The Beginnings

Well it all began, my love affair with Interior Design that is, as far back as I can remember. Both my parents are home builders and it was somewhere between drawing with chalk on the cement slabs of the construction sites in my pink bicycle helmet, to being drug around Interior Design showrooms as a child during my mother's time of being a Designer, that I decided there was nothing else in the world I wanted to do. Well, actually I just recently read a journal entry from when I was in 4th grade, and the question of subject was, "What I want to be when I grow up." The daunting question that some of us still are asking ourselves. My response was, "I want to be an Interior Designer or an Actress". Now as for becoming an actress, I think I gave that up after my debut as Mrs. Claus in the 4th grade Christmas play. There were plenty of times during my high school years that my father tried to talk me out of going to college and to just go into business with him; however, I am proud to say that I made it through 4 years of sleepless nights in the design studio at Texas Christian University, one in which I almost lost my finger to an exacto knife while building a model and another where me and some of my other classmates enjoyed 40's of our select favorite beverages while working the night away. As much as we all complained, I think we all loved improvising from missing out on fraternity parties. After graduation, I went on to accept a great job that I absolutely loved with the company that I had done an internship with in both their Chicago and Dallas offices. It was on December 5, 2008, after two internships and only 8 months into my professional career as a Hospitality Designer (designing hotels, resorts and restaurants), that the economy did to me what it has done to almost everyone else in my graduating class from the School of Interior Design; I was laid-off.

After being laid-off, I went through what I think many others in my situation probably went through...I started re-evaluating my career path. Maybe I should try sales...ooohh pharmaceutical sales. I could make really good money doing that, right? So, I bought some sales books, signed up for this sales recruitment company that sends you job postings in your area and helps you find a job, etc. After paying a monthly fee of some stupid amount and not one interview, I decided to forget about pharmaceuticals. I ended up taking a job doing ad sales for a locally based Interior Design resource magazine. I loved the job (other than being 100% commission), I loved the people I worked with, I loved getting to go out on sales calls, but I couldn't stop thinking about what I really loved to do. I ended up getting a remodel job from a school auction where I entered 4 hours of my Design Services, so I got permission from my boss at the magazine to do that part-time while working for her. We came to an agreement that I could work 30 hrs a week for the magazine and 10 hrs for myself doing design jobs. Well, 10 hrs just wasn't enough. I decided then and there that it was now or never. If I was going to pursue my passion, this was the time to try. I had to try, while I didn't have children, a mortgage, could move back home to save money, and run the risks of not being successful. Thus, "A Starving Designer" was born.

I am getting married to the most wonderful man in the world on April 24th, 2010 and somehow I lucked into him being super supportive of me and what I want to do. Sometimes I think he thinks I just work for free - almost true. Sooo, since August 2009 I have been strictly self-employed under Angeline N. Guido Designs, aside from doing some contract design work for Sambuca Restaurant-so super fun. Working for Holly Forsythe, co-owner of Sambuca Restaurants, has been truly such an amazing experience and I feel so lucky. As for ANG Designs, so far I have 1 remodel, 1 new construction home and 1 private residence residence design under my belt and am currently working on one other remodel and one other new construction home with a new builder. Sounds like pretty good money, right? NOT...not it you charge pennies on the dollar just to get some work ;) We all have to pay our dues sometime, eh? I guess if you love what you do it's OK if you starve a little, especially if you have to fit into a wedding dress. And that is A Story of 'another' Starving Designer.