MOMpreneur: n. defined as a female business owner who is actively balancing the role of mom and the role of entrepreneur.
Welcome to our latest installment of MOMpreneur Monday, highlighting businesses and brands that were founded by female entrepreneurs and fellow mamas!
Today’s featured Modern Boca MOMpreneur is Denia McCobb, Interior Designer and DIY specialist in South Florida furniture resale.
Tell us about your background and why you decided to start your new business…
I’m Denia McCobb and I’ve always had a passion for helping others. I was an esthetician for 21 years and I love skincare. However, interior design and doing DIY projects has always been in my DNA. I attended several interior decorating and architectural design courses while enrolled in college. Plus, friends and family always enlist my help when decorating their homes. When I had my daughter, I involved her in my DIY projects and we converted our dining room into a little art studio. She loved it and I loved that she loved it!
What challenges did you face while launching your business?
During the pandemic, my industry along with so many others took a major hit. While we had the downtime, I did a lot of soul searching and had a thousand questions and concerns…what would I do if my business didn’t bounce back? How would I make ends meet and contribute to my family’s financial needs? How would I find another industry I love as much as skincare and make it fruitful? Is it possible to reinvent yourself at age 50?
“Being a very positive and hopeful person, I believe things happen FOR us not TO us. I knew the right thing would come to me.”
A follower on Instagram reached out to me and suggested I follow another account that refurbishes furniture to resell. She said, I feel like you’d be so good at it. BAM! It clicked…why not turn my favorite hobby into a business? A business I not only love, but can do from home while my daughter is home schooling virtually.
It was as if the lights were turned on, the puzzle pieces all fit and life finally made sense! Now, I’m not only refurbishing and reselling home décor, I’m also working as an interior RE-decorator. I offer clients advice on how to style their homes by shopping their own inventory and adding or painting a few pieces here and there to make a difference.
What’s truly unique about your business?
I think this business is unique because it allows me to connect with my local community, to offer them beautiful, unique and quality South Florida furniture resale pieces for their home, as well as home décor advice, in a super budget-friendly way.
For decades, interior designers have been accessible only to the super wealthy and affluent. I believe that EVERYONE’S home should feel like their own personal oasis. We all work so hard and at the end of the day, we should be able to walk into our homes and feel a sense of organization, peace and happiness. Chaos and disorder breeds chaos and disorder in the brain which translates into our lives as well.
I feel that we as a society have been super wasteful–just tossing things that we no longer like or want with no regard to where they end up (usually in a landfill). It brings me such satisfaction to find a piece either at a garage sale, thrift store or estate sale, that no one wants anymore and breathe new life into it with paint, updated hardware, etc. It’s absolutely AMAZING what you can do with a little paint and imagination. Everyone really loves to see the before and after photos on my Instagram page.
Why should Modern Boca Mom readers become your clients?
They just don’t make things like they used to. Things were made to last back in the day. Sometimes people lack the vision, imagination or the time to be able to turn a super solid piece of furniture into a more modern looking piece that fits their current décor or style.
That’s where I come in. I save my clients from projects that cost a ton of money and their weekend time running from store to store looking for the perfect piece for your home. While you’re on Instagram scrolling, let me find what you’re looking for. I encourage my customers to reach out to me and send me inspiration photos of a space they’re trying to recreate. I want to help them bring that vision to fruition.
What exciting things are coming up for your DIY/Interior Re-Design Business?
I’m hoping someday I can offer a cool space filled with amazing fun pieces of home furnishings for my customers to come, shop, hang out, have a cup of tea, maybe even take a class on how to do their own DIY.
What do you love most about living and working in South Florida?
I love living and working in South Florida because in a nutshell, I live where most vacation. I also believe we have a strong connection to supporting small, local and especially family owned or female owned businesses. I’ve been working in Palm Beach County for well over 3 decades and I’ve always been fortunate to connect with people that are always so happy to support me and appreciate the “above and beyond” customer care and service. I truly believe this has been the foundation of success for every venture I’ve ever embarked on.
Connect with Denia McCobb online for South Florida furniture resale and more:
- INSTAGRAM: @farmhouse_accents_furnishings; @farmhouse_af
- FACEBOOK
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