Jayne Pelosi Celebrity Guru

Jayne Pelosi has always had a flair for the dramatic and a passion for all that is beautiful – particularly interior spaces. As principal of Renaissance Interior Design, she is able to use her love of decorating and her people skills to transform clients’ homes. With a background in psychology, corporate business sales, and sales training, Jayne is able to use her varied skill sets to reach a large audience. She recently appeared as a guest speaker at the Fauxcademy Institute of Decorative Painting’s 2006 Annual Convention in Las Vegas, NE. She is also the first Designer to offer telephone design coaching sessions, called Design Mentor, for the creative do-it-yourselfer. Jayne has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The Boston Globe, The Boston Herald, and many local publications. She is an HGTV Designer whose episode is scheduled to air on the hit show Designer’s Challenge. She is a regular contributor to HGTV.com, the on-line newsletter for Home and Garden Television Network. Jayne published her first book: Interior Divine: Walking You Through the Transformation of Your Home, through Acanthus Publishing.

Upcoming Events

Testimonial

Use this form to post feedback to this guru.

I have not yet had a chance to list by detailed project experience. Please check back soon.

Most writers at LifeTips—or Gurus we call them—are available for writing assignments, special projects, or interviews with the press. Please describe exactly what you’re looking for, and an Agent will get back to you within hours.

Name: Phone: Email: Project Description:
	If you have difficulty identifying the words, click the button.

Deciding to Decorate

I receive several emails a month from women of all ages who are frustrated in their current careers and dream of being a designer/decorator. I myself went thorough that process while working in a high power, high stress position in the telecommunications industry. How do you know if you want to be a decorator/designer? Well if you can answer “Yes” to the following questions, I am guessing an exciting career of interior design is waiting for you!

*Do you currently own at least 3 design magazine subscriptions?
*Are you addicted to HGTV (defined as watching it at least 8 hours/week)?
*Do you rearrange furniture in your friends’ home, whether or not they asked for your help?
*Do you straighten crooked wall art while in waiting rooms?
*When served Thanksgiving dinner, do you notice the loveliness of the ruby red cranberry sauce, juxtaposed to the rich warm butternut squash while everyone else is saying Grace?
* Would you rather hang out at a fabric store than go to a movie?
* Speaking of fabulous fabrics, do you collect swatches and bolts of fabric, having absolutely no idea what to do with them, but you must have them because they are like jewelry to you?

If any of these scenarios describe you, it is quite likely that you have more than a mere appreciation of the field of interior design and perhaps a career change, or perhaps a part-time business is in your future.

Assess Your Strengths/Correct Your Weaknesses

It is my experience that most people go into the field of interior design because they not only love the industry but have some natural talent. For years prior to orchestrating my career change, I had been casually decorating my homes and the home s of friends and family for many years. I realized that I had an intuitive sense of design concepts such as scale, proportion, and balance. My eye for color and translating a particular style was very sharp. I also realized, however, that there were gaps in my knowledge when it came to the more technical side of interior design, such as drawing floor plans and reading elevations. Depending on the state you live in, you may not require any further training to call yourself an Interior Decorator. Just make sure you are crystal clear to yourself first and your clients second, as to what you can and cannot do. If you decide, as I did, to seek additional training, your employment options will become instantly greater.

Back to School?

When I decided to change careers, I was 34 years old, divorced, and supporting myself. I frankly had no interest in going back to college to learn what I felt I knew intuitively. Plus my high stress job as a sales manger would not have allowed me adequate time or energy to fit scheduled classes into my life. The solution: a correspondence school! Did you know that Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield of Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream started their empire after having taken a correspondence course on ice cream making?? Home study is highly respectable method of obtaining your design training. The best accredited schools will offer a rich and substantive curriculum while allowing you the flexibility of completing the course on your schedule!

Time Management/Life Balance

Whether you opt to take a correspondence class as I did, or go back to school part time, it is essential that you practice good time management skills so your life balance doesn’t start to look like that funny V8 commercial! Commit “x” amount of hours every week to class taking and/or studying and write it into your planer as you would any other important event. Make a commitment to this process for as long as it takes you to complete your studies. I recommend not trying to rush through it, but rather fit it in comfortably with your life, so you can continue to enjoy your family, friends, and hobbies. And while you’re at it, why not shoot for an A? Just because you’re an adult now who doesn’t have a parent breathing down your neck to graduate with high marks doesn’t mean you shouldn’t strive to be the best you can be. If you commit to being a top design student, I am guessing you will also commit to being a top designer to your clients – and that is a win-win situation for all involved.

