Alumni Spotlight

Sarah Moss, an MBA alumna from the B.I. Moody III, College of Business Administration and successful design professional, is no stranger to the concept of creating beautiful homes. The New Iberia native’s father is a broker and her mother is a real estate agent, so she was always surrounded by the idea of “happiness and homes,” she said, explaining that her father would teach her how to draw floor plans on the back of scrap paper when she was a young girl.

Moss received an Honors Baccalaureate in Marketing and Legal Studies from the College of Business in 2005 and her MBA in 2010. She also studied art and architecture in Paris through the University of Louisiana at Lafayette Study Abroad program. A freelance artist, her work has been showcased in exhibitions such as the Jean Monet FIAP in Paris, and her residential designs have been featured in L Magazine. She loves what she does, which includes putting her creative energy into a finished project as well as using the valuable business principles and skills that she acquired from her education.

“Creativity is my driving force,” Moss said. “When I open my eyes in the morning, I can’t wait to get out of bed…I love helping people create an environment of happiness.”

The first thing she did as preparation for her design work was to begin projecting costs and the amount she expected to bring in, a crucial step emphasized in the MBA program. The responsibilities that go along with being an independent design professional include project management, construction, renovation, fine art consulting, tax preparation, projecting costs of materials, as well as consulting with clients. Being self-sufficient is gratifying, but it also requires energy and enthusiasm to be a successful endeavor. In order to make it work, an entrepreneur must be focused and organized.

“You’re the only one driving the train, so you have to have direction,” Moss said.

The MBA program at ULL helped prepare her for the intensive amount of work that accompanies her field. The program instilled finding a niche and marketing to a subculture, which is what Moss has done with her designs. She uses her art background to create repurposed home décor while consulting the wealth of local artists in the Lafayette area, creating a unique and modern design for each customer she serves.

She described her first year designing for clients as turbulent, which can be expected for any business in its early stages, but her hard work paid off when her designs won the INDesign Awards Silver Medal this year. This award is given out by The Independent Weekly and it honors Acadiana’s best in the fields of architecture, landscape architecture, and interior design.

The most important piece of advice she has for our students is that they should do what they love, and do not expect success to happen overnight. It takes tenacity and enthusiasm to make a business successful.

““You have to be willing to push and be patient,” she explains. “Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Surround yourself with people who are smart and believe in you; always network.”

Moss is looking to expand her business by having a retail component, possibly selling products online and in a showroom, which she hopes to accomplish in the next few years. She has also just received her real estate license, making her a third generation realtor. Venturing into the world of real estate is a move that Moss describes as “layering in a complementary industry.”

With all the work and attention to detail that goes into being an independent interior designer, Moss is thankful to have the support of her husband, and to have had the aid of many professors throughout her time as a student at the College of Business. As a student, she was lucky to have had many mentors that were invested in her success as a young professional. Moss suggests that students develop such relationships in both their academic and professional careers. When her business was just getting off the ground, Moss was able to consult a former professional designer about the “do’s and don’ts” of operating a business, and also forming a clientele. She explains that finding a client base is important, and there is a certain amount of luck involved when the business is in its first stages. When you do a great job with the first group of clients you work with, they will spread the word about you and that is how a customer base is formed.

“At the end of the day, it’s all about marketing,” Moss says. “You find out what they need, provide it, and make them feel good about the end result. It’s all about presenting yourself well – having professionalism and enthusiasm. If you’re enthusiastic, they will be too; it’s contagious.”

Erin Holden

Office of Information Systems & Multimedia Laboratories

B.I. Moody III, College of Business Administration