Today we’d like to introduce you to Sara Garza.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Sara. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I’ve gone down several different paths in my career – funny how some of them circle back around! I went to Texas Tech and graduated with a degree in Interior Design and Architecture (10 years ago!). When I moved to Dallas, I worked at a really amazing firm in the Architecture department for a year and a half. Even though they were wonderful and I got to work on some really great projects, I was still miserable and knew that wasn’t what I was supposed to be doing. My husband and I at the time had started taking photos together as a hobby, shooting everything and anyone we could. We loved it and we loved doing it together. I ended up quitting my job, and we decided to try photographing weddings. We had no clue what to expect! Surprisingly, we LOVED it, and our business completely took off causing him to have to quit his job the next year. For the next 7 years, we ran a wedding photography business with just the two of us, traveling, shooting, working non-stop, living the life. We had such a great time together.
I got pregnant in 2015 and we decided we wanted to cut back from weddings – being gone 40 or more Saturdays a year with a child wasn’t what we saw for our lives. Rocky had started his own business on the side, and it was taking off, so we decided I would keep shooting but focus on Mamas (maternity, birth photos, and newborn lifestyle photos) while being a mom to Ezra. It gave me more freedom to explore other areas that I found were creative outlets. Over the years, we had moved a few times, remodeled a little bit of the first house we had bought, we bought a second house as a getaway house/AirBNB (which now is mostly just an AirBNB), and then sold our first house and bought a second to remodel as well. I LOVED getting to do the interiors for our personal places, and over those 7 years, I helped lots of friends with theirs.
Finally, at this point in my life, I realized I loved not only designing for myself, but for others. AND with a lot of encouragement from Rocky and my friends, I realized others want my style in their homes too. So, I started an interiors business! I didn’t think I’d ever been back at this place, but I have loved every minute of it. I wanted it to be more of a part-time job that I could share with my photography business, but it has quickly turned into a full-time job. I am pregnant again and going on maternity leave this fall, so I am hoping when I come back from that I can allocate my time/projects a little better to leave myself more open for photoshoots!
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I think it has been as smooth as owning your own business can be! When we became small business owners 9 years ago, we didn’t have a clue what we were doing. You don’t get a paycheck every 2 weeks, you don’t have someone putting a 401K aside for you every month, you don’t have someone paying for your insurance, I can go on and on. Discipline is important – you have to save as much as you can during your lucrative months to survive on the months that are slow. And every year is different, you don’t know what to expect. We own 4 small business now, and I would say we are STILL learning every day. It’s all a process.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Garza Interiors – what should we know?
My company (Garza Interiors) is just me! I specialize in residential interiors. I like to say my style is minimal with a touch of soul. It’s fresh, it’s airy, it’s beautiful but practical.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
I am a fairly empathetic person, so I think personally that has been the biggest characteristic that played a part in both our wedding and mama photography/interiors business. Being able to empathize with people with what they hope and long for has made me able to create spaces, photographs, and experiences that speak to someone’s heart not just their mind. Capturing a photo that is meaningful to someone is more about the way they felt in that moment. Designing a space for someone is more about how you feel when you walk into it.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.garzainteriors.co
- Email: garzainteriors@gmail.com
- Instagram: @sara_garza
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