Member Feature: Patti Weaver of Creative Design Solutions

 Even before completing high school Patti Weaver noticed that it was colors that made her aware of her surroundings. She enjoyed the concepts of space and doing things like rearranging furniture. There was just this natural tendency she had with furniture, color and space.

By her junior year, Patti knew that Interior Design was the clear path to her future. A path she has stayed true to since receiving her Business and Design Degree. Patti feels that the business part of her degree was just as important as the design element. Primarily because today she sees many other Designers come and go because they don't have good business sense. Perhaps a good point for anyone taking on an entrepreneurial venture – you need to know much more than the trade you are passionate about. Remembering profitability along with great design has been the key to Patti and her firm Creative Design Solutions long-term success.

"To love what you do and make money at it is hard early on in a career." Patti shared, "I know for myself I picked up a lot of 'free' experience along my way."

Fine tuning her design niche and getting more intimately involved in Kitchen Design came two years into her career. "It became my primary focus and the rest of the design flowed from there, a special foundation and niche to build a business on. The kitchen business is the best ever!" Patti said with a broad smile, "To create a space that includes the entire family's life on a day-to-day basis is a terrific experience."

In sharing her hopes for the future Patti said, "I want to stay fluid. I want to be able to continue to learn and grow. I am fortunate because of my relationships in many large projects over the years has allowed me to do bigger and better projects. You are only as good as the people that surround you."

In design trends today Patti understands and implements the fact that people are looking for healthier living environments and smaller, well-defined, detailed living spaces. She assists her clients in implementing designs that they can grow with or provide options when the family gets larger or even smaller. She believes in the elements available to be able to "age in place" – in other words to stay in the home you love and adjust the house to accommodate your changing lifestyle. Kitchen and baths really come into play in thinking for the future. Things like oven and shelf placement as well as creating bathrooms with future needs thought out that are also stylish and functional.

In sharing her thoughts about being a founding Member of the Victory Circles, she said, "No woman is an island. If any thing, women specifically love to collaborate with other women to share ideas. By surrounding yourself with energetic, forward thinking independent minded woman you are going to naturally go in that direction. Being part of the Victory Circles has given me lots of small victories along the way, which is the path to my success. I can incorporate them in my journey as I move forward in my life and business.

When asked the question of what advice would she give other women Entrepreneurs Patti had this to say: "Are you very passionate about it? Do you love the idea of your business? If you don't love it, it is not worth doing. We should not be spending time doing things we don't love. Listen to your heart or gut or both. Use your women's intuition because it is more than we give it credit for. Put your finances in order by means of what it takes to really make money, or in what it takes to be profitable. Don't try and do it alone. Engage other professionals or other women resources – get your support group together. Know who you can call when things get tight and challenging. And it will!"

To see Patti's current work in interior design visit her website at www.cdsstudio.com.