Fuse Living 2023 - Welcome to the FLI By Journal
Short Story Backround of what’s guiding 2023 business decisions:
I always hear the saying 'The days are long, but the years are short' and I’m really beginning to feel this as true. Though, to get ‘ahead’ of these short years and be more intentional about living in the every day with joyous strategy and success, I’ve streamlined – big time – on the inner workings of my company, Fuse Living.
For the past few years I’ve put so much emphasis on big brand structure and processes, and all the very typical workflows that may come along with a big brand corporation type environment. I spent more time analyzing process, mostly design process, then into client experience, then into company culture and internal process than what our company truly required. As I’ve spent many of the past 9 months meeting with other designers and industry partners, it has become very clear across the board that there is just no one process fits all for projects. No one approach to handling client relations, and no one way to put forward your design. So, in the end, I’m super happy to have built some structure and have some templates to work from, however, I’m loosening up on repeatable structured approach to an overall project. I do pride myself on my intuitive nature, and understand different clients have different needs in how a process feels and flows; and I, in some ways, think it’s possible that I’ve hindered the experience by aiming to fit everyone in the same box. This is also because our project load was large, and it needed to be in a box to manage.
Welcome to 2023, where less is more! The goals look different this year. The goals are not set around ‘Ooo how much volume can we get to’ (big brand mentality); rather the goals this year are ‘Ooo how can we be so damn intuitive with every one of our small handful of clients that we knock their socks off in ways unimaginable’. Hearing the intuitive call requires time and space, deep thought, and a slower nurturing of the base intention of each environment. This is not suited for 17-22 projects in a year. This is suited for 4-5 full bodied, complete projects in a year. *Consider this shift in project volume update #1*
I do believe that our designs have indeed knocked socks off, but I’m talking about getting so much deeper into the topics that are my personal core passion, that I KNOW to be profoundly affective to the human experience in the spaces we inhabit. Things like creating different zones in an overall space for different states of being, fractal patterns that resonate with nature’s healing (and destressing) properties, the materials we’re choosing, and generally speaking here, how humans are affected by our environments at the physiological and psychological levels. Let’s design to that.
So I’ve welcomed you to our 2023, and now Welcome to the FLI By Journal, discussing more topics like the above mentioned in depth, creating space to truly create, and settling into the philosophies and templates this Fuse Living Company has been built on. Allowing flexibility to shine on all projects, while streamlining the goals to truly allow for meaningful and intentional creation by us + allow for clients to feel the depth of the creation and let the work cause positive shifts in their environments.
Because you are all my network of partners, clients, friends and family, I wanted to start this journal with real clarity on the inner workings of the company this year.
The next, and at the moment biggest update, is that I’ve just this week moved out of the studio in Central Phoenix. Why? To be aligned with the notion above of allowing time and space to nurture all projects. To not ‘need’ to take on more volume, and only desire to take on aligned projects. The studio’s purpose was actually to demonstrate all of these concepts of healthy material content + psychology behind our spaces, and it did so, but it also got a little lost at the same time. I enjoy writing, and I will aim to bring awareness and interesting discussion to these topics via this FLI By Journal, while still having inventory for sale – of course made up of pieces that support these philosophies – via our shoppable website. AND, wait for it… continuing to provide a small collection with the new tenant in our space! Cordially Phoenix, a boutique retailer, has just moved in and I will continue to provide a streamlined collection of bedding, accessories, and a few furniture pieces! I am looking forward to the brick and mortar staying alive in a fresh and simplified way, where I’ll still be able to provide small items grab and go + see, touch, feel some of the concepts we’ll be talking about here.
News-y update: Interiors Services + Development Projects
Interiors: We have some very exciting projects in the works in multiple stages! Many of our projects that were in design process last year are currently under construction! Make sure to follow along our Instagram stories and profile so watch these come to life. We’ll share intentions, clients desires and interests, how we translated those into real forms, and the plain ole juicy eye candy of the spaces!
In other big project news: I’ve been working with a group for THREE YEARS on an ultimate healthy home concept/prototype structure. **I’ll be writing many more journal entries on these projects and topics, so I’ll keep it on the brief side for this introduction** This is a group of aligned minds that have come together to discuss how we can create the most optimal space to support humans, inspired by the natural world and wonders of nature, while considering the social impact in the ways in which we live.
We are officially getting started with the build of the first prototype – a microunit – that is a healing unit for people who have suffered from in home environmental catastrophe. Like mold. Like toxic materials. Etc. I cannot even say more right now, because it will take this kick off journal entry into the abyss of so much info, so I’ll save it for now, just know this is happening and follow along for more on the topic!
Ending with a personal revelation:
Travel is so juicy for my soul! I’ve not allowed myself as much travel with my big brand process mindset, and it’s really been a heavy weight on my whole being + my creativity, so this year you WILL see more travel from me! This is where the processes that have been put in place will be very helpful for my team while I may be out experiencing and collecting inspiration far and wide this year. If you don’t know, my husband is a musician and will also be traveling to play more this year, so we have some pretty great places getting lined up. If you’re a business owner, or a creative, you know that it never shuts off, especially when it’s also your passion – so I’m very much looking forward to letting some worldwide travel fuel all the grounded intentions and streamlined goals of the year.
My ask:
Follow along with this new format of communication from me – the FLI By Journal posts. Socials are great as a portfolio, but I’m a story teller, and I go deep. The writing format is much more home place for me – please share this journal, share the audio, comment and engage with it! I will come from a place of knowledge and experience in the field, with an open door for discussion and questions! I do not have a schedule per se in place for the oftenness of the journal entries, I desire to keep it as, write when inspired, and very low pressure 😉