Today we’d like to introduce you to Candance Toscano.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Candance. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
In 2005, I completed an interior design program at Sheffield School of Interior Design (which is now, NYIAD) and started my own interior design company, Interior Motives. Unfortunately or fortunately (how you choose to look at it), it just was not the right time for me to be an interior designer. Shortly after I started my business during a chance meeting with a local home building company, I fell into new home sales. I ended up working in the new home sales industry in Colorado Springs and Fountain off and on for almost 10 years, leaving the world of interior design altogether- or so I thought.
I then went on and completed several degrees in unrelated fields over the years. Still feeling like I needed something more fulfilling in my life, in early 2010, I decided that I wanted to go back into business for myself that the corporate world just wasn’t for me. My husband and I opened up two clothing stores in the historic part of Fountain, CO, and in late 2011, I decided I wanted to open a third store and focus on interior design again. My vision was still the same as before, however, I wanted to incorporate furniture restoration in my new store, home goods, and gifts. Showing clients that repurposing pieces they currently have can not only save money but transform your room too, and affordable home goods they would treasure for years!
Then, in the late part of 2016, I decided that I wanted something more meaningful to offer my clients, something that mattered to them, where I could really feel like I was giving back in more ways than just ‘design’. There was a constant pain with my Clients, that they don’t know what they wanted when it came to their home. They felt confused, frustrated and overwhelmed. With TV shows, magazines, Pinterest- most of my clients were filling their homes with what society had conditioned them into thinking that’s how their home should look. Yet, they felt out of place in their own home after spending thousands of dollars trying to make look beautiful, but the problem was it didn’t feel beautiful. This is when I decided to make a change in my regular approach to interior design, and I decided to incorporate life coaching into my design services. I completed my Life Coaching Certification in 2017. In late 2018, I added my Life Coaching Certification skills and completed my Art Therapy Certification as well. I am currently working towards completing my Master NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) Certification.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I feel like I have experienced every kind of struggle you possibly can while running a business. From almost having my business seized for non-payment of sales tax (I didn’t really think it was a big deal to pay that every quarter when I first started, go figure), to having to move my business’ location on two separate occasions. Once was when I relocated my store to Manitou Springs, which was the year of the bad floods. The end of that year I ended up -$27,000. I wasn’t sure if I would be able to relocate again and keep running my business.
When I finally reached a point of growth in my business and had to hire employees, I had to learn the hard way. From hiring friends that I have had to fire, hiring people who I thought I was helping but stole from me, and the important lesson of running better background checks, after hiring an employee who ended up stalking and harassing my family and I, for almost three years- even after she was charged.
I have had the struggle of trying to raise four children, be a wife, be a good friend, keep a little bit of my sanity, maintain a healthy level of self-care/me time- all while running a business. Trying to find balance over the years has always been a struggle, but somehow I figure it out.
I believe that the most challenging cycles of life offer the most potent opportunities to grow into the fullest, deepest, richest versions of ourselves. So I have embraced all these struggles and others that I haven’t mentioned (there are literally so many, believe me) and they have catapulted me into becoming a better business owner, designer, wife, mother, friend. My struggles just took me to my next level.
What do you do? What do you specialize in?
I have always enjoyed sitting back and imagining what could be, and yet the greatest part of my work has afforded me is witnessing those visions transform into realities. That these realities not only exceed my own expectations but to change the way people live is what inspires me to keep working every day. I really consider myself to be an alchemist.
My passion for interior design began on my own journey towards the perfect home. After purchasing my first home, I went through the difficult and expensive process of choosing furniture, fabrics, lighting, and accessories that reflected me. The reality of my growing family and the desire to feel good about entertaining guests in my home, I started to learn how to create beautiful spaces on an affordable budget. This has been part of my success working with clients on all different income levels.
My search for exceptional design led to the discovery of my own personal style; it was fun, bold, eclectic, and seemingly effortless.
I feel like I can relate to my client’s because I have lived through so much in my life. From being married and divorced several times, career changes, bankruptcy, losing my house and cars- starting from nothing and building from that. I am able to bring that empathy to my client’s and meet them wherever they are at in the current season of their life and making sure their environment supports them where they are at and where they are going in the next transition. My role is coaxing my client’s internal intuitive mentor to come out and play. Through skilled questioning and deep listening, I help my clients discover what they want and clarify who they are in the world so they can surround themselves with their own beauty, however that may look to them.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
I have always believed in being my true authentic self. It does not matter how messy that may look to some people; but being real, raw, honest, sometimes abrasive- that is who I am. I also believe in being consistent. So it doesn’t matter whether I’m at my store, doing a presentation for a group of Realtor’s, at my home, or posting content on social media- what you see is what you get with me, swearing and all. Yes, I swear, a lot., so the people who cannot discern the difference between being professional and using profanity, they just don’t use me for my design services. ‘Cause I believe you can run a business that’s both professional and bursting with personality that still attracts clients. Another way to look at it, ‘my vibe attracts my tribe.
My clients can expect deep listening, sparkling inspiration, and nurturing reassurance, and even with the occasional swear word- know that I am looking for the common ground and love the excitement of fresh possibilities. I love harvesting the beauty on the other side of chaos. I love the glow of a woman, man, couple or family recreating their life through the transformation of their space.
Pricing:
- Discovery Session- $150
- Authentic Style Design- $2,000
- Home Staging for Realtors- Starting at $200
Contact Info:
- Address: 709 Main Street
Colorado Springs, CO 80911 - Website: http://www.toscanointeriors.com
- Phone: 719-392-4079
- Email: candance@toscanointeriors.com
- Instagram: @toscanointeriors
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/toscanointeriors
- Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/toscanointerior
Image Credit:
Lea Flores Photography, Monica Breckenridge
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