This week in The Chaise Lounge, Nick May sits down with interior designers Jessica Nelson and Stephanie Lindsey, owners of their own company, Etch Interior Design, in Austin, TX.

Jessica and Stephanie went to design school in Texas and California respectively. Interestingly enough they both initially thought of studying business before becoming designers. After graduating, Steph and her husband moved to Austin where she met Jessica at a design firm, and became the best of friends. Some time later, they left the firm and decided to team up.

The duo’s work structure revolves around autonomy; they are very selective when hiring new team members and trust their team to work independently. They also established systems and processes early on to ensure efficiency and provide a good experience to customers. A big contributor to their success – something they encourage other designers to do at any point of their careers – was hiring a business coach. Jessica and Stephanie went from being involved in every single project, to being able to take time off without worrying about work. Etch Interior Design has been in business for 6 years, and soon they will open a second location in Utah.

Be sure to follow Jessica and Stephanie on Instagram @etchdesigngroup and check out their business website www.etchinteriordesign.com