We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Megan Johnson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Megan, 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.
Imposter Syndrome is a real feeling. For me, working in an industry that I didn’t go to school for or have a degree in, I can tell you there were times in the beginning where I felt it. But I also think there are many career paths that you can become good at by diving right in and getting as much hands-on experience as you can.
Confidence in your knowledge and design choices is key. The most important thing I’ve done for myself to overcome imposter syndrome and to boost my confidence is to just learn, learn, learn as much as I can. Sometimes I have to remind myself that if I don’t have an answer for something right away, I know I can figure it out or find someone who can.
Fortunately, starting out, I worked with a great mentor who taught me tons, gave me a lot of independence on projects, and trusted me to make decisions for clients. Plus, there are so many resources out there for learning and staying on top of trends. I follow several designers on social media, read blogs and articles, and try to take classes when they’re available. There’s creative inspiration everywhere!
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?
I’m Megan Johnson. I’m an Interior Stylist in Durham, North Carolina. I own an Interior Styling and Staging business where I work with residential clients on interior styling and small design projects, as well as stage homes in preparation to go on the market. I have a background in marketing and buying, and fell into styling and design a few years ago when an opportunity arose to work at a design firm here in Durham. I worked there for a few years, learned a lot about design and running a business, and took the leap of faith to go out on my own over four years ago.
My love for interior design started at a young age. I’ve always found designing a room to be a fun hobby. I love browsing home stores, the flea market, or vintage and thrift shops. Pinterest is one of my best friends, I’m not opposed to the occasional DIY, and I can get lost in Instagram Reels from Designers and DIY’ers for a little too long!
My business has two sides to it, but with some obvious overlap. On the design side I help clients with anything from small stylistic changes like floor plans and furniture and accessory updates, to complete room renovations. Some of my clients have a good idea of what they want to do in their space, but some really don’t know where to start. Other times clients just want to bounce some ideas off of me, and then I help them finalize a few small decisions. I offer as much or as little help as my clients need, from start to finish, or just working on the stuff in between.
In home staging, I offer mostly vacant home staging where we bring in all of the furniture and accessories into an empty home. We furnish all of the main rooms – think living room, dining room, kitchen, etc. – to make it look almost completely lived in.
The most exciting part about what I do is knowing that each project will be different and seeing the transformation in the end. I’m also just excited about how far I’ve come since staging my first house. The very first house I staged I did with a real estate agent (a good friend who convinced me to do this!) and we used a few things from Craigslist and Overstock, and whatever else we could pull together between our two houses. Once I realized I enjoyed staging, and I picked up more jobs, I decided to really invest in that part of my business. Now I’ve amassed a huge inventory of furniture, art, and accessories and I’m able to offer a unique and curated look that I’m proud of for each home going on the market.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
This is an obvious one, but I have to be organized. I’m a one woman show much of the time so it really is so important to stay on top of things. When I’m staging homes there are a lot of logistics. I hire movers, a truck, have to coordinate very specific timing with agents to get into and out of the house, and often have to complete the job in a very short time frame. It’s a lot to juggle and it has to come together at the right time for the job to get completed. And it can ding my reputation if it doesn’t. I make a lot of notes, measure everything, and rely heavily on calendar reminders and my google calendar! I’m never without a list.
Another thing I’ve found in this job is that you have to be flexible. Deadlines change, staging dates change, deliveries fall behind, clients have specific job and family availability – the list goes on. I really try to accommodate my clients when things come up on their end because, you know, life happens! I have three kids that also keep me busy. Thankfully, we’re at a point with their ages where they’re more independent. But I don’t want to miss things going on with them either, so if it means a very early morning out the door, or a few hours on the weekend or later at night to get the job done, and it means I can and still make it to a game or activity, I’m happy to do it.
One other thing that I try to do is stay open-minded. Sometimes things don’t always go as planned – something may be out of stock, a vendor or service provider isn’t available, or some other conflict arises. I try to remind myself that there’s almost always a solution. It may not be the one I want at the time, but things can usually be figured out. Thankfully I have friends who are designers and stagers that are there to bounce things off of or reach out to in a pinch. You really do have to be extra creative sometimes.
If you’re thinking about starting a business, don’t second guess yourself. Go out there and do it. Trust your instincts and rely on your friends and resources. You don’t have to do it all by yourself!
What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?
I definitely get overwhelmed sometimes. When I’m working and have a deadline, I always start with the smaller, easier tasks first. I’m a person who works off of a list, and you better believe I find great satisfaction in literally crossing things off my list. If I have shopping to do for staging, or a vendor errand to run, I often save that for the middle of the day and see it more as a break than a task. The change of scenery is good and energizing.
I also try to ask for help when I’m overwhelmed. Particularly with staging, as the work usually needs to be completed in a day. I hire movers for the furniture, and will often have someone come in to help with hanging art or other small tasks to keep the job moving along.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.apopofyellow.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/apopofyellow/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/apopofyellowstyle
- Other: Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/apopofyellow/
