"Staying focused has a lot to do with understanding when you’re most productive" with Sherri Monte

Sherri Monte is the co-founder, along with her husband John, of the award-winning interior design + professional organizing firm, Elegant Simplicity. By blending education, organization, and design, they have created a proven methodology that empowers families to make their homes the place they never want to leave.  

Over the last decade, Sherri & John have worked with professional athletes, Fortune 100 Executives, and hundreds of other clients to help them live a more purposeful life through designing and organizing their homes.  Their work and results speak for themselves as they have been featured in highly-renowned international and national publications such as Architectural Digest, Southern Living, NBC News, Yahoo Lifestyle, and Readers Digest. 

Can you tell our readers about your background? 

I’m an interior designer and professional home organizer who worships quiet time like a deity and thinks green smoothies are one of the best things to start your day.

When it comes to being a mom, wife, designer, organizer and entrepreneur there always seems to be a question of how a woman can do it all. Babe, I do my best + live with the rest.

I strive to feel centered amidst the frenzy. Because all of these things… are simply my blessings.

What inspired you to start your business? 

My parents were custom home builders so as far back as I can remember, and so I’ve always had an interest in interior design My passion for organizing kind of evolved from tidying up my mother’s pantry as a child to realizing that I wanted to empower the clients I serve to maintain the beauty of their home just as much as design them.

Where is your business based?

While we’re a Seattle-based interior design and professional organizing firm, we also work with clients nationally. With the COVID-19 outbreak, we also launched online design + organizing.

How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took?

John and I began our business by doing a lot of research. 

I’d love to say we had it all together but the reality is we didn’t. What we had thought was really big hearts and a desire to serve others to the very best of our ability. To tell you the truth, while we’ve got fairly business savvy over the last decade — we are still here in large part because of those big hearts and that same desire to serve.

What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business? 

The most effective way of raising awareness for our business has been by reaching out to vendors or tradespeople and introducing myself. 

What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them? 

My biggest business challenge has been that I dream big + want everything I envision to happen, right now. I guess in a way I’m ambitious and also impatient which makes for a heck of a lot of fun for my husband and business partner John.

How do you stay focused?

In my opinion, staying focused has a lot to do with understanding when you’re most productive. For myself, staying focused is really easy for me in the wee hours of the morning and begins to trail off in the afternoon. So, I adjusted my work hours to wake up early and do my most pressing tasks for the day — first.

How do you differentiate your business from the competition?

For us, differentiating our business from the competition came by being an interior design firm that also does professional home organizing and getting very clear on our branding. 

What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business? 

Networking. It takes time and oftentimes feels indirect but when you build genuine relationships with vendors and serve clients to the best of your ability referral business is an excellent marketing tool.

What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs? 

You’re going to put forth a lot of effort — it’s not all directly going to lead to a sale but don’t discount doing it. People need to know who you are to do business with you and they can’t refer business to you if you don’t tell them you’re here.

What's your favorite app, blog, and book? Why?

My favorite app is Flipboard as I love to read online but not merely from one source. Flipboard provides you with articles based on topics you’ve read or shown interest in.

I’m a big believer in manifesting what you want in life so my favorite book is You Are A Badass By Jen Sincero as

My favorite blog is Half Baked Harvest. I love to cook from scratch and take a lot of pride in feeding my family healthy and flavorful meals.

What's your favorite business tool or resource? Why?

Toggl — without question tracking my time allows me to review how my day, week, and month were spent. Was a large portion of my time billable or non-billable? That’s been a game-changer for me.

Who is your business role model? Why? 

My husband, John. I know that sounds cliche but his discipline and routine to ensure he’s successful are one of the best business crushes I could have.

What is your beauty routine? What are some of your favorite products? 

My favorite product is Argon oil because it leaves your skin feeling hydrated, not oily. My beauty routine consists of being a mom — I get dolled up on when I meet with clients otherwise I like to keep it simple. My everyday work from home is a tinted moisturizer and a little something to make the eyes pop.

How do you balance work and life? 

I try to be as flexible as possible. When things get crazy instead of spiraling out of control, I find comfort in the uncertainty. Comfort in this life. I embrace my chaos. I stick to my routines like my life depends on it. And I strive to feel centered amidst the frenzy. 

What’s your favorite way to decompress? 

As a homebody, I enjoy being home with my family. John and I have a two-year-old son named Brooklyn-Carter so it’s a joy to be present with him. I really enjoy walking the trails near our home as well.

What do you have planned for the next six months? 

Over the next six months, I’m focusing on spending as much time as I can with those I love and building stronger relationships with those close to me personally and professionally.  

How can our readers connect with you?

You can connect with me on our blog, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or Pinterest.