Today we’d like to introduce you to Megan Temple
Hi Megan, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Originally from Dallas, I started my career in Product Development with Fossil Inc, with a focus on women’s leather goods. A few years later, I had the amazing opportunity to work for a belt manufacture in San Francisco, California. Not only did I get to live what felt like a 5 year vacation, but I met my husband, Matt. We relocated to St Louis in 2012, and my career made the swerve to Footwear.
8 years ago, my husband and I bought a house in Oakland, MO. under the premise that I wanted to make a few “minor” changes. Those minor changes resulted in reworking the entire first floor, and living with my inlaws for 8 months with a 1 year old and a baby on the way.
The house became a passion project, and I loved every stressful second of it. Getting to design a kitchen that 100% reflected my personal style and was customized for my family was a dream. Shortly after our home was finished, friends began asking for design & decor advice, and interior design evolved into a side job.
In 2018, I set up my LLC and Megan Temple Design was created. I had suddenly found myself working 2 full time jobs, while trying to raise two littles with a husband that was traveling often for work. After hours of conversation, we made the decision to take the leap and I resigned from my “real” job in January of 2020.
In all honesty- It has been quite the ride. Starting your own small business in the middle of a pandemic, and industry boom was not without its challenges. We grew very fast, and didn’t yet have the framework and and systems in place to ease the process. Luckily, we have had the most amazing clients that have supported us and shown us so much grace along the way.
Six years after creation, we are now a team of 6 and moving into our second studio space in downtown Kirkwood. We will be relaunching our retail shop, previously known as The Dollhouse, this Fall. Stay Tuned!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The road has been anything but smooth. Yes, we have been so lucky to have the growth and support so early on in our journey, but that doesn’t come without its own challenges. I was unable to keep up with the work early on by myself, so I starting adding to my team very early on. Not having the experience, myself, meant that we didn’t have a roadmap and we didn’t have a lot (if any) structure in place. We were learning on the job- which meant a lot of stumbling behind the scenes. It was the true definition of “fake it until you make it.”
We’ve been impressed with Megan Temple Design, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
We are a full service design firm with services ranging from consulting, and styling to full construction. We strive to take our client’s style & vision and create something even better than they could have imagined. We do extensive research for each project to really hone-in on the things our clients love, not just like. We love to push our clients one step further than they are comfortable going- this is how you create something special, something custom tailored to each client. Every client is unique, and their home should reflect that.
To compliment our vision and brand, we will be opening a retail store inside our new studio this Fall in Downtown Kirkwood. We will offer custom furniture, rugs, art, lighting and decor items.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
My best advice for those who are just starting out, is to just start. Don’t over think it- focus on one step at a time. There were so many times I became complacent in the beginning because the start felt overwhelming. Breaking it down one task at at time was really helpful for me.
Continue to seek information- there are so many amazing industry consulting groups out there now. Not only will you have a roadmap for your business, but you will meet many peers from around world to connect and share information with.
Surround yourself with experts. Contractors, Handymen, cabinet makers, photographers- find your people. This was a crucial step for me- it accelerated my learning, my quality of work and gave me a safety net. I love my people.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.megantempledesign.com
- Instagram: @megantempledesign
- Facebook: Megan Temple Design
