FEATURED ON THIS EPISODE:

INTERIOR DESIGNER’S GUIDE TO CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE:

HOW CHANGE CAN TURN FROM OVERWHELMING INTO EXHILARATING

THERE WILL ALWAYS BE NEW THINGS TO LEARN IN CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT

HOW TO LOOK AT CHANGE AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO EVOLVE MORE INTO YOUR EXPERTISE

---

Early in my career, everything was new, and it was really overwhelming. 

The newer designers I talk to are also experiencing those same feelings of being overwhelmed. There’s a lot going on. There’s language they don’t understand, and they’re still learning skills and best practices. 

About ten years into my career, I experienced more changes. Those were on the personal front. I left New York City, went back to my home state and town, and started my own practice. While I ‘chose’ that direction, I experienced a lot of change. Although it was overwhelming, it was exhilarating at the same time. And that, I think, is the more important way to describe it.

The good news is, and what I want and hope for each of you, is that over time, change will become less overwhelming or offputting.

I’m not saying you won’t be exhausted, but it doesn’t feel as overwhelming. My career has sort of ebbed and flowed from exciting new things to eventually becoming normal, to exciting again, back to normal, relatable things that came more easily. I know I am not the only one in construction management without those ebbs and flows. So, I want to normalize them as much as possible. 

In today’s episode, I wanted to share the new things I’ve recently learned and how incredible it is that once you learn something, it almost brings more of it into your universe. I find that when I hear a term, project, or resource, I suddenly notice it everywhere.

In this episode, I’m sharing a story about a designer who reached out to me and asked me a question using a term that I had to ask for clarification on.

I hope this empowers you to do the same thing. It’s okay not to understand every single term you’re going to hear from every single tradesperson you’re going to come into contact with. 

Learning this new term also taught me more about zoning, which was something else I could add to my toolbox. I now understand this process, and I can forewarn clients about what to be aware of. I am that much more of an expert in this direction, and I want this for each of you as well. No matter where you are in the world, there may be zoning requirements that you have to contend with.  

I say all of this because I’m excited to learn new things, and I want you to be as well! You’ve probably heard me say this before, and you’ll hear me say it again in the future: There is no way you can know everything. It’s just impossible. So you’re going to have to give yourself a break and change your mindset so that it is not a negative; it is an incredibly positive!