Episode 89: Megmade

Meg Piercy of MegMade on Finding Your 80-20 Balance in Business

This week Samantha chats with Meg Piercy, co-founder of the Chicago-based company Megmade. Since 2013, MegMade has been bringing their customers, “A Home Like No Other” and they're on a mission to make furniture and home decor as unique as the customers who buy them. By matching your style and personality, and because each home is unique to the family that lives there, they believe that shoppers should have a home that is completely designed for you.

The two discuss how important it is to best split your time between creative and business work, finding balance in both the good and bad moments of business, plus what is coming up for MegMade this year.

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Podcast Script

Sam: [00:00:00] Monetize your passion for wellbeing with the job you love every single day and design a happy life from a healthy lifestyle. What's up guys, this is spin, skin and other addictions a podcast by me, Samantha E Cutler of The Fit Fatale. Each week. I'm going to take you deeper into the world of wellness with entrepreneurs who are building brands designed to better your life.

[00:00:27] You'll be hearing good fitness, gurus, medical specialists, and influencers in the world of fitness, health, beauty, and nutrition. I hope you guys love it. Let's get down.

Meg: [00:00:43] If you want to do the creative, hire someone to do the business. And if you want to do the business side, hire someone to do the creative. Cause I know in the beginning for me, it was such a passion of mine and it was almost like an energy release for [00:01:00] me that I needed to be doing the work on these, that I didn't price things as I should.[00:01:06] I undervalued my work, and so I feel like I shouldn't have been the ones selling my pieces in the beginning.

Sam: [00:01:15] You're listening to spin, skin and other addictions episode number 89. This week, I have Meg Piercy of MegMade the Chicago based interior design, home decor and custom furniture company. Not only does Meg specialize in refinishing furniture, but she also has tons of home products, like a paint line and all different things that she created while working with her husband, they build their business together. Which if you guys have listened to my episodes, I'm a sucker for a couple of businesses because of course that's what we do. And so I'm so excited to dive into this interview, but what's really cool is that Meg takes us through the story of when they were really struggling in their business in a custom refinishing furniture business, which sounds like it can be really tough to get established and grow in that space. Into where they are [00:02:00] now, where they're actually developing a TV show, which is so exciting. So this is a great episode, if you're looking for that story from beginning to end of all those different struggles, and she also drops a bunch of little tidbits around working with your partner and just really staying focused when things are bad.

[00:02:15] One of my favorite things that she says is all about, come to me when you have a problem, when there's at least three different options for a solution, right? So just don't come showing up with what the issue is and freaking out, but let's talk about it when there's three different options for a solution.

[00:02:30] And I love that advice. So she dropped so many nuggets. I'm mean, I think you're going to love this episode and let's take it away with Meg. Hey everyone and welcome to this week's episode of spin, skin and other addictions. So we're all locked at home right now, as we can imagine. So I'm really excited about our next guest, cause hopefully she's going to inspire you as not only an entrepreneur, but also as how you can live in up your home and  the space that you're living in. Today I have [00:03:00] Chicago based interior designer, home decorator and custom furniture maker, Meg of MegMade. I am so excited to have you on the podcast and to dive into everything that you're doing and how you're bringing light and life to your clients, and those who are around you. Meg Piercy, please give us your intro and share with our audience what you're all about.

]Meg: [00:03:21] Hi, I'm so glad to be here. My name is Meg Piercy, as she said we started MegMade about eight years ago and I started it as an accident. We have an eight year old and we were young and pregnant and needed to do a nursery and we didn't have the money to buy a changing table.

[00:03:44] So we found one that a friend was getting rid of and we painted it and it became our changing table. And, as it happens in our household, I get sick of furniture quickly and it rotates in and out. And [00:04:00] so that piece then got sold and we did another one in that kind of is how MegMade began. We would paint pieces in our home and then we would sell them through like Facebook and Craigslist.  People would come over to our house and buy them. And I feel like my husband was always saying, MegMade this piece or MegMade this chandelier or MegMade this pillow or this Ottoman and it was actually another podcaster who was coming over that day.

