By Doug Hare EBS STAFF
Lori
Elliott was born in Fargo, North Dakota and grew up in a small farming
community 30 miles south called Kindred. Both her great grandparents
farmsteaded in the Red River Valley in the 1800s. Elliott remembers them as
tough Norwegians who took chances: “I think that’s in my blood.” Her experience
in the business world is as extensive as her path to Big Sky was meandering.
After
graduating from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis majoring in marketing
and advertising, she went to work for Carmichael-Lynch Advertising, in
Minneapolis, where she managed media purchasing for Winnebago, Harley-Davidson,
McDonalds and Rapala. After marrying and moving to Madison, Wisconsin, she
became an advertising manager for the Flambeau Corporation, a plastics molding
business with eight various entities throughout the United States. Realizing
she wanted to have more flexibility in life in order to plan for a family, Elliott
decided to get an interior design degree, eventually starting her own business
in 1992.
While
raising four children in Hudson, Wisconsin, and growing her interior design
business, she also had the opportunity to work for ABC Television, FOX Television
and WCCO Radio in sales. Elliott moved to Red Lodge, Montana in 2011 to manage
a design firm and serendipitously met Kira Fercho, an artist whose work she
adored. In 2013, after moving to Bozeman to help her daughter with a newborn
son, Kira asked her friend to manage her gallery. After a fateful meeting with
Tom Simkins’ wife Rhonda in a Bozeman Bible study group, the North
Dakota-native decided to take a chance and move to Big Sky.
In
2016, she moved Elliott Design out of the gallery location and once again
returned to a home-based interior design business. “I often wonder how a farm
girl was put on this amazing life journey. I am humbled and so very thankful,”
she said with a smile.
Explore
Big Sky: Do you have any employees or co-workers currently?
Lori
Elliott: I don’t. I love having a team of
people though. I have found that it is more time and cost effective for my
clients to not add more people to the mix. My clients, suppliers and
contractors become my team.
EBS: What
are your favorite activities when not working?
L.E.: I have an amazing family and amazing friends that I love to
spend time with. I kayak, water
ski/surf, downhill and cross-country ski, hike, travel and spend as much time
as possible with my kids and grandson.
EBS: What
was the most difficult part of starting your own small business? What is
something you wish you knew ahead of time?
L.E.: I
am thankful for my advertising/marketing/sales background in advance of
starting my own interior design business. I learned it isn’t about me and it is
about listening and helping my clients achieve their dreams. As a Professional
Certified Interior Designer, I enroll in continuing education to ensure that I
am on top of my industry standards and can bring this knowledge to my clientele.
EBS: Who is
the most memorable client that you’ve had in Big Sky? Why?
L.E.: I
can’t possibly narrow this down. I have been blessed with amazing clients that
are truly hard-working, wonderful people. I think that designing and helping
clients in Big Sky has its unique challenges due to the lack of help here.
Every contractor works so hard and is so conscientious, but there is only so
much time in a day. The best way I can manage this situation is to set true
expectations for each client and help them understand what their project
involves.
EBS: What
is the best business advice that you’ve received over the years?
L.E.: Constantly marketing myself has been the best way to gain
business. It can be exhausting but it works! My client’s greatest compliments
have been that “I listen” to what they want for their project, which
allows us to tackle their goals more effectively and efficiently.
EBS: What
are some common mistakes that people make when trying to lay-out and design
their own living rooms and kitchens?
L.E.: I have been educated in space planning and have a strong
sense of balance. I have been involved in a lot of projects, which have given
me knowledge of what works and what doesn’t in floor plans and layouts. Having
my design education really helps me explain why and how to make a design
challenge work. It isn’t fair to call something a mistake if you don’t have the
knowledge.
EBS: How
has Big Sky’s rapid growth affected your business since moving here?
L.E.: It has slowed project completion dates down due to the heavy
workload on our contractors. But due to wonderful client referrals, I can stay
ahead of the ball most of the time.
EBS: You
work on both residential and commercial properties. What current project are
you most excited about?
L.E.: When I have the opportunity to make a customer happy that
makes me the happiest. Each project is so unique—being given the opportunity to
design continues to keep me happy.
