My Design Journey: Shea McGee on Taking Risks, Overcoming Imposter Syndrome, and Finding Joy During COVID

written by

Megan Beauchamp.

Updated 05,2020

It's safe to say 2020 will be a year that乳芒吉will never forget. Not only due to the coronavirus pandemic (although, that can't be overlooked), but because the interior designer behindStudio McGeehit several major career milestones. In the midst of COVID, she not only launched her firstcollection in collaboration with Target（在短短几天内售罄），也与Netflix合作创建舞台系列Dream Home Makeover并发布了一本新书，让生活美丽那written in tandem with her husband-slash-business-partner, Syd McGee.

To her one million and counting Instagram followers, the interior designer's journey may look picture-perfect, but it hasn't all been well-appointed interiors and splashy book deals for the husband-and-wife design duo. "We fumbled for a year trying to figure out how to make ends meet and realized that a big gesture and a fresh start were what we needed to dive headfirst into entrepreneurship," she tells MyDomaine. "We had burned through our savings and did not have the luxury of time to let our business grow slowly, so we sold our home, Syd’s truck, and most of our furniture to fund Studio McGee."

前方，谢伊拉回过滤器，讨论了她成为室内设计师的非常规路径，并分享她对任何空间增加了简单，廉价的美丽的提示。

neutral living room designed by Studio McGee — Lucy Call

Mydomaine：你的设计的道路只是线性的。在获得公共关系学位后不久，您意识到您的真正呼叫，并决定追求设计的职业生涯。你是如何在行业开始并进行过渡的？

SHEA MCGEE:I’ve always been enamored by personal style and design, but I was afraid to take the interior route because I didn’t consider myself a true creative. I can’t draw very well, and I didn’t want to fail in those technical courses. Once Syd and I moved into our first newlywed apartment, all I could think about was transforming our 400 square-foot box into something that felt more like home. I was not passionate about my day job and spent all of my spare time pouring over design magazines and blogs.

Syd鼓励我回到学校，即使我刚刚在公共关系学位上毕业了几年。在为当地社区学院邮寄的传单后，我意识到这是我在不戒掉工作的情况下测试室内设计的完美方式。当我们保存足够的钱来购买我们的第一家，我开始在晚上在前几周内拆除厨房，同时在晚上在设计课程。这个家是我的投资组合建设者，我在这次开始为朋友和邻居的小咨询项目。Step by step, each project grew in scale until I had a full client roster and a growing Instagram account that gave Syd and I the confidence to go into business together.

MD：只有几个学期的设计教育，没有备份计划和一个全新的宝宝，你带着销售你的家的风险，并以一种新的，较贵的国家开始，以全新的资金你的事。带我们回到那一刻 - 你是如何移动过去的恐惧来追求你的梦想以及你可以分享哪种建议？

SM：我们扼杀了一年的时间试图弄清楚如何使他们结识并意识到一个重要的姿态和新的开始是我们需要潜入创业的事物。我们通过储蓄烧毁，没有奢侈的时间让我们的业务缓慢增长，所以我们卖掉了我们的家，Syd的卡车，以及我们的大部分家具到基于Studio McGee。

I look back and still can’t believe that we were so gutsy. The months leading up to that decision were filled with fear and uncertainty, but once we were fully committed to building our business, the fear disappeared and was replaced with a fire to chase our dream. My advice would be to just keep going. Each success we experienced has not been without opposition and challenges along the way.

MD：如何处理Ippostor综合征，害怕失败，以及作为室内设计师的错误，特别是当图像完美的形象是您品牌的必不可少的元素？

SM：我认为管理这些挑战的方法是专注于工作。当我们在比较和恐惧中变得过于包裹时，没有足够的时间或能量来创造力茁壮成长。

MD：谈到图片 - 完美，你在Instagram上建立了一个令人印象深刻的社区 - 超过了超过一百万追随者和数量的追随者！您将您的成功归于您的成功以及您可以分享想要在平台上突破的有抱负的设计师的建议？

SM：继续前进！一致性是增长的关键。此外，通过尽最大努力回应社区中的追随者并与您遵循的人员互动的信息来欣赏。

MD: In the midst of a pandemic, you launched your first collection in collaboration with Target—and it sold out within just a few days. Congratulations! What was your reaction when you got the news that the collection had sold out so quickly and what can we expect next?

SM：I stayed up until all night to be a part of the launch, and we were completely blown away by the response. You can expect a holiday collection soon and even more launches in the coming months.

MD: People around the country are spending more time at home than ever before due to COVID. What tips can you share for adding simple, inexpensive touches of beauty to your surroundings to lift your spirits and inspire you to keep creating a life you love?

SM：我在手套箱里留着一把剪刀，所以我可以在任何地方偷偷摸摸一个美丽的分支！无论大小或预算如何，觅食绿色的高度和戏剧为家庭增加了这么多的生命。我每天早上睡觉，在家中照亮蜡烛，我是一个大的信徒。此外，清洁空间对我们的感受产生了这么大的差异。