Syd And Shea Mcgee - Make Life Beautiful

Make Life Beautiful is a necessary reminder that there is inherent beauty and warmth in all moments. Shea and Syd invite us into endearing conversations filled with wit, humor, and creativity, and an honesty shining a light on the couples beautiful focal points.

ALYSSA ROSENHECK, INTERIORS AND ARCHITECTURAL PHOTOGRAPHER, STYLIST, AND AUTHOR OF THE NEW SOUTHERN STYLE

Make Life Beautiful is raw, honest, and motivating. A captivating read as Shea and Syd navigate us through the early days of their relationship, family, and business. A form of a modern-day romance success story. I enjoyed reading about their compelling journey, which shaped the design empire we know as Studio McGee. Truly inspiring in every way.

MONIKA HIBBS, FOUNDER AND CREATIVE DIRECTOR OF MONIKAHIBBS AND AUTHOR OF GATHER AT HOME

In a world of picture perfect, Syd and Shea are a much-needed breath of fresh air. It takes courage to admit that things arent always perfect. I applaud them for authentically sharing their story with the world.

MIKEL WELCH, INTERIOR DESIGNER, LIFESTYLE EXPERT, AND TV HOST OF MURDER HOUSE FLIP

Theres nothing more beautiful than taking a leap and devoting your life and your heart and your work to helping other people enjoy beauty in their own homes. Weve all come to know, love, and yearn for the Studio McGee look, but hearing the humble hows behind the empire is even more moving and motivating. This isnt about just making your home beautifulthis is about making your life beautiful. Shea and Syd are talented (obviously) but theyre also dreamers and supporters and risk-takers and pioneers and, somehow, still completely down-to-earth. My heart is warm, and Im now taking notes on more than mixing patterns.

JULIA MARCUM, COFOUNDER OF CHRIS LOVES JULIA, GOOD INFLUENCE(R), AND PROPERTEE

Copyright 2020 by Shea McGee and Syd McGee

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or otherexcept for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Published by Harper Horizon, an imprint of HarperCollins Focus LLC.

Any internet addresses, phone numbers, or company or product information printed in this book are offered as a resource and are not intended in any way to be or to imply an endorsement by Harper Horizon, nor does Harper Horizon vouch for the existence, content, or services of these sites, phone numbers, companies, or products beyond the life of this book.

ISBN 978-0-7852-3388-6 (eBook)

ISBN 978-0-7852-3387-9 (HC)

ISBN 978-1-4041-1488-3 (custom)

Epub Edition August 2020 9780785233886

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Library of Congress Control Number: 2020938622

Printed in the United States of America

20212223LSC10987654321

To our parents, who never once questioned our

decision to forge a new path for our lives.

And to our children, Wren and Ivy, may you

always see your own natural light.

CONTENTS

Visualize the outcome when designing your home and life.

It all started with a set of bookshelves.

They were twelve feet high by fifteen feet wide, freshly lacquered in crisp white paint, and placed behind a black baby grand piano in a new multimillion-dollar estate. The home was in a gated neighborhood in Orange County, California, situated at the top of a hill with views of the Pacific Ocean. I stood in the formal living room, with shopping bags at my feet, and took a deep breath before climbing the ladder to clear the shelves of the piles of books and mementos so I could see the potential in front of me. I started with the lowest shelves and worked my way up the ladder one step at a time. Removing clutter applied to more than my clients library; it was an exercise in purging the collection of doubts distracting me from what I wanted to become. What had started as an interest in design became a hobby that turned into a dream to own a business, but I didnt feel qualified to make the reach.

Before the bookshelves there was consulting. And by consulting, I mean I would go to friends homes and suggest pillows or help rearrange their furniture for free. When neighbors saw us unloading furniture from Syds truck, theyd peek their heads into our windows to see the latest design project my husband, Syd, and I were tackling. Often Id receive a text from friends, with pictures, asking for my opinion. Were stuck on what to do with this blank wall. Do you have any ideas? I was honored to share my thoughts and would respond with links to artwork or mirrors. You need a large focal point to center the wall, Id say. Start there, and then you can add a console with a lamp, and I think you may even have room for a tree.

It was no secret that I loved design. I was taking classes at a local community college and would regularly share photos of our house projects with friends and family as we bounced from rental to rental and eventually settled into our first home. What they didnt know was that I yearned to turn my hobby into something more. Not one to make hasty decisions, I had begun piecing together a strategy to start an interior design business. I worked as a contract employee writing content for an advertising firm while taking design classes and had lost all interest in marketing for other companies. When developing web copy or blog posts, my mind would drift to planning the marketing strategy for launching my own design business. We wanted to start having kids soon, and I was enticed by the flexibility of being my own boss. The days of cold calls and sales pitches were gone. I knew I needed to start small, be patient, and let the business grow organically. If my work had merit, I was certain sharing pictures of our home on Instagram and free consulting for neighbors would pay off.

Syd understood me. He has always been my clear-sighted confidant, gently pushing me to fearlessly pursue my obvious dream. He was the one who nudged me along and kept telling me to go for it, even when I felt like a fraud. The one who encouraged me to strike a deal to trade design advice for a set of business cards in case they came in handy one day. The one who told me to take a few night classes even though I had graduated with a communications degree only a few years prior.

I had stacks of magazines with dog-eared corners and sticky notes, but zero professional experience in the fieldno internships, retail experience, or even a rich auntie who had let me design her vacation home. A love for the subject hardly qualified me to charge money. However, when my sister-in-law texted me and asked me if Id be interested in styling a giant set of built-ins for her friend, I didnt hesitate. Yes, I can do that, I replied as though Id been doing this work my entire life.

Then she asked how much I would charge. I immediately turned to Syd. How much should I charge? With that came an immediate rush of panic and excitement. I had learned in school that the going rate for interior design services was $150 an hour, and since I felt like I was half a designer, I settled on $75 an hour.

Shea said she felt half-qualified to do the job, but her thought process was much more strategic than she let on. Since she had barely started taking design classes, these bookshelves gave her a chance to learn on the job, which was more than school could offer her. Even though this project was small, it also gave her a chance to start building her portfolio, which would lead to even more work. And since she was charging half the going rate, more people would be willing to take a chance and hire her. Though Shea battled feeling like an impostor, she always had a plan.