My decision to transition away from freelancing and to restart my design business.

First, I realize that some of you have been with me since the beginning while many of you are new here, I want you to know that I appreciate each and every one of you. For those who hired me way before social media, blogs, and Pinterest (Yes, I am that old) and to those of you who have welcomed me into your homes virtually over the past two years, I cannot thank you enough.

Some of you may not realize that I became a designer the same year I became a mother and that was 15 years ago this May. (I had to pause and read that back to myself….15 years!!) Back then as a mom to two small children (my second was born 19 months later) my primary focus was being at home with them and working my business on the side. And when I say on the side I mean on the side. I maybe took one or two projects a year. At that time, I was happy with that as I truly wanted to be at home raising them and the one to two projects per year satisfied my love for design (We also spent 3 years renovating an old seaside home from top to bottom so I was definitely getting my design fill). As my children got older I found myself putting more time into my business and things started to take off in late 2016, early 2017. However, in early 2017 we decided to move across the country and I made the decision for the family to put my business plans on hold. 

Fast forward to 2019, I was feeling lost and really missing my design work. However, where we were living at the time was not really conducive to me starting up my design business as it was.  I did take on a local kitchen renovation in 2018 and the client was absolutely lovely and I really enjoyed working with her. Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy working with her contractor. When you’ve once worked with the best, it is hard to find anyone who will measure up.

Perusing social media in January 2019 I came across an Instagram story by an Instagram friend about this business coach. I checked it out, discussed it with my husband, and signed up.  For the first time as a designer and as a business owner, I invested in my business but most importantly I invested in myself.

Let me tell you, that was scary.

I spent money I didn’t have to take this business coaching course that a friend recommended. Say what?! She said it would be great for me.  Little did I know. I took tons of notes, (a 1.5” ring binder full plus a journal), I made a plan and I worked towards it believing I would know when the time was right for me to grow my business (here we are two years later). Three months into this course, an opportunity presented itself and that was freelancing with a big box design company. At the time, this opportunity to freelance checked all the boxes- be able to design again, work with clients, work from home, build my portfolio and get experience with online design services. It also meant I could move our family back home which was something we discussed but didn’t know how we could do it. That first year with freelancing I worked 6/7 days a week, often 12-14 hours a day. My commitment showed as I became one of their top-performing designers within 6 months and was invited into the senior design program before the end of 2019. 

However, by the end of 2019, I was also hitting a wall. Going into 2020 I made a promise to myself to find a better work-life harmony. For me, that meant I would no longer work weekends and work no more than 2 evenings a week. Unfortunately, the system is set up for us to be available 24/7 with very fast turnarounds and client response times. By the end of 2019 and going into 2020 I was onboarding 5 new clients every week with a turnaround time of 1-2 weeks from onboarding to completed design. That meant some days I was sending out as many as 8 designs per day!!! The decision to take the weekends off meant my messages and work piled up on Monday and Tuesday and I began suffering from major anxiety by Sunday knowing what lay ahead of me for the following week. Despite being a contractor, I had very little say or control over my workday.

Despite my best efforts to have some sort of work-life harmony, December of 2020 arrived and I was 100% burnt out. I was irritable, impatient, beyond exhausted, and unwell. My now teenage kids often commented that all I did was work. My daughter would come up to hug me and state that I never hugged her back. My head was always in my laptop, there was always a client message needing to be responded to, a design that needed tweaking, or an alternate item needing sourcing. In the back of my mind, I was always thinking about upholding that SLA I signed (that big-box design companies like to change up on a regular basis with no feedback from their contractors).

My husband suggested that we both take two weeks off over Christmas. All I can say is wow! You can’t imagine the mental space that can open up when you unplug, walk away and just be. I started thinking about my own business and what that could look like, how if I was in control of my workday how that would feel. How I would serve you, the client if I could have control over the design process from beginning to end, really take the time to think about your space, really hone in on your expectations, and really get to know you and develop a relationship with you. How if I was in control of my client relationships what kind of client experience would I provide them. Well, the journal and that 1.5” binder I mentioned above came out from two years ago. (To my business coach, please don’t bang your head against the wall, I got there….it just took me longer.)

