My journey as a Black Home Staging professional has been colorful, and I’m proud to be affiliated with IAHSP, International Association of Home Staging Professionals. I’m grateful to our industry for showcasing some beautiful and talented men and women of color and their staging projects from all over the country. When I first started my journey as a Home Stager I did not know of anyone in my area that looked like me. Unfortunately, I was unable to find a mentor at the time who could show me the ropes and prevent me from making some mistakes along the way, but that’s ok. Experience is the greatest teacher.
Once I started to figure things out, I was committed to helping new home stagers find their place and their voice within our community. For me, there was no competition that I needed to worry about. I came to learn that there are so many homes that need our service, there is no way that one stand-alone company could do it all. There is plenty of space in the sandbox for everyone to play. Hence, community trumps competition. Just find your place, hone in on your avatar client, and do the work with passion and commitment. Like anything else, it takes time to perfect your skill-set, knowledge-base and confidence. Now, 18 years later, I have served the community as acting President of the South Florida Chapter of Professional Home Stagers from 2019 - 2021. I have an In-House Training and Mentoring division that helps guide new stagers as they begin their careers.
My next project is “The Captiva Self-Care” Project. The goal is to help single moms create a beautiful space in their home for themselves. Your home is your retreat, or at least it should be. Your home should make you feel at ease, safe and loved. It’s important for me to give back to the industry and to the community. I want to see people win in life whether it be personally, professionally or spiritually. I’m still growing in all these areas too, as I consider myself a lifelong learner. I’ll end by saying I’m grateful for the journey, and I look forward to what’s ahead. Stay tuned!