As hard as that is to do in this business, you just never know who is going to be the springboard to your success.

Case in point #1 - One day I was looking through some furniture catalogs in the design studio and I see these hairy legs walk by in worn shoes and a skirt draping below the knee. I said to myself "she must be a homeless person who has come inside to get out of the heat. I looked up and asked the woman if I could help her. She asked if we could help her replace an Italian boudoir chair that had broken. At that time Italian chairs were hot with floral cutout patterned backs and that is what she said she was looking for. I knew the chair she was talking about so I said sure! I pulled the catalog with all the choices and took her to the chair we had displayed in the studio to verify which one she was looking for. She said "Oh that is it!" She then turned to me and asked if I could have it delivered to her home. I of course replied with a yes. Then tears swelled up in her eyes and said that no one ever pays attention to her and that she was grateful I treated her with such respect. As it turned out, her home was in the community of Van Ness Extension which is the area of the most expensive homes in Fresno County. And then to top that off, her house was the house that I drooled over every time I passed by. It was the 3 story white contemporary with the aqua front door. I was floored. She was married to a prominent doctor. There was no way of knowing this by her looks. Okay, I know that this is a mild story but don't leave yet.

Case in point #2 - I was referred to this young couple building a custom home in a high end neighborhood and they needed wallpaper and window treatments so I went. When I met them and walked into their home I wanted to run back to my car and speed away. Their newly purchased oversized oak furniture, Herculon sectional sofas with oak trim, and brass and glass tables had just been delivered and they were so proud. I could not imagine at that moment what I could possibly do to make it look like a designer had been there. I did manage to create some beautiful lambrequins and selected wallpapers that updated the newly purchased dated furnishings. What I did not know at the time was their parents were best friends of the parents of a famous basketball star who was killed in a plane crash. They loved the wallpaper and wanted to know if whoever did the wallpaper could come help them furnish their new house that was under construction.

Well, their home was in Woodside, CA...a multi-million dollar project. They ended up giving me a cart blanch budget. It was a dream come true job that took one year to complete. All this from a wallpaper referral.  

You never know who someone knows and there is no job too small to lend a hand. The seeds of opportunity can sprout up from the least likely places.