Michelle Pierce

I attribute my success to being an avid learner and staying curious about everything. I've always been very strategic about taking positions that would teach me things I didn't feel like I had learned in school - whether that was managing a tile and stone showroom or working for a bathroom remodeler, I was constantly honing my craft and developing myself as a person. I'm also an avid mentee and do a ton of coaching because I believe that working on your mindset and growing your mind is critical. I think that if you approach life with an air of curiosity, even if people don't agree with you or have a different way of doing something, you can ask 'tell me more about that' instead of just reacting negatively. That sense of curiosity is where a lot of your mind shift stuff can come from. I've had incredible mentors like Erin Green, who's a financial coach and Profit First specialist, and my life coach who helped me when I had to close my first firm after a partnership didn't work out. Having people in my circle that I can give back to but also rely on to help right my mind and give me the support I need has been paramount. I also believe in staying authentic and flexible - I literally have a little Gumby on my desk that reminds me to be flexible like Gumby, because you have to pivot and think outside the box, especially in a soft market.

The best career advice I’ve ever received came from a mentor who insisted that anyone in management must understand profit and loss statements and balance sheets. Learning how every decision impacts the bottom line was truly pivotal in shaping how I approach business.

One of the biggest things that I think is so hard to learn, especially when you're younger, is just developing that self-confidence. A lot of times the students are like, oh my god, there's so many designers already out there, we have such a saturated market, and we do. However, I'm like, yes, but you know what? Those employers already know that you're barely coming out of school, and guess what? They're looking for what is your superpower. I literally have goosebumps just by saying that, just because I believe in it so much. You have to find whatever your own superpower is, and it might not be all the things. You don't have to be all the things, you just have to be you. And that is what we're looking for. Your resume is going to come across my desk, I'm like, cool, brand new student, yeah, but tell me why you're awesome. What makes you awesome? That's what I want to know. I think that the more that we're able to kind of step into that kind of power, because I don't think that that's arrogance. I think that that's the beauty of God put each one of us on this earth because we're only supposed to be us. We're supposed to be unique. If we're trying to be like everybody else, then we're just gonna get lost in that. So the more we can just own our awesomeness, then that is really where we shine, I believe.

Right now, we have a very interesting market - we're in a rather soft market because a lot is happening in the economy, and gas, and people are uncertain, and all that kind of stuff. One of the most important things for me right now as a business owner is to make sure that I am flexible. I literally have a little Gumby on my desk, and it reminds me, be flexible like Gumby, because you do have to pivot, and you do have to think outside the box, and you have to make sure that you're coming at everything from a client's perspective, and making sure that you're providing value enough for them to say, you're my person. Not only do I believe in who you are, but also I can see where you're going to take this project. Pivoting and just figuring out what else can we do, or what else do we need to do to make sure that we're staying relevant, and top of mind, and all kinds of things like that is critical, because there are a million builders, there's a million designers, and so it is hard sometimes. It's no different than very seasoned veterans - finding yourself and staying authentic, and then figuring out what else you can do to make a go of making your dreams come to fruition.

Honestly, I would say honesty and integrity are at the top of my list. I just think making sure that you can trust people, and that people place their trust in me, and I just do not take that lightly. It takes a lot of courage for people to say, here's gobs and tons of money, and my home, this is the most sacred place you could possibly be, and I'm turning it over to you. Please be a good steward. That is just paramount for me. The value that I hold extremely high in my life is making sure that I am always a curious learner. I think that if you approach life with an air of curiosity, even if people don't agree with you, or they might have a different way of doing something, it's like, oh, that's interesting, tell me more about that, instead of just reacting negatively. That sense of curiosity is where a lot of your mind shift stuff can come from if you're open and willing to consider all of that. I definitely believe in serving first. That is a huge guiding light for me personally, just making sure that I always have that emphasis on making a difference instead of just sitting here thinking that the whole world is all about me. Family is paramount to me, so making sure that I carve out time for my husband, most especially, and my family, and myself. It took me a long time to be okay with having my own voice, and being okay with taking care of my own self so that I could be a good person to other people, for other people.