[00:04:26] And he said, you know what you say, MegMade a lot, you should just name your posts, MegMade, cause Meg makes it all. That is how MegMade began. And since then we've grown to having a 10,000 square foot retail location in Chicago. We are known for taking vintage furniture and reinvisioning it through paint and stain.

[00:04:48] And it's grown into basically all home decor from furniture to lighting, to rugs and interior design. So it was a happy mistake, but it's been a really [00:05:00] fun road.

Sam: [00:05:01] First of all, the way people come up with their names is always so unique. And you just assumed that it was like a branding process or something, because it's so perfect.

[00:05:10] But I love how that organically came to be because Meg didn't make it. So it makes perfect sense, I want to hear a little bit more about how your process with refurbishing the furniture. I love that it organically fell into your lap because it was something that you needed.

[00:05:27] Was it those around you, your family and friends? Like how did you realize that this was such a big need as you began to grow and propel in, in that space of the business before it became what it is today?

Meg: [00:05:40] Yeah. I think when we first started, it was definitely just a need and we had no idea what we were doing, but we were having a lot of fun doing it.

[00:05:48] And it was a really stressful time in our life. And it was an outlet for us. And it was like a, we were barely making it paying bills. We had just had a contractor, steal a lot of our money. So we were barely making by, [00:06:00] and this was like our play money. And so our friends saw what we were doing and they would post it on Facebook too.

[00:06:06] And then their friends would be like, "Hey, I have an old dresser. What you paint this for me?" And that is how it grew. But I would say like when we decided that we wanted to turn it from like a hobby into a business was when someone came and bought a piece from us and they just really challenged us.

[00:06:24] They're like, there is a huge gap in the market for, one of a kind furniture she's like, all you can buy is grey , black and white from all the big box stores. And I wanted a green dresser. And so I think we didn't realize that we were filling a huge void in the market at that time. But I think looking back, I think that's why we were so successful is because people were wanting it.

Sam: [00:06:51] Now today there's such a for one, we're seeing both that like re-purposing and reusing is extremely important [00:07:00] for environment purposes with business, for positioning for customers. That's what Gen Z in particular, as you understand the market, that's what they're identifying  with. And it's also about expressing yourself and what I love, those listening, you have to check out Meg's Instagram, which I will of course link in the show notes.

[00:07:16] What I love is seeing the expression of self through home. And it's so prominent in our fashion, in our everyday life. But over the past, you can speak to this even more, 10 years. We've seen such a transition of how people express themselves at home. And how have you experienced that with your clients and your customers and just improving their day-to-day life because of the environment that they live in.

Meg: [00:07:43] Yeah, totally. So we actually just created our tagline about a year ago and it's a home like no other. And I think, we all remember the grey craze and now we're in the neutral craze where everyone just has grey walls or neutrals upon [00:08:00] neutrals. And I feel like we're edging our way out of that and embracing colour again.

[00:08:05] And we'll have people come in and they just want black or white or grey dresser. And that's great, but we're having people come in and be like, you know what? I love yellow. I love orange. I love green. And I want it in my house. I feel like people are starting to realize that colour brings them joy and it makes them happy.

[00:08:25] And I feel as you said, this next generation of people, I feel like they're really embracing, having a home like no other and not a home that looks like everybody else down the street.

Sam: [00:08:36] And you're even seeing these trends on my Pinterest and my like Instagram discover is definitely flooded with beautiful inspirational home content, but not just home content.

[00:08:45] It's how do we live in our homes in a very unique and different way. And we're seeing I'm in a totally, mess this up, but you know the names where you build like a greenhouse in your houses within it, you probably know what this is called, [00:09:00] I'm blanking, but it's like these friends of just like bringing the outdoors indoors. And whatever feels comfortable and resonates more with you as an individual into your home and less okay, here's my bed and here's my dresser.

[00:09:13] And that's where it ends. And you guys definitely express that in your products and in your design, it's just, it comes through so clearly as I'm, as we're having this conversation, you're like wallpaper with the like very prominent, big leaves and such as so in front of my face, as I'm thinking about it, and it just creates such a individual experience in your home.

