Welcome to my world, I am so excited you're here!
That Must Be So Much Fun!
If you've ever introduced yourself as a Home Stager, chances are you have encountered the common misconception that it must be so much fun to stage beautiful homes for a living, I mean, how hard can it be to fluff pillows and make flower arrangements? Wake up Cinderella!, it's time to move the sofa to the top floor and make sure not to scratch the wall as you go up the narrow stairwell, wait a minute? do you have insurance?
While it certainly has its enjoyable aspects, there is so much more to professional staging than having "an eye" for design and the love of decorating. And it is certainly not playing house. In future editions, I will be sharing my personal experiences and diving into the realities of entrepreneurship, pro tips, tricks and tools that will help you grow, scale and thrive.
Despite the intricacies, home staging is a very fulfilling and lucrative business. if you have the right tools and are ready to put in the work, what you put in is what you get out of it.
My Journey
This blog is born out of my passion for home staging and design, real estate marketing, entrepreneurship, education, and women empowerment. With nearly three decades of combined experience in various fields, including Multimedia Design, Real Estate, Merchandising, Human Resources, Business Management, and Training, I'm excited to spill the tea on all things home staging. From the exciting creative aspects to the boring but crucial business operations, I hope to share valuable insights so you can operate at a high level, working smart, to achieve financial success and true freedom.
From Real Estate to Home Staging
Part of my real estate career was spent as a Licensed Broker and Lead Agent at Redfin in the Seattle area where I had the opportunity to teach the proprietary Redfin Home Buying Class, as part of Redfin's client education initiative. Providing aspiring homebuyers with expert guidance on their path to homeownership was a true privilege and a joy. This experience granted me a unique perspective on how people interact with homes on both sides of the aisle of buying and selling. I discovered the art and psychology of marketing real estate through design.
I consider myself a student for life. I have documented all of my discoveries and failures into a curriculum that I now teach as a Home Staging Course to Interior Designers based in my home country Nigeria. I am honored to be instrumental in helping Designers discover a new skill and the opportunity for a new income stream.
Humble Beginnings
The turning point came when I decided to pursue my passion and natural talent to become a home stager. With minimal resources, I founded Genesis Home Staging, a boutique company based in the Seattle area. Running a home staging business while catering to a busy family life meant making sacrifices. Grabbing fast-food dinners from McDonald's or Chick-fil-A as we shuttled between job sites and kids' activities, all while surrounded by pillows and accessories in the car. That is what work-life balance looked like in my world and it helped instill the spirit of entrepreneurship in my kids as they became an essential part of the Genesis journey. From helping out with small tasks to supporting me during busy days, they embraced the role of unpaid helpers, sometimes with enthusiasm.
Genesis went on to earn six figures in our first year and continues to grow and thrive Year Over Year. Despite being a testament to hard work and dedication, I am not a unicorn and this success story is not uncommon in the home staging industry. To reap the rewards, it is important to start right and maintain consistency.
You're Not Alone
The road to entrepreneurship is never easy, but passion, perseverance, and the support of loved ones and mentors can make all the difference. Embrace your dreams, ask for help! People want to help you but won't know what you need unless you ask.
My family, friends, staff, mentor figures, and colleagues have been instrumental in this rewarding adventure. With determination and a little creativity, family, and business can thrive hand in hand. If this is what you truly want, then go for it, if this Nigerian girl can do it, so can you!
Connect And Grow With Me
Whether you are still wondering if you can make money as a Home Stager or you are established but feeling stuck, schedule a FREE, No no-obligation one-on-one strategy session with me and let us work together to create a roadmap from where you are to where you want to be.
Leave a comment, share your wins and wants, and let me know what you would like me to blog about.
Start where you are, Use what you have, Grow And Thrive!
First, thank you for sharing! I look forward to learning about the complexities of home staging and how to navigate. It was a pleasure meeting you at Resacon!