Meet Jacqueline: Leaving a Dream Job to Build Something of Her Own

The Crossroads: Trading Enterprise Sales for Interior Design

For 10 years, Jacqueline built a successful career in enterprise software sales, eventually landing what she thought was her dream job at Slack.

But dreams evolve.

✔ By day, she was closing deals in software.
✔ By night (and weekends), she was designing and renovating homes.
✔ Her passion for interior design was growing louder.

She had spent years designing single-family homes, multi-family residences, and Airbnbs, treating it as a side project. But at some point, she had to ask herself: why keep this on the side?

"This was one of the scariest decisions I ever made, but the opportunity cost of not fully pursuing my passion was frankly scarier."

So, she took the leap (gulp).

Jacqueline Blum Design was born—an interior design studio built on the belief that homes should be intentionally designed to align with your lifestyle.

And as a mom of two who worked remotely during COVID, she saw firsthand that most homes weren’t designed for real life.

"So many of us were struggling to balance family life, work life, and side passions—all in homes that weren’t built for it. I made it my mission to fix that."

‍

The Challenges: Fear, Doubt & Running a Business

• Self-Doubt: Can I Actually Do This?
  "Doubt in myself, doubt in what I could deliver for others—it was all-consuming at times."
• The Fear of Running a Business
  "I had no idea what this would mean for my family life, social life, or my own well-being."
• Will Anyone Actually Want What I’m Creating?
  "I loved my designs. But would anyone else?"

Starting something new wasn’t just about leaving a stable career—it was about confronting every fear that comes with building something from scratch.

‍

What Worked (and What She’d Do Differently)

✔ Surrounding Herself with People Who Inspired Her
"I made sure to be around people, places, and things that pushed me to keep going."

✔ Having a Support System That Gave Her Space to Try (and Fail)
"My amazing husband understood that I needed to take the leap—and that I needed space to fail, succeed, or just keep swimming."

What she’d do differently?Nothing—because the journey itself was part of the learning process.

‍

The Tools & Resources That Helped

📌 Business Design Camp – Helped her understand how design businesses operate.
📌 Facebook Interior Design Groups – A resource hub for everything from client management to vendor recommendations.
📌 An Epic Business Mentor – Provided guidance, support, and the reality checks she needed along the way.

"Pulling back the curtain on how businesses actually run was one of the most valuable things I did."

‍

Jacqueline’s Advice: Trust Your Gut—It’s Your Superpower

✔ Your intuition is your strongest guide.
"As parents, we trust our instincts when raising our kids. Why wouldn’t we trust them when building our careers?"

✔ If something isn’t working, you don’t have to stay stuck.
"Your gut will tell you when it’s time to move. Listen to it."

✔ Love this quote by Erin Hanson:
"But what if I fall? Oh, but my darling, what if you fly?"

‍

Jacqueline’s Both& Moment: Choosing Passion Over Comfort

Jacqueline’s story proves that walking away from something good can sometimes be the only way to step into something great.

✔ She left both security and found fulfillment in uncertainty.
✔ She felt both fear and excitement at the same time.
✔ She built both a business she loves and a lifestyle that finally fits.

This wasn’t just about starting a business—it was about choosing to believe in her own potential.