Life and Work with Amber Guyton

Today we’d like to introduce you to Amber Guyton.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Amber. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I was born and raised in Pineville, South Carolina, a very small, rural town in the Lowcountry. I was raised by my mother along with my older sister, living next door my maternal grandparents that taught us everything we knew including gardening, cooking, cleaning, repairing any and everything, praying and having good manners like any Southern girl. As a child, I was a tomboy that loved to run around and bike outside down country dirt roads, but I also was very creative. I always loved looking at pictures, painting, coloring, drawing, and writing. I’d write 100 pages of stories from my own imagination and create illustrations to match before picking up a book to read someone else’s. I graduated in the top of my class including 57 students and attended college at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, South Carolina, home of the South Carolina Gamecocks.

I’m a diehard fan and those four years are near and dear to my heart. I majored in Advertising in the School of Journalism and Mass Communications and minored in Business. I was very active in college and served as a Resident Advisor, Orientation Leader, President of the Association of African American Students and pledged Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. After graduating in 2008, I moved to Greenville, South Carolina where I began my first job as an Advertising Sales Representative. Though I thought I’d begin my career working for an ad agency, I worked for the media and sold ad space to clients and agencies instead. Two years later, I moved to Atlanta, Georgia where my sister lived and worked as an Account Executive at 11 Alive, the local NBC television station in ATL. Shortly after I purchased my first home, I pursued my Master of Business Administration from the University of Georgia.

A few months after graduation, I moved to San Antonio, Texas to continue my career in marketing and product management at a financial services company. Though I was climbing the ladder and successful in achieving many professional goals, my creative bucket wasn’t completely being filled. I purchased my second home a few months later, a renovated 1940s bungalow that I fell in love with at first sight. I moved in the same day I closed and decorated the entire house within a week. When my family and friends visited, they encouraged me to “do this for real” meaning putting my creative talent and love for home decorating to use. So with the intent of only starting a blog to share my love for interior design, travel, DIYing and love for my new home, Blessed Little Bungalow was born on April 4, 2016. Though I had no formal training or education in interior design, the marketer and businesswoman in me knew that I had to look like a professional from the beginning.

So, I took my time and hired designers for my logo and website, had professional photos of my home taken. Most of my following is organic – followers of my Instagrammed bargain shopping journeys in HomeGoods each week and admirers of my client projects’ Before + Afters. After two and a half years, I’ve grown so much and so has my portfolio. I’m not quite sure if this blog will blossom into a booming business, but what I am certain of is that I’ve been searching myself for a long time trying to get a grip on what I’m passionate about, is my calling, connects me with people and excites me everyday. BLB is just that. And it’s been such a blessing.

Has it been a smooth road?
Smooth road? Absolutely not. LOL! I’ve been living two lives working full-time in Corporate America and part-time, but actually full-time also, as a small businesswoman. It’s time-consuming. It’s exhausting. It’s a sacrifice. I don’t have as much time and energy to pour into BLB as I’d like to, but I try to find balance and set clear expectations with my clients regarding my availability. I also set expectations about my capabilities with them. Though my work may speak for itself, I do not have formal training as an interior designer and don’t even like calling myself one. In both my professional career and entrepreneurial journey, I suffer from “imposter syndrome.”

I’ve always been an overachiever and I’m incredibly hard on myself, so I usually don’t think I’m good enough or qualified to be doing this work. But the truth is, everyone has room for improvement and you are absolutely qualified if you have the right mindset and are willing to do the work. YOU ARE ENOUGH. When other young women ask for advice about getting started and share their fears of taking the leap of faith, I tell them I am here because one day I decided to just go for it. You have nothing to lose and only YOU are standing in your way. Life is too short not to try or bet on yourself. The reward for doing what you love will all be worth it. My days are long and there are some discouraging times, but I’m confident that I’m exactly where God wants me to be.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Blessed Little Bungalow – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Blessed Little Bungalow is a residential interior design business built on the foundation of faith, creativity, and affordability. My design services include e-design to full-service, mood and design boards, decor shopping, installs and staging to clients in Texas and across the country. BLB has a very untraditional approach to interior design. One that’s authentic and refreshing. One that’s not afraid of making mistakes or trying new things. One that feels more like a conversation than a consultation. One that’s not intimidating or out of reach. And most importantly, one that’s affordable for this curly-haired Southern girl and folks that like you and me that don’t want to spend a fortune to feel inspired and comfortable in their own home. The authenticity of my brand and the bond I build with my family of clients as we create an interior masterpiece together within their budget is what I’m most proud of.

Are there any apps, books, podcasts or other resources that you’ve benefited from using?
As organized as a person as I profess to be, I’m very old school. I have a daily planner and journal that I write everything down in. However, it’s rare that you’ll ever find me off of my iPhone as iCal, Gmail, Outlook and Asana keep me organized in both of my professional lives. I use Calm and the Bible apps daily for mediation, prayer, and devotionals. I’ve fallen in love with reading over the years and have challenged myself to read #18booksin2018. So far, Cleo Wade’s Heart Talk and Ryan Holiday’s Ego is the Enemy and The Obstacle is the Way have been my favorites this year. As for an all-time favorite book, nothing beats The Alchemist and The Four Agreements. I reread them anytime I have another quarter-life crisis (yes, I’ve had about four LOL) or when I need realignment or encouragement. A few of my podcasts I tune into daily include The Dave Ramsey Show (I’m almost done with Baby Step 2, Hallelujah!), Myleik Teele’s My Taught You podcast, Paychecks and Balances, Therapy for Black Girls, Oprah’s Super Soul Conversations, The Minimalists, Elevation with Steven Furtick, The Breakfast Club (random, but Steven Furtick and Charlamagne the God both grew up about 25 miles away from where I did in South Carolina. Though starkly different, I’ve always been a fan of them both). Don’t ask me how I fit all of this in 24 hours. I’m still trying to figure it out myself… LOL!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.blessedlittlebungalow.com
• Email: amber@blessedlittlebungalow.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/blessedlittlebungalow
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/blessedlittlebungalow
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/BLBungalow
• Other: www.pinterest.com/BLBungalow

Image Credit:
QutureMedia, Brandon Grate Photography, Melissa Raelynn Photography

Getting in touch: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.