Meg:[00:09:36] Yeah. And I think, over the last year, us all spending a lot more time in our home than normal has definitely just exacerbated that to the max on. Okay. I'm in my home everyday, all day. I need it to function for me, not just be pretty. So how do we meet form and function?

Sam:[00:09:54] Absolutely. And it's hard. It's the only thing we have right now, as you said, like we're at home and [00:10:00] it isn't big representation of our life and us and our spouses or, your children or your family. And I know you and your husband have built this business together, which I absolutely love because you're living in your home together and that makes it so unique.

[00:10:13] Can you share a little bit more about how you and Joe interact? We were just talking about this before we hit record, but you were saying like we're literally glued together at every step of the way from home to work. What has that been like for you too?

Meg: [00:10:27] No, it's so funny. Cause I, we were actually joking about that the other day.

[00:10:31] Like my husband and I, we are literally together, we're together at work, we're together. Once we get home and we're with our kids, it's really funny because there's one day a week where  we're apart. Cause he's going and he's checking on some of our main manufacturers and we like talked the whole day while on the phone while he's away.

[00:10:49] I'm like, will you like, even on the days we're apart, we just I don't know. So I feel like we have gone through so many highs and so many [00:11:00] lows and we've become stronger through it. We are each other's biggest cheerleaders and we learned quickly to never blame each other for anything when things go wrong, but to just like creatively come up with solutions together.

[00:11:14] So I feel through building this we've just become stronger.

Sam: [00:11:18] I love that.

Meg: [00:11:19] I actually just like laugh through life. Like he is hilarious, so laughter is a huge part of why this works  .

Sam: [00:11:29] Laughter in business is so important because you can literally fuck up everything and anything totally have to be able to laugh.

[00:11:38] I also absolutely just resonate with what you said about not blaming the other person. Cause it's really easy. And I would love to hear your take on this, but I'll speak because I too work with my partner, but it's really easy to blame. The other person, because we're so comfortable with them and it's it's your best friend, it's your husband, it's your person.

[00:11:57] That's always with you. And so something goes wrong and it's [00:12:00] easy to point a finger and be like, Oh, like what did you do, babe? Having that, like how do you guys navigate that? Or do you have any tips for those? I'll be selfish and ask this question for me, but for anyone else who maybe works with their spouse.

Meg: [00:12:12] Yeah, I think we probably didn't do it well to begin with, but we have always told each other, like we're committed so we can work through fighting.

[00:12:21]And I think that's been the most important thing for us is we know, like he always jokes that if I like, if I leave him, he's running after me . MegMade, went through about six months, it was just really hard and we nearly went bankrupt like a couple of times.

[00:12:38] And our marriage was in a really rough spot. We had just had a second kid and it was really hard and we ended up going to counselling during that time. And one thing that we learned that was really powerful, is I'm not going to each other with the problem until we have a few [00:13:00] solutions. So just being solution oriented rather than problem oriented and being gratitude oriented rather than complaining.

[00:13:10] And I think those two things and just like understanding that we didn't meet until we were 23 or 24 and he lived 24 years of life without me. And he sees problems and he sees opportunities differently than I do because I was raised somewhere different and different home in a different city.

[00:13:31] And so just understanding that the way I see things isn't necessarily the way that he does and that's okay.

Sam: [00:13:37] I like that. Just being like able to put yourself in, in a greater understanding that perspectives will be different. I also really appreciate your approach to come with me when you have the problem, but also with solutions and options for solutions.

[00:13:54] I might be taking that back to my partner and being like, this is a really interesting approach. I learned [00:14:00] it from Meg, but he would love that. We're all about, anyone in business, I think this actually that can apply at home in your intimate life or romantic life, or whether you work with them, or if you just have a business partner, like the approach to solving a problem becomes so different when it's not, here's the problem and I have zero solutions let's freak out, but versus here's the problem here are options. That I see on my side, maybe you have different options on your side and just being open-minded. So I think that's a great nugget that everyone listening can take away whether business or romantic or in any exchange with other humans, which is rare.