All this to say, it’s been a productive three months! If you’ve been following me on Instagram, Facebook, or a subscriber to my VIP list you will know that I have a brand new website and client portal; marshasefcikinteriordesign.com. I’m very proud to offer my clients a space where we can collaborate together on your design. Everything about your project conveniently located in one place. You can check out an orientation video of the studio here.

I have rebooted the new and improved VIP list MARSHA SEFCIK HOME and there’s tons of new content being added weekly to the blog - how-to’s, seasonal decor, fav finds, shop the looks, and more.

To make things easy, I am offering a number of different pre-pay flat-fee packages that can be virtual or in-person (for those who live locally), there’s something for everyone - from online design to consultation packages to full-service design. I’m also offering 15-minute complimentary discovery calls. The discovery call is the jumping-off point to all my packages and services. I’m no longer taking on 20 clients a month which means I have the creative space to really work with my clients on their projects. 

One question I’ve received over social media since launching my new website and services is whether my prices will be the same as what you would pay from a big box online design platform. My answer to that is NO they will not.

And here’s why……

Offering online design packages at $79-$179 with floor plan and room render is not sustainable. I can say that as I’ve done this for the past two years. The big-box e-design companies are paying the designers peanuts. Think about it, if they’re saying they can do a full room design with a floor plan and a room render for $179, imagine if that takes the Designer on average 4 to 6 hours and the company takes at least half that, that means the designer ends up getting paid what someone would get paid working at McDonald’s. And that’s not counting in time for revisions and sourcing alternate items - all of which are not billable time. The speed at which I had to create your design and the number of clients I had to take on each week to make a decent living is not sustainable or creatively fulfilling. 

Please know when working with me, I will deliver a thoughtful custom design for you. While certain sites claim to do that, that isn’t the case as they operate based on volume, tight deadlines, and quick turnarounds. At first glance that might sound great but that also means the designer doesn’t have the time to really get to know you, your space, how you use it, and really understand your expectations.  Rushing is never a good component of any design project as opportunities can be missed to fully resolve design challenges, personalize space and meet design goals. At the end of the day, interior design is a collaborative process and I really want my clients to be 100% happy with their design. I feel by working with clients directly I can better offer that because I can set the pace at which we work together on your design, there’s time to really get to know each other and discuss your space, I can help you determine your design style and ensure you end up with a design that you’re excited to pull together. I am also with you from beginning to end - from that initial discovery call - to ordering, dealing with vendors, right up to placing that vase on the shelf, and fluffing the pillows on your sofa.

I’m so pleased to offer clients a service whereby a click of a button they can choose their package, complete their questionnaire, and book their chat with me at a time that is convenient to them. Once your design is ready you can log in, review, provide feedback, request changes because I want you to be 100% happy!! I pride myself on creating spaces that are livable, comfortable, and with purpose.

The final step is you’ll receive your final design with shoppable links! Yes, that’s right my friends it’s all right there for you at your fingertips.

How easy is that!!! 

This next part is hard for me as I have a hard time asking for help. But I have a small ask of you my friends, please tag your friends, share my posts, follow me and sign up for VIP list. Building a small business such as mine relies on organic growth from referrals and friends. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pass my name along to anyone you know who may be interested in my design services. Please encourage them to even book a FREE discovery call with me as a meet and greet.

Because I love to be invited into your homes, yes even virtually, I love helping you include my signature design style and creating those spaces that make you smile and pause if even for a second. Home is so important and I think we now believe that more than ever.

So let’s find purpose in those spaces and let’s cozy them up!

So what do you say? Are you ready to get started?

I am!

Xo,

Marsha