What motivated you to become a designer?

Growing up, I was really big into art, Barbies, and Legos. I would often draw “dream bedrooms” with their own themes to them (like a pirate theme), create Barbie houses out of cardboard boxes with their beds made out of tissue boxes, and create homes, castles, carriages, and shops out of Legos. As I became a teen, I transitioned into playing the Sims, a virtual reality game where I could build as many homes as I wanted on the computer. Around that time, when I was fourteen, my parents hired an interior designer to do our bedrooms and I got to assist in designing my own room. I have many memories of drawing out floor plans and shopping for furniture and décor pieces with my mom. In high school, I took an interior design class and fell in love with the precision of drawing out plans to scale and began drawing out floor plans on grid paper for fun. Drawing floor plans felt like a creative puzzle to me. I would say, not one event motivated me to become an interior designer. It seemed like I was always inclined towards designing spaces, and with the help of a creative mom and good schooling, was able to gain the tools to do it.

What does successful workplace culture mean to you?

To me, a successful workplace culture is one where everyone believes they are part of a team. With that understanding, people will strive to be inclusive, collaborative, and will work to lift each other up. Veterans will step up to mentor those that have less experience, and those with less experience will feel like they have just as much of a voice as the veterans.

If you had to pick one word that best represents Bergmeyer's culture, what would it be, and why?

The best word to describe Bergmeyer’s culture is “collaborative.” While I have worked at Bergmeyer, I have seen and experienced many teams work together, as equals, and it has made for a successful work environment as well as produces successful projects. On one of my first projects at Bergmeyer, when I was just barely out of college and working with two employees with much more experience than me, I had an equal role in the project with my own responsibility. This gave me a lot of confidence in myself to be able to perform well, but also made me feel of value and led to friendships.

What would you be doing if you were not working in this industry?

If I didn’t work as an interior designer, I would like to be a furniture designer/carpenter. In college, I took a woodworking class and a furniture design class and had so much fun coming up with furniture designs. I designed and built my own headboard which was so much fun and the finished product was worth all the wood dust. Wood is one of my favorite materials because I love the natural movement and texture of the grain, so I can see myself being able to fill my home with various wood creations. I hope that as I get older, I can get my own wood shop and sell some of my furniture pieces.

Do you have a talent (outside of being your talented self at Bergmeyer) that you are proud of?

I think of talents as hobbies people do for a long time, and one of my favorite hobbies, outside of Bergmeyer, is boxing. I have been boxing seriously for a few years now and feel really proud of myself when I improve. It is a sport that involves a lot of coordination, stamina, and physical and mental strength. The hardest part about sparring is the mentality of it. When I go into a ring, I have to be able to come to terms with being hit, otherwise, I won’t be able to perform to my best ability.

What do you listen to while working?

I typically listen to narrative podcasts that fall in the true crime, cult, or psychology genres. I also recently began listening to my three older brothers’ podcast, “Mormon Raised,” about what it’s like to grow up in a large, Mormon family. When I’m not listening to podcasts, I listen to my Spotify playlists that contain a variety of genres including oldies, alternative, indie, punk, and pop.

Have you ever gotten lost on purpose?

I often get lost on purpose when I go on walks. I will pick some random roads to go down as I walk, listening to music and sometimes ending up at a coffee or sweets shop. I find walks really relaxing and thought-provoking, so I often go on them when I need to think or get some extra energy out.

Ingredients for the perfect smoothie?

Soy/coconut/oat/almond milk, peanut butter, chocolate protein powder, banana, almonds, strawberries, and blueberries make up the ultimate smoothie combination. It can be paired down to fewer ingredients and still taste great. I typically drink smoothies after a workout or boxing class.

Best live music show you’ve seen?

The best concert I’ve been to was “The Kooks” at the Boston Opera House. They are one of my favorite bands, and they had a great energy to their performance. It was the first and only time I’ve bought a band T-shirt and is a great reminder of the night. They also had a great opener that night: “Barnes Courtney.” I now listen to that band too.

First job?

Not counting the babysitting I started doing at 12 years old, my first job was as a lifeguard and swim instructor at the Buffalo Grove Park District when I was 16. I couldn’t have asked for a better first job. It was a great learning experience because they had high expectations for their staff with a lot of structure and regular training, had a great sense of community within the staff, and provided room for growth (I was later promoted to assistant manager and then manager and lesson coordinator). When I was put into the leadership position, the added responsibility really made me step up and made me proud.

Favorite season?

My favorite season is spring because it’s a very hopeful season. It’s a season of rebirth, where all the wonderful things I’ve missed (sun, warmth, flowers and leaves, and birds) come back. Every day is a reason to be more excited about what’s to come.

What’s you’re Kryptonite?

My Kryptonite is dessert. I can never resist a dessert, and it’s such a problem at work where there are often free pastries up for grabs. Whenever I have tried to be healthier and stop eating dessert, I haven’t been able to resist for more than a couple of days. My favorite sweets come from my mom’s baking. She has the best recipes!