Today we’d like to introduce you to Casey Browar.

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Casey, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I moved to San Diego in 2007 after graduating from the University of Colorado. With the aspiration of always wanting to be an interior designer, I enrolled in the Interior Design program at the Art Institute of San Diego. I was fortunate enough to be pursued while I was still in the program by the most ideal client anyone could ask for. She took a chance on me, was patient with me, and most importantly, opened up a door for me that people work years to enter.

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After two years of interior design school, I left to focus on my business full-time. At the age of 25, I started my business, Collective Interiors. One job led to others through word of mouth and I organically found my niche in the high-end interior design sector.

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I took a few years off to have children, and in the fall of 2017, an old client of mine asked me to design their new 10,000 square foot home and I haven’t looked back since. Now, we have a year-long waitlist and a growing number of referrals by the day.

Early this year, I rebranded the business and named it Viv & Leone, Inc. Today, we still remain strictly referral based.

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We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Building a business is not easy, especially when you have children. I struggle every day to find the balance in the office trying to grow my business and balance it with family life. Patience is truly a virtue in life, as every single day is a learning experience. You can cross your “T’s” and dot your “I’s” and still have something go wrong. Thankfully, I remind myself more and more that nothing is impossible and everything always works out. With the bad comes the good and the mix of the two only creates growth. I have surrounded myself with two amazing hardworking, creative women, Kendal Burian, and Shannon Olson. Any problem we are challenged with, big or small, our little team of three always finds a solution together.

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My advice to young women starting a business would be to start with a list of goals. Be a “yes” person. If you say yes, it forces you to figure it out.

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So let’s switch gears a bit and go into Viv & Leone, Inc. story. Tell us more about it.
Viv & Leone is a full-service residential design firm. We often collaborate with some of the best architects and builders in San Diego and work collectively with them to create beautiful, yet functional spaces with cohesively designed furnishings, fabrics, and accessories.

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Our designs integrate timeless simplicity with an organic edge. We want our stylish spaces to feel inviting, look organic and clean, feel comfortable and always reflect a sense of Viv & Leone’s personal style. We have invested in top of the line technology that showcases our designs for all of our client’s spaces.

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This is not just a job, it’s our passion. We love what we do. We walk into work every day with a smile on our faces and leave everyday laughing. We don’t leave the office until our projects are perfect and all of our client’s needs have been accomplished. Our clients are so important to us and find it imperative to encourage our meetings to be casual and open so we can execute their dream spaces. We love to turn our meetings into an element of education for our clients. At the beginning of every meeting, I ask our clients to engage in a creative dialogue regarding their vision. This allows them to feel involved in the process and brings out a side of ingenuity they otherwise may not have known that they possess.

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Do you have any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general? What has worked well for you?
Surround yourself with people who inspire you, who push the boundaries, who ask the difficult questions and most importantly believe in you. Attend events for a number of different industries, you never know where you will find inspiration or your next client.

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