Meet Emily Cox | Building Badasses Ringleader

We had the good fortune of connecting with Emily Cox and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Emily, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
To be quite frank, I failed my way into successful self-employment. After thoroughly enjoying the pursuit of Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Architecture from Clemson University, I discovered that not only was the professional practice of architecture in no way similar to the educational experience, I really didn’t care for it. The constant computer drafting wasn’t just mind-numbing- embarrassingly, I was actively bad at it. It became painfully evident that my years of higher education hadn’t prepared me for the reality of the profession, and I was mortified to realize that I wasn’t an asset to my employer. Instead, all the practical information on how a building was actually put together and how the technical drawings should be executed was expected to be learned on the job, on my employer’s dime.

Rather than exit the profession with my tail between my legs, I leaned hard into the aspects of architectural practice for which I had natural aptitude while I hustled to remediate my lack of practical knowledge. As the eldest of six children in a small-town Southern family, I had learned the art of diplomacy early. This made me the perfect go-between for project architects and clients. I realized that clients often didn’t understand what the architects had designed and weren’t educated enough about the process of design and construction to fully anticipate what they were getting. This was a serious gap in the market, so in serving as an interpreter between the client and the other team members of the project, I created a valuable role for myself.

This ability to read between the lines, listen carefully, and fully grasp the intent of the client proved an excellent fit for a focus in interior architectural design. The left-brain skills of organization, project management, and communication are balanced by right-brained pursuits like creativity, artful composition, and design detailing as I assist the client in specifying all the fixtures and finishes that are attached to the interior of the home. I lend another perspective on the architectural design as I prioritize the manner in which the client intends to live in the space over the exterior facade development. By encouraging a conversation between interior and exterior priorities, the resulting structure offers the best of both worlds for the client.

When the Great Recession struck, I was the last employee to be released as the firm I was working for dissolved. With construction grinding to a halt, at that moment I knew I had two choices- I could be unemployeed or self-employed. I chose to be self-employed, and formed my first design practice- ECOX Creative. A few years later, my favorite colleague of all time, Michelle Suddeth, and I launched our design partnership, Onyx Design Collaborative. Together, we’ve completed around $39 million of high-end residential projects in the coastal Carolina resort areas.

Throughout our startup years, it became very evident that there was a dearth of support for women working in all aspects of the building industry. While much of architectural professional practice and construction is expected to be learned on the job, there were few resources that we could collectively turn to in order to ask the practical questions that would help us grow in our careers without being judged or penalized for not already knowing the answer. I also recognized that female clients were in a similar bind. Never in the history of humanity have women been able to purchase property and control their own financial resources at the scale we are now privileged to enjoy. As a result, there’s a lack of cultural and institutional knowledge for women to draw on in order to engage with the construction industry with confidence.

Out of those needs, Building Badasses was born. It started as a support circle for women who work in all aspects of the building industry, encouraging connection and open communication between female professionals. A private Facebook group facilitated communication, and monthly events at industry providers around town offered both educational and networking opportunities for members. Now our mission has grown to serve female homeowners through online courses and consultations, offering straightforward advice and expertise on how to be educated consumers of the building industry.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
The point of difference for Onyx Design Collaborative, my high-end residential design partnership with Michelle Suddeth, is that we are educated and experienced in all aspects of the architectural design and construction processes. This is not as common as one might hope in the interior design industry, and it provides a valuable distinction from many of our colleagues. Our business was built exclusively on client, architect, and contractor referrals, so we are very proud of our reputation and relationships. While navigating the challenges of Covid-related shortages, shipping delays, and price inflation has been difficult over the past two years, we believe in our approach to design and the systems we have put into place to ensure that each client has the best possible experience. Construction is, at its core, a process of problem-solving. There’s never going to be a problem-free project. We are committed to transparency, communication, and collaboration in achieving the best possible result for the client. While there are dozens of talented designers who can create a beautiful finished product, we pride ourselves on doing the behind-the-scenes work required to give the client a beautiful design experience along the way.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
As Travel & Leisure’s #1 City in America for the ninth year in a row, I have the opportunity to show off my town to visitors all the time! I always like to start with a cocktail at the Citrus Club on top of the Dewberry Hotel to get a fabulous perspective on the city, surrounded by church steeples and historic cupolas. Strolling through Marion Square to King Street offers charming boutique shopping and a chance to enjoy an artisan ice cream sourced from local Lowcountry ingredients at Off Track Ice Cream. Check out all the art galleries in the French Quarter while appreciating the craftsmanship of historic wrought iron, then learn all about the finer points of Charleston’s historic architecture with Oyster Point Tours. For fine Southern dining, try Vivian Howard’s Lenoir, or Sean Brock’s love letter to local ingredients at Husk. Hannibal’s Fine Foods or Dave’s Carry Out Seafood offer casual take-out masterpieces of Gullah Geechee cuisine.  Round out the evening at Graft Wine Shop & Wine Bar for specially selected wines in a relaxed casual atmosphere with the freshest music.

After soaking up all the beauty of peninsular Charleston, it’s time to range farther afield and enjoy Middleton Plantation, Magnolia Plantation, and Cypress Gardens. For a beach day, enjoy the ramshackle charms of Folly Beach. Grab a sandwich at Burt’s for lunch, and make a reservation at Jack of Cups for seasonal locally-sourced globally-inspired comfort food.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My business partner and workwife, Michelle Suddeth, is the artist at the heart of our design partnership, Onyx Design Collaborative. Her expertise and unerring eye elevate every project we tackle together. As a one-two punch tag team, we are able to enrich each design opportunity beyond anything I could ever accomplish solo. Her single-minded devotion to exceeding the clients’ expectations on all things interior design-related allows me to focus fully on all the interior architecture aspects of a project. Since we develop a shared aesthetic vision from the beginning of the design process, the final result is beautifully coordinated. The client experience is also improved by having two designers at the helm rather than just one- an additional perspective on the project is highly beneficial, and Michelle regularly notices the smallest of details that can be improved upon for a more stunning result. She is also an armchair Sherlock Holmes, and her devotion to true crime podcasts must have influenced her approach to design- she has the incredibly rare ability to detect the connecting threads within the clients’ random unrelated preferences and distill them down to a very precise, edited aesthetic that they themselves would never have been able to articulate.

Website: https://www.buildingbadasses.com/ , https://www.onyxdesign.com/

Instagram: @building_badasses , @onyxdesigncollaborative

Facebook: @buildingbadasses

Image Credits
Alex Thornton Photography Jenn Cady Photography