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Meet Trailblazer Lydia Andrews

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Lydia Andrews.

Lydia, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Well, my story isn’t a straight line by any means. I have always been an Artist at heart. Growing up in the theater and performing wherever I could, it made sense that I attended college at AMDA (American Musical and Dramatics Academy) in Los Angeles. After graduating, I did everything to support myself while acting. I taught country line dancing, led guided tours on horseback in the Hollywood Hills, catered events for the Oscars and even started designing for an amazing children’s clothing line, Let’s just say my 20’s were exciting times. When my husband and I were married, we decided that this starving artist romance had reached its end and we moved to Colorado Springs for the new adventure of having a family. I never dreamed I would be running my own business just over a year after moving.

I have always loved design. Friends would ask me to help with their home and my perfectionist eye always had a sense of balance to a space. Maple&Moss Designs started from a need I saw in this ever-growing busy market in Colorado Springs. So many homes for sale, so little staging. Homeowners needed help and they wanted someone to walk them through the process of consultations and stagings with a design eye and current trends. Easy side gig, right?

A company was born​. I’d like to pretend this all happened very strategically, but the truth is I was jumping on a speeding train holding my 1-year-old and my briefcase at the same time! I wasn’t prepared for the amount of business that came in and while I was thankful, I was also catching my breath! Many late nights were had; You-Tubing Quickbook tutorials and “How To’s” on removing stains out of cream couches was my start-up norm.

We grew from there, partnering with some of the top builders in the city; designing their model homes and staging spec homes. Design services have grown from there and we are now expanding to a larger space with even more designers. We were awarded “Top Interior Design” from 2018 The Parade of Homes and have entered three homes this past year.

I am so grateful for the city we live in and our amazing Agent​s and Builders we have built relationships with. Colorado Springs has such an amazing group of entrepreneurial artists and I’m honored to live in this community.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
If anyone has ever answered, “yes, such a smooth road to this point” I would seriously question their sanity. Every person who starts a business needs props. Every woman who made her dream a reality and leads a successful company should get a standing ovation. Any Mother who does the same should get shipped to Paris every year for a 3 week-long foot rub while sipping champagne on the lawn of the Eiffel tower. My point is it is hard. It is rough. It is rewarding​. ​It is all the wonderful things but finding that grace for fails and frustrations while being a mother is one of the hardest parts​. I’m learning from some amazing women entrepreneurs that balance really isn’t a reality to strive for, it leaves you more frustrated at that endless struggle. It’s more about the pursuit of overall healthy life in general. What brings you joy? What gets you going? That passion will bleed into motherhood, ​your partner, neighbor, and friends.

I’m still in the pursuit of health. Lord knows I’m not “in the know” by any means. But I’m asking the questions and I’m willing to always make changes to better myself, my family and my business. I think that transparency is what matters the most.

Please tell us about Maple&Moss Designs – what should we know?
I’d love to name the design school I attended and the degrees I’ve achieved, but the truth is I have a total of zero of those. I used to feel self-conscious about this, quieting myself when asked those specific questions. Until I realized that the work spoke for itself. People kept calling and clients kept booking. I pride myself in helping people on their journey. That may be moving to a new home, a home they’ve lived in for 40 years. Maybe they are getting divorced after a long marriage and it’s a painful process that I can take some of the load off for them. It could simply be that its time to design that home they have always wanted. It’s about the people, not the stuff. No amount of schooling can prepare you for those hard stories, and that’s the “stuff” I live to do each day.

Do you recommend any apps, books or podcasts that have been helpful to you?
“Girl Wash Your Face” by Rachel Hollis and her new book “Girl, Stop Apologizing” have seriously changed so much of my perspective in running a business and being proud that a female entrepreneur. I am a part of an AMAZING marketing group of women called The Success Collective who meet weekly to give back to the community around them while at the same time uplift fellow female business owners. There is so much power in having fellow women to push you forward when a lot of the time society feels like it’s expectations of us holds us back. We just threw a ‘Panty Party’ to raise money for our local female homeless women in the city who lack basic feminine needs. You don’t think about it, but all those items are expensive! Fundraisers such as this are what it’s really about and I urge you to find a group around you who share in your desires and dreams!

Cut out negative self doubt or shame. It won’t get you anywhere sooner, in fact it takes you steps back.

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Image Credit:
Alleigh Follett

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