how long it takes.

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

1. Walk in the room with confidence. Know what you bring to the table with a side of humility with a willingness to keep learning. Reassess your strengths and where there is room for improvement. Whether you are fully confident with your abilities or not, always bring your A game.

2. No job is too big too small.
Treat every client/project with the same level of integrity. Doesn’t mean loving every minute, Gratitude is a mindset and infectious enthusiasm leaves a lasting impression. This is all about relationships.

3. Honesty and transparency is not always sexy, yet being upfront creates trust. Staying professional with healthy boundaries will always help direct and redirect how to handle a project, client, scenario. The takeaway: Say what you mean but don’t say it mean #iykyk

All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?

How to show up In business when we have personal challenges:

2020, I had just found my work-life balance as a trusted-in demand service (finally!) along with being a wife and stepmom. The wife and stepmom part were something I never expected.

During covid our lives got turned upside down like so many others. My husband got diagnosed with stage four stomach cancer and we had to redirect fast. My first thought was “I’m going to lose the love of my life AND my business”.

Here’s where the upfront/honesty comes in. I let my clients know we had a personal medical issue, and I would find a way to continue to help them in between chemo treatments. I had to refer new clients to associates. I was conflicted. I worked so hard to get to this place in my career, yet I would miss all the important parts of being a caretaker. I intuitively knew that there was plenty of work to go around. I made sure to match the person in need with the right vendor was my way of giving back. I made sure to seek help in processing. I am a firm believer in separating my personal life from my work life. I work closely with clients, but I am a service and I gotta keep it professional. It’s the trust thing I mentioned earlier.

Gavin passed on August 29th, 2024. I had to learn a new way to show up – I was a different person. I am a TOTALLY different person. My devastation has helped me redirect with a different level of appreciation for the little things, my family and my clients. I redefined where to draw the line on self-care and who/what I’m willing to say yes to.

The moral of the story: I take every challenging situation as an opportunity to learn something new and find a way to apply it. It’s paying off!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.knapp.house
• Instagram: @knapphousemafia

Image Credits

Photos by Brandy Menefee