When life gives someone lemons, it is always best to make lemonade. With the gift of time the COVID-19 quarantine has given people, many have used it as a period to reflect on things that can be improved in their lives. For some, this may apply to a business, an investment, or even just a personal change. All of these were the case for creative entrepreneur Julianne Taylor.
An interior designer by trade, Julianne is the founder of two brands: Taylor Burke Home and Julianne Taylor Style. The former company, which is a luxury upholstery company with products made in North Carolina, was launched in 2012. It was born out of the entrepreneur’s stint as a home-based interior designer when she spent time overseas following her husband’s career with American multinational corporation General Motors. The upholstery company was named after Julianne and her sister—who is not a business partner—to celebrate their close relationship. Julianne Taylor Style, on the other hand, is the designer’s personal brand, which houses other projects, as well as licensing, commissioned by various companies.
Julianne prides herself on the strategic move of establishing a personal brand, separate from Taylor Burke Home. She shares that this offers flexibility and a higher potential for future opportunities. Julianne Taylor Style is an umbrella company for the artist’s other projects, particularly in lifestyle and destination digital content creation, small business consulting, event production for brands, and licensed products in the home decor category. These products include tabletop, wallpaper, loungewear, and artwork sold in the marketplace under Julianne Taylor Style for various companies.
The creative entrepreneur graduated from the University of Georgia with a bachelor’s of fine arts in interior design. She also received a master of human resources degree from the University of South Carolina. Her unique combination of creativity and expertise in business is one of the things that make her stand out. According to her, it is unfortunate how most artists are not taught how to run a business, which could be crucial in furthering their careers. Julianne has seen many people with a creative idea who do not succeed just because they lack the business acumen necessary to make margins out of their work. These are precisely the people she hopes to reach and help with her small business consulting services. “People need advice and help and they want to work with people that they trust,” she shares, referring to her being an artist like some of her clients. “I fill a niche in the marketplace.”
During the COVID-19 quarantine, the creative entrepreneur devoted her time reflecting on areas in her life—her business and career, specifically—which she can work on to make more profitable. For one, she decided to trim down operation costs for her company by moving out of their expensive office space and adapt a virtual, home-based working environment relevant to the times. She spent time carving out a conducive and inspiring work-from-home space in her home, embracing today’s new normal. Furthermore, she reviewed her strengths and experience in the industry and decided to offer virtual interior design consultations for extra income.
“When our world was turned upside down due to COVID-19, we were all hit like a ton of bricks. After I dusted myself off, I decided that I could either emerge from this experience as a slug that wasted this gift of time or I could emerge as a butterfly with new skills, a new mindset, a shift in my business to stay profitable,” Julianne says.
During the course of a few months in quarantine, she is proud to have immersed herself in video editing and GIF-making, along with embracing and learning about TikTok as a new platform to drive business. She believes that these are new skills that will help elevate her business in the future.
Visit Julianne’s Tap Bio Link for all the ways to connect with her and to book a consult.
