2024 marks ten years of AKD, and that’s a milestone I do not take lightly. For ten years, I’ve been fortunate enough to work with the absolute best partners, employees, artisans, and clients — but that doesn’t mean I haven’t learned a lot of lessons along the way. Today, I’m sharing the ten things I’d tell the ten-years-ago version of myself, plus some reminiscences from along the way.

First, Let’s Take a Moment to Celebrate

Like I said, there have been a lot of hard-won lessons over the past decade… but I’d be remiss not to mention what a joy and privilege it’s been to make this dream come true. After starting out by myself at my kitchen table, I’ve now built a team of talented employees and have created a studio that inspires us to design bigger, better, and bolder. (P.S. The new studio will officially be ready and revealed this spring… Stay tuned!). Not only that, but I’m proud to say that I’ve spent the past ten years showing my kids the value of hard work and the importance of building something for yourself. I can stand on my own professionally by working hard and following my passions, and I’ve even tied that into the crucial work my charity does in the mental health space.

 

Studies show that our homes have an immense impact on our mental well-being, and it’s an honor to design spaces that allow my clients to live their happiest, most fulfilled lives. I am proud of my team for bringing so much joy and wellness to so many homes over the past decade.

 

With that, let’s talk about the lessons I’ve learned along the way…

1. As a designer, clients hire you for your point of view. Have one.

When I first started out, I was a lot less confident in my decision-making. I focused on being a people pleaser, but now I know that my experience, knowledge, and intuition are incredibly valuable — and that’s what my clients come to me for.

2. Set up your processes ASAP and be prepared to fine-tune as needed.

And I mean it — you need them for everything from brainstorming and info-gathering to sourcing, ordering, and installing. When you veer from the processes, know a project will start to go sideways… so don’t do it.

3. Find a mentor.

If I could tell you this one hundred times, I would — that’s how important this is. It’s been nothing short of a gift to have a colleague (who is more tenured) to go to. I ask her questions, learn best practices and leadership skills, and she also assists with my goal-setting and future planning. I can’t stress this enough.

4. Your best investment is hiring a great photographer.

I will forever be grateful to the photographers who have so beautifully showcased my work through their lenses. See my portfolio and appreciate their work here.

5. You have survived 100% of your worst days. Just keep going.

Whether your rough day is personal, professional, or both, your frustration is valid — but I promise the sun will shine again. The best way out is through.

6. Hire people for the positions you don’t like doing (for me, bookkeeping), and you will give yourself the gift of sleep and more time to focus on the parts of the business you love.

You don’t have to be an expert at everything to be successful — you just have to find people who ARE experts to be on your team. Read more of my thoughts on this here.

7. Don’t ever stop learning.

Listen to podcasts, read books, read shelter magazines, go to panel discussions and conferences, talk to people… just keep learning. The more you learn, both personally and professionally, the more you are inspired, and the more both you and your business will grow.

8. Find or start a peer group for sharing best practices, offering support, learning new methodologies, and empathizing — all without competition.

No one knows the ins and outs of your industry better than your peers, so it’s crucial to find and build a sounding board and support group for the daily dilemmas and big-picture dreams.

9. Although I would usually rather spend a night at home in comfy clothes… networking really does matter.

It’s hard to keep me from my book and a cozy blanket, but networking expands your visibility and reach. Networking will help you build relationships, teach you valuable business information, and perhaps even offer you leads for new business. All of this is particularly important when just starting out.

10. Failing is inevitable — but know your greatest lessons and growth will come from it.

Believe me, there have been mistakes I’ve made and numerous times I thought I should throw in the towel due to failure. I’m so proud that I’ve never given up, but have instead learned from each mistake. You will thrive again, I promise — and come back even stronger than before.

So what’s coming up for me? Another decade of traveling the globe, sourcing handcrafted treasures, and improving lives through beautiful, functional homes. I can’t wait to show you what’s next…