The epic journey of Beth Smith, a top interior designer who started as an accountant

Beth Smith started her career as a certified public accountant (CPA). However, an increased workload in her corporate life led her to find her true passion. She took a week-long vacation in order to reflect on her career journey and also invite a sense of calmness into her life.

What started as a vacation eventually led her to discover a new career path as an entrepreneur. She left her job in the corporate world and repurposed herself as a full-time interior decorator within the creative space.

According to her, the inspiration behind her decision was mixed, adding that the “universe kept on aligning” with her new path.

“I want to say it was all my doing, but the universe kept on aligning,” she told Baucemag. “It got to a point where God was pushing me and eventually He was like, ‘Girl, you’re not listening to what I’m saying.’ So the missions got harder. I discovered interior design very much by accident and have never considered myself to be a creative. So to be in a creative space is still very surprising to me.”

Another inspiration was from a friend, she added. According to her, she ran the idea by a friend in a conversation, and it led her into the space she is now. Her friend, who was also in corporate America, had just had a baby and was talking about how she wanted to start doing kids’ parties. Smith was inspired by her friend’s decision and she has since served as an interior designer for brands like HomeGoods.

“I discovered interior design just by redoing my own home and I am very process driven. So I literally was just doing what I call, like, usual research, like ‘Oh, let me read some publications. Let me find some inspiration,’” she recalled. “My eyes were opened. I didn’t even know this kind of thing existed at the time and I didn’t know that there were interior design schools. I was so detached from anything creative and then as time went by, I really did try to push the interior design bug away, but it kept on repeating itself.”

Prior to quitting corporate America to venture into entrepreneurship, Smith said she examined her finances to see if she had enough money for six months. She noted that, at the time, her goal was to take interior design on nights and weekends while schooling for a degree in interior design.

With a handful of clients, she started her dream career. Today, Smith wants to inspire other black entrepreneurs into entrepreneurship.

“I hope this inspires other Black women to really explore interior design because I hear so many times from other Black designers how this wasn’t their first career,” Smith told Baucemag. “This is their second career, and it’s rare when I meet someone where this was their first career.”