Hardwood Floors December 2018/January 2019

Design Your Life (Continued)

the fourth chapter in my journey. It was in this chapter that I could finally look back and appreciate each of the previous steps. Every step allowed me opportunities for exposure to new things, professional and personal growth, as well as platforms fromwhich to fine-tune my strengths and passions. After 13 years working at Shaw, I found myself at a very happy crossroads with some hard decisions to make. I ultimately decided to wrap things up with a neat bow and say my farewells to my Shaw family, with a wink that I might want to return someday, and retired early. No one told me howmuch our identities and self-esteem are wrapped up in our profession. I didn't expect to find myself longing for work, but after a fewmonths off, I created a grand plan to make my personal life and my professional life come together in a way that dovetailed all of my strengths and passions with my husband's. I formed a corporation, EF Floors &Design in September 2015, which quickly evolved into a brand, and thus Emily MorrowHome was born, aka my fifth chapter. I have loved every step of this chapter, even the hard ones. There have certainly been unseen challenges that have come along, but they're also some of the most significant opportunities I've had to learn and grow. The best part is that I've found myself looking around seeing others who are in the fifth, sixth, or even 10th chapters, later- in-life career changes or altogether new pathways. Some close friends have gone from respiratory therapists or accountants to interior design. Others have gone from stay-at-home moms to heading up large foundations and executives in corporations. You may have been noticing articles and news stories on “encore or second act careers;" they're fascinating. AARP is one of my new favorite magazines (don't knock it till you try it). Two of the best headlines they've featured are 70 Is the New 65 and New Rules of Retirement. They are worth pausing to read.

answering the phones, to assisting at sales meetings, to helping choose fabrics, patterns, and accessories for the collection. The owners, a husband and wife team, were the second generation of a menswear manufacturing business, and they gave me an opportunity at a time when I needed it most. I was and will always be grateful for that year because those experiences enriched my resume and expanded my skill set, even though that job had nothing to do with interior design. Next, I took another opportunity with a retail furniture company that was expanding to Carrollton, Georgia, from their base in Rome, Georgia. They needed a professional interior designer on staff to organize their resource room of fabrics and finishes, to put together vignettes for their store, and to sell well- designed rooms to their customers who expected a white-glove experience. The store owners, another second generation family business, were well-versed in how to treat their customers with the highest level of attention. I have adopted this white-glove service mindset as part of my work ethic and infused it into my daily approach. In year three, I was finally able to start my own interior design business, doing both commercial and residential projects. It was hard work, and I did it while being a mother to two young children. Life has a way of throwing us curves, and I found my children and myself back in my hometown of Dalton, Georgia, as a single mother with a heavy responsibility. After a few design projects were completed, I realized I needed something much more reliable. So I transitioned from an interior design business to the corporate world for the much- needed stability and benefits. Enter Shaw and PatCraft. From the entry-level Associate Colorist to Senior Stylist, and eventually Director of Color Style &Design for Carpet and Hard Surface, I consider this

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