20 Years

This journey has been full of moments you never expect to face, but you somehow find yourself taking the leap, trusting you’ll see yourself through the next challenge, no matter what lies ahead. It’s a form of free falling, risk-taking, gambling. In the leaps I’ve taken along the way, so much has happened to bring me to this point. Looking back, it’s been a 25-year experience of simply learning, day by day.

20 years of lessons learned

When I entered college, I was a naïve dreamer, trying to make a name for myself. But more importantly, I wanted to provide for myself and my three beautiful kids, who are the reason I work so hard. Each small lesson has added up to big life lessons, in both my career in interior design and my personal life.

• 2004: You have to start somewhere.
• 2005: You have to be in two places at once. Sacrifice personal time and funds to do what you want.
• 2006: When the stars align, don’t waste time worrying—go for it.
• 2007: A lot of firsts, and a lot of mistakes.
• 2008: Routines are essential.
• 2009: The pressure to please is real, but growth happens when you dig into the details.
• 2010: My time as a mother was what I needed for me. My time as an interior designer was what I needed to provide for myself and my baby.
• 2011: Early mornings and late nights. I was taught to always work hard, and harder if need be.
• 2012: Running 26 miles teaches you that you’re made of stronger stuff.
• 2013: I love this more than a paycheck.
• 2014: You are made of stronger stuff, and then some. Your clients are okay.
• 2015: I am unstoppable because I believe I am.
• 2016: My love language is babies and interior design.
• 2017: Juggling is my strong suit, until it’s not. Letting go of unhealthy things is essential for survival.
• 2018: Put your head down, be humble, and do the work. Distractions may comfort you, but they can also destroy you.
• 2019: You are always alone. Be okay with that. Have a purpose, and show up.
• 2020: You can start over as many times as you need. The things you thought had died inside you are more alive than you think.
• 2021: You can build the future you want. Take the people who are willing to work alongside you.
• 2022: Just when you think things can’t get worse—but bearable—they can, and they still are. The work to get through them will be life-changing.
• 2023: Friends are sometimes foes. Employees are never friends, but should be treated like gold. Once they leave, let them go in peace, even if it burns like hell.
• 2024: Clients have needs, and the more patient yet firm we are, the better the results. Let go of those you need to, and move forward with those ready for change and growth

Continuing in gratitude

I’ve learned that hitting my 20th year is just that—a mile marker, a check-in. It feels like another house, full of beauty, grace, and subtle moments that take your breath away. I’m lucky to celebrate this milestone with Utah Style & Design and a wonderful new team of employees at HuGA Home. We’re gearing up to continue the work—to design and build with the end in mind and to keep pushing forward. If this is a “coming of age” party, I’m honored to have made it here.

I’m honored to work alongside Bart Smith, Chad Boyce, Brett Boyce, and the team at Split Rock Custom Homes. I’m thrilled to collaborate with Wayne Anderson and Brodie Taylor of Anderson Custom Homes. I’ve loved working with Dennis Miller Homes, Dennis, Jared, and Tyler Miller; Steve Dockstader of Ironstone Construction; AJ Construction; Austin Anderson; Craig Norton; Joel Moody; Beau Davis; Brian Geer and his team at Brian Geer Development; Greg and Jason Ence of Greg Ence Construction; Ethan Anderson of Legit Construction, and many more. I’ve worked on homes designed by McQuay Architects, Jeff Andrews, Archibald Home Design, Scott Hughes, Talbot Architects, Mark Phelps, Trey Hoff, and Joel Bringhurst. I cherish working with my friend Jeff Norton, who treats me like family.

To my lifelong teachers and mentors, Michael Rennick and KASI Miller—you mean the world to me. My stars were forever enriched because of your lessons. Thank you for teaching this lady. To Annie Routh Brudno, for fueling the dream and lighting the fire in my freshman year at SUU—thank you. To my friends along the way, though many have come and gone (both for the better and some not so much), you taught me many lessons, especially that of letting go.

To those who sought to tear me down, thank you for making me push harder through fear and pain. You helped me grow. To my family—parents, cousins, siblings, grandkids, stepkids, and especially my kids—I love you endlessly. You are written in my soul. I long for all of you, and the beauty of missing you is what I show in my work.

To my clients—the Brinkerhoffs, Larsons, Misterleys, Andersons, Berrys, Wilsons, Richens, Ahees, Coes, Payzants, and countless others—thank you for letting me design for you. It has healed my heart in times of great personal need and pushed me outside my comfort zones. I’m never one to hold back. Thank you for showing me your unique personalities and allowing me to create for each of you.

To the countless subcontractors who have been my friends and worked alongside me, I’m forever grateful for each of you—there are so many.

The best is yet to come

I’ve often wondered what I’d do if I didn’t do this. There are many things—improving our legal system comes to mind. But nothing fills my soul the way custom home building does. This is it for me. I’m not going anywhere anytime soon, and there are still lessons to be learned.

To my best friend, love of my life, and partner—we’ve got this! You remind me that the key to this life is simply gratitude.

I share this poem by Theodore Roosevelt, which was shared with me six years ago during a life-changing moment:

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” ― Theodore Roosevelt

Here’s Lindsey Stirling’s musical interpretation of this poem: https://youtu.be/4MCjU-Du3eI