Following Passion to Unexpected Places, with Raili Clasen, Owner of Raili CA Design

When Raili Clasen’s interior designer left just a week into the job, Clasen was left looking at a massive project that seemed daunting. But when she listened to her gut and decided to take a swing at designing the space herself, it opened up a world of possibilities that launched an incredibly successful business.

“So I bought some business cards,” Clasen said. “I didn't have a website. I obviously had nothing, but I put some business cards out on the table and at that point was like, ‘Well, if these things are gone at the end of the day, then maybe I'm doing something cool. Maybe someone will hire me.’ That's how it started.”

Clasen would be the first to tell you that she didn’t expect to wind up as one of the most successful interior designers in California. She just knew two things: she loved design, and she needed to make a living. She followed that inclination and founded Raili CA Design. What happened next and how did Raili learn to go from being not just a designer but an entrepreneur, a business owner, and a leader? Find out on this episode.

Main Takeaways:

• Be your own advocate: Sometimes, growth will only happen when you speak up for your talent and put your work in front of others. Leave your business cards on the table. Make the calls to see if someone wants to collaborate. Connections don’t just happen, and clients don’t just drop into your inbox. Use the network you have to seek out any and all opportunities.
• Be ready to wear multiple hats: Launching and growing a business means that you’ll be doing more before you can do less. Find ways to be comfortable learning about payroll and customer service – it might be a while before you can delegate those to others.
• Don’t be afraid to go against the flow: Following your path might look different than the process everyone around you is going through. It’s easy to compare other careers against your own journey, but resisting that urge will help you keep your eyes ahead at what’s coming down the pike for you.

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This season of the Journey is produced by Mission.org and brought to you by UPS. To learn how UPS can help your small business, go to UPS.com/pivot.

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