Meg:[00:14:41] So sad.

Sam: [00:14:42] Obviously things probably look a little different right now, given, COVID and. I'm not a thousand percent sure. How Chicago and how things have been for you the past couple of weeks, it's always changing, but what is your day to day as a business owner look like as well as, creating and pumping out [00:15:00] beautiful content within your social platforms and also new content that's coming out, which we'll have to dive into, but what does the day-to-day right now look like?

Meg: [00:15:08] Yeah we, we run this business together. We also have three children, and then we, have a lot of things that we're doing at the same time. So I think that one thing I've learned through all of this is I can't do it all and so I really focus each day on, okay, what can I get done?

[00:15:29] And that's what I'm going to do, and then what can I delegate? And so my day to day looks so different every day, but every day includes me working with our content creators. She pushes it out, but I tell her what to put on there. And I would just say that, every day includes me, about 80% of the day working on the business and about 20% working in the business.

[00:15:54]I think that's been huge for me is constantly allowing myself [00:16:00] to dream about what's next and not getting, so engrossed in the monotony of the day to day. Because when I get, so I actually really like to paint the dressers. I like to strip the dressers. I like to, clean the showroom floor.

[00:16:16] I love to help the customers, but if I'm doing that all the time, then I'm not working on the growth of the business. So I feel like every day it's about 80% is on the business. And about 20% is in the business. Cause I feel like that 20% kind of helps me, it fills my tank. It also lets me know, okay, what's going wrong.

[00:16:36] What's going right. What can we work on? But yeah, it's really fun. And because we work with so many awesome people, so many great customers, it's easy to put out amazing content because it's not just us producing it, but people who are purchasing through us.

Sam: [00:16:53] Right, and are inspired as well. And they're inspiring you back as the brand to what you want to do to serve your clients. [00:17:00] And your customers. Totally. Yeah. And I think that's a really, yeah, interesting approach of working on the business versus in the business. And that's something that a lot of creatives who are listening can resonate with because it's really difficult to balance, no matter what your creative role is.

[00:17:17] The creativity piece and protecting your time and your space and your energy to be able to do that, but also, still doing the mundane and boring, tedious tasks that you have to do. Of course, you've grown to the point where you have a team, but regardless of, what stage I'd love to hear, like earlier, before you did have a bigger team like you have now, how did you.

[00:17:39] Balanced that, or did you bounce it or do you have any tips for people who are maybe a one or maybe two, maybe three men show that are like, yeah, I need to protect my time cause I am the creative, but I also have to send invoices and answer emails and do all that fun stuff.

Meg: [00:17:54] Totally. Yeah. I think in the beginning it was. [00:17:57] Oh, my gosh. It's so fun to think back to [00:18:00] the beginning. Cause it was it's really fun. We were like building things like with our hands and we were like, huh. So a lot of once that finished, we don't know how to do that finish. Let's go learn on YouTube or let's go do this. Let's try it out on a smaller piece and then we'll do it on there.

[00:18:13] Sure. We'll give it a go. And it was just being like willing to take risks and to try and to also just like we faked it till we made it for sure, in the beginning. And so I would say my biggest though, suggestion to creatives is to, if you want to do the creative, hire someone to do the business.

[00:18:39] And if you want to do the business side, hire someone to do the creative. Cause I know in the beginning for me, it was such a passion of mine and it was almost like an energy release for me that I needed to be doing the work on these, that I didn't price things as I should. I undervalued my [00:19:00] work. And so I feel like I shouldn't have been the ones selling my pieces in the beginning.

Sam: [00:19:06] So true. Like you're almost too close to the product to understand how you can price it.

Meg: [00:19:13] Yeah. And especially for creatives, because a lot of people who enter it as a creative, I entered it as like from a business perspective, cause that was my background. But clearly I work with a lot of creatives and I think that one thing that a lot of them would admit, and I, because I was doing creative work, I fell into this trap too, is just undervaluing what you're doing.

