We must be rebels. We don’t look like rebels, nor do we act like rebels, but we work for ourselves. This is the American dream. In Landscape Architecture and Architecture, it is not an easy thing to launch your business. You come to it after a decade of challenges and bring a certain amount of luck and timing into it. Scott and I brought much to the table, between the two of us, we worked for the masters, studied with the masters, worked in the service and communications industry at high levels and we are tenacious, we also grew up on farms, in rural communities and our love of the land runs in our veins and we have traveled to see gardens around the world, taking our daughters every year to a different region of Europe or Asia, and when our daughters lived in China each for her junior year of high school, we found the great gardens of China as well as finding rural China.
My first client wanted to pay me with coffee! She was an executive and thought that the lovely plan I had done for her and the Georgetown garden I built for her was worth a pound of coffee beans. But always, we have had wonderful clients who appreciate the garden and the important role nature plays in connecting each of us to what matters. We have always held on to the belief that good triumphs. That an open mind is the best frame of mind for success and happiness. But this sort of outlook does not happen without trial and tribulation. In the early days of our business, we considered moving to California. How would we buy a
house? How would we afford schools? But as luck would have it, we found a place to live at last, and we had children and lots happened to us, but we kept our optimism and open minds and never gave up. Our first big project in 1992 launched us and we were set to continue. There are certain truths in life that are indisputable:
1. You are only as good as the people you surround yourself with and work with
2. You need to dream and shoot for the stars even when the chips are down,
3. without hope and optimism and love of nature we are hurting ourselves and our planet.
We absorbed these important lessons, and
continue to as life is a continuum. Resilience and
flexibility keeps us going and keeps our perspective fresh as project after project rolls in each year, always word of mouth. Our clients call us artists, the greatest compliment. So I say to my children, and we have lived this together as a family:
1. Don’t give up
2. Do your best
3. Learn to follow your gut, trust your instincts