Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in home care but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Hannah Oravec, Founder of Lawless Design, located in Plymouth, MA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Lawless is a full-service holistic design firm that focuses on residential projects + boutique-style commercial spaces covering the New England area. Lawless was started in 2016 by fusing my passions for interior design and wellness.
We assist our clients with a wide range of challenges, including a selection of architectural details and finishes, collaborating with architects and builders, designing a functional, beautiful space with furniture and decor, and creating individual pieces custom-made for your space.
As wellness is one of our core values, we strive to incorporate wellness and sustainability into all the spaces we design. We advocate for sourcing from sustainable companies and eco-friendly materials that are non-toxic for the spaces we design.
The success of our projects correlates with the strong relationships with create with our clients. As each one of our clients is different, each one of our projects is cultivated uniquely to reflect our client's interests and personalities perfectly.
Tell us about yourself
Ever since I was a little girl, I was exposed to my dad always renovating our home (which actually happens to be the home my mom grew up in too!). I found my spark for creativity at that young age and never looked back. After completing a design degree at one of the East Coast's top interior design schools, I moved to Philadelphia to pursue my career. After some time, I moved back to my home state and started Lawless Design in Boston, MA, in 2016.
I love serving the world by creating beautiful and sustainable spaces for my clients and showing them just how they can incorporate wellness and sustainability into their spaces! Our homes are where we dwell, and I believe that when we have a place that reflects ourselves, it creates a warm, holistic environment. My passion for interior design has been fused with health and wellness throughout my career. It's been a staple in my business to use my knowledge from my personal training days and my WELL accreditation to bring in elements that promote a better way of life for people.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
What I consider to be my biggest accomplishment as a business owner is having a great team. I couldn't do it without them. They are the backbone of the company and have really helped Lawless Design flourish. Finding the right people to work on your team can be tricky, and I truly believe that the girls are the absolute perfect fit.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
I think the hardest thing about being a business owner is letting go. As a business owner, most of the time, you have to be "on." I started Lawless Design because I love interior design, and I wanted to help clients. I'm so passionate about the work that I do, and I love the people that we work with. Sometimes it's hard to close the laptop shut for the night and turn it off because of that passion. I never see work as I have to work, but I look at it as I want to work. So, that can sometimes be troublesome when my dog wants to play and run around outside! It's taken some time to learn to take time for myself and that I don't always have to prove that I can work all the time.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
The first one would be starting out and getting clients. I get asked this a lot- where to start? It can be tricky to understand what to do first and how to get clients. For my interior design business, I created a website and made mock-ups of projects to show potential client's what I could do, even though I hadn't ever worked with anyone yet. It takes just one person to take a chance on you! You don't need to have an intense portfolio of work for someone to hire you. People want to work with people that they like, respect, and trust. If you connect with a client, chances are that it is more important to them than having the background of work.
The second would be to start out being a jack of all trades. With building that website, I had to learn how to code and needed to learn marketing skills. When you're first starting out running a business, you most likely won't have the capacity to hire people right off the bat. Getting a good understanding of finances is really crucial to a successful business. Once you do have the capability to hire, do it. It can be scary to hire the first person, but once you do, you'll never look back. Having additional support is imperative to a growing company.
The third tip would be to learn how to improve when you make a mistake. My dad taught me when I was first starting my business that it's not about having something go wrong but what you do when something does. That part will set you apart from other businesses. There are things that are out of your control that are inevitable. How you react to what happens and what you do about it is the important part.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.lawless-design.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lawless_design/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-oravec-well-ap-735a2040/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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