[00:19:35] So I always tell the creative, hire someone that can sell what you're doing. Cause it's a lot easier for someone else to brag about you and sell you in cheerlead you to other people than it is for you to brag and cheerlead about yourself. Because I'm not, I did not like doing that.

Sam: [00:19:54] And it's so tough, like in our culture as well within North America, we're told to [00:20:00] not necessarily like.

[00:20:02] Understand our value or pump ourselves up all the time. Because if not, especially as women, I'm sure like the women listening can relate to this. We're it's uncomfortable. It's not our societal norms to do and so it's so true. The second you have someone else, like even just take a second look like if you can't necessarily have someone running the business component of it, have a look and be, and maybe ask them like, what is the value of this?

[00:20:25] And I'm sure you guys did that with. Products in the beginning too as you said, your friends were coming over being like, can you do mine? I'll pay you, and you probably didn't even get to that point without someone else putting that in your face and realizing that, Oh, this is something someone will put their harder earned money.

Meg: [00:20:39] Exactly. 

Sam: [00:20:41] That's so interesting. And so like over the years, how many years have you been in business? How long has it been now? Eight. That's incredible. And so what would you say over the past eight years has been your biggest success moment, or maybe where you felt the most aligned that you realized, okay, I'm on the [00:21:00] right path. This is the right place for us to be, as you said, you had so many ups and downs. In business as many people do.

Meg: [00:21:09] Yeah. I know. I think for me, and I actually had this conversation a lot lately there's been so many little wins, but one thing I've just been like challenging myself to do because, owning a business can be very emotional and I've tried to like, not celebrate my highs, but also not get really upset with myself during the lows and just become non-emotive about the super highs and the super lows. Because I just feel like there's so owning your own business is like a roller coaster. And so it's just been one of those things where you, if you get too high, then falling hurts a lot. But I would say when I realized that we had something was when we would go out to places and we would go to parties or we would go to [00:22:00] dinners and people would say what do you do? And we were like, Oh, we run this little thing named, it's a furniture store in Chicago and people will be like, Oh, which one?

[00:22:08] And I'd be like it's called MegMade. And they're like, "What that's you?" And I was like, Oh my gosh, people don't know what our store is. There's millions of people in the city. How do they know who we are? And I think when we started realizing the power of like word of mouth and how, what we were doing was something people were so excited to get behind because it's very rare for people to build something from the ground up and not just have a bunch of people put money into it and grow a huge overnight. I realized people were rooting for us and people knew who we were. And I think that was probably one of the most amazing moments.

Sam: [00:22:51] That's so rewarding. I can't even like under, just putting myself in those shoes and feeling those emotions of you're [00:23:00] trying to build this business and every day seems so tough and you begin to get that recognition and it's it's the tipping point as an entrepreneur.

Meg: [00:23:07] Yeah, it is. And then as we started sending pieces out of state and I think we've now, I think we've sent them all but 3 States.

[00:23:16] And so just realizing that there is literally a piece of ours, like in every state in America and that's just really cool. To realize this is bigger than what we thought it was going to be, and we're building something, from the ground up and we're doing it together and we're doing it as a family.

[00:23:32] And that's just it's those moments when I'm like, wow, this is this is really cool.

[ Sam: [00:23:38] And you're not only in every, almost every state across the U S you're also going to be in homes very soon.

Meg: [00:23:49] No, it's crazy. We  I don't, you'll have to follow us to see, but my husband has a huge personality and I have [00:24:00] been designing homes for a long time.

[00:24:02] And three years ago, we were contacted by a production company asking us, and we had been contacted by a lot of them, but this specific production company that contacted us, we just really liked them. They were just really great guys, like really real. And so yeah, this next season of life, we are not just going to be, on our own social media, but we can't say a lot of information, but we do have a TV show coming out, which is super exciting.

Sam: [00:24:31] It’s so perfect for right now, because like we said, at the beginning of this, everyone is stuck at home, but also everyone is just consuming so much content on like how to decorate, how to better their space. That's all they have and we're seeing so many they'll move and renovate and redo. And so I love that this is the next evolution of your business and your career.

