Meet Adrian Hickman-Keen | Business Owner, Space Stylist and Diversity Inclusion and Equity Consultant

We had the good fortune of connecting with Adrian Hickman-Keen and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Adrian, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
HMMMM… THAT MIGHT TAKE A MINUTE…

THE LAST POSITION I HELD BEFORE RETIRING FROM CORPORATE AMERICA WAS A BUSINESS SYSTEM ANALYST (BSA).
BASICALLY, I ASSISTED DEVELOPERS AND A TECHNICAL TEAM TO PROGRAM A SYSTEM THAT WOULD ADMINISTER THE DAILY TRANSACTIONS OF A BUSINESS SEGMENT WITHIN THE CORPORATION.

IF I MISSED OR MISINTERPRETED ANY PART OF THE PROCESS OR TEST RESULTS, THE SYSTEM WOULDN’T FUNCTION AS REQUIRED AND PRODUCTIVITY WOULD CEASE. SUCH A MISTAKE WOULD COST THE COMPANY TIME AND MONEY.

TALK ABOUT PRESSURE! WHERE’S THE ESCAPE HATCH!

IT’S SAFE TO SAY THAT CORPORATE AMERICA WITH ALL ITS PROCESSES, BUSINESS MODELS, BEST PRACTICES, TECHNIQUES, DIAGRAMS, FLOW CHARTS, PROJECT PLANS, PROJECT MANAGEMENT, BRAINSTORMING, BRAINDUMPING, ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE… (ENOUGH ALREADY), GAVE ME THE ELEMENTS FOR A SOLID FOUNDATION IN ANY BUSINESS. BUT I WASN’T EXACTLY HAVING FUN WAKING UP EVERY MORNING FEELING EXCITED ABOUT GOING TO WORK.

I’VE DIBBLED & DABBLED IN VARIOUS GENRES OF ART – DANCE, MUSIC, MODELING AND A LITTLE ACTING. MY TECH CAREER MEANT FINANCIAL SECURITY. WHEN I BECAME A ‘SINGLE MOM’ AFTER A DIVORCE, OUR SECURITY WAS MY PRIORITY AND I DIDN’T EXACTLY HAVE ‘LIFE SUSTAINING’ TALENT IN THE ARTS. AS THEY SAY, “DON’T QUIT YOUR DAY JOB! BUT HONESTLY, AT THE TIME I DIDN’T HAVE THE COURAGE!

YEARS PASSED, I RETIRED, AND ASKED MYSELF… “WHY DON’T YOU TAKE A DETOUR AND PURSUE THE OTHER SIDE OF YOUR BRAIN?”

I CAN NOW ADMIT THAT IN THE TECHNICAL SPACE MY DAY-TO-DAY TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES HAD GLIMPSES OF ARTISTRY, AND CREATIVITY. WHO KNEW?

FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN A USER REQUESTS A NEED OR CHANGE TO THE SYSTEM; THERE ARE METHODOLOGIES USED TO DESIGN OR RE-DESIGN THE SYSTEM; THERE ARE MULTIPLE USERS WITH CROSS-FUNCTIONAL REQUESTS FOR THE SAME SYSTEM; DOCUMENTS AND DIAGRAMS ARE CREATED TO FORMULATE THE PLAN; THERE ARE OPTIONS AND VARIATIONS ON THE SAME THEME TO PRESENT. THE PROJECT CAN’T BE COMPLETED UNLESS YOU SOLICIT THE SKILL SETS FROM VARIOUS OTHER TECHNICAL TEAM MEMBERS…

SOUND FAMILIAR? THE PARALLELS IN THE TECHNICAL AND CREATIVE REALM ARE STUNNING!

MAPPING AND TRANSFERRING MANY OF MY TECHNICAL SKILL SETS TO THE ARTISTIC, CREATIVE SPACE HAS ACTUALLY BEEN A TREMENDOUS HELP.  

