e026 – The Part-Time Jungle Podcast: Living by Design with Jessica Velazquez

Born in Panama, Jessica Velazquez studied Interior Design in Toronto, a field she combined with real estate. She became known as the realtor-designer. For years she helped expats, relocating to Panama, choose properties by helping them envision their potential and turning their investment into places they could call home. Jessica, her husband, and their 5 children, relocated to Calgary in 2011 and she opened Interiors by Jessica. But it wasn´t until 2018, after some soul-searching, that her niche was born. She is the First-Home Design Specialist. Her live Instagram show, “My Very First Home”, covers topics relevant to the homeownership journey, including ‘Rent Like a Designer’, ‘Expert Interviews’ and ‘Buyer´s Corner’. Her Design Pillars, Departure Points and Design Targets are tools she uses to coach first time homeowners. They are her why and she loves setting them up with an actual plan to renovate without buyer’s remorse.     In this episode: * We can control our own decisions and actions but we can’t control the decisions, actions, and resulting consequences of others - both in motherhood and in work.  * Start before you are ready and take that first step. There is so much learning and growth in confidence that will happen along the way. * Living by design in our spaces and in our lives involves clarity, vision, and planning.    Connect with Jessica: * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/interiors_by_jessica/ * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/designerjessicavelazquez/ * Facebook Group: My Very First Home * https://www.facebook.com/groups/myveryfirsthome * Website: http://www.interiorsbyjessica.ca * Email: [email protected]   On this episode of The Part-Time Jungle Podcast, I had a great conversation with Jessica about being mindful of our own decisions and actions, starting and taking that first step before we are ready, how the pillars of living by design - clarity, vision, and planning - apply to both the spaces in our homes and our lives, and so much more! If you prefer to listen, check out Episode 26 of The Part-Time Jungle Podcast. Jessica was an absolute joy to connect with! Her kindness, compassion, and love for her family and her work as an interior designer comes through so genuinely! Jessica is committed to helping others, particularly first time home buyers, by guiding them through a journey of  living by design! She is also a lifelong learner and I greatly admire her commitment to putting herself out there and trying new things.  BEING AN ENTREPRENEUR & A MOM Jessica’s entrepreneurial journey started when her first child was about six to eight months old. She believes that her interest in becoming an entrepreneur comes from her Dad, who is a serial entrepreneur. There have been times when she has worked for somebody else. However, most of Jessica’s career, life and motherhood have been defined by entrepreneurship.   JUGGLING EXPECTATIONS Jessica shared that not all of her entrepreneur journeys or ideas were successful. Some of them were harder than others. What she learned the most through her experiences is that there is a careful balance to being both an entrepreneur and a mom. There are expectations to juggle with both. You have expectations to be successful as an entrepreneur and you have expectations...