We recently connected with Shingairai Melody Stevens and have shared our conversation below.
Shingairai Melody, so good to have you with us today. We’ve got so much planned, so let’s jump right into it. We live in such a diverse world, and in many ways the world is getting better and more understanding but it’s far from perfect. There are so many times where folks find themselves in rooms or situations where they are the only ones that look like them – that might mean being the only woman of color in the room or the only person who grew up in a certain environment etc. Can you talk to us about how you’ve managed to thrive even in situations where you were the only one in the room?
My background is full African from Zimbabwe. Growing up, my father always told me that I was interesting because I was a foreigner with a history so, when you enter a room, hold your head high and wear a welcoming smile that makes you approachable so you can educate and change peoples perspective of Africa. It’s amazing how knowing that you are different and wanting to share your differences makes you present yourself. I’m very transparent, welcoming and truly commend respect when I enter a room. I believe in everyone’s story and truly understand that stories differ thus my story is my story and only I tell it the best. This knowledge has brought me joy, allowed me to make friendships with people and succeed in fostering relationships with PEOPLE not skin tones, sexual orientation or religion. Our stories prohibit us from competing but encourage us to share platforms that present the uniqueness in us as individuals. Thus I truly am the only one in the room who looks like me and I love it.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I am the owner of Design on a Dime Interiors. I started this company because I wanted to change the way people perceived design. It has always been considered a luxury for the elite thus not attainable for all. My vision was to allow anyone who was a hard worker the luxury of having their home look and feel luxurious. We all work hard and want our homes to represent us. Design is an art that marries vision and budget to represent an aesthetic that is pleasing to the viewer and invokes an emotion that predicts the financial status of the dwellers. My vision was to make this accessible to all because, with the right creativity a designer should be able to use any budget to create that look, the difference is in the quality of product used at a price point that is affordable to that individual, thus, Design on a Dime Interiors was created to reach all financial status. I love seeing my clients reaction to the space transformation and the pride they take in ownership. I love creating functional spaces that foster family gatherings and truly represent the character and personality of the people who occupy the space. Design is not for the rich, it’s for anyone who want the space to function and look well put together. Your budget is what separates the quality of products used in your space.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Communication, ability to listen and engage, and being reliable are the three qualities I’d say were the most impactful and still hold true in my journey. Communication is not just about conversing and listening to answer but it’s about truly listen to needs, wants and know how to differentiate the importance of those needs. It’s about tuning into your clients and figuring out the unspoken requests and finding resources to resolve. It’s about fostering relationships after the project and truly becoming a trusted reliable partner. My advice would be stop listening to answer, listen to resolve and be in the moment. Engage fully and pick up the unspoken requests. Mentally ask yourself how you can make a difference in every situation you encounter. Don’t enter into conversations with the notion of wanting your point heard. How can you add to the conversation, what can you do to make a change and what tone are you using to present yourself.
To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?
The African culture is about getting an education in the Medical field. I always heard, “if you’re in the medical field you’ll never go hungry. There will always be sick people” My parents allowed me to be a free spirit, I’m sure if asked separately they’d say we had no choice🤭. They encourage me to do what I loved as long as it was something that would provide income and allow me financial freedom. My dad especially, always thought my creative defiant mind was a gold mine. He championed my outside the line drawing and encouraged me to be different in a healthy way. He secretly planted the need for an educated mind that understood how to leverage the unique propositions that were not the norm however, he never pushed me to go the conventional university way. He’s believe in me being great at what ever I did made me believe I was great and the sky was the limit. My drive through this journey has been to make him proud and to prove to him that he was not wrong, I am great.
Contact Info:
- Website: Designonadimeinteriors.com
- Instagram: Designonadime_interiors
- Facebook: Design on a Dime Interiors
- Linkedin: Doad
- Youtube: Design on a dime Interiors
- Yelp: Design on a Dime Interiors
Image Credits
Christopher with engage realty media
