>> I would say if somebody is in the process of thinking about this for their college education
or an advance some good things to do -- I mean, definitely find mentor.
I should say, if you could find somebody --
check around with some local design firms in your area.
I think that would be very helpful.
You can, you know, shadow that person, so to speak.
And you might not necessarily get the most fun jobs
that you might think initially, but offer to help them.
Offer to help the designer, you know --
a lot of times it's folding fabrics, cleaning up the backroom.
But you get to be in that environment.
You still can kind of hear what's going on.
You can see what goes on in a designer's environment.
You might want to check out some websites in advance to see that they're in the realm
of design that you prefer to be in whether it's commercial or residential.
I think there's a few college majors that I would recommend for students, you know,
thinking about taking this course other than interior design.
I think speaking, speaking courses, things that will help people
to have better communications, so communication skills.
Anything that has communication speaking, public speaking.
So anybody who might be a little bit more shy this will, I think,
help to develop the sales element to somebody.
Marketing, I think would be huge
because marketing will obviously help you market your business,
help market yourself as an individual.
Psychology.
Big, you know, big, big one here.
I think we have to understand who we are working with.
And we're really selling to and working with people.
Even though I didn't -- I don't ever want to think that I was selling.
I never want to think of myself as a salesperson because, you know, it sounds a little bit cheesy
to think that I'm selling furniture.
I'm really selling my service.
People are hiring me.
I learned to relax about that a long time ago.
And so you know what, people are hiring [inaudible] ten other designers.
I could still be interviewing of the ten.
And ultimately, if I'm chosen it's because something
that they found in me they connected with.