The Story of my First Solo Client

Truth be told…. I had another blog post already written and scheduled to post this morning, but woke up yesterday inspired to tell the story of how I got my start with Sarah Catherine Design. Maybe I have been listening to too many How I Built This podcasts lately, haha, but I think it’s important to share our stories, including the successes and the failures, and support each other through our journeys. So…. here is how mine got started - sorry this is a longer read, but trust me, it’s a good story.

The wallpaper is clusters of wine glass rings - how fun and appropriate for a dining room?

I had been working for another designer in Nashville for about 5 years before I went out on my own. Even though my parents were encouraging me to “go for it” I kept dragging my feet at leaving behind my salary paycheck and steady job for the unknown of starting my own thing with basically no real clients of my own to jump start me. I kept dragging my feet and fretting about how I would make ends meet at the beginning while I “got my name out there.” I had thought about all kinds of part time jobs that I could do… like waiting tables (which I had never done before) to coffee shop jobs (again never done before). None of those ideas seemed quite like the right thing in my mind… and so the feet dragging continued.

I designed and had this console table custom built by my local carpenter in Nashville

I had been praying for the Lord’s wisdom in terms of timing to leave my job, clients to come once I did, and guidance in what-in-the-world I should do to pay rent while I got started. In June of 2016 I woke up in the middle of the night… one of those times where you wake up (still half asleep) just enough to check the clock… in that moment I had the thought “I should nanny part time when I go out on my own”, then rolled over and fell back asleep.

When I woke up the next morning, I kept thinking to myself “where did that thought even come from?” But I felt good about it. I had a confidence that nannying would not only be a fun job that I would be good at, but also that it would put me in the circles of potential clients too. Yet I still wasn’t ready - at all - to take the leap.

I went for a walk with a friend the next day and as we were catching up she just casually asked me about work and if I was still thinking about going out on my own. I told her yes, but that I was anxious about it and didn’t feel “ready” yet. I also told her about the dream-like thought that I had had in the middle of the night the night before and she thought it was a great idea.

Now, keep in mind, this friend was a single girl in her mid 20’s and is in the music business. She isn’t a stay-at-home mom or a kindergarten teacher with a million mom friends who would all need a nannies. Basically - she wasn’t particularly connected in the mom world, I simply told her about the nanny idea because… well… she asked about work and I had just had the thought the night before.

Fast forward about 3 months to September of 2016. I was getting more anxious about work vs starting my own business and feeling more and more like it was time to make the leap…. but not feeling ready at all. I think I needed a push into the deep end - ha! Finally the day came for me to part ways with the designer that I had learned so much from…. but when the time came it all sort of unfolded really fast. I remember leaving work on my last day feeling both excited and panicked because “I had done it” but I also had NOTHING solid lined up for myself. (My dad had even agreed to pay my rent if need be.)

I ended up texting with my friend from the walk that next day and updated her on my status. She immediately replied saying “Oh my gosh, I was just talking about you to one of my co-workers a few days ago who is looking for a nanny! I’ll connect y’all right now.”

She had bumped into a co-worker a few days earlier whose nanny had just given her notice. My friend and her co-worker didn’t even work in the same department - so even this conversation was a little bit of a chance encounter. And I hadn’t mentioned my idea about nannying to my friend in 3 months either.

That afternoon I texted with my “nanny mom” for the first time. We met 2 days later and I got to meet her husband and her sweet twins. By the end of the weekend I had a part-time nanny job!!!!! It quite literally fell out of the sky and into my lap and not a moment too soon.

I love these funky rockers by One Forty Three (here)

A few months into working for my nanny family they finished a renovation that they had started months prior and moved into their new home. They needed a lot of furnishings because the new home was bigger than their previous one and asked me if I would help! Hallelujah! Not only was this my very first solo project, but it is still to this day one of my favorites. I am so proud of the work that I did for them and they have such a fun, modern, eclectic style that it gave me a lot of room for creativity!

Over the next 2 years I went on to absolutely love and adore their whole family. I became part of the family and we all cried when it was my time to leave. I still refer to the twins as “my babies” even though they are 6 now! Ha! I’ll always be thankful for their family and the opportunity that gave me my start and filled my heart with so much joy along the way. I mean…. who gets to chase their dreams AND love their “day job” just as much!? The Lord taught me that He really does provide just what we need according to His timing. And I hope that I will never forget it either.