THE SHORT ANSWER… A GIRL JUST WANTS TO HAVE FUN!! (EVEN IN HER 70’s)

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
STYLING ANYTHING IS A CREATIVE ART. IT’S LIKE AN ‘OASIS’ FOR ME, I DIVE INTO MAGAZINES AND ONLINE IMAGES TO DECOMPRESS AND I CONSIDER MYSELF BLESSED THAT I GET TO DO IT AS A CAREER. IT DOESN’T FEEL LIKE WORK! I GET LOST IN FABRIC, TEXTURES, AND COLORS. I LOVE FINDING UNIQUE ITEMS, BLENDING OLD WITH NEW, I’VE PAIRED AN ULTRA MODERN VASE WITH MY GRANDMOTHER’S ANTIQUE CRYSTAL AND BRASS CANDLE HOLDERS. I’LL STRATEGICALLY PLACE A CLASSIC TRADITIONAL PIECE IN AN EDGY FUNKY, ABSTRACT SPACE. OR A BROKEN CRACKED BOWL MIGHT JUST FIND ITS WAY TO MY TABLE, SHOWCASED AS A ONE-OF-A-KIND SIGNATURE CENTERPIECE! I CREATE AND RE-CREATE DIFFERENT AREAS IN MY HOME. ALL THE TIME. JUST BECAUSE! I HAVE MONOCHROMATIC TENDENCIES BUT WITH A POP OF COLOR! I PREFER TO LIVE IN TECHNICOLOR,

CHARTREUSE ANYONE?

BEING CREATIVE IS LIKE ANSWERING A QUESTION THAT HAS NO WRONG ANSWER! HOW FUN AND LIBERATING IS THAT?

FREE AT LAST!

GOD IS THE SOURCE OF THAT FREEDOM AND MY UNYIELDING FAITH IN GOD HAS, AND ALWAYS WILL HAVE PROMINENCE IN EVERY ASPECT OF MY LIFE. GOD IS TEACHING ME SO MUCH ABOUT MYSELF THROUGH BEING A BUSINESS OWNER. THERE ARE PATHS I NEVER KNEW I’D NEED TO NAVIGATE. EVEN WITH BOUTS OF DOUBT AND FEAR, MY CONFIDENCE CONTINUES TO GROW.

I WOULDN’T DARE ASSUME THAT ANYTHING WE DO SETS US A PART FROM OTHERS BECAUSE WE’RE A NEW COMPANY AND IT’S A HUGE INDUSTRY. THERE’S LOTS TO LEARN. WHAT I WILL SAY IS THAT WE ARE EXCITED TO LEARN WHATEVER WE NEED TO LEARN ABOUT THE INDUSTRY. OUR GOAL IS TO CARVE OUT OUR NICHE, OUR PLACE IN IT. WE SIMPLY WANT TO BECOME SUCCESSFUL. THAT SUCCESS WILL SET US APART IN ITS OWN WAY. WE’LL KNOW HOW AND WHEN WE GET THERE. I MAY BE NAIVE, BUT I THINK IT STARTS WITH WANTING EVERY CLIENT TO HAVE THEIR BEST EXPERIENCE, AN UNIQUE EXPERIENCE WITH THE HICKMAN HOUSE!

OUR GOAL:
WE DON’T WANT YOU TO JUST LIKE IT… WE WANT YOU TO LOVE IT!

I’M LEARNING PATIENCE, PERSERVERANCE, FLEXIBILITY AND ENDURANCE. BUT I’VE GOT TO TELL YOU THAT I ALSO EXPERIENCE FEAR AND DOUBTS!

WHAT I’VE LEARNED IS THAT FEAR AND EVEN DOUBT CAN BE MOTIVATORS IF YOU CHOOSE THEM TO BE. GET FAMILIAR WITH YOUR   STRENGTHS. SPEND TIME BUILDING ON THEM AND WATCH YOUR FEARS DISSAPATE ALONG WITH YOUR DOUBTS! 

A GREAT QUOTE I ONCE HEARD:

FEAR IS THE DARK ROOM WHERE DOUBT IS DEVELOPED! 

I KNOW, IT’S A DIGITAL WORLD!

WHAT I WANT YOU TO KNOW:

YOU DON’T HAVE TO KNOW EVERYTHING THERE IS TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR PASSION BEFORE YOU MAKE A MOVE TO BRING IT TO LIFE. YOU JUST NEED TO BE WILLING TO STAY IN A CONSTANT STATE OF LEARNING, A SENSE OF WONDERMENT, CURIOSITY, HUMILITY AND FAITH! (NOT NECESSARILY IN THAT ORDER).

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I LOVE THE VININGS AREA. I’M CONSTANTLY LOOKING FOR EASY-BREEZY EATING ESTABLISHMENTS. CANOE RESTAURANT AND THE ORIENT EXPRESS FOR SUSHI ARE AMONG MY FAVS. THE HIGH MUSEUM IS A MUST, ESPECIALLY FOR A FRIDAY HAPPY HOUR IN THE SUMMER. GREAT MUSIC AND VIBES!

