Today we’d like to introduce you to Laura Bohn.
Hi Laura, 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.
I have always been told to be in design, even since I was young. However, I found myself doing the complete opposite and followed my mother’s footsteps by going into the healthcare industry when I was 23. Before starting a home staging company, I worked as a Radiology Technologist for 3 years for Twin Cities Orthopedics. It wasn’t until my third year there that I realized how unhappy I was and that this wasn’t my dream job. I knew I wanted to go into design, but I also had a passion for real estate. My sister brought home staging to my attention, which I knew very little about, and at that point, I knew that was the best of both worlds and going to be my life-long career. It was in mid-2017 that I decided to start my own home staging company, but to do that, I gave up everything. I got rid of my condo in Saint Louis Park, moved back home, and picked up 3 serving jobs to pay the bills while I went to school for home staging and design through the Home Staging Resource. I will never forget calling my mother in December of 2017 and telling her I was going to my boss’s office on January 1st, 2018, to quit my job.
Five Star Stagings originated in 2017 but started taking business in 2018. It started in my mother’s basement, where I had my first sofa and a couple of accessories racks. She and I would stage homes, rent U-Haul trucks and get the job done! As we started to grow, we moved into 3 storage units. We were in storage units for about 2 years until I made the leap of faith to get our first warehouse space of 2,000 sq ft! It was a scary yet exciting experience to be able to expand and help more clients with selling their homes. Once we moved into the new warehouse, one thing led to another: I hired my first home stager, Jennifer! Fast forward to today, after 2.5 years in the warehouse, and we just signed on our next warehouse space of 6,000 sq feet — triple the size of our current space! We now have a growing team of myself, 2 home stagers and designers (Jennifer and Cheryl), and our Operations Manager (Josh), that helps with moving, managing the warehouse, putting together furniture, and many other daily operations.
In 2021, Five Star Stagings was awarded one of Star Tribune’s MN Best staging companies, and this Fall will be the first year we are featured in the Parade of Homes, something I have always dreamed of. I am so honored and grateful for the wild journey thus far. We look forward to what comes next and love what we do.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There are always struggles when starting your own company from the ground up. Staging is the easy part, but since I had never owned a company before, I had to learn about budgeting, branding, building a website, getting new clients, etc., the things you don’t always think about. The real estate staging industry is very competitive and saturated, so setting yourself apart is the hardest part. I built a brand and a reputation, but most importantly, I had processes in place that I created that work efficiently and effectively and that clients love. The struggle is the time it takes to do it. I will say that I love the hustle, and when I gave up everything to start this journey, there was no turning back or “hoping” that it would work. It had to work. Another struggle for me was stepping out of my comfort zone and being very personable with sellers and real estate agents. However, I found that when you’re doing something you’re passionate about, it comes naturally talking to others who share the same passion.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
We are a certified, professional home staging and design company that serves the Twin Cities. Most of our work is in the Western suburbs, but we travel all metro areas. Our warehouse is based out of Brooklyn Park, MN, and we specialize in vacant staging services. We also offer occupied consultations, interior design consultations, and limited occupied staging. We have always been known for our staging designs to feel more welcoming and inviting compared to “staged.” We don’t do the bare minimum — we put a lot more time into planning and creating different looks and feels depending on the property’s architectural features. We have a fantastic team and have been awarded one of Star Tribune’s MN Best home staging companies.
We are very proud of our brand and customer service to our clients. We are highly rated on Google with multiple 5-star reviews! No job is too big or too small. We own and have an extensive line of furnishings, so sellers are always getting the best quality of furniture suitable for their property. We know what makes homes sell and do our best to get potential buyers through the door and make an offer for top dollar!
What matters most to you?
Customer service and how we can best serve our clients! I think it’s very important to put your best work out there for your clientele, not only for our brand and reputation but because our goal is to help sell homes quickly and for the most money. For most, buying and owning a home is their #1 asset, and we play a huge part in making homes look visually appealing online to draw in the most buyers. If it weren’t for our clients, realtors, builders, friends, and family, we wouldn’t be in business! So it truly matters to make them happy and have it be a win-win for everyone.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://fivestarstagings.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/five_star_stagings/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FiveStarStagings/
Image Credits
Press Play Media LLC
