This International Women’s Day, I wanted to interview one of my best friends from home. Lucy is one of my closest friends that has inspired me by all of the amazing things she has accomplished so far in her life. As a nineteen-year-old college student, she has created her own small business and is continuing to chase her dreams as she is one of the most hardworking and determined people I have ever met. Keep reading to get to know Lucy and why she deserves to be recognized!
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Julia: What is your major and what do you want to do in the future?
Lucy: My major is an interior architecture and I want to utilize the skills and knowledge that I am learning in college to help consumers create a balanced interior renovation. I want to work in both the fields of interior architecture and interior design.
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Julia: What has your experience been like in college so far?
Lucy: My experience at Marywood University has been pretty good. There are definitely ups and downs but I am lucky to have my studio class in person! Other than my studio class, all my other classes are fully virtual so I am not getting the full hybrid experience. With my studio class being in person, I am able to communicate with my professors and still have some social interaction with my other peers.
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Julia: What are the big obstacles/successes you have faced?
Lucy: I think a big obstacle I faced was my final crit for my studio class in the fall semester. It is basically a final project where I had to present to my professor and other judges. It was hard because I’ve never presented a final crit. The entire process went from worrying if my project was good and appealing to getting really good feedback from my professor and other judges.
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Julia: What is the best piece of advice for starting a small business?
Lucy: My best advice for starting a small business is to be determined and authentic. There were so many small businesses established during the quarantine period. People started to pick up a side business that was efficient and easy to begin with. I’m not saying starting a business is easy because it’s not. Even when facing a challenge, you should be determined and believe in what you have created.
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Julia: What is the number one thing contributing to your success?
Lucy: The number one thing that is contributing to my success is my friends and family. They were and always will be supporting me in everything I do, whether it’s college or my small business. Without their support, I don’t think I would be able to do what I am doing now.
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Julia: How has the pandemic affected your life thus far?
Lucy: The pandemic has affected my life in many ways. When the pandemic caused my high school to shut down and took away my senior year experience, I knew it was just the beginning. Then, I lost my job due to the worldwide shut down. I was unemployed for a good year before finding a job in December of 2020. Even though I only worked for the time period I was off from college, I was able to make a decent income and support myself. Due to the shutdown, it was harder for me to be social, I didn’t really have the opportunity to hang out with my friends but we did work with what we had. On the bright side, the pandemic caused me to pick up some side hobbies and be creative, I utilized my free time to read, draw, make YouTube videos, and I was also inspired to create a small business. I started off with making custom bullet journals for my clients to now creating digital designs.
Shop Lucy’s small business, Yume Omise.