Happy new month! Have you heard of Feng Shui therapy before? Well, today Selorm Dreamaker educates us about that, interior designing and more in this conversation. Enjoy!
Ama Duncan (AD): Hello Selorm! I’m very excited to finally get this interview. Thank you for making time.
Selorm Djaba-Mensah (SDM): Thank you so much too.
(AD): Please tell us, why do you call yourself Dreamaker?
(SDM): I think it is because I like to dream a lot, and I like to see dreams come true too. So I geared that towards my work. People have dreams of making their homes beautiful so I help them make these dreams come true.
(AD): Oooh, I like that. Now I’m curious, on your profile I saw Feng Shui Therapy. What is it?
(SDM): Feng Shui (pronounced feng shwei) simply means the art of placement. It’s a phenomenon that has to do with designing and decorating. The Chinese believe that the way you decorate or place things around your house or arrange things in your home can actually improve your well being. It actually begins from the building architecture and most of the large companies like Coca-cola, Adidas, etc have Feng Shui therapy applied to their buildings. So how it is built, how it is designed, where things are placed all have ways of improving your well-being, making you feel happy and putting you in a good mood in your environment.
(AD): Wonderful. Thank you for the education. And yes, I totally believe how things are arranged affect my mood! Sometimes I get to my bedroom and I’m like ‘naaa I need to clean up before anything else’. It helps me feel good to be in an ordered space. Tell us about your childhood, were you always a Feng Shui therapist at heart?
(SDM): Well, not really. It began when I started designing. I was seeing and hearing a lot about Feng Shui but I didn’t understand it. I decided to dig deeper and I noticed this is something I wish to know more about and apply it to my work. Though it’s not very popular now in our part of the world, I’m hoping it does grow. Maybe I could be a Feng Shui Ambassador in Ghana, hehehe.
(AD): I believe you are already! So as a child, where did you grow up, what schools did you attend? What did you want to be?
(SDM): I was born and bred in Koforidua, Ghana as a child. It has always been my hometown though I’m an Ewe. My dad is an Ewe and my mum is Ashanti but we lived in Koforidua. We schooled there and right after about Kindergarten, my dad was transferred. He was a teacher and my mum was a nurse. We did move around Eastern Region a lot; from Afram Plains, Akim Oda, Akim Swedru then back to Koforidua. I went to St. Roses after Junior High School then to University of Ghana where I studied Psychology, English and Theatre Arts. Growing up, I had so many things I wanted to become. I thought of being a journalist, acting then finally I said I wanted to be a lawyer. Probably because of the General Arts I studied (hehe). But during University, psychology really caught my eye so I wanted to further in Industrial Psychology but I found myself in designing.
(AD): I see. At which point did you decide to start your own business? What was the aha moment?
(SDM): I believe I have always had passion. The passion was there. Back in the university, I liked gathering pictures of beautifully decorated homes and buildings. That was mostly all you’ll see if you went through my laptop or my phone in school. But I didn’t know how to make use of it here in Ghana since interior decorating was more relatable to the western world. After my national service, after I started a couple of businesses that didn’t really go well, I decided to give this a try and do it full time, by hook or crook.
(AD): Wooow. Tell us about some of your projects and clients you’ve worked for.
(SDM): One major challenge in this business has to do with satisfying your clients but I’ve had a nice experience so far. Most of my projects are around Accra comprising both individuals and commercial buildings. I work with estate developers as well since most of them currently want to add value to the spaces they give out unlike the previous traditional way of just selling empty spaces. But most of my clients happen to be individuals. It may seem like a luxury, but most couples want to spend a little on making their homes look nice, especially the kitchen, haha.
(AD): That’s great, I desire a beautiful kitchen too. One in which I can sit and work, I’m currently working on it. How long have you been designing?
(SDM): I’ve been doing this full time since 2015. I quit my previous job to start this full time since then.
(AD): How has business been like for you in this season of COVID-19?
(SDM): Whew! It hasn’t been easy, honestly. But one lesson I’ve learned from this season is that if you have multiple skills or you’re able to commercialize whatever you’re doing in many various aspects, it really helps. For me, that has been a save up during this period because during the lockdown, no one will allow you into their home so what else could you do as designer to make money? For me, I began commercializing other skills as a designer. That was when I began virtual training and consultations as a designer.
(AD): Congrats for being able to keep going. You know, for many of our readers, they desire to earn extra income but don’t even know where to begin. Please teach us a few tips and tricks to help us identify profitable skills and how to leverage them.
(SDM): COVID-19 has taught us that you may not be able to survive on one stream of income. Even if it’s not diverse skills you’re learning, in whatever space you find yourself, ask yourself ‘what other way can I make money?’ For me, it’s about learning skills no matter how much education you have or certifications, learn so many skills. That is where you can make money. It’s not going to be easy and it may take a while but just be consistent. And also make good use of social media. There’s a lot we can all do with it in terms of business. It also depends on where you find yourself. There are some spaces you will be able to determine that in a year or two, you can make money. Others may take longer. But in all you shouldn’t try to compare yourself with others doing well in their businesses. It takes time.
(AD): Thank you Selorm, so true! Now, complete the following with a short phrase or sentence:
If I could advise my younger self in one short sentence, I would say “Be more confident.”
I am fabulous because “I can make your dream come true.”
One book that has greatly helped me in business is “The 33 Strategies of War by Robert Greene.”
(AD): Fantastic! I’ve had his book ‘Mastery’ for so long and I finally started reading it. He is truly a knowledgable historian. Tell us Selorm, what exciting stuff is happening in your business right now that you’d like us to know and be a part of?
(SDM): For those thinking of trying new ventures, switching business or learning new skills where you’re thinking of designing or decorating as an option, there is an exciting class for you. Or you may probably have the skills but how to monetize it is a problem, just get in touch with me.
(AD): How do we find you?
(SDM): As usual, Selorm Dreamaker across all my social media platforms: Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. And on LinkedIn Selorm Djaba Mensah.
(AD): Thank you so much Selorm for the opportunity to learn from you.
(SDM): Thank you so much too.
Wasn’t that insightful? For me, I really imbibed the learning of new skills. These days we can learn so many skills online in order to create additional streams of income. If you have been touched by any part of this interview, don’t sit on it. Take action. Let me know in the comments if there are any actions you’re particularly looking to take. I’ll support you with my prayer and of course you can update me in my email: hello@amaduncan.com as well. If you have any questions as well, please feel free to ask. Until the same time next week, keep being fabulous.
Ama xx
About Selorm Dreamaker
Selorm Djaba-Mensah aka Selorm Dreamaker is the CEO of Accento Projekts. She is an interior designer and a project manager with extensive experience in the design environment.
As an interior designer, one of her altruistic and broader missions has always been to create environments that meet human needs and support human activities. Hence, the need to succeed as the household name in interior design consultancy alongside providing valuable services and satisfaction through the execution of her projects.
Her passion has always been about assisting others into making every space charming and livable.
It is also a dream to contribute back to the interior design industry by offering her skills and expertise in training and coaching new entrants into the field. Therefore, she is committed to working hard in school and on the field, seeking a variety of knowledge and opportunities that could help her make her goals a reality.
Contact Selorm on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/selorm_dreamaker/?hl=ena or Phone
+233 271 142 749/ +233 552 528 518
You may also book a Discovery call with Ama Duncan here http://bit.ly/Book-A-Discovery-Call-With-Ama-Duncan
