We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Shavawn Everitt a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Shavawn, so many exciting things to discuss, we can’t wait. Thanks for joining us and we appreciate you sharing your wisdom with our readers. So, maybe we can start by discussing optimism and where your optimism comes from?
Great question! Just the other day Matt, my husband, and I were in the local grocery store purchasing our goodies for the week, when the sweet lady at the checkout counter asked Matt “Is she always this happy?”. My husband laughed and said “Always!” with a smirk. To be honest, this actually happens regularly! I have always believed people prefer to be around other people who make them feel positive. I prefer to surround myself with positive people, so I have always made a point to be positive and emit those positive vibes to the people around me. My family calls me the ‘eternal optimist’ because I always look for the positive in every situation. In my opinion, there is always something to be grateful for!
This eternal optimism has worked well for me in my career too. Construction can be extremely stressful at times, but we always try to be proactive and not reactive to situations when they arise. This has allowed us to keep positivity and optimism with clients, contractors, and vendors through the construction process. We take the stress and chaos out of construction! I have always said “it is not what happens, it is how you handle the situation when it does happen”. Optimism and positivity can guide you through the toughest of situations; all you have to do is find it and let it guide you through.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
About me – hmmm! Well, I am a simple farm girl from the Texas Hillcountry – I was raised to work hard and dedicate myself to doing a great job for myself and for others. The principle I was raised on wasn’t about getting the job done; it was about getting the job done right!
I carried this frame of mind with me into my career too. Professionally, we focus mainly on Residential Construction and Design. I LOVE residential construction because it has allowed me to work with so many amazing people; from the clients, contractors, subcontractors, to the vendors and sales reps. The relationships and people we have met along the way has made our career path a joy and a blessing! Everyone has heard the phrase ‘teamwork makes the dream work’… well I believe it to be true in construction. If the Design Team works collectively and communicates appropriately, it always delivers the best results for the project – ultimately creating VERY HAPPY CLIENTS!
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?
I have had AMAZING mentors in my life, and I am thankful for the blessings and wisdom they passed down to me. There are really 3 main lessons which have sculpted my career journey! Here they are…
Lesson 1: When I first started my professional career, I worked for one of the most beautiful and successful women in business I have ever known, even till this day. She was always dolled up and ready to tackle the day in style! One morning I came into the office early and found her, all dolled up, on her hands and knees scrubbing the bathroom toilet. I quickly jumped at the chance to take over the task asking her to let me clean the office bathroom. I will never forget her response! She said, “Oh sweetie, if I ever become too good to clean my own toilet, just shoot me.” – it is Texas by the way, so we can get away with ‘old-time sayings’ like that. The lesson I learned is, no matter how successful you are, you’re never too good to take out your own trash and clean your own toilet. This is a life lesson I have carried with me every day and I have never been shy of getting my hands dirty to get the job done!
Lesson 2: A few years later in my career, I wanted to complete my path of becoming a Registered Interior Designer in the State of Texas. I had the honor of working for one of the top Registered Interior Designers in Fort Worth – it was a blessing to have him take me under his wing! I learned so much from him, but the most valuable career lesson was that it wasn’t about what ‘WE’ liked as interior designers… it was about listening to our clients and delivering what they liked. I have seen several designers make the mistake of creating preferred designs with their signature style; I prefer to be able to design any style – French, Modern, Texas Vernacular, etc. When I meet potential new clients, they always ask me “What is your style?” and my answer is always “Every style!”
Lesson 3: My grandmother always told me I could never understand and appreciate another until I put myself in their shoes. I carried this lesson with me in my career too! As a Construction Designer, I find it to be valuable information to know how things ‘actually’ go together and whether my design can ‘actually’ be constructed. I have tried my hardest to understand the construction phases from start to finish – from architectural plans to interior decorating… and everything in between. For example: what better way to know how wood floors are installed and finished, than to jump in and work directly with the installation team. I will never forget the look on Ismael’s face when I asked him if I could help the crew distress and finish the custom site finish oak floors. I worked as hard as they did, learning everything I could! Having respect for the trades and understanding the back breaking labor they endure allows me to create a construction process that runs smoothly and lets all the trades to work as a team.
Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?
I love reading books… well technically I listen to books since I prefer audiobooks! Young in my career I worked for 2 amazing women, whom I have much respect for. They gave me a book that changed my perspective forever – The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren. This book sculpted how I approach every day and how I serve others. Might be where I get some of my optimism too (per the earlier questions!). It’s a great book and has many ‘life lessons’ per say, that can be applied to any career or situation.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.designanddetails.net/home
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shavawneveritt/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shavawn.everitt
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shavawneveritt/
