A feature about the women of Optimal Level; their stories, successes, challenges, and opportunities.

What is your background and how did you get into your business/career?
Since I’m one of the “older” Optimal Level members, I have three careers in my background! My first career began as a registered nurse in 1966. I worked as an Operating Room Nurse, a Home Health Nurse and a School Nurse. Along the way I returned to school and graduated from Barat College in Lake Forest in 1977. With those experiences under my belt I took a position at a Condell Memorial Hospital in the Libertyville that blossomed into my second career as a hospital administrator. That initial position was Nurse Manager of a brand new/under construction Outpatient Surgery unit. I learned a lot from starting up a new venture – organization, planning, purchasing equipment, designing space for function, hiring, and training, and operations management. This position was my proving ground, and in due course would become the springboard into my “real” career! In 1986, I graduated from Roosevelt University’s MPA program in Chicago.

I always thought that the work I did was larger than me and that I was working to give the community a medical resource of high quality. During my 27 year tenure at Condell, I had many wonderful experiences. I held many positions and had many promotions over that time period. Many of my responsibilities revolved around starting new businesses and programs – some of those with construction projects, others that did not. I started over 30 new businesses (or revenue centers) while I was there which gave me a great foundation for what turned out to be my future. It was fortuitous for me that my boss, the CEO, wanted people under him that would perform. He did not care about gender and once he discovered that my interest was in doing a remarkable job; he became my mentor. Ultimately I was promoted to Executive Vice President with responsibility for over 1200 employees, and accountability for the performance of departments that spanned the clinical, the financial and the technical. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute (well, maybe not every single minute!) of my work there. It was exceptionally interesting. I was given a lot of leeway and control over a large part of the enterprise. I contributed significantly to the bottom line of the hospital and was very proud of the work I did.

All things come to an end, even good things, and a new CEO in 2006 wanted to bring in his own executive team. So all of my colleagues and me were walked to the door, so to speak, and a new chapter unfolded for me…my third career…

What is your business and how is it unique?
I am the owner of a custom interior decorating and design company, Décor&You. It is unique in the sense that it is a franchised business. I purchased a franchise because after starting up over 30 businesses in my previous career, I knew that I wanted to start in the middle. It is also unique in how we serve our clients – we are the ideal interior decorating service for busy people because we manage their entire project and install for our clients much like you see on TV where the client comes home to their completed room!

Who are some of your clients; what do you especially appreciate about them and how have they reacted to your service or product?
Our clients are very diverse – young families, empty nesters, single men to name a few. We appreciate the trust they put in us to pull a room or rooms together for them. They also have high expectations for what we deliver because they are spending a lot of money so there is no margin for error in this business. We strive to exceed their expectations because this business is clearly a referral and word of mouth business and as a practical matter, we want their referral and the best way to get it is to do an excellent job. We love it when our clients are speechless when they see their final result…then we know we did a good job!

What do you like best about what you do?
We like seeing the look on our client’s faces when we complete their project. On their Reveal Day…we send our client away while we finish everything. We put everything in place according to floor plans, combining existing pieces with new pieces of furniture, accessories, floor coverings, lighting, window treatments and artwork. They are surprised to see the finished product and our goal is that they will love their new space!

What role does passion have in your work?
Several designers work out of my studio and we have found that creativity is fueled by passion! Our clients get our best work when we allow our passion to inspire us.

When you first started were you able to visualize your expected final outcome?
When I began this business I had a pretty clear vision of what this business would look like at maturity. It helped that I had already started up over 30 businesses because I was able to be realistic while still having to stretch myself.
 
Can you tell us about that final outcome – what will your business look like then?
We will be the Interior Decorating/Design Czars and Czarinas in Chicago and beyond!

What were you top three obstacles/challenges?
My three challenges were/are …being a woman in a man’s world, looking younger than my age…both of these led to credibility issues and I had to work harder to prove myself, than others. My third challenge was figuring out who was going to help me on any project. By that I mean that in order to launch a successful enterprise a lot of people need to do their part – I may have been the designated leader, but that didn’t mean everyone wanted to follow me. Typically, those that don’t want to follow the designated leader will put up all kinds of resistance and my challenge was to figure out how to get them to become enthusiastic about the project. One of my favorite sayings to them was, “I don’t want to hear why we can’t do it, tell me what it will take to do it and then we will make a business decision whether we want to do those things or not.”

How do you deal with doubt, fear, and self recrimination?
That is a good question. I never had any doubts and very little fear or self recrimination until now when I am the business owner. I was very fortunate in my previous careers that I had a great support system that allowed me to try all kinds of things. My boss used to say to me, “Do something, even if it is wrong.” So mistakes were not only tolerated, they were welcomed and we learned from them.

However, as a business owner I don’t have that margin for error and the recent economic realities have not been kind to small business men and women. There are days when I wonder if I did the right thing by buying this franchise, taking this risk, and on those days I try to go back to the reasons I went into business …I could have fully retired. At the time I was making the decision I wasn’t ready to be retired and I wasn’t ready to be on a fixed income. I had a little money to invest and I thought I should try to do something with that money that might eventually bring in supplemental income…and have fun doing it!

If you had the opportunity to get the best advice from a business guru, and could ask only question, what would your question be?
Well, Martha Stewart is my hero and so I would want to ask her the question. “How did you get those first clients?”

As you look back, what is the one thing you wish you knew when you started?
I wish I had known what I was capable of. I would have preferred to start a business when I was younger and able to take the risks. Now, too much risk and I endanger a comfortable retirement for myself and my husband.

Any regrets?
Not in business…at least I can’t think of any!

Do you believe luck has something to do with you getting to where you are now?
Not at all. I think sometimes we say luck has been an ingredient when we don’t want to seem “full of ourselves”…but now I’m old enough… I can just state the obvious…no luck, all hard work… being in the right place at the right time and having the guts to be opportunistic.

What is the best piece of advice you have for other women on their way to their Optimal Level?
Get out of your comfort zone. Stretch yourself. When it seems the hardest is probably when you are going to learn the most by persisting.

Any additional comments you would like to make?
I’d love to say something wise and witty, but I think I will just end with one of my favorite quotes…”leave things better than you found them”.