Meet Jessica: Glamour Nest

Jessica, founder of Glamour Nest, is changing the lives of women by providing female interior designers with the resources to start their own businesses without going broke. Her heart is truly to serve other women interior designers to launch and sustain their businesses- this is hard to come by in the interior design industry! Her journey hasn’t followed a straight path but that’s the beauty of it- the winding detours have led her to where she is now. Jessica candidly admits she has to work hard to maintain her “Boss AF” mindset and she isn’t ashamed of that- read how she does this + empowers women in her honest responses to our interview with her!

1. Tell us about who you are and your journey to where you are now!

Oh man, thats a long one with many ups and downs. I grew up in the Fort Worth area (mid cities to be exact) extremely poor. We lived in my parents window tinting shop until I was in the 1st grade and then a 1 bedroom apartment until 3rd grade. My parents were young and my dad struggled with a drug addiction. So lets just say I have a lot of triggers LOL! I have battled with a low self worth, rage, co dependency, people pleasing, depression, hopelessness, major anxiety, an eating disorder, and PTSD. BUT with all the bad there was also so much good. My parents weren't perfect BUT they were still great parents! They have always been extremely supportive and have always told me I was beautiful, smart, and capable of anything I put my mind to! Since they knew they weren't perfect they also created a very safe environment for me to be very open and honest with them. They showed me the importance of hard work and the freedom and excitement of an entrepreneurial spirt. So yes there were some bad times but during those times their encouragement was always swimming around in the back ground of my sub conscious.

I received a scholarship to TCU for acting and at the time I thought-acing was going to be my life!! That is until I moved to Los Angeles. I don't mind admitting that I didn't have a thick enough skin to make it in the entertainment industry. I was constantly told I needed to loose weight. I practically had to starve myself to stay at a size 4 and maintaining a size two was nearly impossible without resorting to some VERY unhealthy habits. I was told that I was "too ugly to be the leading lady but too pretty to be the side kick so there just wasn't a place for me" along with many other discouraging things! There came a point when I realized I wasn't happy and I also realized that I couldn't be happy and healthy and be an actress so I let that dream go. (A quick note here...I think there are a lot of woman who can be an actress and healthy. I have many friends who are, but I am not one of them.) I started looking around for a new path and discovered interior design. Honestly, interior design was actually my first love (as my mother so lovingly reminded me). I use to decorate shoe boxes when I was little and was even an outlaw at Home Depot for taking too many wallpaper samples. So I reached out to a design company and asked to come work for free just so I could learn about the industry. After working for free on the weekends for a few months the owner asked me to come work for her full time. From there I got another free lance job with a design company that allowed me to run my own projects. After being there for a year, the owner of that company decided that all of the freelance designers were now going to be responsible for bringing in our own clients and we wouldn't necessarily get the clients we brought in. Her exact words were...."I don't know if you want to stand out on the 3rd street promenade and hand out flyers but you'll need to bring your own clients in." I remember thinking, if I am going to stand out on the 3rd street and hand out flyers they are going to be my flyers! I didn't mind working for $50 an hour while she charged $150 if she was providing the leads and the marketing, but if I was going to be doing my own marketing then I may as well start my own business. AND I did just that! Glamour Nest was born! Unfortunately, it was 2009 right in the middle of our 21st century depression but I had nothing to loose so I tried. I hustled. I worked my tail off and slowly built my company from nothing (no joke I was broke!) to a company that brings in close to half a million dollars in revenue a year. That’s just with me and a part time assistant. My new dream is to maintain my revenue while only working 20 hours a week. I am soooooo NOT there yet but am working towards that goal with every decision and strategy I implement in my business.

2. What is the mission of your brand? How does it empower women?

I technically have two businesses, but weirdly enough they have similar missions! On the design side I encourage women to embrace who they truly are and build a home to reflect that. There is no sense in designing a home for an idealized version of your self! I want to give them the confidence to fully embrace what they love even if they think it's too wild or not practical. If I can get to the bottom of what they truly love then I can find a way to make it practical! I also encourage them to accept their habits (even bad ones like leaving shoes by the front door) and build a home that supports and works with these habits. This sets them and their family up for success and allows them to live with more peace, harmony, ease and margin in their life! In my business coaching business, I help women entrepreneurS (mostly interior designers) do something very similar but within their business. To me, what is the point of owning a business if it isn't designed to support who I truly am? I think we get so caught up in what society says is successful or what the standard definition of success is in our industry that we chase "dreams" that aren't ours. For example, a standard definition of success in interior design is to have a firm with junior designers and a showroom. I was on that path and was miserable because it wasn't allowing me to live my version of perfect! It wasn't until I got clear on what a perfect day looked like for me that I started to build a business that supported me not just financially but mentally and emotionally. I am all about helping women get clear on what their definition of success is and then making strategic decisions to to build a business that will make living your perfect day or week a reality.

