Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephanie Georgoulakis.
Hi Stephanie, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Life by Design Interiors, LLC was born in late September of 2020… right in the middle of a pandemic. Everything about its beginning was a total God wink.
Here’s how it started… I had landed an Interior Design Director position at a local architecture and interior design firm. I felt like that position was everything I had been working so hard for over the last 10+ years. Then, Covid happened and at the end of March 2020, I found myself unemployed and almost ready to hang up my designer hat.
For the next 6 months, I focused on my health and wellness business while continuing to pray for direction. One Sunday evening, during a prayer call with some close friends, I asked for prayer over the direction of my career. I promised God that I would do whatever it was that He had for me, I just needed to know what that was. Over the next couple of days, following that prayer call, I received calls and texts from people in my network asking if I was still designing, and could they send me referrals and could they connect me with other people in their network that needed some design help? I even ran into what became one of my first Life by Design Clients at a Home Goods and she pretty much hired me on the spot. I was scared to death and remember asking God, “are You sure???” I had made a promise so, I took about 24 hours to really let everything sink in, and then, I dove in.
An interesting side note is that even after being in the design industry for (at the time) 10 years, I never had any desire to have my own design studio.
I always thought to myself…
“That would be so hard.”
“I would be responsible for everything!”
“Who would want to hire me?”
You get the idea… I was full of limiting beliefs and so many excuses that I had talked myself out of the idea before I could fail at it.
But God had other plans for me. He even went as far as to place the right people in my life to help me get my business started. I have an accountant that focuses on small businesses, who happens to be one of my husband’s best friends. Another friend who became an attorney during the time I have known him. And get this, his focus is corporate and business law. So I had all the pieces to this puzzle put in place for me before I even knew that this is where I would end up. So, here we are…Crazy right?!?!
I 100% believe that my success over the last year that I’ve been in business is all because it was what God had for me. My faith and trust in Him is the only reason I am where I am today.
Now, don’t get me wrong, it’s taken a lot of hard work. A lot of late nights. A ton of support from my husband (who also happened to believe I needed to go out on my own… guess God was talking to him too LOL), but it’s been such a blessing to be able to continue doing what I love AND getting to do it on my terms while working alongside the most amazing clients.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I think starting your own business, any business, is never a smooth road. There’s so much to learn and always things to be done to improve. And when your business is just you, you have to wear all the hats.
So invoicing, setting up templates for design projects, networking for new business, doing the project work that comes from the networking for new business, presenting the work, meeting with clients, etc. I have to do it all. Managing and balancing my time, and not knowing if or when the next project is coming has been the hardest part of this journey so far.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
For the last 10+ years, prior to Life by Design Interiors, I worked as a commercial interior designer. I’ve worked on commercial office spaces, new buildings on college campuses, a medical imaging center, ground-up single-tenant office buildings, the list goes on and on. Sometimes I say, “the list of what I haven’t worked on might be shorter.” 🙂
I’ve been told that I am a designer who isn’t afraid to push the boundaries. I get really excited about trying new things, figuring out how to make things work in the built environment, and designing elements that are unique yet functional. I became an interior designer because I wanted to make a difference in the built environments I worked in. I want to create spaces that positively impact people’s lives.
For me, interior design is about serving. So that’s what I lead with that in my heart and mind when I design.
What I want most is to help bring my client’s visions to life and deliver a space that they are proud of. Whether it’s a commercial or residential space I am designing, it is a reflection of the client I am working with. I take that very seriously. The design of the space needs to function seamlessly and it should also feel like the people/person that occupies that space regularly.
My hope is that the users that experience the spaces I create, feel inspired and motivated. I want there to be a place for everything and everyone. Doing this successfully is what makes me most proud of the work that I do.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://www.lifebydesigninteriors.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifebydesigninteriors/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stephaniegeorgoulakis
Image Credits
Brittany Paul Photography
