Today we’d like to introduce you to Shelly Nupp.
Hi Shelly, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Growing up, I always wanted to be a nurse. I held onto that dream thru early adulthood, earned my degree, and went to work. When our first child was born, I knew I wanted to be a stay-at-home mom. Although it was so rewarding, it was equally lonely. After my second was born, I was desperate for some creative outlet. My husband was often traveling for work, so I would stay with my parents in Johnson City. One day I was listening to a friend talk about real estate and home renovations. There is so much to unpack there, but long story short, I convinced my mom we should flip a house. We are both risk-takers and love a good challenge. We had yet to learn what we were doing; my dad helped us a ton. When you are willing to take on a big challenge with no experience, major TV networks want to film you and show the world. We were selected to be on the show “First Time Flippers.” The experience was so fun! It made me want to continue a career in design, construction, and production. After the show aired, I started to have friends ask me for help with design/decorating and small construction jobs. I went a solid year helping others for free and learned a priceless amount of information and skill. From that, Centsible Designs was organically born. At that point, although nursing was an honorable career, my heart was on fire for the world of construction and design. I wanted to ensure I was offering a service attainable to anyone on any budget. Spending tons of money on beautiful design is only sometimes necessary. I wanted someone like myself with a young family and a small budget to feel like they could call me up and we could make magic happen with just a few hundred dollars. I grew an equal love for the construction side as the years passed. Now Centsible Designs is 4 years old! A year ago, I also became a Licensed General Contractor and started a construction business with my husband, Justin called “Restored Home and Design Co.” We have also started our career in real estate investing and learning ways to build generational wealth for our boys and their future families.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There have been challenges I have had to work thru. Sometimes being self-taught means you spend a lot of time with trial and error. I quickly learned to surround myself with mentors who had field experience and genuinely wanted to see me succeed. I can’t thank those people enough. Early on, I also struggled with “imposter syndrome.” Because I didn’t go to school for design, I felt inadequate. I have some wonderful friends that are also interior designers that pushed me out of that headspace quickly. It didn’t take long to realize that God had given me a gift, and I didn’t need to worry about the rest. One piece of advice is to surround yourself with people who love you and push you every day to be better.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
One of the things that makes me most proud of myself is that I started with no skill and now have fully immersed myself in 2 separate careers. At the same time, I use them both to complement an entire service business. Being able to do both design and construction has been so beneficial. I love that I can start from a blank slate and not only do design but also get my hands dirty and bring that design to life. We do everything from floor plans to the finishing touches of a fully furnished home! There are not many females in general contractors, and I am so proud of that! Bringing both of those loves together has helped me expand my business.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
Confidence and grit are 2 huge characteristics that have helped me succeed. I love a good challenge, and if someone thinks I can’t do something, I let that motivate me to push and do my best. I am not perfect and have made many mistakes, but instead of letting them defeat me, I use them to learn and grow.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.centsibledesigns.com
- Instagram: Centsible_designs
Image Credits
Photo credit of picture of myself: Haven Media
