How I went from a Software Account Manager to Interior Designer
Ten years into my well-established career in software sales, I had an increasing list of accomplishments, upward trajectory, and wonderful colleagues. And yet, I was feeling stuck.
I hired a leadership coach in an effort to unlock some career motivation; I thought maybe pursuing a path to a more senior leadership role would be the spark I needed. To my surprise, the coaching actually shined a spotlight on my true passion and calling. Spoiler alert: it wasn’t software sales. 🙂
During our regular calls, I learned a lot about myself, my motivations and leadership style. In one session, I shared that I had always dreamt of becoming an interior designer. My coach asked “What’s stopping you?” I proceeded to list about 100 reasons why it was too big of a mountain to climb. I will never forget the moment when she told me how my face lit up when talking about the potential of a career in design.
From there, the trajectory of our sessions completely shifted and my dream of being an interior designer started to feel attainable. She introduced me to the book Playing Big by Tara Mohr, where I first learned of the Hebrew term, yirah: the fear that shows up in the moments when we uncover a dream, access our true feelings about an important situation, or contemplate taking a big leap toward a more authentic life.
This process was transformational; it helped me turn inward and do the hard work. I ultimately embraced that yirah to start KP Home. Entrepreneurship is a rollercoaster and can be scary as sh**, but I am so glad I took the leap. I now have the opportunity to guide my own clients through a process of transforming their homes, deeply believing that our surroundings can enable us to live more authentically.
Not only did yirah spark the origin of KP Home, it continues to fuel my every day growth.
At KP Home, we help Chicago professionals align their homes with their lives by designing and executing sophisticated interiors that are rich in comfort and rooted in self-expression.
