I’m so excited to finally share what I’ve been working on.
For the past several months, I’ve been quietly building midbloom.
I’ve had the chance to work on some exciting design projects over the years, alongside incredibly talented designers. Somewhere along the way, I started thinking about how I wanted to use what I’d learned to support local businesses in my community.
It took me some time to figure out what that could actually look like. I felt like I needed to know exactly what the business would become before I could share it, mixed with the fear of failing and the weird vulnerability of letting people see you try something new.
The more I talked with local small business owners and spent time in their shops, hearing about what it took to set up their spaces and the decisions they had to make along the way, the clearer the solution became.
Getting professional design help can mean taking on a much larger project than you actually need or can realistically afford. I wanted to create something in between, where shop owners could get another set of eyes on their space, work through a layout that isn’t quite working, or get some guidance while still doing most of it themselves.
That’s where midbloom came from.
midbloom gives independent shop owners different ways to get design help, from a Space Audit when you need a professional set of eyes on what you have, to more involved design consultation and DIY workbooks.
You don’t have to hand over your entire project to a designer just to get help with the part you’re stuck on.
Working with Seattle Restored helped bring the idea into focus. Having the opportunity to work with independent businesses, with real budgets, constraints, priorities, and ideas, pushed me to stop trying to perfect midbloom in my head and start testing it in the real world.
I’ve also had some wonderful mentors along the way. Thank you to Mike Skinner and Victor Ponce from Center for Inclusive Entrepreneurship and Steve McCaslin at Washington Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for helping me turn my idea into something real. You’ve all encouraged me to start simple and reminded me that I don’t need everything figured out before I start.
And of course, thank you to my husband, Mitchel, who has been the sounding board for every big idea and has always made space for my ambitions.
midbloom is now live. 🌱
And the first project is up too, my work with ONEOFEACH, an incredible community-centered retailer at Pacific Place rethinking their storefront to better support retail, workshops, events, and storytelling.
There’s still a lot I’m figuring out, and I’m sure midbloom will continue to evolve as I grow. But I’m really proud of what I’ve built so far and ready to let people see it.
If you know an independent shop owner who’s opening a space, rethinking the one they have, or trying to make their shop work better without a full renovation, I’d love an introduction. 🌸
