Today we’d like to introduce you to Adel Gardner.
Hi Adel, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Let’s start walking through time somewhere back in the late 80s?!!
While working, being part of an Art Gallery and studying at the University of MN for many years (and not being really sure of what I wanted to do); I took a lot of art classes and eventually choose Interior Design as a field and then I didn’t feel like I fit in there so, I switched to the Housing Dept. which is where I received my degree in Housing/Environmental Design.
From there, I immediately got a job at the St. Paul Children’s Museum where I worked developing exhibits and teaching some art classes. During that time, I became pregnant with my first child and shifted to every flexible, and mostly housing related type of work, that I could do like painting, cleaning, and gardening with some childcare thrown in too.
Later, when I was on my own with my kids, I knew I wanted to do more and proposed to an owner putting their house on the market that I could make it look better with, at the time, the relatively new concept of Staging. She agreed, and through scavenging (literally in alleys), borrowing from friends and using what I had; wa lah, my first Staging. Honestly, when I look back on it; it was not very good but that was the start!
I continued to do other work for a long time as I grew my Staging business. I researched and contemplated whether I needed a degree or certificate of some kind but ultimately decided that it was mostly based on talent and hard work. I was very resistant to growing bigger or faster than I could handle or feel comfortable doing. I had to navigate my own insecurities and belief in myself along the way. And, thanks to the many kind, and loyal realtors, that I started with, (and continue to work with), I have made it 2025 and continuing to thrive. I am grateful to them and their belief in me!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The road has not been exactly smooth. There are a number of things that I have had to navigate.
I think that many entrepreneurs can relate to when business goes down that you think ‘oh, that’s it; I better find something else to do like a job’..lol. It used to happen at least every winter for me. Also, taking vacations can be difficult when it is just you. but I have gotten better at it.
So, insecurity of business, and as I mentioned before, also insecurity about the value of what I do would sometimes crop up. For instance, if a realtor left a message for me to call after I had done a Staging for them with no other info. I would think there was something wrong. It’s a process.
I have used conventional marketing very rarely, (and with little success when I did use it), preferring to use organic and word of mouth marketing instead. It is something I could still do better. The whole ‘wearing many hats’ when you have your own business is challenging and I did go through a Women Venture Business course in 2019 (after having been in business since 2011) and I got some help particularly with financial things. I now use QuickBooks which means less work overall.
I would say the biggest challenge is how solitary my business has been. I have considered a partnership but haven’t found the right person and I do hire wonderful people to help me carry and load and unload and set up jobs at times which is great! But, mostly, it’s just me. It can be hard to not have someone to even bounce ideas off of and, even as I write this, I think that maybe I could change that for myself.
The last thing I will touch on is how I have made decisions about the quality of my work. Of course, how much time you spend on a job is influenced by how much you are charging but also, personal values come into play. I developed a mantra (I will call it) at some point that was ‘no excuses’ so, in my mind, if something didn’t feel quite right it meant I had to fix it…’no excuses’.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My business: Interiors for All is primarily Home Staging and I do a small number of Interior Design related projects as I am able to fit them in working around my Staging schedule. My business tagline has been Fresh, Affordable, Ecological and each of those are important to me in how I operate.
Fresh: styles, preferences, ways of living change over time and it is important to me to keep it moving forward.
Affordable: I believe everyone can have good design because it makes us feel good and can help us function better.
Ecological: this is the most important to me so I reuse, recycle, repurpose and operate as efficiently as possible.
So, because of those values, I buy very little new and incorporate many different eras of design to keep things fresh and therefore, I am able to keep my rates more reasonable.
I am very proud of the fact that I persevered. I mostly enjoy what I do everyday and keep creating a service that others find worthwhile. What I do has been described to me as ‘your house but better’ and that is what I strive for in my work.
How do you define success?
The idea of success feels nebulous to me. It is not one thing but many layers of satisfaction or contentment…in myself, in those around me, doing what feels ‘right or good’, knowing that my children are well, being loving and feeling loved.
In the end, what else is there?
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.interiorsforall.biz
- Instagram: instagram@interiors_for_all
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/interiorsforall
- Other: [email protected]