3. How do you collaborate with women working towards a better world?

Again I am coming at it from two different business perspectives with a similar outcome...On the design side I think your home sets the tone for how you show up in the world each and every day. Do you start the day frustrated and frazzled? Are you screaming at your kids to find their shoes and homework? Or are you calm and peaceful surrounded by your unique version of beauty? Are you showing up in the world with full acceptance of who you are and your story? On the business coaching side it's very similar! Are you running around with no margin pleasing everyone but yourself? These questions seem very micro but they actually effect the world! When we show up with acceptance, peace, margin, and clarity, we make better decisions. We are kinder and more encouraging to others. We love easier. We show up as the best versions of ourselves and that creates a ripple effect that can change the world.

4. What is the biggest challenge you’ve had to press through as a female entrepreneur and what are the steps you’ve taken to overcome it?

My biggest challenge has been a bad case of fraud syndrome for sure! Thats right, no outside forces have gotten in my way as much as I have. AND the kicker is - I still struggle with it every. single. day! I have not 100% overcome it. I didn't go to school for interior design and I definitely didn't go to school for business and I let that lack of a formal education cloud my view of reality! Reality is - even without a formal education, I have built a successful design company. I have to hold on to that truth every time I present a design or help a fellow interior designer create a better business. I have a file on my computer that’s named "Boss AF!" and I'm not ashamed to admit that I visit this file quite regularly. It's full of photos of my work, screen shots of my press, testimonials, and messages from people thanking me for how much I have helped them. Another way I am working to overcome this bad case of Fraud Syndrome is to meditate on scripture and God's truths. I also write verses on post it notes and plaster them all over my house. Certain verses give me soooo much confidence! There are too many to share here but a few are Numbers 11:23 "Is there a limit to my power?" My answer to that question is no! If there isn't a limit to God's power than certainly he can and has equipped me! Jeremiah 17:7 "But blessed is the who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him." It is not lost on me that I have accomplished what I have because of him. In so many ways this takes the pressure off of me because it's not because of me that I am blessed, it's because of him. He has and will see me through. Lastly, an oldie but a goodie Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." Or as Marie Forleo puts it "Everything is figureoutable! I work like it depends on me and pray like it depends on God. I don't need to be the expert because he is!

5. What advice would you give to a female entrepreneur in the beginning stages of launching her brand or business?

Take some time to get clear on what your version of success looks like. What does a perfect day, week, and year look like for you? How many hours a day do you work? How much money do you make? Do you work out? Do you drop off and pick up your kiddos from school? Are you at every volleyball game or track meet? You won't necessarily have this ideal day, week, or year from the beginning (building a business does take hard work and some hustle on the front end) but at least you can make educated strategic decisions in your business to bring you closer to your true goals. I'd also encourage people just starting out to take some time to get clarity on who they are! Are you an introvert or an extrovert? If you are an extrovert then having a Facebook group or doing FB Lives will be great! BUT if you're an introvert you might need to build your business differently in order to be happy. AND never listen to anyone who says their way of building a business is the only way to be successful because it's not true! lastly, I would also get clear on your strengths and personality traits and then use what you find to build your brand. In my opinion, building a brand that is an extension of the best version of you will always be successful. Not only will it be more authentic (which always appeals to potential clients) but it will also attract people who will get a long with you. When you're being yourself, you attract like minded people. Lastly, it also makes creating any marketing, business materials, and work flows wayyyyy easier because you're using a voice and a vibe that comes naturally to you.

6. What sets your brand apart from others?

I think my brand is different from others because it's truly me and there isn't anyone else thats exactly like me. Thats the beauty of building a brand that is an extension of the best version of yourself. My brand has taken a more laid back, playful, and casual point of view in an industry that is fairly formal and (quit honestly) a little snooty.

You can check out Jessica’s services here!