Meet Sydney Holliday | Interior Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sydney Holliday and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sydney, we’d love to hear more about your end-goal, professionally.
The goal that drives me the most to become successful in my career is thinking about the way that I can have a positive impact on the homes and daily lives of my future clients. The real impact of residential interior design goes beyond creating a space that’s just beautiful to look at. It’s about the ripple effects that can happen in your daily life when you come home to a space that sparks joy, calms and soothes you, provides functional organization for your busy schedule, and reflects you and your family’s personality and story. There is abundant research to show that interior design can reduce stress, depression, and have a profound impact on mental health. Research also shows that well-designed work spaces can lead to increased cognitive function and productivity, which is even more important in a world that’s increasingly remote and online. Home is where we spend the majority of our time, where we raise our families, where we host memorable experiences, where we eat, sleep, and even work or exercise. Creating a home and workspace that is functional, organized, and beautiful is one of the simplest things we can do to make life easier, minimize chaos, stress and clutter, and encourage creativity, peace, and happiness. For me, working towards success in this field means that I will have the opportunity to impact more clients’ lives in a positive way. I want to help people solve the problems in their homes in a way that can inspire them and elevate their daily lives, and show people that it can be done in a sustainable and practical way that doesn’t have to break the bank. My end goal is all about growing my business and client base so that I am able to work with as many clients as possible to give them a ‘forever home’ that’s conducive to living the full, peaceful, and happy lives that they deserve.

Please tell us more about your business. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today business-wise. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
Anyone who has ever started a business will tell you that it is not easy. We all struggle with imposter syndrome and can get overwhelmed by the comparison game and the never-ending to-do list. What I’ve learned is that everyone in the world, even the most successful people, started out by having no idea what they were doing, and there is no such thing as an overnight success. Success usually takes over a decade of hard work. The only way to love your career is to fall in love with the process and believe that you have this passion for a reason, because otherwise, you will inevitably get burnt out and feel like no progress is being made. You have to believe that there’s an abundance of opportunity, money, and clients out there, and there’s plenty of room for all of us. It’s okay to feel like an imposter and feel like you don’t know what you’re doing, because it will always be better to be outside of your comfort zone, growing and learning, than to be stagnant or stuck in a career that you hate.

One of the biggest mistakes I’ve made starting out is comparing myself too much to designers who are years ahead of me in their journey. I’ve shifted my focus to where I want my business to be 5, 10, 20 years from now, and the ways in which I can try to make a positive impact on my clients’ daily lives. When you think that far ahead, and focus on the real reason you love what you do, you really start to let go of any insecurity about where you currently are and you start to just feel excited and eager to one day reach your goals. I get so excited to work towards bigger and better projects and help more and more people with their design problems. I believe what sets me apart from other designers is that I truly want to serve my clients in the most selfless way possible and provide as much value to them as I can, because it’s so much more fulfilling to focus on the ways in which I can have a small positive impact by bringing more beauty into their homes and elevating their daily lives.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I would definitely take them to watch the sunset at Sunset Cliffs, see the seals in La Jolla Cove, walk the hiking trail at Torrey Pines, have a picnic at Kate Sessions, and go to a restaurant in Little Italy. Since I live in Pacific Beach, that’s where I spend most of my time, so I would definitely take them to hang out on the beach, paddle board in the Bay, and bar hop in PB. My most frequented places to eat, drink, or hang out include El Prez, Local, Nolita Hall, Oscars, Board and Brew, Second Nature, and Beachcomber. We would also have to check out Balboa Park, Gaslamp, and Coronado!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Without a doubt, I know I wouldn’t be able to run a business without the support system and privilege that I’ve had. My mom has always taught me the importance of independence and hard work and has always pushed me to strive for bigger and better goals. My partner, Jake, has pushed me to step outside my comfort zone and pursue my dream career and continues to partner with me on multiple projects, which have been the springboard for starting my business in the first place. I’m incredibly thankful for Julie and Eric Tucker, who took a chance on me and trusted me to run my very first large renovation project for them, despite the fact that I was just starting out and didn’t have a very extensive portfolio to show them. I truly would not be nearly as far along in my journey if it wasn’t for them having enough faith in me to give me that opportunity! I also have the most supportive and loving group of friends that have always celebrated my wins and encouraged me to keep going. I’m beyond thankful to have such a strong support system in my life!

Website: sydneyhollidayinteriors.com

Instagram: @sydneyhollidayinteriors

Other: Email: hello@sydneyhollidayinteriors.com

Image Credits
Stanley Yang