Twenty Five Wins for 2025
This year was hands down the hardest year in this business.
The. Hardest.
After years of team growth and retention, I felt as if we had arrived and that it would be the six of us forever, but instead our team had more change this year than in any of the previous six of having payroll.
After year-over-year financial growth from the year I set up my company, this was our first contraction. I saw it coming and took many steps, but there are larger forces at work and I learned that being a small business owner can mean making hard choices.
We also suffered check fraud, a sales tax audit, projects that went on hold for indefinite amounts of time for personal reasons on the client side and some other unfortunate surprises. On the Business of Home Podcast this year, the hosts kept using this tagline, “Thrive in 2025,” but I found myself thinking that a better rhyme was simply, Survive.
And, spoiler alert: we did.
Actually, despite the tumult, we have a lot to celebrate this year. I started this practice of noting “wins” maybe five years ago, copying my friend and Business Coach Desi Creswell, and I have to say, it is an affirming practice and such a good reminder of all that we achieve—even when things are difficult.
One major category: Recognition in the Industry.
We had major features (These are linked on our press page if you want to read more!):
Architectural Digest
House Beautiful
Homes and Gardens
MSP Home and Design
Midwest Design
The Haven List
The Schoolhouse Designer’s Journal
Business of Home What I’m Loving
I was featured on my favorite podcast, The Interior Collective, and host Anastasia Casey named it her favorite episode. Ever.
I was also featured on another wonderful industry podcast, The Business of Design, discussing the promo book we produced
We also created an Investment Guide…
and launched a lead magnet
We won three Midwest Design Awards (does that count as three Wins?)
We also launched a newsletter—something I have been promising to do for literally 5 years—and I am LOVING it! It’s called the Love List and if you aren’t on it, you should subscribe!
In team news:
Rachel was promoted to Senior Designer
And bought her first house!
Senior Designer Anna went out on her own—hooray! (I always want to be a company that supports growth and encourages big leaps)
Director of Operations Kate had baby number two, a boy named Will
We added a wonderful new designer, Sierra, to our team
We kicked off collaborative work with new partners, including
Mytling Design
City Homes
Urban Edge
Full Circle Construction
I participated in The Curious Designer Collective
And committed to my first advertising campaign, coming to Artful Living in January.
I could go on! Isn’t that a wonderful reminder? Thank you for being along for the ride. If you are still reading, you are either related to me, work for me, or are a true supporter—and that means the world.
xoxo
Heather