How a Stay-at-Home Mom Built a Luxury Design Brand

I always had an eye for things.

Beautiful things, home, architecture. I always could see the potential in something. I didn't have the experience that most adolescent girls had. I was kind of bullied and, you know, I was always insecure with my appearance.

So I feel like I always saw after things that I could change and wanting to really just turn something and did into something bigger or something beautiful. Jennifer Lynn Myers is a sophisticated, intentional, and detailed oriented interior designer

and the founder of Written House Home. Combining her keen eye for aesthetics with comprehensive design build expertise, she helps homeowners seamlessly navigate full-scale renovations to transform their spaces into personalized sanctuaries,

cultivating a lasting standard of elevated comfort, timeless beauty, and everyday well-being.

“I think that the most important thing that I've learned”

in my journey of entrepreneurial ship is really who you surround yourself with is so important to your own personal growth. And on the flip side, it can be detrimental to your personal growth.

So I think that's really important. I think it's also really important to have a vision and your business model and to be true to that. Because there are a few times in my career where I deviated from that business model

and it never went in a good direction.

(dramatic music) - It spans the globe. Like a super high school. - Can you get your name help us? Today, Apple is going to reinvent the phone.

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- Look, open. - Check out what was the latest Apple is about this man on the planet. You can live your dream. - Welcome back to another episode

of the Women in Power Podcast for Inside Success. I am Ray Gutierrez. Joining me today is the founder of Ritten House Holmes, Jennifer Myers, how are you? - I'm good right, how are you?

- Fantastic, so what is Ritten House Holmes? - So Ritten House Holmes? - So Ritten House Holmes is your umbrella that incorporates everything from interior design to the actual build process.

So it's from conception to completion. And we just curate really beautiful spaces for families and their fondest memories in their own home. - I'm glad you said the word beautiful again 'cause I guess beauty subjective,

what is a beautiful space to you? Like when you walk into a place that you've touched and you've blessed, what does it look like?

“- I think my personal style is somewhere”

between what's on trend and what is kind of old world and mixing the new and the now with the old with the new. And really, I think each one of my projects probably has a special touch to it because it's really about how my clients dwell

and how their family functions, whether they're empty nesters, whether they're a family, big family, small family. So what I think that main theme is just like beautiful elegance that's comforting

and that kind of takes you in. - Right on, I'm assuming it's not just going to hold them deep on picking colors off a wall. There's like an onboarding maybe almost spiritual process. Like how do you speak to you, how do you speak to your clients?

- So I think that when I'm taking on a project, I'm probably interviewing them as much as they're interviewing me because I think that creative chemistry is really important to have with your design team. And so I'll ask some questions of expectations.

Obviously budget comes into play, but there are expectations and what they're looking to do and how they dwell, how they function and kind of the projects go.

You know, I ask them what color palettes they like, whether they want minimalist or they want to, you know, touch keys everywhere. That's kind of not my, you know, coveting, but yeah. So I just really, I really need to like know about my client

and their family because it's such a personal experience. So it's like a marriage and we're planning a wedding. So we're going to be in it for the long haul together. - I was going to say this is quite the wedding and quite the ceremony of the relationship

because it's not just an overnight process. It takes months, it might be even the urge. - Sometimes projects, you know, they don't get off the ground, the creative process can take somewhere between 8, 6 and 9 months. I sure.

- Sure.

- People are always like, well, I don't know.

If it's a good time to reach out, maybe it's too early. And that's, it's never too early. Because, you know, where my eye is coming from is different. Like even if they have a builder and architect, I am looking at it from a different perspective.

And so I'll catch things in the blueprint stage that would not have been thought of elsewhere. - Right on. - Really critical things that sometimes cannot then be changed in the field.

“Right on, what is the field like, are you out there?”

Like, do you have a warehouse full of props or do you literally just start from scratch? Like, where is your supply or your ward chest? - So really, I have over, my 15 years in business,

And I think the thing that makes me a little bit different as an interior designer is that I am vertically integrated in that I am the direct vendor and have exclusivity of distribution for all of the products that I sell. So I am like you are larger conglaborate,

but I have that personal one-on-one with you and my team. - Awesome. We spoke early before we started recording. You said you started on this adventure or you started your hustle, I would say.

Your entrepreneurial journey at 19? - I did. I bought my first home at 19. I was that girl who, my superlative in high school was worst case of senior radius.

I was always very entrepreneurial.

