Today we’d like to introduce you to Kimberly Putman.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I designed my bedroom for the first time when I was 6 years old – and I’ve been passionate about it ever since. I’ve had several side businesses in home design over the years… but it was never my primary source of income. While fulfilling my passion on the side I managed and grew other’s companies until 15 years ago when I decided to get a small business loan, open a quality used furniture and décor store and build my interior design business through the relationships I developed while networking my store. It worked! I hired employees to run the store while I worked with my clients making their home an environment they felt great in.
9 years ago, my husband’s health was deteriorating (we had been told he had 5 years to live 7 years earlier). He worked in Farmer’s Branch, which was over an hour away from the small Texas town we lived in and where my store and client base was. I closed my store and we made the move to Richardson – in the middle of the school year, which my son – who was a freshman in high school – was not too happy about. My husband passed away 7 months later. No life insurance. No store. No design clients. My son and I moved back to my home town in Oklahoma where we had the support of my family. My son and I cleaned medical offices at night to support ourselves – and the 3 other teenage boys from broken homes I took in over the first year of becoming a widow. We created our own little family – and it was beautiful.
Fast forward 2 years – my son graduated high school, moved out on his own and I met a man from Dallas that stole my heart. I moved to Dallas 6 years ago for love. That man is now my fiancé.
The first 5 years of living in Dallas, I went back into business management – building and growing other’s businesses. I was Director of Operations for a large flooring company in Dallas, running 5 locations, managing 70 employees… and teaching the sales team design so they could better serve their customers. During that time I also created a design showroom for builders and worked with our customers as the on staff designer in the evening. We expanded from flooring into granite and quartz and needed a larger location in FTW. I designed the new showroom for that location and began to think about how I could get back into design full time.
One of my employees had a staging business on the side – so I called her to discuss expanding her business and offering full-service design. We met for lunch on a Saturday afternoon – and I literally SKIPPED out of that restaurant. She had started her staging business 6 years earlier to make extra income to pay for her children’s college and her business had grown tremendously. During our lunch meeting, I learned she received requests for home interior design regularly but referred them to local designers because she was a home stager, not a designer.
She and I partnered that day. Her leads would now come to me and I would give her a percentage of the profits… I would represent her brand and work with her on building and expanding her business. I spoke with the owner of the company I was running at the time to put a plan in place to transition me out of my position at the company and back into my passion as a self-employed designer – he told me I needed a vacation. I did need a vacation – but I was serious about leaving the company – he didn’t take it seriously and was shocked when I did make that move 3 weeks later.
It was terrifying to walk away from a salary, bonuses, benefits… and that direct deposit every 2 weeks – but also exciting! I needed to tap into that fearless beast I had to become after my husband passed away and pursue my love of creating home and office spaces that people feel good in. That’s my gift.
I am not doing this to be published… I don’t push my style on my clients… I can create a home they love around that motion recliner sectional that most designers won’t even consider. Your home, or home away from home, should be a space that makes you comfortable, happy, secure and just feels good when you walk in. I’ve created great friendships this past year – every client has become part of my circle because in order to create the home they love I need to know who they are and allow them to know me so we can connect on a level that allows me to tap into their energy and create a space that is perfect for them.
I LOVE what I do… and am so grateful to Nikki Watson for giving me the opportunity to do what I love as my career. We have taken InStyle Staging Company and grown it into The Design Quad – Staging, Design, Flooring, and Furniture… in less than a year. She no longer works for that flooring company and is a full-time business owner/manager. We have created opportunites for other women to leave the glass ceiling environment and join us as independent contractors in a THE SKY IS THE LIMIT world.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
OH! I got so caught up in my “story” that I may have answered this question already. It has not been a smooth road. Life throws challenges in our paths as opportunities to learn and grow. I always say “never a mistake, always a lesson”.
My biggest struggle this past year since jumping back into self-employment is overcoming fear and constantly manifesting positive energy. Early into this, there were times my bank account was down to less than $20 and I had no active projects… I found that once I stopped worrying and focused on building – it started falling into place.
Fear. I think that is the ultimate struggle. Overcoming fears and forging forward into the unknown has been my greatest accomplishment this past year.
Design Quad – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
We are a well known, reputable staging company that has evolved into something much larger. One of the things that set us apart in the staging area is that we own our inventory so we are able to charge a one time fee for staging a home… no setup fee, no monthly fees… one fee and your property stays staged until it sells.
What sets us apart in Design to Dwell is our approach to design. It’s as much psychological as it is creating a stylish, beautiful space. Creating a bond with our clients and really understanding their needs for functionality in their space. Functionality and Feel. Those 2 things are the most important things to discover when starting a new project with a client – and we take the time to do that. We also extend our vendor discounts to our clients – that is something unheard of in the design world.
What I am most proud of and feel confident in speaking for Nikki here as well – is that we HELP people. Not only our clients but those ladies we mentor and encourage to follow their dreams. We teach classes, offer internships and are mothers, sisters, and life coaches to many.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success for me is being secure. Security is being emotionally and financially stable. I think to lose my best friend changed my perception of success in so many ways. Life is short and can be gone in a blink of an eye. Chasing money and the “American Dream” to me is sad. Success is being who you are, loving yourself and embracing life and all it has to offer.
I feel successful and most wouldn’t agree. My bank account does not look like that of a successful person according to most… ha! But I do not advertise my business – it has grown from absolutely nothing to work with up to 7 clients at one time because my name is in people’s mouths in a positive way.
Contact Info:
- Website: instylestagingdfw.com
- Phone: 972-940-2013
- Email: designwithkimberly@gmail.com
Image Credit:
Shawn Jolly Raw Photography
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