INTERIOR DESIGNER LOSES JOB, OFFERS SERVICES FOR FREE IN EXCHANGE FOR 3 CHARITABLE ACTS
Having been thrust into unemployment in February, 2009, I took the requisite 6 weeks to sleep on the couch, drink red wine and sulk. As a professional interior designer and mother of two there were no opportunities. The more I looked for work the more depressed I became. I began to feel myself circling the drain. I missed my coworkers, my clients and my job. What I needed at that point even more than a paycheck was a reason to wake up, get dressed and be purposeful. I though about all the homes for sale, all the foreclosed homes; Who lived there? Where did they go? What would happen to the home? I figured if I could help stage the homes for sale and fix up the foreclosed homes they would sell faster and at a better price, helping the owner recoup some of the loss, giving the realtor a better commission, bringing money back into our local economy and keeping the for sale and foreclosed homes off our neighborhood streets effectively keeping property values up. But why limit myself just to real estate? If any homeowner was given the chance to work with an interior designer to change their room, they would feel more valued, productive and happy. Change your room, Change your life!
I wrote a press release that morning and sent it in to my local paper stating that I would offer design services to anyone willing to do 3 charitable acts in exchange. It was picked up and featured front page the next day, then another paper ran it, then another feature, then the local news station! I went from no clients to almost 80 at last count this summer. Each client had a story about why they called, what they needed help with and what they are going to do for their charitable acts. When I returned with their design plan they were impressed and surprised. Many have requested that I stay on to finish the job and tell me how this experience has changed their outlook on life as much by the change in their surrounding as the experience of doing the 3 charitable acts. Most clients passed 3 and just kept going! This has given me renewed life financially, a wonderful potential for business, an opportunity to teach my children a valuable lesson, as well as connected people in my community through the charitable acts.
I have begun to develop the Design it Forward (TM) movement through an interactive website and have been invited to be a guest speaker at
Furniture Market in High Point, NC this October. I am encourage in designers and related businesses to join Design it Forward (TM) to begin an upward spiral of goodwill across the nation. Design it Forward (TM) is inspiring others to step into their own greatness. 1 designer - 6 months
- 80 clients - 240 charitable acts. What can you do?
This note was written in October of 2009 to post on my Facebook fan page. The concept will be national in May 2010 with a feature article in 'First' Magazine. Local interior designers and related businesses have joined and we meet monthly to discuss what projects we can do, who we have and who we can help and ways to spread the word. I would love any help or advice you may have for us to grow. Interior design is the passion and skill we have. We are using these gifts to do what we can to help others and we believe if everyone looked deep into their own skills and life experience they too would find a way to Design their Life Forward by offering those gifts in their community in exchange for 3 charitable acts. It has been amazing to see how my life has been changed, the people I help with their home design challenges have been changed not just by my service but by the act of helping three others - then those 3 others are changed too!! It is a huge upward spiral of goodwill. What an amazing adventure I am on!!
I would love to link the upcoming Design it Forward website to yours and somehow stay connected. For now please find me and the DIF members at
Design it Forward on Facebook. I welcome any response from you!! Thanks
for reading.
Christina Van Blake
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