[00:24:51] Cause it's like the. As you're telling me this, I have goosebumps like the stars aligned for this perfect timing. And I'm super excited. I'm excited to watch.

Meg: [00:24:59] Good. And no it's really fun. And it's all about taking, pieces that you already own. That may just be tired and for very little money, you can refresh those pieces and it can completely change your home and save towards the overall budget of re-doing your place. And so we did, just we've been using we lacquer at the store, but we also have been teaching a lot of people how to use our DIY paint and paint their own pieces. It's not something that you want to do and you want us to do, people can bring it to us and we can refinish their pieces.

[00:25:40] But we also want to do empower, everybody at home to pick up a brush and try something else. So that's been really fun to just to, teach people the tricks of the trade that we learned, the hard knock way and, try to teach people how to make their pieces beautiful on there own..

Sam: [00:25:57] So, I'm going to have to. [00:26:00] First of all get your paint and your products. But second of all, I have this old cabinet in our kitchen that we purchased and we purchase it like a year and a half ago being like this would be such a fun  project. And then we never knew how to do it. We never had the right product.

[00:26:18] We were like,  busy in business, and this never came to fruition, the most perfect product as my Guinea pig. And I'm going to watch a long and follow them or hopefully before, because I'm not sure when the show when's the show supposed to air.

Meg: [00:26:33] COVID just kinda throws a jackknife into everything, but it should be late later this year, early next year. I filmed the one episode, but we have, seven more to films. 

Sam: [00:26:46] No big deal. And then there's the whole editing and all that process, which of course is not on you, but take some time.

Meg: [00:26:52] I know, but the really exciting thing that is going to go along with this. Is that we will be producing a lot of how to videos on [00:27:00] how to accomplish the lifts that we're providing. And then also like how to videos on how to like, hang your own wallpaper.

[00:27:06] Cause you know, the whole wallpaper craze. And we hope we want to empower people to do things themselves and to get creative because we have just realized that it's been a huge outlet for us. It gives us things to do together as a family. It makes our home beautiful. And it's honestly a lot easier than people think it is.

Sam: [00:27:24] Yeah. And I thought that connects you as well. Like with, like you said, as a family or with whoever you're living with, it just brings you together and also. Hey, everyone needs activities right now. So I know everything we can get.

Meg: [00:27:37] I know. So true.

[00:27:40] What would be one thing you would tell maybe your younger self or an entrepreneur starting today?

Meg: [00:27:50] I would say don't be afraid. Don't let fear stop you. There's so many things out there that need to, to [00:28:00] businesses that need to begin and. Creative things that need it into the market. And if you've got an idea, don't let fear stop you. And the year of total fear of, the unknown and of businesses and of viruses, like fear has overtaken everybody.

[00:28:17] And I just feel I'm just excited and I'm hopeful that people would just not be afraid to chase their dreams because it's worth it. It's hard. But if it's something you're super passionate about, it is so worth it.

Sam: [00:28:31] Do you think that, as you said, the past year of fear and the way literally the past 12 months has unfolded, do you feel like that'll, that's made people more resistant to fear or more afraid of it?

Meg: [00:28:46] I think it's made people more creative and certain aspects, but probably more just because, and it's very true. A lot of our friends have gone out of business, in the last year, especially in like the restaurant [00:29:00] industry, but also in the creative, small business industries. So I think that it, people are cautious.

[00:29:06] But I think that coming out of a time, such as this is also the time to go try new things. Cause coming out of this is anytime you come out of a pandemic or a depression or things like that is when the next wave of huge creative opportunities come.

Sam: [00:29:22] Yeah, I agree. And you can feel like, as, I'm not sure if this is just me in this conversation, but I do feel like you can feel that when you speak with other creatives and the energy shift of what's coming versus the fear and the unknown that I feel like the first six months of COVID brought to a lot of people in the pandemic versus like now this stage of okay, I'm going to figure out how to make it, and I'm going to tap into every resource, every area of inspiration and continue to just push forward and whatever I can do. Because I know I've been through this for this [00:30:00] long. That's a lot of what I see. With just speaking to people on the podcast as well.

