Meet Stephanie Acevedo of Casa Ria Design!
Casa Ria Design
Ready to dive into an amazing biz owners’ story?! Cheers to that! Stephanie Acevedo is the Owner of Casa Ria Design, an Interior Design firm based in Tampa, Florida. Stephanie is very proud of her Colombian heritage and is the dog mom to 4 crazy pups. Having four dogs makes it hard to achieve every girl's dream of having a home that looks like no one lives there, but she wouldn’t have it any other way. Stephanie is here to tell you it is possible to have a functional and beautiful home that is easy to tidy up at the end of the day. She’s also the friend who’s the first to tell you, “go for it!” You can learn more about her and check out her work on Instagram.
Enjoy getting to know Stephanie through her stories and photos of her gorgeous designs!
Casa Ria Design
Tell us about yourself and what you do!
Casa Ria is a residential interior design firm based in Tampa, FL. I have a strong belief that our home is our safe space and our main domain to where we can express ourselves and be proud of where we live. I want to be able to tell my clients' stories within their homes and give them a feeling of success and accomplishment. Buying a home is one of the largest investments we make and I think it should not stop at the house structure itself. I know it can sound cliche, but houses cannot be homes without the people and items inside of it.
How did your business begin?
Casa Ria is named after my late mother, Gloria, who graduated as an architect in Colombia but was never able to pursue her dream. My mother’s other dream was to travel the world. I’ve been lucky enough to have had a previous sales role that gave me the chance to do so. Casa Ria was started in my mother’s memory and in order to pursue their dreams because life is too short!
What's 1 success you've had since you’ve created your business? How do you feel when you look back on it?
My hardest challenge was being scared of failure and that is why it took me so long to start my company. I realized that if I didn't try and push myself that regret would have been worse than failure. I also learned that you need a few failures to learn from in order to be successful.
Casa Ria Design
What's the best piece of advice you could give someone looking to start a business?
Be realistic on what you know you can and cannot achieve but don't feel as if you need to know everything about running a business. You just need to be disciplined and motivated, as Nike says "Just Do It".
What's a pivot you've made in your business?
Honing in on my niche which I am still trying to figure out but I felt all over the place when I first started a few months ago and now I feel a bit more structured with my branding.
When are you at your happiest?
Watching my four pups do their zoomies in my yard, dancing to an old salsa tune I grew up with or soaking up some UV rays at the beach with a crime/ mystery book.
Casa Ria Design
What do you tell yourself when things get difficult?
It could be a lot worse!!!
What’s 1 personal goal you've set for yourself this year?
Being okay with saying "no" especially with clients' that could potentially not be a good fit for my company. Accepting projects like this won't benefit the client or my company.
What's 1 business goal you've set for yourself to accomplish this year?
To make half of my annual salary that I had at my previous job last year.
What's the first thing you do on a Monday morning and why?
Coffee first but then put together a plan of what I would like to accomplish for the week! It is all about mindset and motivation because it is Manic Monday :).
Where can you be found + what will you typically be up to on a Friday night?
Depending on my mood, I can be curled up watching Netflix or out having a drink and some food at a new spot in Tampa I haven't been before.
Finish These Sentences:
My go to karaoke song is... “Jolene” by Dolly Parton.
My signature drink is… Jalapeño Margarita or a glass of Champagne.
My favorite quote is... “Just Do It!”
Disclaimer: Stephanie is a member of Babe Crafted (at the time of publishing).