ANOTHER NEW FAV IS DESTA ETHIOPIAN KITCHEN, IN ATLANTA.

I LIVE IN A SUBURB OF ATLANTA AND I’VE NEVER MISSED A GOOD DINING EXPERIENCE AT MARLOW’S.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
IF I PAUSE TO THINK THAT I AM WHERE I AM SOLELY BECAUSE I DREAMED BIG OR THAT I WORKED HARD ENOUGH AND DESERVED IT, IS ONLY PARTIALLY TRUE. EVERYBODY CAN POINT TO SOMEBODY WHO SAID ‘YOU CAN DO IT!’ NOT SURPRISINGLY, THE INITIAL THANKS, SUPPORT, ENCOURAGEMENT AND LOVE BELONG TO MY PARENTS.

GROWING UP IN THE 50’s IN TEXAS WAS A TRICKY TIME IN HISTORY. I TOOK MY QUEUES FROM MY PARENTS. BECAUSE OF THEM I WAS ABLE TO NAVIGATE THROUGH A SEGREGATED WORLD THINKING I COULD BE WHOEVER, WHATEVER AND WHEREVER I CHOSE TO BE. MY PARENTS SAID I COULD. THAT’S ALL I NEEDED. THAT’S THE MINDSET I ROLLED WITH!

AS I FAST FORWARD I CAN STILL REFERENCE BOTH FAMILY AND FRIENDS WHO SAW THE VISION BEFORE I DID! I CAN’T NAME THEM ALL BUT THEY KNOW WHO THEY ARE! I’M FILLED WITH ENCOURAGEMENT AND SUPPORT IN SOME WAY EVERYDAY.

A SHOUTOUT GOES TO A DEAR FRIEND WHO LIT A FIRE UNDER ME FOR A COUPLE OF DECADES. BARBARA BENEVILLE ENCOURAGED ME TO ‘JUST DO IT!’ ALLOW ME TO RETURN THE FAVOR. IF YOU ARE AN ASPIRING ACTOR, JUST BREATHE! (THE NAME OF BARBARA’S BUSINESS).  BARBARA CAN GET YOU THERE! SHE’S AN ACTRESS, ACTING COACH AND AN AMAZING PHOTOGRAPER. 

MY PARTNER AND DAUGHTER-IN-LAW, KRISTI HICKMAN, THREATENED TO COLLABORATE TOGETHER IN A BUSINESS VENTURE FOR YEARS. WE WEREN’T SURE WHAT IT WOULD BE. WE JUST KNEW THAT WE LIKED EACH OTHER’S STYLE. WHETHER IT WAS HOW WE STYLED OUR HOMES OR OUR PERSONAL FASHION STYLE, WE ALMOST ALWAYS GAVE EACH OTHER THE NOD OF APPROVAL. IT TOOK YEARS FOR US TO GET IT DONE BUT THE HICKMAN HOUSE IS A REALITY!

GETTING THE HICKMAN HOUSE OFF THE GROUND HAS DEFINITELY BEEN A FAMILY AFFAIR. MY SON, JEFF, AND GRANDDAUGHTERS, HANNAH LORAINE AND ELLA GRACE HICKMAN HAVE STEPPED UP AND STEPPED IN TO MAKE THINGS HAPPEN!

COINCIDENTLY, THE ATTORNEY WHO LEGALLY ESTABLISHED OUR BUSINESS IS NOW MY HUSBAND!  IT’S A BEAUTIFUL STORY.  IT’S A SEQUEL TO THIS INTERVIEW (LOL).  MY HUSBAND (BOB) GIVES ME SO MUCH ENCOURAGEMENT AND SUPPORT. HE TOO OWNS HIS OWN BUSINESS.  HE ALWAYS MAKES HIMSELF AVAILABLE TO GIVE ADVICE AND GUIDANCE WHEN ASKED. AND IT’S FREE! WHAT A DEAL!

MY LAST SHOUTOUT GOES TO JENNIFER RUSSELL INTERIOR DESIGNS, LLC SHE GETS A BIG SHOUT OUT! SHE CONTINUES TO BE A LIFE-LINE AND A MENTOR FOR KRISTI AND ME AS WE NAVIGATE THROUGH THIS INDUSTRY. IT’S TRULY AN ADVENTURE! 

Website: adrian@thehickmanhouse.com

Instagram: adrian@thehickmanhouse.com

Linkedin: ahickaman@gmail.com

Facebook: adrian@thehickmanhouse.com

Image Credits
BARBARA BENEVILLE