We had the good fortune of connecting with Sharon & Sherica Falcher & Maynard and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sharon & Sherica, what do you attribute your success to?
Great question, we used our story to propel our brand which lead us to growing success. First and foremost we give all credit to our success to God, we are so grateful for his guidance through this process. [Sherica] So when I moved back to Atlanta form NY to partner with my mom I never wanted to brand us as “The Mother-Daughter” team I felt like it devalued us and made us seem kind of Mom-and-Pop. And to be clear there’s nothing wrong with a Mom-and-Pop business but In an industry like Interior Design most firms have a solo designer or a whole team and we were neither. There’s very few firms that are a Mother-Daughter team. I wanted us to be taken seriously and if i’m being honest, I (Sherica) wanted to be taken seriously. Since I was the daughter, I often thought people would question what I could bring to the table. They may think Im just an assistant, I just do the office work, I’m not qualified. I felt like a little fish in a big sea. Even though I grew up all my life embedded in interior design and even though I had my BFA in Architectural Design from Parsons I still felt not good enough. Was I too young, everyone else in this industry is a lot older than me and highly experienced. But those thoughts I quickly overcame. We ended up going to this business development seminar where one of the speakers spoke about how your story is your brand. She spoke about how people often purchase not because of the product provided but often because they like the person or people behind the brand. Then a light bulb went off! We’ve been hiding our story based off how I thought we were going to be viewed, instead of just embracing our uniqueness. We are a powerful, educated, Mother-Daughter team with experience and we are here to make an impact in our clients life. After that seminar I completely changed our branding, I put Mother-Daughter almost everywhere I could. Now when we have an interview or feature our relationship is ofter the main focus, people are so interested by our dynamic. Our advice to anyone reading this is to embrace your uniqueness, tell your story and make it apart of your brand.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
About our business: We are an independent interior design firm. As Interior Designers, we strive to bring a functional space that fits our client’s personal STYLE, LIFESTYLE, and BUDGET. We only come up with Design Plans that are unique to their personal space and this plan is not a duplicate design from previous clients. We always bring them current trends and styles. We believe that this design process should be enjoyable and should create a sense of ease for them and their family. We want the designing process to be a collaboration between us and our clients so that our clients can also have a say in what will be in their home.

To be honest, it’s hard to say what we specialize in because we are good at a lot, lol, but if I had to pick one Sharon specializes in Window Treatments and I specialize in accessorizing. What are we known for: One thing that most of our clients like about the way we work is that we don’t come in and make our clients throw everything out, we always see what can be done with what they have first or repurposed in another room then we fill in where we need to complete their design.

What are you most proud of as a company: Our relentlessness and tenacity. Who would have thought my mother would have gone back to school in her 40’s to get hired in her career and within nine months bought her own franchise and run it on her own (until about three years ago, when I joined her). From being so shy to be on camera and having to go through like 10 takes to get 1 good YouTube video to now being able to do it in one take. From thinking, we are in an oversaturated market to being recognized in a national magazine and winning awards.

Honestly, I am so proud that we are black women entrepreneurs in Atlanta, bringing our dream career to life. I’m proud that we can be an example to young girls all over the world that entrepreneurship is possible and that it is an option to consider. I am proud of us and how far we have come as a Mother-Daughter team. I’m proud that we are able to change lives every day by transforming our client’s houses into homes. There’s honestly so much to be proud of when it comes to our company.

What sets us apart: We create Timeless designs. Unless we get a client that is really trend driven which is rare, we often give our clients a design that can stand the test of time. Meaning 10 years from now their design won’t look dated or too over the top. I feel like sometimes designers try to stay with the trend and get too trendy and within 2-3 years, that design is dated. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story: We want people to know even though people make entrepreneurship look easy it’s a really hard thing and it’s not for everyone.

We know especially on social media people often glorify the entrepreneurs or the people that have and run their own business. And this can be very intimidating to those who are just like “i’m fine with working for someone” you shouldn’t feel bad because we need you too! Some people are just amazing at executing and you are a big asset to the team. So if you have a skill like accounting, organizing, bookkeeping, graphic designer, etc you are just as important as those who decided to take on the role of entrepreneur. We value all that you bring to the table as well.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Great Question: (Considering this was Pre-COVID) We would check out some of our favorite places to eat: First Watch, Blackbird, Negril Village, O-Ku, Chido & Padre’s, Two Urban Licks, Ton Ton Ramen at Ponce City Market, Krog Street Market. Places to chill: Belt Line, Go see MLK’s House, Stone Mountain Hike Painted Duck, Drive In Movie, Go tubbing down the river in Helen, Ga

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
God first and foremost and our family. There has been a lot of sleepless nights when building our company/brand and we could not have done it without the “All Hands on Deck” moments needed to get it all done. We are also so grateful for our mentors Barbara and Jennifer for always keeping us focused on our goals.

Website: https://interiordesignbysns.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/interiordesignbysns/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSZ0hzTSiyo3Cal86qhuAIQ?view_as=subscriber

Image Credits
Room Images: Scott Johnson