Connect
To Top

Meet Justin McKay

Avatar photo

Today we’d like to introduce you to Justin McKay.

Justin, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
It’s so obvious and funny to me that I ended up where I am and started my own business as an Interior Designer & Organizer. It’s like I have been doing this my entire life. When I was a kid, I would go through furniture catalogs or home magazines and cut out furniture and decor I liked, and then I would tape them to a piece of paper, arranging them as design schemes. I was a big Lego kid, but I was always building homes. I would think of a famous person and then build and design a Lego home around them. My Mother and I moved around a lot, (I think I am at about 70 address or so now?) and when we would go and look at houses or apartments, I would get the floor plans and go home and place our furniture onto the plan, to scale, so we could see if it was a good fit and have a placement plan before moving in. I feel like all of these interests and all of this experience has really brought me to where I am today and given me the skills to find success in my field.

I started working pretty young, and at age 13, I was working in our family’s furniture store helping my Mother arrange the showroom and set up displays. At 16, I started working in restaurants while finishing up High School, but when I decided to go to college, I wanted to move into a job that could lead to a career in a field I was really passionate about. And so began my 20-year retail management career. Even though I studied Residential Interior Design, I always enjoyed the challenges that retail stores offered and never really felt drawn to working in some big design firm. I was a Visual & Store Manager for various brands over my career including Illuminations, Pottery Barn, West Elm, Anthropologie and most recently Saks Fifth Avenue here in Phoenix.

Looking back, I really enjoyed my career and gained so many different skills and experiences, but I started to realize that this just wasn’t my path anymore. I didn’t want to have to keep moving to new cities to be able to grow and promote. Coming up on ten years of being a Phoenix resident, I really felt like this was my home now and wanted to lay roots further in this community. I had some other friends who I watched leave their careers to become small business owners and find success and happiness and I was so inspired. My fiancee, Zach, and I decided that instead of moving to a bigger city, we would stay in Phoenix and so we bought/built a new home and started a new plan. Shortly thereafter, I gave my notice and waved goodbye to the corporate life – onto the small business owner life! I officially launched my business January 1st, 2019, so it’s all still very new, but it has been an amazing year – I have been BUSY – and it just makes me feel so good. Like I made the right decision, and I know what I am doing, and people want what I have to offer. Now, I have different but bigger and better dreams.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Is it ever?! I think there’s a quote out there though that says something along the lines of struggle making it more worthwhile – and I agree. It has mostly just been overwhelming at times, the amount of steps there are to starting a business and getting organized and formatted and out there. But I was so excited to find some amazing local resources from my friends, to organizations like SCORE, the free programs & seminars offered by the city and some amazing networking groups like Local First AZ and The Greater Phoenix Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce which I have made so many amazing friends and connections from.

I expected the first year to be a long ride on the struggle bus. But even though it’s been a LOT of work, it’s been a LOT of fun. It’s true what they say, it’s different when you are doing it for yourself. Especially accounting and taxes, LOL! But in all seriousness, I think the hardest part for me is staying focused. I always want to do everything myself and all at once, and I am mostly focused on my clients’ projects – the fun stuff. So the business stuff – the accounting & taxes like I mentioned, the marketing, finishing my website – all of these things I am still working on. But I imagined the hardest part was going to be finding clients, and I am so proud and honored to say that this has not been the struggle and I am so pleased.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Justin McKay + Co – what should we know?
My business is “Justin McKay + Co” – obviously branded after myself but, I played around for a while with what I wanted the business name to be. I landed back on using my name, but I really loved the idea of the “and company” because with my business and my journey, I really want to work and collaborate with others. Especially other local businesses, artisans and artists. I am still building that network and have some exciting ideas and dreams for having a small team one day.

My services are mainly around Interior Design, Decoration & Organization but I also have experience with Event Planning & Decoration, Marketing, and Short Term Rental Management (Airbnb, etc.). I know they say you should focus your services, but I just love variety!

As my business is new, and I am really just starting out on my own in this fact, I didn’t think nor plan to seek out the big, high budget projects and clients that bigger firms typically take on. I wanted to sort of set myself apart in that way and find clients who found value in design and organization and wanted assistance but wouldn’t typically hire a designer – or think they could afford to. I enjoy working with clients with all sorts of budgets and all sorts of needs and all sorts of styles. I am not the type to say “I only do modern homes with a $100,000 minimum budget” – that’s not me. Sure, I have dreams of design grandeur, but I am not going to come in and tell someone how they are going to live in their own home either. Most of my clients are busy professionals who just need someone to come in and help them do what they have not been able to themselves. And that makes it so much more gratifying, that I am actually helping and making a difference in someone’s everyday life.

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
I have really had so much love and support from just about everyone I know – from my fiancee to both of our families, all of our friends, former coworkers – it’s been amazing to set out on something kind of scary but then have so many people have so much confidence in you.

But as I stated earlier, I also had so many other helpful resources, like my friends who are small business owners, Loren North who is a local clothing stylist & fashion blogger and Ridge Gullette III who runs his own pet sitting business, Pet Sit Arizona – both of which I am super grateful to for helping me get started, offering a great deal of insight, and just being amazing partners.

I would also give credit to my clients, especially the earliest ones, as obviously without them, I wouldn’t be successful. Some of these clients I am still working with for additional or ongoing projects which I absolutely love that continued partnership.

Contact Info:

Suggest a story: VoyagePhoenix is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.

Related Items

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

More in