ALANE BEARD
’16 AA-Interior Design | Residential Designer at Alane Beard
To start, what is your story? How did you get to where you are today?
I was a nurse for around 21 years. During that time I informally did design projects on the side for friends and family because I loved to do so. Every book on my shelf and every magazine on my nightstand was about design. Every blog I read and every show I watched was on the same topic. I was obsessed. When people came to my home, they asked which designer I hired to decorate and were surprised to learn the design was all mine. People often asked why I hadn’t gone to school for design. Frankly, I never thought about it when I was young. But I knew I couldn’t work on my feet for 12-16 hours a day forever. And then I read an article that inspired me. It said to look at what you read, do and watch in your spare time and therein you will find your passion. It was a no-brainer for me. I had a mini post-divorce, midlife crisis and went back to design school. The rest, as they say, is history.
Tell us about what you do and about the business/company.
I am residential Interior Designer and I own a small firm with projects in Dallas, Austin & Houston. I offer a variety of tiered services depending on client need from Designer for an Hour, Designer for a Day, eDesign, to traditional full service Interior Design projects from one room to an entire house, including new construction, room refresh or home renovation. I work with contractors and architects, do project management, and a host of custom furniture, lighting, and drapery projects. I have an online WooCommerce store including to international clients, affiliate links and paid partnerships. I also offer contract 3-D rendering work for other designers when time allows. And of course I have a design blog.
How did your Wade College education help prepare you for what you’re doing today?
My education from Wade is absolutely invaluable to my career today. The practical design skills go without saying and are the foundation for everything I do now. I also cannot overstate how often I use technology learned at Wade in my daily activities, and a lot of the older designers count on my knowledge in this area, so that’s a valuable marketing advantage to me. But having professors who actually work in the field was incredibly valuable to me as well. Both their real-world knowledge and their contacts helped jump start my career. Finally, all of the career pre-planning steps Wade forces students to do was brilliant for me, from the website, to the business cards, professional portfolio, etc. I came out of the gate looking [and feeling] like a pro!
What challenges did you have to overcome, if any?
I was an older student and a full-time working mom while going to back to school. It took me a long time to finish. That can be discouraging. And obviously that means I started my second career much later in life and therefore had zero applicable resume experience in my field compared to others my age. Also initially that meant taking a pay cut to pursue my passion. But Ms Magee was amazing at showing me how to write a resume that incorporated important transferrable skills that I could list on my resume. And several professors helped me determine realistic starting income expectations so I could plan my finances accordingly upon graduation. Most importantly, my association with Wade made it possible for me to have a job upon graduation so that neither of these things were a concern in the longterm.
What are your proudest accomplishments?
I’ve had the opportunity to work with some amazing people and organizations. I am so very proud of my work with Dwell with Dignity and to have had some of my designs published in D Magazine as one of that organization’s ’23 Most Stunning Home Projects”. Dwell with Dignity changes lives and I’m proud to support them. I’ve also been blessed to work with the amazing architectural talents of Joshua Rice, Bentley Tibbs, Corey Van Trease, Coats Homes and others. Most recently, I was asked to contribute a design tip for a Redfin article, which I’ll be publishing soon on my site. Perhaps the most unexpected accomplishment so far was appearing on the Dallas season of the design TV show called ‘Unboxed’. That was a whirlwind experience and I’m glad I had the chance to experience it. But today I got the sweetest thank you note from a client. “I am so happy! Thank you ever so much for your helpfulness and kindness throughout this whole process. I am truly touched to end my renovations with such a sweet reminder that there truly are good people out there 🙂 Thank you ever so much for your attention to detail and care.” THAT is my proudest accomplishment. I’m happy Wade professors pushed me so hard on the tiny details of every project.
What is your advice for students interested in your field?
Learn as much technology as you can in school. You will need it. Beyond that, network, network, network. Your relationships will set you on your path and aid you in everything you do from here. I could not do my job, especially with supply chain issues of today without amazing vendors, patient contractors, people I can call for support, and a network of people who have my back and who help me along the way. Get your team in place, starting with your Wade colleagues, professors, lecturers, and fellow students, and build from there. And start planning your big picture now. It’s easier to set things up correctly from the beginning than it is to try to play catch up when you’re already up and running. You will need an accountant, certain legal documents, a webmaster, a tech guy, a photographer, accounting software, other professionals, etc. Find a mentor with a path you love and find out how they did it. You’re going to be big. Be ready!
Where can we find you online? https://alanebeard.com
Anything else you’d like to share?
My next venture is creating a non-profit to help people rebuild after natural disaster loss. It’s still in development with my team. We’re building our Board of Directors, getting our non-profit status, finding funding sources, and finalizing the eligibility criteria now. Wish us luck!