Bonnie J. Lewis

A great deal of my success traces back to my mother.

She had a tough life growing up and worked hard. In Ohio, where I grew up, most mothers were homemakers. Mine owned a business, a professional cake decorating store where she taught classes and sold supplies. I started working there voluntarily and joyfully at 10. By 12, I was running the store on Saturdays while my parents drove to Detroit for the day.

Women would come in with no ideas, just a need. A child's birthday cake, a special occasion, something that mattered to them. I would listen, quickly envision a design, and dash around that store pulling every decoration needed to bring it to life. I'd lay it all out and show them exactly how to decorate the cake. They bought what I showed them. But I was never thinking about selling. I was thinking about helping them.

That is essentially what I do now, just with decades of refined knowledge and advanced skills behind it. I present clients with space and electrical plans, elevation drawings, finishes, fixtures, materials, colors, furniture, and lighting to achieve the space they dream of. More than 95% of the time, I am spot on. They don't ask for changes. What I realize is that I have been doing this work my entire life — the scale and sophistication evolved, but the talent and instinct were always there.

Both of my parents modeled an extraordinary work ethic and taught me to always do my best. That drive, and a desire for excellence, have never left me.

My mother's best career advice was simple "Don't ever take any crap from guys." That shaped how I navigate every challenge — with confidence and without apology.

It sounds blunt — because it is. But that one sentence taught me self-respect and assertiveness before I even entered the workforce. It has guided me throughout my career, particularly in male-dominated professional settings. My mother was right. Knowing your worth and holding your ground isn't just good advice, it's a survival skill.

Get a college degree in interior design. Not just because you need it, because it's a genuinely good education, and it will prepare you for the reality of professional practice.

I went back to college to earn my interior design degree and was in school alongside a lot of younger students. What I witnessed firsthand was the disillusionment that set in once the real curriculum began. Many came in thinking interior design was primarily about selecting beautiful things. What they discovered is that it involves technology, science, and rigorous problem-solving, not just art and decoration. Some dropped out near the end. That was hard to watch. The time, the money, the effort — and they walked away just before the finish line.

I trace a lot of that back to HGTV and home improvement shows. Those programs are made for entertainment. They are not real-world design. Professional interior design is both an art and a science, and there is far more to it than what appears on television.

Go in with clear eyes. The work is demanding and deeply rewarding — but only if you're prepared for what it actually is.

One of the most significant opportunities in my field today is that more adults than ever want to remain in their own homes all the way through retirement — rather than move to assisted living. That desire is real. The gap is awareness.

Most homeowners don't know that their home was never designed or built to support them as they age beyond 55. According to a Harvard Housing study, 97% of U.S. homes are not aging in place ready. That's not a minor gap — it's nearly universal unpreparedness.

The bigger challenge is the timing misconception. Homeowners tend to believe they are too young to act. In reality, having your home professionally designed and remodeled for aging in place before you need it is a proactive, preventative measure — one that boosts longevity, preserves independence, and protects your ability to stay in the home you love. It is a wise investment from both a wellness and a financial perspective. A well-designed home costs significantly less than assisted living — and it gives you something assisted living never can: your own life, on your own terms.

My Christian faith is the foundation of everything — how I work, how I treat people, and how I show up in the world. From there, the values that guide me are consistent whether I'm working at my computer or living my personal life: being a good citizen, working hard, helping others, and maintaining my independence and self-reliance.

I also believe in having the courage to stand up for myself when it matters. In business and in life, that's not always easy — but it's necessary.