Meg: [00:30:05] Totally. And I think I can, I know this is going to be like a weird comparison, but my grandfather was a prisoner of war in world war II. And he was in the Bataan Death March for two years and he was one of the very few people who survived it and not comparing that at all to what we're going through, because what we're going through is a lot less.

[00:30:23] But people asked him why, he made it and he said it was because I always had hope, but I was a realist. As well, and I just feel like the people who are going to make it through this pandemic is like business owners and really succeed are the ones who see it as like real. And they know that it's happening, but they also have hope for a better tomorrow.

[00:30:44] So I feel like the way we're operating in that, it's like we're being real. And we're like, tightening the belt on what do we really need to spend money on? And what do we not. But then we see what has happened during this pandemic is that everybody is turning online. So [00:31:00] how can we shift and maybe use dollars that were originally for, the experience of coming into the store and shift those to making our online experience better.

[00:31:11] And so I feel like by just being like a hopeful realist, and I feel like. We're becoming more hopeful than the realest part because we're seeing, that maybe this country might open back up one day. But I feel like that's the way that we have made it through this is just not letting the fear or the negative get too much a hold of us.[00:31:32] If that makes sense.

Sam: [00:31:33] Absolutely. And that's something you referenced even earlier in our chat when you said, I think you guys have a really real approach to business in not getting too swept up when things are good or too swept up when things are bad and staying level. It's really interesting because when you study meditation and the process of, regulating our emotions or even within like diet and a lot of nutrition [00:32:00] and like self-care rituals are very much the same. It's about finding a middle ground at a balance and not extremes. And I think as entrepreneurs, it's something you can forget and I'm getting that reminder, even having that conversation with you, which I love, but it's so important too.

[00:32:16] Find a middle ground. So yes, there are ups and yes, there are downs, but try to regulate that rollercoaster because it's super, it becomes like a yo-yo entrepreneurship or a yo-yo COVID experience as you said, like  right? Not, Oh my gosh, we're never getting out of here or, oh yeah we're getting out of here and everything's incredible. And we're so inspired, there's a lot of that.

Meg: [00:32:37] Yeah. Yeah, I know. I just I'm like, I refuse to ride the roller coaster because I cannot make decisions based off of emotions. I just can't, I've made too many bad ones that way. So yeah, that's the way we've been living and you know what it's been working really well for us.

Sam: [00:32:54] What do you see happening? And this is probably a tough question, given the pandemic, but in [00:33:00] the home decor space, regardless of, pandemic or things, healing or changing or evolving. Just from a trend perspective, how do you see that changing in the next, three years or maybe one year, if that's more realistic?

Meg: [00:33:14] Yeah. I just see how this conversation with someone the other day, and I feel we've all been in our like yoga pants and sweatshirts for year now. Or at least a nice shirt on top, but not on bottom. I just feel like it has transitioned from people being like really into fashion to people being really into their homes.

[00:33:37] And so it's been a really interesting thing seeing that. And I feel like people are becoming more interested in making that home a space that is, perfect for their family and loving and beautiful. And then and so I just really see the interior design and I think that people also [00:34:00] are seeing this as well.

[00:34:01] Cause other designers have been mentioning it too, but people are going less into the, okay, let's go into a big box store and buy an entire room. There in people are becoming more sentimental and they're like, okay, I want something that means something to me. And so I'm just seeing so many more people especially coming into our store, we used to just, sell pieces and, that was great.

[00:34:26] Or, as an interior designer, if someone wanted, something from like pottery barn or Crate & Barrel  or whatever, we would help them with that as interior designers. But I think that what I'm seeing is people being sentimental like this was the chair that my grandmother rocked my mom and my mom rocked me and I want to rock my daughter.

[00:34:44] And so I feel like everyone has started realizing the importance of family and of sentimentality. And I feel like it's a design is following that as well. 