I got my first job. There was a job fair when I was a freshman. And I got a job at one of those party bounce house places. So I was cleaning like, you know, I was on like diaper duty in the tunnels

until I realized that there was a hostess position and they host parties and they got tips. So it was like above and beyond the minimum wage. And so I just always had that hustle. And you know, I always worked multiple jobs.

The education was always in there as well, but I was just really just kind of planning my journey. But I'm sure folks are hiring you or seeking out your consultations because of the human experience. It's not.

- Yeah. - I'm sure a lot of times of folks I can do what you do, but you are specifically you. So I'm sure they come to you for our reason. What is that reason you think?

“- I, you know, honestly I feel like I make the creative process”

really organic and it's fun. Because I think that that is the most daunting thing for clients is when they're taking on a large scale project. It's how many moving parts are in that project. And there's so many simultaneous equations

that you're trying to solve. And it's just too much for the average person. So I think having someone like myself

and having myself in that project is really critical

to the overall outcome. So it's just managing the expectations, it's managing all the moving parts, organization. And then having that ease to know that I'm thinking about all the things

that should be thought of. So there's no stone unturned. - What was the why, why go this route? Was it your first house that you? - I always had an eye for things.

Beautiful things, home, architecture. I always could see the potential in something. I think growing up, I didn't have the experience that most adolescent girls had. I was kind of bullied and, you know,

I was always insecure with my appearance. So I feel like I always saw after things that I could change and wanting to really just turn something into something bigger, something beautiful.

- Right on.

“What happens when a client doesn't know what they want?”

- I asked them to show me not their entire Pinterest board

because I feel like that entire Pinterest board you are like all over the map and you really have, I asked them to send me like two standout vibes, two standout things that they like aesthetically. And from that, I'm really able to kind of

encapsulate what their aesthetic is. - So because it's funny, I mentioned Pinterest. I used Pinterest a lot just for vision boards and mood boards and concept show boards before going to a production.

It gets everyone in line to visually communicate what we're trying to achieve here. One of my Pinterest boards is net clubs. I love the aesthetics of these long, light corridors and these goddy halls.

I like that exterior. - You like that energy, yes. - I love that energy. I just want to feel my heels clacking through this dark, ominous hall hall.

Have you had a client that way? Have you had a Kanye Westco? Yo, the type one, just a piece of art to live in. - Yes, yes. And it's because the home is really

your own personal creations. So I definitely have been challenged outside of my, you know, comfort zone to really give them this work of art.

“And, you know, I think at the end of the day,”

that's what I do. - What's it? What's one of your fair to success stories or transformational stories? - So we do, I'm a very symmetrical designer

and I'm not really big on like angles. So I did work on a project that was a whole, a whole home renovation and we got it down to studs. This floor plan was so angular. I mean, we're talking like corner stoves.

Like, nothing had a purpose. There wasn't a symmetrical bone in that structure. You know, required to put like a 25 foot beam in. And I mean, the house was stunning at the end of the day. - Wow.

- It was amazing. - So when you say stunning that the project is complete, now how do you advertise this piece of art? Do you hire videographers with their gimbals? Or what happens after you're done?

- You know, I'm, again, that generation where like, I'm not so tech savvy and like this is where we are. So honestly, it's one of the things that I personally like to work on more and grow in my profession is to kind of get more than out there.

I mean, I've been very blessed that I don't really advertise a lot.

repeat clients, maybe second home now, vacation home.

But I do do a photo shoot. I get behind like all of us, you know, 'cause I'm just so engulfed in the process and in my work that like once it comes to fruition, I'm like, okay, we're on to the next.

- Yeah. - But yeah, we do a lot of photo shoots and like my own like videos, you know. - Sure, sure, sure.

“Do you feel like you are, are you front facing the brand?”

Are you like face and what, what do you talk about? Like, do you, are you shooting podcasts? Are you doing video content? What is it? What are your 30 seconds look like?

- I mean, I think I'm posting. And I think I, one of my posts are pretty informative. I think I'm, because I do think that I'm an expert in my field, I'm able to shoot out things that are concise

and that are like the aha moments, especially like in terms of like pricing. 'Cause you know, there's all the shows on TV that make it look super easy and you know, super budget friendly.

And the thing is, is not of design work is budget friendly. I mean, everything is a line I don't, you know, and it's really just, it's how you maneuver those line items to make sure that it's curated in a way that it doesn't look like you did it on a budget,

but also fits your budget. - Right on, what is the first step when you begin a project? Like, I know you, you said, you speak to the client and you get to know them,

you walk through the budget, but is it, are you drawing or are you looking at blue prints? What is the process like? - It depends what the project is. I mean, I spend a lot of time in architectural mode

in blue prints and we do a lot of architectural renderings. So if it's a new build, I'm taking the blue prints and I'm rendering it full scale, each room, every detail and kind of going through. I do do, I usually start with a kitchen first.

