Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Schoenberger.
Jennifer, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Hello! I have always had a life long passion for design. It took working in a dead-end desk job to make me finally realize I could turn my passion into a career. I left corporate America and never looked back! I filed for my first LLC online, under my married name J. Schoenberger Design. From there I started a blog, named after my Mother, called Vreeland Road, a well-traveled street in my home town where my family are founders. Folks were able to really get to know me and my work through the blog, referrals and social media and the client calls came in on a consistent basis. It was and still is such a thrill when folks call asking for help.
My first big break, or big job, came from the wonderful folks at Woodruff Properties in Columbus, Georgia. They put their faith in me to design an entire home in their new urbanism neighborhood Old Towne, a modern take on historic architecture. I’m a huge fan of old homes, old buildings, historic preservation so I couldn’t wait to help! It garnered the attention of the Southern Living Designer Network and they invited me to join their panel of recommended professionals in the industry. I was incredibly honored and have been perfecting my craft and business practice ever since. I was also very lucky to have been featured in magazine publications along the way and that is a big feather in your cap if you are a designer in a market like Atlanta.
I eventually reached a turning point in my career where I had lost my Father and decided now was as good a time as any to retreat, rethink where my business was going and possibly rebrand using my family name. It was on a whim in that corporate cubicle when I filed that LLC and came up with my name, I thought it was a good time to reinvent and set new goals. As luck would have it, my dear friend and now business partner at elle + vreeland, Lindsey Hene, was walking that same walk and we got to talking, did some soul searching and worked all year together developing and launching our new business! Top of mind will always be design, but we are also contemplating all the possibilities including product, retail, books and maybe even real estate. Its always been a life long daydream of mine to buy and renovate the cute cottage homes (the same period and styles everyone is now trying to emulate) in my hometown, where it all started for me. “You’re a Vreeland!” my Mother would say proudly. I gathered I better go out there and make something of myself 😉
However none of this is possible without the love and support of my husband. He was the one who gave me my wings and blessing to go for it, with two small kiddos to take care of, he helped me balance the load. Hindsight I guess I shouldn’t be surprised I ended up an entrepreneur. I was surrounded by them! My mother was a freelance artist, my Grandparents and Uncles worked in the family funeral home business, my Great-Grandfather ran a Barber Shop, my Great Aunt ran one of the tastiest cafes in Southeast Michigan with her amazing pies and my best friend’s Mother and Father both ran their own businesses, a beautiful dress shop and a construction/excavating business. All in my little hometown! Everybody was hustling and I’m sure it played a role both consciously and subconsciously.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I feel I have been very blessed. I have met and worked with amazing people both clients and creatives. Knock on wood. But there is always struggles. I would say working around the clock, knowing when to ask for help and hiring good people so you don’t have to work all day and all night. As a small business owner, you are the butcher, the baker, and the candlestick maker so you have to determine when that next big step is right for you. It can be overwhelming and you end up sacrificing a lot of time you cannot get back. I encourage all women to put a business plan together and carefully line up your goals (Make them big! They should scare you!) before going live. I wasn’t a business major in college, I wanted to be a broadcast journalist, so I had to do a lot of research and learn from my missteps along the way. Ultimately it all comes back to common sense, integrity and asking yourself what would I want as the client? Customer service! Which I learned all about while waiting tables. Maybe one of the best experiences in life! You have to divide and conquer, multi-task and perform well to tables of strangers all the while under pressure – hot food! Hot food! Everyone can benefit from spending time working in the service industry for sure.
Elle + Vreeland Design House – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
We are a full-service interior design firm. We help clients remake, reimagine their homes or help them build their dream homes from the ground up. One of the things that continues to touch me after ten years is when clients call and say “I just love your style” could you please help us with ours. I can’t think of a bigger compliment or bigger privilege than helping folks love the spaces they live in! I feel like Mary Poppins most days. If your clients aren’t making you feel like Mary Poppins, trusting you, than those aren’t the right clients.
I am most proud that our business is repeat clients and referrals. I am most proud that Lindsey and I can achieve any kind of look our clients are wishing for through thoughtful questions and answers and pictures, lots of pictures! ;-))) I’m proud that we strive to make their surroundings meaningful, tell a story and not just a bunch of stuff on shelves. To reflect how they live their life, their values, their favorite people, their hobbies, their vacations, the land the home sits on and the architecture of the spaces. We wear a lot of hats! Design matters. It can make your life easier, more enjoyable, more comfortable, more efficient, happier, the effects are endless. Mary Poppins for sure.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success to me is work-life balance. I could have ten magazine covers, ten million dollar projects, and ten full-time employees but it means nothing if my personal life and family aren’t thriving. Success is raising good kids and putting in the time for a lasting marriage while knowing you gave your clients your best vision for their space. You took into consideration everything they told you about their day to day lives, the good, the bad and the ugly and transformed that into something tangible, wonderful and something they are proud to share with their loved ones.
Contact Info:
- Website: elleandvreeland.com
- Email: cheers@elleandvreeland.com
- Instagram: elleandvreeland
- Facebook: jennifer schoenberger design
- Other: jschodesign on instagram
Image Credit:
Michelle Payne Photography (headshot) Lauren Rubenstein Photography and J. Kesler Photography
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