Meet Trailblazer Sondra Szilagy and Carissa Carroll

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sondra Szilagy and Carissa Carroll.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
We are Arizona natives and first met in the second grade at Desert Canyon Elementary School. Our friendship was instantaneous and has only grown throughout the years. We have always been the creative type – interested in art, fashion and design. Growing up, we even made up logos and company names for our future imaginary brands.

As time passed, we went on our own journeys with education and career aspirations. Sondra graduated from ASU with a Business Communications Degree and went on to further her education at the American Institute of Interior Design. She then started working on her own as an Interior Designer. Carissa graduated from the Interior Design program at Scottsdale Community College and worked in Interior Design while living out of state. Upon returning to Arizona, Carissa and Sondra began reminiscing about their childhood dreams of owning a business together. They decided to join forces and make that dream into a reality.

And Voilà! Simply Inspired Interior Design was born! We have been in business for almost a year, now! It is such an incredible experience not only working with each other as business partners but also as friends. We put our hearts into everything we do and it has been such a rewarding process to see our hard work come to life.

Has it been a smooth road?
It has not always been a smooth road but we are very fortunate to be able to have started our own company together and to do something we have a passion for. Some advice we have for other young women is to trust in yourself, take chances and don’t be afraid of making mistakes. Look at mistakes as lessons and apply them to your future opportunities. Mistakes aren’t ideal, but sometimes, they cause you to have the most growth and experience! We feel the following quote really highlights that point:

“Failure is instructive. The person who really thinks learns quite as much from his failures as from his successes.”
― John Dewey

We’d love to hear more about Simply Inspired Interior Design.
We provide all interior design services – from adding small furnishings and accessories to an existing space to providing designs and material specifications for new construction and remodels.

We are proud of our ability to work closely with our clients to create the dream space they envision. We are confident in combining their ideas with our design experience and knowledge to provide them with a beautiful and timeless look for their home!

We believe that being a strong duo is something that sets us apart from others. A lot of the time, a designer is an individual working on their own or part of a larger firm. But being that we have grown up together and have formed a strong bond, we make a wonderful team!

Do you feel like there was something about the experiences you had growing up that played an outsized role in setting you up for success later in life?
Carissa, here! My Papa had a green thumb and I was always impressed with his ability to keep his tomatoes flourishing. When I was little, he and I planted a watermelon seed in his garden. Together, we made sure it was watered and tended to. At that age, it felt like my watermelon was taking FOREVER to grow. But finally, one day my Papa deemed our watermelon ready to be picked. It ended up being the best tasting watermelon I had ever had! This experience taught me that being patient and working hard can pay off in the end. And although this memory is a very simple example of success, the big picture still resonates with me.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.SimplyInspiredAZ.com
• Email: Carissa@SimplyInspiredAZ.com or Sondra@SimplyInspiredAZ.com
• Instagram: SimplyInspiredAZ
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SimplyInspiredAZ/

 

 

Image Credit:
Baxter Imaging, LLC, Tasha Brady Photography

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