KATHRYN KOCH

December 24, 2008 12:35 am

DESCRIBE YOUR BUSINESS: Interior redesign and decorating, and specialized design services. At this time of year, I do a lot of holiday decorating in people's homes.

EDUCATION: Bachelor's degree in psychology, master's degree in business, and certifications in interior design.

FAMILY: Married to a wonderful, supportive and loving husband, and we have four children.

CAREER HISTORY: I have been decorating and doing redesign before "redesign" became popular--called on by friends, family and businesses to help them in their homes and offices. I've helped design dormitories for military bases overseas, renovated retail buildings into office spaces and decorated for Fredericksburg's recent Candlelight Tour of homes. Prior to starting my own company, I worked for the government, both as a contractor and active-duty military.

FIRST JOB: As a military policewoman in the Air Force.

WORST JOB: I'm not sure I would classify any job as "worst." Each one contributed to who I've become and I've learned so much, even through tough times.

WHERE DID YOU GROW UP? I started in Florida and have lived in Alabama, Japan, North Dakota and Texas and spent some time in deployed locations.

HOW DID YOU END UP OWNING YOUR OWN BUSINESS? It started with friends asking me to do their homes, which inspired me to look for training and certification in design. I was still working for a great company, making more money than I had ever made in my career, and took time off to go back to school. I came back so excited and feeling so ready to turn my talent into a business that within a week, I came up with the name, created a Web site and filled out all the paperwork needed for establishing a business in Virginia. I remembered telling my boss I was so excited about my new venture I couldn't focus on work and wanted to take a leave of absence. I haven't been back.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT YOUR JOB NOW? I love that it's not a "job" and I meet so many wonderful people and families. I really like knowing my intuition works so well for what the client wants. I know it has worked when I go back to visit and the home hasn't been changed and they still rave about it.

WHAT MOTIVATES YOU? Challenges motivate me; clients' personalities inspire me.

WHAT IS THE KEY TO RUNNING A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS? Get the right training, do your research, and keep going, even when you have to do the boring stuff. When dealing with the general public, trust your instincts! Since I work in people's homes, there is a high level of trust that needs to be established, for both the client and me. If I don't feel a connection with the client, then something isn't quite right. Of the many wonderful people I've worked with, there have been a few who tried to take advantage of my good nature and kept asking for more but didn't want to compensate for my time and effort. Those types of situations become great learning experiences.

WHAT'S THE BEST THING ABOUT THE BUSINESS CLIMATE HERE? Even during tough economic times, there are still people who need a bit of help in their homes; I can easily offer options for those on strict budgets.

WHAT'S THE WORST? Again, with the economy, business has slowed down a bit and that puts my future business plans on hold for now.

WHO IS THE MOST INSPIRATIONAL BUSINESS LEADER YOU KNOW? WHY? I could say Oprah or Martha Stewart or any number of public figures who have published great books, but in reality, it's between my father, my first commander, and my husband. My dad is an entrepreneur and has gone from poverty to millions through hard work and determination. My first commander taught me to believe in myself and my capabilities. My husband's work ethic and leadership successfully saw him through 26 years of military service and led to his executive position with a great company. He taught me patience, to never give up and is my biggest fan. I admire him.

WHAT DO YOU DO FOR FUN? I enjoy the weekends with my family. We start our weekends with "movie night" in our home theater and have dinner delivered.

WHAT'S THE BEST BUSINESS LESSON YOU'VE LEARNED? Listen--to yourself, your supporters and your clients.

ON THE NET: SimplyBeautiful Spaces.com

--As told to Pamela Gould

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