Dr. Sylvia Gholston shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Sylvia , a huge thanks to you for investing the time to share your wisdom with those who are seeking it. We think it’s so important for us to share stories with our neighbors, friends and community because knowledge multiples when we share with each other. Let’s jump in: What do you think is misunderstood about your business?
The one thing that I think is misunderstood about my business is people thing it is easy. Oh just put some furniture in the house and give it to me for a very cheap price.
This business is a service. In addition, we source furniture and make each space different and open and light. Our team uses real furniture that has to be wrapped and carried and put in spaces and then come back and do the process all over. We have to be insured to move the items and insured to come into a space and work. And we have to make everyone happy. All though the buyer is the customer in terms of purchasing the home, the realtor and/or homeowner is the customer for the staging and they have to trust our process in order for it to work and remove personal design from the process.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am Dr. Sylvia Gholston and I am a franchise owner of a home staging business. So I stage homes so that these homes can sell faster and for more money. My brand is Showhomes of Cobb and we create unique and fabulous spaces so that potential buyers can fall in love with their new home and put an offer on the table. What we do is unique because so many potential buyers really cannot see the space of a vacant home. So what we do allows them to see the space, the size, the potential, and all the other thinks they need so that they will purchase the home. We love what we do and we are even providing interior design services. So our goal is to help people fall in love with spaces.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. Who taught you the most about work?
My mother, Laura “Cookie” Tanner is the person that taught me the most about work. She was very intelligent, educated, and hard working. She believed that hard work has to come from within and that when you work hard, you can play hard later. And if you don’t work, you don’t eat.
When did you stop hiding your pain and start using it as power?
Once I started accepting that I was over 40, I decided to accept whatever comes my way and use it as an opportunity. Once I realized that life is just that “life”, then I learned that at times, pain is a process and that you walk through it, or fall into it. I decided to accept no and a yes to something else, that slow months mean that it is time to market and have deeper conversations with potential customers. To use that time as “Time”.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
I belief in service. Service through time, mentorship, community, etc. I am committed to helping the community around me. People need grace and assistance. Those things are not hand outs, and compansion should not be based on what you get in return. Helping each other is how we continue to exist and grow.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
Sylvia, a bright light that loved life. She loved her family, her husband, her children, the family she was born into and the family she chose. She loved to be around people, to learn about different cultures, to dance, to sing, to travel, and to make spaces look divine. Sylvia had a work ethic and got things done. If she did not know and answer, she would get an answer. And right now we should not be mourning her but having the best party since the ball drop during New Years Eve.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.showhomes.com/studio/cobb
- Instagram: @showhomescobb
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sylvia-gholston-4504a9199
- Facebook: Showhomescobb
Image Credits
Jasmine Gholston, JG photography
