Today we’d like to introduce you to Shannon Tate-Giordano.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Well, perusing architecture books and sketching designs of my dream home was my favorite pass time as a kid. Which in retrospect, does seem like a funny thing for a kid to be doing. But, my father had been an architecture major in college before switching to graphic design, and he really fostered the interest. My parents also let me have free reign over my bedroom. I can remember creating this very colorful abstract drawing when I was around 10 and telling my parents that I wanted to make it really big and paint it on my bedroom wall. And, they let me! I was constantly rearranging my room and definitely had a very emotional relationship with my space. I loved the power of changing up the vibe, by moving things around.
When it came time to go to college, my father told me there was a career called “interior design” and I immediately thought it sounded perfect for me. I went to school for Interior Design in NYC, but ended up leaving in my second year after a having a disappointing interaction with one of my professors. We were told to design a home for a pretend client, source all the furniture and decor, create a moodboard, etc. I decided my client would be Jeff Buckley (because I was mad for him at the time) and I decided that instead of a regular rug on the floor, what would be more meaningful to Jeff, would be the words to his favorite song painted on the floor in a rectangle and arrange his furniture around that. I thought this idea was kind of amazing. I was so damn excited to hand in my project. I handed it in and my professor basically hated the idea. He also gave me a poor grade and told me I should have sourced a “regular rug”. That moment affected me so profoundly that it made me think “if that’s not what interior design is, then I don’t want to work in this field.”
I was 18/19 at the time and I had no concept at all of “making my own rules” of what design would be. Additionally, I was always very hooked on the idea of whatever career I had, really inspiring and helping people on a deeper level, so my professor being so turned off by it, made me feel like this must just be the wrong path for me. I left school, went back to school for a bunch of other things, I also tried acting, writing, art, and holistic health & life coaching. But, I always missed design. It was a thing I would constantly bring up to my husband and parents, saying I wanted to go back to school and finish, but I kept thinking it was too late to start over. But, after about 4 years working as a Health & Life Coach and helping people, to live well, live healthy, design the life they love and go after what they want, I realized if I didn’t go after what I actually wanted, then I was a total hypocrite. So, I dropped everything, hired a coach for myself and redesigned my own life to be what I wanted it to be and I founded my own firm in 2012.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I wouldn’t say it’s been smooth, but also not terribly bumpy. Certainly the most painful of the struggles I have been through have been self-inflicted. Self-doubt, worry, taking on too much at once, not asking for help when I need it. I have a major “go-getter” attitude. So, if I want something, I go after it and I also typically try to do everything on my own. This is probably my greatest fault. I remember on one of my first install jobs in NYC, I actually did hire an assistant to come and meet me at the apartment, but I didn’t hire a handyman. I am very handy myself and felt like I could totally handle all the hanging of shelves and art on my own. Liability wasn’t even a thought.
So, anyway, I have this girl there to help me, who is literally a stranger… totally sweet, but doesn’t know me from Adam. I had SO much furniture being delivered, movers, custom pieces coming, furniture to assemble, art to hang and it’s just this girl and I. There was NO way I was going to finish in 1 day, which is what I had intended. It had gotten so late in the day, I hadn’t eaten since breakfast and I was having terrible trouble hanging things on the walls, because they were plaster and I had anchors for sheet rock. The plaster was crumbling in places, I had to patch it back up and I literally started crying. Sobbing, in front of this girl, it was SO pathetic and I’m sure she thought I was crazy. But, at that moment, I realized: 1. I should always assume things will take me much longer then my brain initially calculates… because my brain seems to be overly optimistic every time. 2. Never go to an install day with out a handyman or two for that matter. 3. ALWAYS learn from your mistakes. 4. Dig deep and do whatever it takes to get it done and done right… because your reputation is everything.
I went back to my friend’s place where I was staying, I cried it all out and I woke up at the crack of dawn the next day, got to the local hardware store the moment they opened and got the names of 3 handymen I could hire to help me finish. Luckily, one was available, he was a total sweet heart and worth every single penny I spent. My client was deliriously happy with the final reveal… but damn, that road to get there was beyond rough.
I think that’s something that every person that wants to get into this field should know. That “final reveal” is always the greatest joy… but the road to get there is full of an intense amount of detailed work, checking and double checking and triple checking, hand holding, managing, people skills, phone calls, physical labor, moments of doubt, moments of joy, sometimes order mishaps and clearly also sometimes tears. Hahaha! But that final finishing moment, makes all the rest disappear and is the most satisfying thing in the world. It’s almost like having a baby. Having that baby in your arms, sort of makes the intensity of labor get erased from your brain… so much that you want to go and have another baby. 🙂
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Shannon Tate Interiors – what should we know?
I specialize in creating Globally Inspired, Modern, Eclectic Homes & Timeless, Elegant, Highly Functional Kitchens. I think on a business level, I’m most proud of my persistence and constant self-reflection and asking how I can do something even better next time. On a more personal-business level, I’m very proud of how I really love and support my clients. I think it comes from my background in life coaching, but also from my many years waiting tables in NYC and LA and my deep fascination with who people are, what makes them tick and what it will take to make them smile.
Which women have inspired you in your life?
Oh wow. Personally, My Grandma, because she’s such a warrior and survivor and for her creative, artistic soul. My mother, for her strength and perseverance and for how deeply she loves her family. My daughter, because she always finds joy and she has the purest heart.
Creatively, I was always inspired watching Genevieve Gorder’s shows on HGTV, love her constant Moroccan inspiration and also love how she seems to care so much about the clients she’d work with. I remember I met her at High Point in my second year of business and it felt like such a full circle moment.
I’m incredibly inspired by Gwyneth Paltrow and how she has continued to push the boundaries of what she can create, not allowing the world to put her in a singular box, how she has rallied investors behind her business, how her business continues to grow and grow, launch new lines, talk about really interesting things.
But really there are a zillion inspiring women out there. So many friends, really all of the women in my entire family, so many artists, sometimes just the person at the market who is kind and sincere, sometimes it’s the mom that you see being so present. There is inspiration everywhere, every day, you just have to train your eyes and heart to see it.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.shannontateinteriors.com
- Phone: 917-974-7412
- Email: shannon@shannontateinteriors.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shannontateinteriors/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shannontateinteriors/
Image Credit:
Claire Esparros, Joyelle West
Getting in touch: BostonVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
