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Never, Never, Never Give up on Your Dreams with James Swan
Quote of the Day: “Never, never, never give up.” –Winston Churchill
Guest of the Day: James Swan is the owner of James Swan Enterprises, he is a designer and an author, as well as the founder and host of the podcast Million Dollar Decorating. He is from California but currently resides in Boston, Massachusetts.
Passion: James’ passion is beautiful living: beautiful objects, beautiful art, architecture, rooms. Since he was a child, he would sketch pictures of the buildings he was mesmerized by when traveling.
Challenges: “…once I realized how happy the thought of this future career was making me in the moment, the decision was pretty much a done deal. I knew enough about myself to know I needed to go in this direction; I would be foolish to go in a different direction. For me, the hesitancies and the concerns were the practical things. You know: ‘Can I get a job and go to school at the same time?’ I was in a relationship at that time. And, ‘What is my partner thinking and feeling about this? And how is it going to impact their life and their work, our life together?’ You talk about these things, you explore them, you act like adults and… those things got worked out. They got worked out pretty well.” James had a greater challenge years later when during the recession he lost his business and his home.
Learned About Self: James says that he keeps going back and learning the same core lesson: “Every time I’ve gone through that cycle of: ‘Oh, OK, I hit a dead end here, or this didn’t lead me where I thought it was going to lead me, or in one situation… ‘What the hell just happened?’ I didn’t see that one coming, and ‘Here I am and what am I going to do?’” He says it was in these that he began to connect with today’s quote of the day.
Suggested Resources:
- The Decoration of Houses by Edith Wharton and Ogden Codman Jr
- 101 Things I Hate About Your House: A Premier Designer Takes You on a Room-by-Room Tour to Transform Your Home from Faux Pas to Fabulous by James Swan
To bring design or decoration into your life…
Envision: Envision the reality that you are responsible for the quality and condition of each item, that they arrive on time, at the expense agreed upon, with no damage. See yourself moving all of the items into the home without damage to the home, and then see the stage you will need to set for the client, and the nervousness you will feel at their approval. Envision the finished room: lit candles, set table, fresh flowers, music playing, champagne. While at the same time keeping a smile on your face and servicing every need of the client. Envision the fun and rush, but realize the realities of “opening night.”
Explore: Reach out to other designers, James is happy to speak with anyone about the profession.
Execute: Decide what you are willing to do to get to your goal: four years of school and years of entry level work to move up in the field.
Advice to Listeners: “I would like to leave all of your listeners with the thought that we started with: Whatever your goal, whatever direction that your life is taking you, whatever that path looks like today, ‘Never, never, never give up.”
Motivational Go-Do!
Pick up three of your favorite design magazines, light a candle, and take some time for you. Feed yourself on the beautiful work of designers from all over the world. Also, visit James’ Facebook page to engage in conversation with others about the photographs James posts.
How Motivate Me! Ultimate Support System can rally around James Swan:
Website: www.milliondollardecorating.com
And, as always, on the Facebook page: Motivate Me! Ultimate Support System
CLICK HERE to listen to James’ interview.
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