“I think that that's the heart of the home,”

being Italian, feeding my friends and family is super important to me, it's how I show love, it's my love language, so, you know, and I think that that has a big presence in the home and how things are curated around it.

So I usually start there and then kind of branch out in the four year has a moment too of, you know, and it kind of, it captures, you know, that first, you know, impression when you walk in. So, you know, we all know, you get one chance

to make a first impression, so that's huge. So that's, I usually start there and then I do, I'll go through my room, but I really do it all collaboratively because you want to tell a cohesive story and have it look like their chapters that are purposeful

instead of having like, you know, one room, this way and one room, that genre, it really is important to have that continuity. - Right on, no, I can clearly agree, you don't want it to look like an MTV

'cause Cribs episode work, 'cause Cribs makes no match and they actually end up rendering the house 'cause it's more of a prop than a house. - Correct, right. - So, I gosh, I gotta ask, what's next for you now before we talk about women in power?

- I think what's next for me now is, I have a lot of great projects on the both big builds. I'd love to partner with a vendor and kind of have my own collection privately wolf things. So, - What are your thoughts on microhomes?

I think they're so quaint and cute. I'm sorry for the question. - Yeah, I think that could be really cool. Like, I mean, I will tell you that one of my favorite spaces, one of my favorite designs I did was a smaller home

that just curated to perfection. And I think it gives more opportunity to be creative

“with how you design because it you have to really be”

a mindful of the form in the function, because it's a smaller space. - For sure, what's your signature touch when you work on a project? Is it the colors?

Is it the eye line when you open a door and the furt and the things you see as you open the door? Like, what is your signature touch where you go? Oh, that was clearly your touch. - You know, I think it's a collaboration of a lot of things.

It's hard to kind of say like, what is that? But I think overall, it's the aesthetic

that I, there's never a white elephant in the room for me.

It's, you know, there's never like this huge like ice war. It's really just beautiful touches, curated touches that speak to you, but don't call out to you. - Is it furniture or is it lighting places? - It's everything.

- I mean, furniture is just one thing, but lighting is the jewelry. You know, furniture is the black dress. The lighting is the jewelry. You know, and then you have the shoes

with your artwork and accessories. So, you know, I mean, everything comes down to fashion. - Oh, absolutely. - Well, what are some of your fun superstitions? Like, the window or the bed's always got to face this way?

Like, what are some really fun superstitions only folks like you would know? - I think it's just, I don't know if I have one, actually. I don't think I've been asked that question. - Oh, I see it all the time where it's like,

you gotta have the, you can't have your bed facing the door 'cause it's got some negative, like... - I think every space calls out for its own identity. So, I think, I think one thing that really kind of like, I don't know if it's a superstition,

but in kitchen designs, you know,

I feel like the hood is always sometimes misrepresented,

or forgotten about, like, it's like, a last, you know, it's like, okay, we're just gonna, you know, but I think it should call out to be a statement. It needs to collaborate. - Absolutely, definitely.

It needs to be a statement. So, let's talk about some statements. We have women in power. How does it feel to be casted and chosen as a woman in power? - I mean, I'm really grateful for it.

I mean, it's, it's, I don't know what to say. - I'm gonna say it. (laughs) - So, I, I applaud, have you filmed your episode yet?

- I'm gonna say it with you. - That's correct. What are we gonna learn from you, episode? - I think you learn about my life and insight into my life and how it came to be, 'cause it wasn't traditional, you know?

And, you know, just my journey. - Right on, any peeks, anything that we're gonna talk about? - Yeah, like I said, I'm just super blast to be in this position and do the things that I love and to actually be successful at it. You know, I think that that's one of the life's biggest blessings

is to be successful at something that you love. - Well, can we mention the Kaila Rae LLC? I think that was your first-- - Yeah, let's talk about that. - Yeah, so, I had, at the time I had two girls, Madison, Ray, and Kaila, Michaela Jade.

- Right. - And so, I was always curating my own homes,

renovating my own homes, flipping real estate. And finally, my friends and family were like, you know, you should start doing this. And people asked for my opinions and it was, it was, you know, really humbling.

And, it was such a compliment to be asked to, you know, do something without any formal training that somebody really admired my aesthetic. So, I created an LLC almost 15 years ago now called Kaila Rae Designs.

