It’s hard to believe that we’re already celebrating our first birthday! Some days it feels like we’ve been in business forever, and some days we feel like we only just started! We have big dreams and goals and from time to time we need to remind ourselves not all of our plans need to happen in the first year.

While starting a business during a pandemic isn’t for everyone, as introverts who thrive in quiet secluded environments we actually did well during lockdowns. In fact, we were able to jump right on board with virtual meetings which often meant that we could fit more into a day and easily meet with people located at a distance. We loved having the ability to share our screen with our clients, allowing them an inside view of our design work. As the pandemic makes the world re-evaluate how we work and how beneficial it can be to work from home, we hope to continue to use many of the practices that we implemented this past year.

Below, we take a look back on the past year to see how far we've come, reflect on our experiences, and look to the future.

In the last 12 months, what were your 3 best work experiences?

CORINA: Gosh, there have been so many bests and firsts for our firm in our first year. A few stand out to me, like figuring out our business name during a brainstorming session with Rachel – high fives happened, bringing our first design + build project from design to reality for a past client of mine – thank you for trusting us Janet, and road trips out of Winnipeg – these are fun times when Rachel and I get a chance to connect on a personal level.

RACHEL: It’s difficult to pinpoint just three. The best days range from simple wins on the jobsite to signing a new client. We celebrate after we sign each and every client; we thoroughly enjoy stretching our creative juices during design development, and it’s beyond fulfilling to see our design work come to fruition during construction. I love seeing clients faces when we show them the design for the first time and when they see the finished space. Clients put a lot of trust in us and we take that trust very seriously so I’m always elated when they see that they put their trust in the right people.

What's the most gratifying moment since launching this business?

CORINA: The moment I realized I was doing what I love to do, and at the same time helping Rachel achieve her dreams. When you’re building a company together that makes people's lives better, provides functional and beautiful spaces for the backdrop of clients’ lives and therefore they’re ultimately happier, it's beyond fulfilling. It makes late nights and endless work much more enjoyable to know that you are helping people whether that’s your partner or clients.

RACHEL: The moment I realized that this was working. I’ve started many businesses in the past – cake decorator/baker, jeweler, and two separate interior design businesses, but it wasn’t until I partnered with Corina that things finally fell into place. I didn’t know that I wanted or needed a business partner, but Corina has been a blessing. Our business wouldn’t be a success without both of us working together to create something great.

What's the biggest lesson you’ve learned so far?

CORINA: I’ve learned that trust is paramount in the designer-client relationship. We gain the trust of our clients with transparency in our process, honest feedback, and open communication. Design is a team effort and mutual respect makes for the most rewarding and successful projects.

RACHEL: Doing everything is a recipe for disaster. While I continue to wear multiple hats as an entrepreneur, I’m more aware of the things I plan to delegate to others in the future. I’ve also taken on the hats that I can reasonably wear at this time while Corina has taken on the hats that suit her best.

What obstacle or adversity have you overcome this year?

CORINA: I haven’t overcome this quite yet but I’m learning to balance work and life. I tend to get hyper-focused on work especially during the design phase of a project because I enjoy it so much. I’ve been trying to go for walks with my partner in the evening and take a slow morning together on weekends to balance the amount of time I spend at my computer.

RACHEL: Having a baby was a big deal this year! I would hardly say it was an obstacle, but it was definitely a challenge. Giving birth to my daughter has made working harder but it has also given so much more meaning to the work that I do. It has also provided me with much needed balance. I’ve always been a workaholic but I now take meaningful time in the mornings, evenings, and weekends to be with my husband and daughter. I want to show my daughter how you can be a strong woman, mother, friend, business owner, and whatever else she puts her mind to without compromising who she is. I want her to grow up feeling like she can accomplish anything she puts her mind to. I hope she will see me doing things, chasing my dreams, and be inspired to do the same.

What's surprised you in the first year of business?

