We were lucky to catch up with Yvonne Fenn recently and have shared our conversation below.
Yvonne, we’ve been so fortunate to work with so many incredible folks and one common thread we have seen is that those who have built amazing lives for themselves are also often the folks who are most generous. Where do you think your generosity comes from?
I can distinctly remember two instances in my life as a young person that when they occurred, it made a mark on me and I decided when I got older I wanted to be that person. When I was living in Akron, Ohio; when I was about in third grade, I went with my father one evening to visit one of his business associates. The gentleman gave me a tour of his home which I remember being so interesting from a design perspective. – Even then I was looking at homes and design. I sat there quietly listening to the art of business which would serve me later without really realizing it. When my father was done with his visit and we were getting ready to leave, my father’s friend said to me…wait you can’t leave without you letting me give you something. I remember thinking that was incredibly generous but i could not take something I had not earned. He walked me to one of his daughter’s rooms and siting atop the bed was the most amazing looking corn husk doll, which I have never seen the likes of before, especially having visited Amish country many times. The doll had a face drawn on it that was pretty and had corn husk silk used for the reddish hair on the doll. The doll had a basket as well made of corn husk with colorful flowers mad of colored corn husk. The doll was on his daughter bed which to me signaled her prize possession as that’s where I put my most favorites items as a little girl. He grab the doll off the bed and said, “Here this is yours”. I told him thank you, but I could not take it. I remember thinking, boy if my father took my favorite thing off the bed and gave it to someone else i would be so angry. And honestly speaking, the doll was beautiful and I would have loved to have it. At that very moment his daughter came home. She moment his daughter had returned home. She must have been college age. Her father said I though I would give Yvonne here your doll and she reply yes, you can have it. I asked if she was sure and she insisted. I thought I thought to myself, how selfless and generous and when i grow up I want to be that person. I still have that doll to this day. I has traveled and lived with me in every city and house I have been in. I display her with grandeur on my shelve with other sentimental items. The second, instance of kindness and generosity was when I was fifteen and I was a collector of sorts and have amassed a collection of teddy bears in upwards of 300 plus bears. I had gone to once agin one of my par tens friends homes by myself to return a book they had of the lady’s. When I got there she got to chatting with me and she was asking what my interest were and the topic of my bear collection came up. She immediately stopped me and said she had something to show me. She took me into one of her rooms and in a chest of drawers, in the top drawer, she pulled out a very small posable bear that was so interesting looking and well made. I told her “wow how special”. She could not remember how she acquired the bear but said that she wanted to give it to me as she felt it should go to someone who had a passion for bears, and clearly I did, with over 300 of them. I told her I really could not take anything but she was insistent and she was nearing the seventies and she appreciated that someone of my age would stay and chat with her when my only task was to return a book and thus I became the own of the bear. Again, this act of generosity imprinted on me and made me remember the first instance and at that moment I vowed to be sure I would be that way. I would like to think I am. It is amazing how simple acts of kindness can imprint on a person.
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 transform peoples ideas and concepts for their home and make them a reality. I think it is very special to be invited into someone’s home and help them make it their own personal sanctuary. Things that for them might be difficult on how to pick and select and pull together a designed room is easy for someone like me and my team. It’s way at we do. We like to focus on form and function keeping in mind your budget. We will be launching our own line of furniture late this year and we are thrilled about it.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Once skill that I think is key is listening. I think sometimes people talk and they are not even listening to themselves. I try to make sure I keenly listen so I can hone in and hit the target with our designs.
I think most of what I have learned is through listening and observing. I have been lucky enough to have travel the globe and that has provided me a rich view point which I leverage and carry with me always. I would advise people on their journeys that you always need to always be observant. Peoples action tell you more than their words. It exposes peoples true nature.
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?
Einstein’s Dreams is a great small read and very eye opening. My favorite chapter talks about not getting stuck in the past and how to carry your memories with you but still move forward. I also recommend for Finding Freedom, it is an amazing story of Erin French and how she pushed through adversity and continually reinvented her life and evolved.
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