Today we’d like to introduce you to Terri Crittenden.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Terri. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Let me start by saying I have been fortunate enough and equally stubborn enough to keep following what felt right to me. I spent my childhood designing Barbie houses and clothes, literally, and building her next dream home. I had no idea what an architect was, but one thing I did know was what fed my soul creating and creating again.
I graduated from the University of Illinois with a Master’s Degree in Architecture. I was one of a few girls in the program. In my first semester of my sophomore year, the TA took me aside and suggested I find another ‘career path’ because apparently, I wasn’t smart or talented enough.
Clearly a very profound moment in my life – was he right? This was hard … I was in a strange land with strange peeps. I had a choice… I didn’t know it then, but I chose (after much crying) to risk it all and fight for courage. I know it sounds dramatic, but I was 18!
Five months later, I won “Most Talented Student Architect,’ a highly sought out and coveted award of the sophomore class. That one choice brings me back to a lesson I frequently lean on throughout my career to maintain my courage.
My path started after college as an architect. I spent summers drawing bridges, roads, shopping centers and launched the computer division at Lester B. Knight before starting a design-build company that brought me to my knees after a 15-year run.
In 2009, I had another choice to make. I remembered Susie Fredman and Susan Rossie from a meeting seven years earlier and knew Fredman Design Group was where I needed to be.
Now, I realize 30 years that what fills my soul, quiets the gremlins in my head, is being in pursuit of magic–to find the energy I need to create meaning in all of my work. At 58-years-old I feel the importance of the pursuit of magic more now than even before. I have more self-acceptance and belief knowing I am where I am supposed to be, I feel freedom, openness and courage to explore creativity and push growth in all of our projects to encourage my staff and clients to do the same.
Today, I am the CEO of an industry leading company with a strong team. My choices allow me to meet extraordinary people who teach me something new every day and allow me to share more than I could have ever imagined and for this I am honored Fredman Design Group is my final parking space. My team is diverse, has strong values and the ability to have fierce conversations to get to the perfect outcome for every project. I continue to have the privilege of choice as a designer of exciting and innovative projects with clients that respect my creative freedom. I am grateful.
Has it been a smooth road?
Not every road is straight and smooth. The bumps, curves and dips are all part of the journey. I look at challenges as another choice I have to make, but as team there hasn’t been anything we haven’t weathered in 40 years.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Fredman Design Group – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Fredman Design Group is a leading architecture, building and design firm based in Chicago, but has projects around the globe. Our guiding philosophy is that design is more than a collection of materials and objects. It’s how we personalize and enrich aspects of the everyday and transform our quality of life. When I say our, I mean us as a people. We truly believe design has this power.
When we work with our clients, it’s about uncovering the essence of what this philosophy means to them so we can translate it visually in their space, capturing their personality, their lifestyle and their spirit.
It’s our pursuit of magic and generosity of spirit that guides us in our pursuit of sophisticated and personal interior design–work that doesn’t affirm our clients’ lifestyles so much as adds to them.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
Luck is not a word I actually use. When I think about luck, I think about abundance. My belief in abundance, and finding that in all things, matters more to me. By focusing on this way of thinking I’m able to manifest the positive energy and spirit to accomplish whatever is set before me. If there’s a little luck sprinkled in, that’s great, but to me it’s abundance that plays a key role in both my life and how we approach our work at Fredman Design Group.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1131 Armitage, Chicago, Il 60614
- Website: www.fredmandesigngroup.com
- Phone: 312-587-8150
- Email: info@fredmandesigngroup.com
Image Credit:
Fredman Design Group
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