Today we’d like to introduce you to Leah Jones
Leah, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
After spending over a decade in Marketing being in charge of various aspects, I started to feel a longing for something more. I had always wanted my own business, but I wasn’t sure what that looked like just yet. I have always loved homes and all the components that go into them. I loved helping family and friends with their homes and it came very easily to me when they asked for advice.
Toward the end of my marketing career, my husband and I were in the middle of building a home, which ended up being one of the jumping off points to switching careers. After our home was finished, our builder asked me if I would help his clients make their selections for their own homes. I was in heaven with this opportunity. I got to select all of the finishes for a home, piece by piece, and I got paid for it!! Sign me up!! I was hooked and there was no turning back now.
This was when I started LJ Interiors, invested in education and set out to grow my own business. I started off staging homes and just getting to know people and figuring out how I could help people with their homes. After a few short months, I was helping clients transform their homes into fresh new spaces that they could fall back in love with. It has been an incredible ride so far, and I am so fortunate for the amazing clients that I have had along the way.
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?
Owning a business is never a smooth road, but what you learn from those challenges is what helps you grow.
I think one of the earliest challenges in my business was just getting my name out there and letting people know about my business. You need to be consistent, but also flexible, and learn when to pivot when things just aren’t going as you’d hoped.
Staying in tune to what your clients needs are is an ongoing challenge, but the more experience you have, the better you are at navigating those challenges, and you are able to predict and have solutions for potential issues that might come up.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
As a Designer I help clients fall in love with their home, whether it be brand new or 100 years old. Now that might sound cliche, but our homes are where we spend the majority of our time. And when we are in our homes, we want to be able to relax, recharge and spend time with our family and friends. So why wouldn’t you want a space that you love and enjoy sharing with others.
My design approach is centered around collaboration and alleviating clients’ fear of mistakes. I create a partnership with my clients that builds trust and empowers them to take ownership of their spaces with confidence.
This sets me apart because my focus is ensuring that my clients feel proud and excited about their homes and how it can truly transform their life.
I am most proud of the fact that I have built my business on word of mouth referrals and that I have several repeat clients. There is nothing that makes me happier than to know that clients have enjoyed working with me and they want their friends to have that same experience.
We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
I have learned to set realistic expectations with my clients, and always have more options for when things change unexpectedly. While there are a number of things that are out of my control, I can still be in control of how much and what I communicate with my clients. It is so important that I educate and explain the process of the projects so they know what timelines look like when things go as planned, and what things could cause delays. I understand that there are a lot of unknows in most projects, so I try to get ahead of questions with information that will help them feel more comfortable. Most of the time, more information is better.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ljinteriorsmn.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ljinteriorsmn/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ljinteriorsmn/