Find a Mentor/Get Inspired

I found reading books and listening to tapes on self-empowerment very, well…empowering when I was making my transition. I didn’t know any designers who could mentor me, but because I was already in the business field (as a sales manager), I knew the benefits of educational/motivational tapes. One of my favorites was Brian Tracy; visit his web site and see, as he puts it, “a smorgasbord of programs to help you achieve personal and business success.” For the women out there, there are hundreds of inspiring books written by women who share their stories of change and transformation. I particularly like Sole Proprietor by Jane Pollack, and almost any text written by one of my favorite personal coaches, Cheryl Richardson is worth its weight in gold. Finally, consider joining or forming a support group. You can invite your friends ONLY if they are unequivocal supporters of your goals – not nay-sayers! Ideally invite a handful of people who are also in some kind of transition themselves, be it professional or personal. Meet weekly or monthly and help keep each other accountable in the pursuit of each others’ dreams.

Networking

Whenever you are ready to start the actual work of designing is the time to start networking. This is where a lot of budding designers/decorators miss the boat. They put all of their energy into being good at their craft, which is important to be sure, but they forget the fact that they are also business people. Even if you plan to work for someone else, if start to think of yourself as an entrepreneur, you are more inclined to feel true ownership of the body of business you bring to your company. If you plan to work for yourself, it is essential that you go out and meet other business people who could either use your services, or at the every least, refer you to their contact spheres. Some of these groups include the local Chambers of Commerce, the local business/networking referral groups, and if applicable, the local women business networks in your area.

Your Business Image

Especially in our industry, your business image can determine if you are hired or passed over. I hate to tell you how many poor business cards and logos I have seen in this very field; this field of supposed boundless creativity and innovation. Spend as much as you can afford on a great logo and all of the corresponding collateral materials (business cards, letterhead, postcards, and yes, a WEBSITE). Use a graphic designer to help you with your logo, and unless you are very adept on the computer, hire a web designer. Resist the temptation to use homemade photos on your web site – we’ve all done it, and they really pale in comparison to professionally shot photos. I know you’re saying: “I am just starting out; I don’t have many photos!” A good web designer is familiar with clip art and all of the photos that are considered public domain photography. Use these photos until you start to amass your own. If you can’t afford any of this, consider bartering with these professionals. I negotiated with the photographer who shot most of the interiors for my book Interior Divine and in exchange, I put her name on the cover. Be creative!

Getting Experience

I started my business, Renaissance Interior Design, in 1993 while I continued to work full-time as a sales manager for a telecommunications company. It was always my plan to take my design company full-time; I just had to wait for the right time, which did finally come in the spring of 1996. In the interim three years, I worked as much as I could on weekends, seeing clients on Saturdays and often shopping for them on Sundays. Clearly, this was a tough schedule. And I must confess that back then I didn’t follow my own rules about balance. If you have a partner/spouse, even a roommate with whom you can share expenses, things should be easier for you! The point is to get as much experience as you can in peoples’ homes. Redecorate your family and friends’ homes for a discounted rate. Chances are, at least one neighbor will be impressed and will consider hiring you, and this time, you can charge your full price!

Giving Back

Take every opportunity to let the world know that you have started your business. A great way to do this, AND give philanthropically, is to donate your time to charitable events, such as fundraisers and silent auctions. I give as many as twelve gift certificates annually to organizations that approach me. I often package my gift certificate (for two hours of interior design consultation) in a pretty goody basket that also contains candles, linens, and sometimes a copy of my book if I am really feeling generous! It is always a crowd pleaser, it brings in a decent price at the silent auction, which is always a worthy cause, and lets a large group of people know I am out here. And you feel wonderful giving back.

Having Faith

Even if you don’t consider yourself a religious person, I recommend adapting a “spiritual” perspective about business. And that perspective includes statements such as “you are exactly where you’re supposed to be” and “if you are in your comfort zone, you are probably not growing.” Starting and running any business will always be challenging, exhilarating, gratifying, exasperating, and a lot of other adjectives that end in “ing.” Running a business is not for everyone, so if you love the field of interior design but don’t have the constitution to be an entrepreneur, there are plenty of showrooms out there just waiting to meet you. But if you do decide that being your own boss is one of life’s greatest fulfillments, know that the bumpy rides are part of the package, and THAT is when you and your design business will grow the most.