CORINA: I’ve been surprised by my ability to let go of control of some aspects of the business. In the past I’ve wanted to know all the details of why something was being done. Because Rachel and I trust one another and communicate well I’ve slowly been able to let go of that and trust that she’s on top of things and if she needs help, she’ll ask.

RACHEL: The amount of success we’ve had. Not that I didn’t think we’d be successful, but I’ve struggled with anxiety for years so I’m always waiting for the other shoe to drop. I’m so used to businesses failing despite my best efforts that it has been such a blessing to have a business succeed. I am eternally grateful to all of our clients, reps, and trades for believing in and supporting us, we could not have done any of this without you.

What hasn’t surprised you in the first year of business?

CORINA: Better design comes with collaboration. I’ve known this since design school and have always preferred collaborative design work. While each partner takes a lead role in specific Bungalow projects, the other partner is involved in the design concept development and on hand for input whenever needed. We check each other’s work product and if an inspired idea comes to mind, we share it with each other.

RACHEL: How difficult but rewarding this first year would be. There are a lot of unknowns in the first year of business. You have to juggle a lot of hats and that can be hard when you have other responsibilities like family and friends. I also added to my family this year by having a baby, so it’s been an even bigger juggle!

What is the quality about yourself as an entrepreneur that you're most proud of?

CORINA: Building authentic relationships with my clients has provided Bungalow with referral work since day one. The importance of building trust has always been important to me, and it shows in the relationships I have with past clients. They trust me enough to refer their friends and family to our design firm and come to us when they have new projects and that means the world to me.

RACHEL: My ability to adapt. I have a healthy combination of “go-with-the-flow” and “planner” in me and this has allowed me to both plan for the future and take the day to day in stride.

What person, place, or experience has influenced your vision for the business the most?

CORINA: There are a multitude of influences including my designer friends/mentors who run their own firms – specifically Rita Talwar and Tamara Eckstein, my business partner Rachel who has big ideas and the stamina to make them happen and my dad, who I watched struggle to compete with the big guys before settling into a niche market and becoming the high-end audio-visual expert in Winnipeg.

RACHEL: I’m inspired by a lot but I’m most inspired by the life I want to live. I knew a long time ago that I wanted to be an entrepreneur. Entrepreneurship is a difficult journey but it’s also an incredibly rewarding one. I’m inspired by those that choose to live their best lives, and to help others live their best lives. I see a vision of the future and I’m putting all of my energy into making it a reality. I’m also inspired by all of the women entrepreneurs around me – there are quite a few! They have all built something from nothing and that’s a big deal! The way they stoke their business fires every day is inspirational.

How would you summarize the year?

CORINA: What a whirlwind of a year! Neither of us can believe it’s been a year already. It’s been a learning experience full of both daunting and exciting challenges. We’ve had incredible clients whose patience we do not take for granted and who we’d like to thank over and over again, so they know how important they have been to us!

RACHEL: It’s been a rollercoaster for sure. For the most part it’s been an incredibly positive and rewarding year sprinkled with a few less than ideal moments for good measure and I wouldn’t have it any other way. You definitely need to have low moments to be able to fully appreciate the highs. Corina and I have both grown exponentially as people, designers, and business owners. We have taken on and completed some exceptional projects with more on the way and I’m eternally grateful to have had such an amazing year.

What are you most looking forward to in year 2?

CORINA: The first year of business helped us figure out what we want, what we really really want! I see us exploring that further and putting our plans and ideas into action in year 2. We still have a lot to learn but I feel more confident in our abilities to do the hard things and grow from the lessons learned along the way. I’m looking forward to expanding our firm, streamlining systems and processes to improve our client experience, delegating some tasks to others, and taking a vacation - perhaps.

RACHEL: Growing! We’re hoping to expand our team and take on more large projects. We want to build a company that focuses on building beautiful functional spaces while emphasizing ethics and integrity. By expanding our team we’ll be able to offer even better customer service to our clients – more in depth and faster turnaround times while continuing to uphold our core values.