HEY, I’M CATHERINE!
I’m an online business educator for creatives who are ready to grow smart, profitable online businesses that no 9-to-5 could ever compete with.
Before I was Catherine Cornelissen, Founder & CEO, I worked for gallery & interior designer in London.
If you’re anything like me… I grew up rearranging my parent’s furniture and always (ALWAYS!) redecorating my bedroom. It’s no surprise that I decided to major in Art History at Christie’s Education and Art Business at Sotheby’s Institute. Working in one of the top galleries in Mayfair and for a successful Chelsea-based interior designer, I certainly gained a plethora of industry knowledge and experience following my studies. To say I loved it would be an understatement. I always dreamed of working in the interior design world… drowning in soft fabrics and buried beneath floor plans… but above all, I knew I wanted to be my own boss. Perhaps you can relate?
I KNEW I NEEDED A STRATEGY TO AVOID GETTING SUCKED INTO THE RAT RACE
So… I started blogging. For a hot second…
Don’t get me wrong, blogging can be incredibly lucrative! Most people don’t know this, but positioning yourself as an expert in your field can lead to phenomenal paid brand partnerships. But I didn’t have time to build an audience, write content, post on social media… I wanted to create a business that was my own, something I could leverage and even sell in the future.
Like you, I had endless Pinterest boards, screenshots and magazine scraps of spaces, furniture + decor I loved. So I thought to myself… how can I monetise this?
Working remotely in 2016 from a café in Edinburgh not long after launching Decoralist.
Just like that… Decoralist was born in November 2016.
To be completely transparent, I did not know what I was doing. I was 21 years old and had zero experience in e-commerce, marketing, advertising, sourcing products, customer service… I didn’t even know how to create Terms & Conditions for my website! When people ask how I started, my response is this:
“I just started!”
It couldn’t be closer to the truth. I self taught myself everything I know. Google was my best friend and even I listened… I listened to people who were ahead of me in any aspect, even if they had just 10% edge above me, I listened. Ever wonder why we have two ears and one mouth? (That’s a rhetorical question).
As the years progressed and I moved into my mid-20s, I realised that I could take my business with me anywhere in the world. Whether I wanted to pop back to Canada to visit my parents or travel to a new city with my boyfriend, my business simply came with me. As cheesy as it sounds, I genuinely don’t feel like I need to take a holiday. The saying, “if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life” could not resonate with me more. If you have access to a computer, WiFi and live in the 21st Century, you can do this too… and you can get started for the price of your weekly morning coffees. Crazy, right?
So… launching a business at just 21 years old sure has a blend of benefits and drawbacks. However, I grew my company from scratch to the 6 figure business it is today and I teach, help and support others to do the same.
My obsession? Showing you step-by-step how to launch, build and scale an internationally recognisable business and personal brand in the House & Garden sector. Whether you are currently under the radar in your industry & want to become an authority figure, or you are at the top of your profession and want to monetise your personal brand by coaching others in your field. My experience in producing these results for myself in my 20s have given me purpose in sharing these secrets with you.
