Today we’d like to introduce you to Iesha Joseph.
Hi Iesha, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve been interested in design for as long as I can remember. Like most millennials, I grew up in the age of reality TV, including the significant growth of HGTV. I was always amazed at the ability to transform a home but never really considered it a viable career option. After graduating college, I worked as a teacher for several years before transitioning into talent recruitment. Although I enjoyed my work, I never lost the itch to have a creative career.
In December of 2022, a good friend asked me to design her daughter’s playroom. I said yes and decided it would be my litmus test as to whether or not I could actually pursue a career in interiors. The project turned out well and I was excited to pursue my new venture.
As the universe would have it, 1 month later, I was impacted by one of the many waves of tech layoffs and found myself unexpectedly unemployed. Fortunately, I had the support of my husband to pursue design full-time while still looking for a day job.
Over the last year, I’ve focused on building my portfolio one project at time, big or small. In addition to taking on projects I also committed to being consistently active on social media to improve my credibility and widen my audience for potential clients.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has not been a smooth road, at all. I will say that I am fortunate to have a very good friend that also works as a designer in Texas, so her support and mentorship has been vital to my success.
Building clientele for a luxury service has been the hardest part of design, so with every new client, I am grateful for their trust in me to create a bespoke space that improves their quality of life.
Over the last couple of years, I have learned that entrepreneurship isn’t linear and that if I want to reach my goals, I have to persist and overcome adversity consistently.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next, you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Premier Co. Design is a boutique interior design studio based in Dallas that specializes in creating bespoke spaces for better living.
We primarily take on residential projects ranging from 1 room transformations to full renovations. We offer a range of services, but our most common offering is our full-service design package. This is ideal for clients that are busy professionals and would prefer to have their designer handle the process from start to finish. This includes creating the design, procuring the products, project management and finishing the project with professional installation and styling to curate a cohesive space.
We also believe that design should be accessible to all so we also offer services like E-design only and Designer for a Day for clients that want a professionally designed space that they can implement on their own time and budget.
Our ability to meld the Premier Co. Design aesthetic with the client’s personal style is a unique identifier of our brand.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I am generally a risk-averse person, but having the opportunity to pursue my passion motivated me to take risks. I would not have been able to grow my business over the last year without taking strategic risks.
My first big risk was investing money to upgrade and design my own home after being recently laid off. Having only 1 project in my portfolio, I knew that I needed more completed projects to show potential clients what I was capable of. With only a few thousand dollars to spend, I gave my entry, living, and dining room a much-needed refresh and also hired a professional photographer to shoot the finished product. I knew, in my gut, that I would get a return on my investment, but I was still terrified and had no idea how long it would take to break even.
Contact Info:
- Website: premiercodesign.com
- Instagram: premiercodesign_
Image Credits
Becca Lea Photography
Dear Marlowe Photography
