Ever wondered how someone makes it as their own boss? What it takes to run your own business? Here at VIP, we love speaking to some of Ireland’s top business people to find out the secrets to their success.
This week we chatted to interior designer Suzie McAdam after the launch of the brand new Three stores around Ireland. We spoke about the designs behind this, her business, striking a work/life balance and working on RTE Home of the Year.
Have you always dreamed of owning your own business?
Yes, I’ve always admired entrepreneurs and dreamed of becoming one. One of my favourite movies growing up was Baby Business where Diane Keaton founds her own company so maybe the writing was on the wall.
What have been the biggest challenges you have faced?
Building a team was definitely a challenge around five years ago when things started to take off but now we have an incredibly talented design team that create unique designs for our clients.
How do you balance work/home life as a business owner?
This is always a challenge and I’m not sure if I get it right always, but working from home has been a big benefit for me, as I get more morning and evening time with my son.
Do you find that you often bring your work home?
So much of what I do is inspired by what I see, whether it’s a movie set or an art documentary so I never really switch off but I like that about my industry as you are constantly being inspired and evolving by what is happening In the world.
What advice would you give a young woman who wants to be her own boss?
I think you should be confident and really own whatever industry you want to venture into. Self belief and self worth are so vital. If you don’t believe in your own capability then it might be hard to convince a potential client or investor to, so start with your own journey and go from there.
What do you wish you’d known when you first started out?
Not to punish yourself over the things that can and do go wrong. I would constantly worry about potential problems or become very stressed over any issues that occurred but normally a solution can always be found and it’s not worth losing sleep over.
It’s how you deal with a problem and solve it and overcome it, that is most valuable in a business. As inevitably something will crop up.
What has been your biggest business mistake?
I think not trusting your instinct on things, I’ve learnt over the years that your gut reaction to a situation is normally pretty accurate.
What lessons did it teach you?
In business sometimes you can overanalyse a situation, but often your initial sense and intuition is often the right direction to go in, so now I always revert to my own business instincts.
What has been your biggest achievement?
I think winning Image Interior Designer of the Year in 2019, it’s such a prestigious award and I had always admired the other winners so to be nominated and then take home the title was a real achievement and something I felt very lucky and proud of receiving this.
What are your plans for the next five years?
I would love to do more international work, we are currently working on projects in the UK and New York, and it’s been really exciting developing that side of the business. We have also launched our e-shop, so I’m thrilled to see that grow and reach some new markets. I’d also love to do some more TV projects and look forward to developing some ideas for this.
Can you tell us a little about your exciting new work with Three?
I was thrilled to be invited to the virtual unveiling of the new three store experience. I loved the interior design direction of warm woods and the Scandinavian feel which is perfect for browsing the new collections of lifestyle and home products. You’ll still find the latest phone technology but I like that you can find home products that can improve and elevate your daily routine.