“And that's how it, you know, evolved into my DBA,”

which is now written house home. And I have, you know, two showrooms, one in Newtown, Pennsylvania, and one in the Jersey Shore. - Very cool, right on. I got, I got to ask, what do you think about our space here?

- I think it's awesome. - Really? - Yeah, I think it's like main characters or energy. I think it's really like, it's vibrant, it's, you know, it's, I dig it. - Yeah, I'm really curious what you think about our studios.

The only reason why I'm dropping out is because Rudy our founder, he, he brags that he designed all this. He comes from, yeah. - He has my vote as a comfortable, yeah, for sure. He's got my stamp.

- He also comes from interior design and real estate and stuff like that and real estate. So he puts his touch on everything. - Yeah, I mean, I was full and away when I went into the women in power suite.

- Oh, right, yeah, we're very honored and proud of what we've built here so quickly in the last eight months. So, yeah, I didn't know it's so quickly. - Yeah, yeah, we launched in last November, our first show, and that's to you in a tiny corner,

we completely, that's the process. - Yeah, we're very, very proud. - Yeah, as you should be. - Yeah, right on, so how can people find you? What is it that dot com, LinkedIn, like--

- What is really Instagram? I think Instagram is so interactive. I have a great following. I'm very engaged with my followers. And I do a lot of educational things.

I do a lot of, like, look, it looks like this,

but it costs this, 'cause people are always super afraid

of, well, I don't know how much it's gonna cost. - Yeah. - Can I even afford this? I think people are, like, they're, they're appreciative of, like, okay, this is the scope, like I can wrap my head

around the scope. - Right on.

“- So Instagram, yeah, I think is the best way”

to find me at written house home. - So is it a discovery process where people stumble on you and they discover or are you hustling ads in Facebook ads? - Yeah, I go through ups and downs with the hustle

of the marketing end of it. Like I said, it's not my wheelhouse. So, like, I'm just, like, I'm doing Facebook ads when I'm, like, watching my kids play baseball, right? Like I'm, so, yeah.

- Is there any tips or any, any feedback you can give the folks that are about to jump into this line of work or any feedback for any fellow entrepreneurs?

- I think that the most important thing

that I've learned in my journey of entrepreneurial ship is really who you surround yourself with is so important to your own personal growth. And on the flip side, it can be detrimental to your personal growth.

So I think that's really important. I think it's also really important to have a vision and your business model and to be true to that because there are a few times in my career where I deviated from that business model

and it never went in a good direction.

“So I think upfront being transparent with your clients”

is, you know, and how you do business and how you want to do business is very important for how you move forward together as the client, you know, relationship goes. And then I think the, you know, at the end of the day,

it's really knowing your worth. I mean, the design community is now so, you know, it's over-saturated by, you know, if you have that niche, know your worth and stick to your business model.

- I love it. - And it's also, you know, managing client expectations. We are giving them something that they cannot see. So, you know, I think in my business model doing the 3D renderings, I mean, we do renderings

that are like crazy. They look like pictures, but it's, and it's not AI. Like, you know, we're sitting behind we're, you know, doing the programs and curating in ourselves.

And so having that tool is super important. So investing in the higher end of the rendering programs is definitely like something that--

- Correct.

“Are you, are you, are you, have you dabbled in VR at all?”

- The reality with a client can just pop on the goggles

and they can see a real deal. - You know, I have it, but doing the rendering programs that we use, it's almost like that. But it's just, it's on a screen. 'Cause you can, you know, see your avatar

and your kitchen and your home and yeah.

- Right on, that's so cool that you're using technology

“in such a really unique way to literally build a vision”

for someone that's going, I'm paying you all this, make it happen. - Right. - Well, I'll get to see it in nine months. - Ooh, okay.

(laughing) - Yeah, yeah, yeah.

- Right on, is there anything you'd like to plug

into anything, how can people find you?

“- At my Instagram, it's at Written House Home.”

And like I said, I have a really great connection with all of my followers. I'm really good about, you know, responding to DMs. I also do a lot of polls, so, you know, to get, like, just the opinions of what's out there

and what people are thinking and, you know, do you like this? Do we not like this? What do we think, you know, I'm just rolling authentic. I really appreciate what, you know,

what everyone else has to say and, you know. - That's awesome. - That's awesome. - That's awesome. - That's awesome.

- That's awesome. - Yeah, yeah. - Well, I'm looking forward to your, your filming session for your Women of Power Episode. Keep it, Ronald, authentic Jennifer Myers.

It was such a pleasure, yeah. This wraps our episode of, yet another episode of the Women of Power podcast for Inside Success. I am Regusiers. (upbeat music)