Today we’d like to introduce you to Jacqueline Meyers.
Jacqueline, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I grew up in Chicago (The Windy City). I am a city girl at heart, who’s love for Real Estate, interior design and marketing started at an early age. I take after my father, who was a risk-taker, a people person and would strike a conversation with just about anyone that crossed his path. He always told me, if you are confident and you know how to market yourself, you can sell just about anything!
With that advice and a navy blue suit, I landed my first job in Real Estate working for a small, five person office. I started off as the executive assistant to the managing principal and within a year, I was promoted to operations manager. I was also given the opportunity to manage the owners personal real estate. This opportunity taught me a lot about buying and selling and so, at 24 yrs old, I decided to make my first real estate purchase. I bought a condo in the West Loop, one of Chicago’s hottest markets today!
After making one of the largest purchases of my life, I secured a new job working for a mid-size, real estate company where I wore many hats. I was involved in many aspects of real estate from leasing and marketing to property management and everything in between. Have you heard of the saying, “Jack of all trades, master of none” ? Over-time, that was how I felt. I had learned many skills that helped me grow professionally; however, I decided to focus on one aspect of real estate, and this is when I became a Property Manager. I enjoyed working with many different clients, tenants and vendors and providing them with class A service.
I met my husband while working on my career in real estate. We got married, had two children and our responsibilities went from what felt like zero, to a thousand overnight. As a working mom, you want to make it all work. You want to be able to contribute financially, be there for your children’s firsts and still get home in time to make a home cooked meal. I will never forget the day when I rushed out of my office in River North, to pick up my daughter’s from daycare and take them to a scheduled art class with a few of their friends. I was late, which made the teachers late in starting the class. I felt like a bad mom. The other moms had to listen to me apologize for five minutes, as this was not my first time being late. It was at that moment I thought, how can I continue living like this. Always running out of the office and showing up late for my children. It was only going to get more intense the older they get. So, I sat down with my husband and together, we came to the decision I should quit my job and stay home with our daughters.
Within three months of being a stay-at-home mom, I realized, I can do it all. This time, it was going to be at my pace and thanks to the wonderful world of technology, I was able to find a few clients that needed assistance with project work. From testing high-end websites to creating strategic marketing plans in the comforts of my own home office, I not only was able to learn a few new skills, I created my own blog, Stagingwithpurpose.com.
Staging with Purpose is a home staging and lifestyle blog, whose mission and purpose is to inspire creative home design and presentation, paired with a healthy lifestyle. Whether you are planning to sell your home, entertain guests or simply need to refresh a room, my ideas and concepts are designed for you and your purpose. With every unique project, I take into consideration your lifestyle, what is appropriate for your style home and your budget. From complete room transformations, to repurposing items throughout your home, my design and organization concepts can add value and provide a warm and welcoming environment.
Building my own blog has documented my true passion and has confirmed what other have told me all along, “You have a knack for design and attention to detail”. This is when I discovered that it could be a lucrative full-time dream job. After a few refresh projects of my own, I started to receive inquiries from friends, family and acquaintances who were interested in small projects of their own. From a simple refresh project to selecting backsplashes and granite countertops, the work started coming in. Through referrals and networking, I have been able to meet new clients with a variety of different needs all while managing my own personal real estate investments. Being involved throughout the transformation process of a project, whether its an interior or exterior transformation, being part of the creative vision, execution and presentation is truly rewarding.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
For the most part, it has been a pretty smooth road compared to the road I was once on. Juggling two little ones schedules and fitting in client calls in between has its challenges, but it is so worth it. Being responsive to clients is key and finding time to “do the work” can be tough; however, I’ve found that, as my business continues to grow, being productive is a top priority for me now, more than ever.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Staging With Purpose – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Staging with Purpose is a home staging and lifestyle blog, whose mission and purpose is to inspire creative home design and presentation, paired with a healthy lifestyle.
I consider myself a consultant for interior design projects without the hefty prices of a full-service interior design firm. Whether you are planning to sell your home, entertain guests or simply need to refresh a room, my ideas and concepts are designed for you and your purpose. From complete room transformations, to repurposing items throughout your home, my design and organization concepts can add value and provide a warm and welcoming environment.
My professional real estate background has helped me understand what platinum client service looks like and how it should be packaged and delivered. With every unique project, I take into consideration your lifestyle, what is appropriate for your style home and your budget. There is always a budget and my job is to always come in under with the highest quality product. I have found my niche to be a differentiating factor in the eyes of my clients as they consider how much they are willing to spend on their home projects.
Were there people and/or experiences you had in your childhood that you feel laid the foundation for your success?
My father was a Chicago police officer and died when I was 13 years old. I remember my mother working really hard to be able to provide for me and my brother. She always found a way to make things work! She would pick us up from school, attend our extra curricular activities and put food on the table. Although, times have certainly changed and raising children may not be as easy, her determination to make things happen and strong work ethic will always be a part of my success.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.stagingwithpurpose.com
- Phone: 773-551-2756
- Email: stagingwithpurpose@gmail.com
- Instagram: @stagingwithpurpose
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Stagingwithpurpose/
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacqueline-meyers-07b0754/
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