I had always loved to decorate. From a very early age I enjoyed surrounding myself with beautiful things. If I couldn't afford it, which was often, I made it my self. I wish, however, that I had a mentor or someone who would've encouraged me to go into interior design. I also had a habit of rearranging people's homes in my head and I would be itching to physically move someone's furniture around, but it would be rude.
I have no regrets about my chosen profession of being an International Flight Attendant, but I longed for a creative outlet. When I was offered an "early out" with my company, I took it and "retired" at 36. I decided to finally tackle the pageant world and worked towards winning the Mrs. Illinois International title, which I won first time at it. 1997 was a whirlwind year and a check off on the bucket list.
On to design and that nagging desire to do something creative. I ventured into creating greeting cards, but that was very time consuming and not very profitable. After surfing the internet one night I came across a website concerning staging. I looked into it and found a class being offered near my home. The class would give me tools to start a staging business and a certification once the class was completed. The class was three days and involved hands on work in people's homes. I found that I had a knack for this staging business. I could visit a home and visualize it redone. I like the process of consulting with the homeowner then returning at a later date ready to stage the home with the homeowners own furnishings.
After a variety of stage opportunities, challenges and accomplishments, I decided to launch my staging business. LaStanza Interiors was launched technically three years ago, but have just recently got it all together. Not having had any prior experience with a home based business, I had a lot of learning to do. I am now the owner, accountant, secretary, billing clerk, marketing director, sales person, problem solver, shopper and stager. Although a little overwhelmed at times, I have found that the sense of accomplishment outweighs the challenges. Moving furniture isn't as easy in your 40s as it would have been in my 20s, but the rewards are that much sweeter. I hope I have the stamina to continue in this venture since it brings me such satisfaction knowing that I've helped someone move a step closer to selling their home. In this market, every little bit helps.
