Her Story
About Sarah
Sarah Fishburne is a seasoned trend forecaster, interior designer, and product strategy leader with over 20 years of experience shaping consumer-driven design at scale. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Interior Design from the University of Georgia, where she developed a strong foundation in design principles, materials, and spatial planning that would later evolve into a career spanning both residential design and large-scale retail strategy. Her early professional work was at a design firm where she contributed to projects ranging from Section 8 housing to multi-million-dollar residential communities, giving her a comprehensive understanding of design across diverse economic and functional contexts.
In 2005, she joined The Home Depot’s Expo Design Center, where she played a key role in advancing the company’s design and merchandising capabilities. One of her most notable achievements was helping launch the Martha Stewart Living brand partnership, which scaled into a billion-dollar business within 18 months. Over her 20-year tenure with the organization, she progressed into leadership roles overseeing trend, design, and industrial design teams responsible for defining product direction across major home categories including flooring, paint, textiles, cabinetry, patio, and seasonal décor. Her work focused on translating global cultural insights and emerging design movements into commercially successful product strategies deployed across thousands of retail locations nationwide.
Today, she is the Founder of SHF Consulting, where she advises major retailers and manufacturers on trend forecasting, product development, and assortment strategy with a forward-looking focus extending through 2028. Her consulting practice bridges the gap between inspirational design and retail execution, helping organizations anticipate consumer behavior, refine brand direction, and develop products that are both trend-relevant and commercially viable. She is recognized for her ability to align global trend intelligence with practical retail strategy, consistently driving innovation and performance in the home and lifestyle industries.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Sarah
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to a strong work ethic, a willingness to take on challenges that push me outside of my comfort zone, and a practical approach to continuous learning. I do not shy away from work that feels intimidating; instead, I view it as an opportunity to grow and expand my capabilities. I also recognize the value of collaboration and actively seek out the expertise of others when needed, remaining open to guidance and input from those with deeper or more specialized knowledge. This balance of determination, humility, and resourcefulness has consistently enabled me to deliver strong results and evolve throughout my career.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I have ever received is to “take the call.” In practice, this means staying open to opportunities that may not initially align with your expectations or career plan but could lead to meaningful growth or unexpected direction. It is about being willing to engage in conversations, listen actively, and consider paths you may not have previously envisioned. This mindset has reinforced the importance of curiosity, flexibility, and openness in shaping a long-term career trajectory.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice to young women entering this industry is to not be afraid to acknowledge what you do not know and to remain open to learning at every stage of your career. Growth comes from being receptive to feedback, asking questions, and actively seeking out knowledge from those with more experience. Equally important is developing a strong sense of self-awareness understanding your strengths as well as your gaps because recognizing where you need to grow is what ultimately positions you to improve and advance with intention.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The retail and home products industry is currently facing significant challenges driven by macroeconomic pressures such as tariffs, inflation, and rising housing costs, all of which directly influence consumer spending on home goods and require more disciplined approaches to pricing, sourcing, and product development. At the same time, I see meaningful opportunity in the increasing level of design awareness among consumers, largely shaped by social media and digital inspiration platforms, which has elevated expectations and created demand for more thoughtful, well-designed, and higher-quality products. In response to this evolving landscape, I focus on balancing cost pressures with elevated design standards, ensuring that the products and strategies I develop remain both commercially viable and aligned with the heightened expectations of today’s more design-savvy consumer.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values most important to me in both my work and personal life are a commitment to listening, letting data and facts guide decision-making, and remaining grounded in objective insight rather than personal opinion. I place a high value on loyalty and the importance of building strong, long-term relationships rooted in trust and consistency. Above all, I believe in doing what is right for both the customer and the business, ensuring that decisions are balanced, ethical, and focused on creating sustainable value.
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