Sam: [00:34:57] True. As you say that, I just [00:35:00] thought of multiple occasions where that conversation over the past few months has come up. Like my mother-in-law just refinished a chair from her father in this like super funky fun pattern. It's like a cow hide like it was completely different before, but because she wanted to keep the chair, went through with that sentimental and emotional component too. Keep it intact and keep it instead of just tossing it. And then there's also the environmental impact that I think, as we said earlier, like people are becoming extremely aware of what is that from buying from a big box store, but also buying with the intention that you're not keeping it for very long.

[00:35:39] And this is not necessarily like a quality piece. And that's funny as we spoke about fashion, like it moved from fashion from fast fashion. Now people are trying to invest in the items and make sure they're very aware and conscious of where the dyes or the fabrics are coming from and that's moving  to home. As you said, as well, which is very true, less of [00:36:00] the easy buys and less quality and more sentimental. I love that.

Meg: [00:36:05] Yeah. And I just think people are more into the one of a kind and not having, what everyone else has, which has been really fun. I think it's cool.[00:36:11] People are getting more creative and I think it's been really fun for us to watch.

Sam: [00:36:16] Anytime I think about that. I don't know if you are a friends watcher or lover, but every time I think about, I just think of the apothecary table episode and she's like we can't buy from pottery barn. It's just, it's a great one.[00:36:32] If you guys haven't watched it, but probably every person.

Meg: [00:36:34] Yeah. I don't know. I should. I feel like I need to watch that one again. It's just go get my nails done because I feel like every time I get my nails done, I should just request that to be on.

Sam: [00:36:44] I don't even know what season it is, but it is great.

[00:36:45] It's hilarious. And it reminds me exactly of what this conversation is, so awesome. And I want to finally share with us, if you can share me, you've shared about your TV show. You've shared about so many different, important, exciting things that are coming [00:37:00] up. What's next for you, or is there anything else you want to share with our guests?

[00:37:04]Rather with our listeners today.

Meg: [00:37:08] Yeah, I think, what's next for us is definitely, the show is going to be a huge opportunity, but also a time suck for us. So we're going to be spending the majority of our time on that. But I think that in the time that we're not doing that with a thing that is exciting me the most is creating.

[00:37:24]We're going to be creating textiles and wallpapers and different paints and things like that. And I think that is what for so long, I had to do both the creative and the business side, and it's really fun to be inspired by, patterns in nature or, on my clothes that day or on like vintage tile or rugs.

[00:37:46] And turning that into a tangible product that people can put in their homes is really exciting for me. So that's what I've been spending a lot of time on is just, creating new lines so that people can have more [00:38:00] options and a home like no other.

Sam:[00:38:02] That's incredible. And  as you think about that, there's always so many patterns and inspiration around you. So I'm sure you pull that. I'm going to leave our last question as where do you find your inspiration?

Meg: [00:38:16] Yeah. I think where I find the most inspiration and I know a lot of people are like, by the ocean or in the mountains, but I love finding inspiration in the busy. So like seeing people walking down the street and you know what they're wearing or going into a museum and seeing art. Or like the latest wallpaper I just designed was actually inspired by a pair of pajamas that I bought at J crew. It is everywhere, but I think that when you start to see the world in beauty and in pattern and in colour it's so fun. Cause  it's literally everywhere.

Sam:[00:38:55] Right? I love that. Yeah. And finally, where can all of our [00:39:00] listeners find you and follow along? I will, of course put everything in the show notes, but go ahead for those listening.

Meg: [00:39:07] Yeah, we are on Instagram as @megmade. It's all one word, MegMade, and then we're also on Facebook and our website is megmade.com.

Sam: [00:39:20] Amazing. Thank you so much for being here with me today, Meg, I really enjoyed our conversation. I'm so excited to see as things evolve for you and watch the story unfold over the TV show and everything else that's new that you have coming out, and I'm definitely going to bug you or find some of your, do it yourself videos. So I can finally finish that piece that's in our kitchen. 

Meg: [00:39:43] Yeah, absolutely. I can wait to see it. It'll be great.