Meet Talena Gulash | Interior Designer & Contractor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Talena Gulash and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Talena, how do you think about risk?
The ability and willingness to take risks is absolutely a requirement of any entrepreneur. I don’t think I was much of a risk taker in my youth. Over the years as hurdles in life presented themselves, my perseverance and absolute determination to overcome anything in my way, lead to the person I am today. As with anything in life, when you work through a problem and come out on the other side, there is always a lesson to be learned. Sometimes we, as entrepreneurs, have failures. Those failures, without question, are absolutely dreadful at the time but are often the catalyst for growth. One has to be open to the lessons taught through trials and tribulations. By nature I am very analytical. I also love to win but despise losing even more. That combination has resulted in me analyzing the causes of the process which lead to the failure in an effort to not repeat it. I mention all of this prior to more directly answering the question simply because that entire process breeds confidence. As a result of that confidence, I will unreservedly bet on myself again and again. Due to my analytical nature, I view risks I take as calculated risks. Being an entrepreneur means risks are a must and everyone’s tolerance to the perceived risk will vary. With every loss and every win, I learn something and grow as a person both personally and in business. Essentially my tolerance level increases with each passing day.

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
Prior to doing interior design as my profession, I received degrees in Marketing and Management. People who know me well will tell you I have been a leader my whole life. Since I was a little girl I knew I would own my own business at some point. I love interior design but also have a passion for growing businesses. All businesses ebb and flow at times but perseverance is what pushes me through the challenging times. Since moving back to Houston in 2017 and starting my design business here, I hit the ground running and have had nothing but growth in my business. With that said, growth presents its own challenges. A perfect example is this past year. I had been working by myself and a part time assistant for three years and that was working quite well. At the end of 2020 I made the decision to expand and take on more renovations. In order to do so I had to hire and train several new full time employees which would require me investing both my time and certainly financially. For that reason, 2021 was challenging to say the least. In the process of training new employees I also had to relinquish control to some degree and learn to trust my employees to execute. There were bumps along the way and a few clients who did not get my/our absolute best in 2021. I used each hurdle as an opportunity to better train my staff so we could all learn through that process. I proceduralized so many processes, further educated my staff and implemented required continuing education for all. We now have a great team who works really well together and I couldn’t be more proud of each of them. In construction, there are so many moving parts and for most homeowners that is a daunting task to take on. Essentially our purpose is to assume that burden so our clients don’t have to and alleviate their stress by ensuring a more smooth renovation. When we achieve that for our clients, I count that as a win in my book

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If my best friend were to come visit me for the week I would certainly make sure we hit some highlights. My husband and I have a boat so we would definitely take her out to enjoy the water in Galveston Bay. We enjoy taking the boat to Number 13 Steakhouse in Galveston or to Top Water in San Leon. On nice weather days it is an absolute must to take advantage of the outdoor seating at both venues. I equally love the city and the many shows going on at any time in downtown Houston so I would search for those options. One of my favorite restaurants isn’t far from downtown so I would be certain to enjoy a meal at Ruggles Black. I am a foodie and this restaurant checks every box for me. Their food is not just amazing but has so many healthy options to accommodate all kinds of food preferences. Of course afterward I would undo all of the healthy eating by taking her to the Chocolate Bar in the West University area. Houston has so many great restaurants that it would be too many to list but eating out is one of my favorite things to do. Without question, if you are visiting Houston you have to incorporate eating at one of the many delicious options.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Without question, I owe so much appreciation to my husband, Rich. He is nine years older than me and fears absolutely nothing. Due to his head start in life, he has been essential to my growth in business and an amazing mentor. I love you Boo! (if you are reading this)

Website: www.interiordesignbytalena.com

Instagram: @interiordesignbytalena

Facebook: @interiordesignbytalena