Hi there, designer 👋
As I write this, I'm getting ready to send my final newsletter until end of August.
For the fourth summer in a row, I'm stepping away from work, spending time with my family, and taking our annual trip to Europe.
And it has me thinking about something I haven't reflected on in a while:
The freedom I was working for.
Every year when I make this decision, I'm reminded of one very important question:
Why did I start my business in the first place?
Years ago, when I left my corporate job, I wasn't simply chasing entrepreneurship.
I wasn't dreaming about building a design firm, hiring employees to expand etc.
I wasn't trying to fill every hour of every day with more projects, more meetings, or more responsibilities.
What I wanted was freedom.
Freedom to work hard when it made sense.
Freedom to be present with my family when it mattered most.
Freedom to build a schedule around my life instead of building my life around a schedule.
That vision still guides many of the decisions I make today.
I work incredibly hard throughout the year.
In fact, if I'm being honest, I think I've watched exactly two movies this year.
One in the winter. One in the spring.
Most days are structured around work, family, school schedules, client projects, and everything else that comes with running a business.
But I don't resent those busy seasons.
Because they're part of the agreement I made with myself.
Every summer, we take our family trip to Europe.
For two or three weeks, we unplug. We slow down.
We explore new places. We spend long days together without rushing from one obligation to the next.
And those moments have become some of my favorite memories.
(Photos from our last year's trip to Greece, we spent 3 weeks in Europe!)
The older I get, the more I realize that time is the one thing we can never earn back.
Projects will always be there. Emails will always be there.
Opportunities will always be there. But our children don't stay little forever.
The summers don't last forever.
And neither do the moments we tell ourselves we'll make time for "someday."
What's interesting is that taking this time away from work feels easier now than it did years ago.
Partly because I've built a business that supports my lifestyle instead of competing with it.
And partly because I've learned that everything doesn't need to happen right now.
My large renovation project is in process, but construction timelines have shifted and many of the design decisions won't need my attention until later in the fall. Win win scenario!
Another client project is progressing steadily, but they've already decided they'd like to pick things back up more seriously after the summer. Win win scenario!
And where I live, something else happens this time of year.
People slow down. Families travel. Kids are home.
Clients spend time at the beach, at camps, on vacation, and with the people they love.
I've always appreciated that about this community.
There's an understanding that life isn't meant to be lived at full speed all year long.
And maybe that's the lesson I find myself thinking about most right now.
Success isn't only about building a profitable business.
It's about building a life you actually want to live.
For me, that life includes ambitious goals, meaningful work, beautiful projects, and a business I'm proud of.
But it also includes long summer days, family dinners, European vacations, slower mornings, and time away from my computer.
That's what I was working toward all along.
Thank you for spending part of your year with me.
I hope you have a beautiful summer filled with rest, laughter, family, and whatever matters most to you.
I'll see you again when school starts. 🤍
Ana 🌸
Interior Design Den
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