Life, Values & Legacy: Our Chat with Meredith Pominville

We recently had the chance to connect with Meredith Pominville and have shared our conversation below.

Good morning Meredith, it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? Are you walking a path—or wandering?
I think I am on a hybrid journey. I like to pick certain destinations– goals or outcomes, if you like. But the journey to getting there, I leave open. Some planning, but not a decisive step- by-step travelogue. The exciting part of experiencing the world in this way, is that you are setting out from a definite intention, and then open to allow new information to inform your thoughts and help you make decisions in the moment—responsive to the environment and people you encounter. Your destination might be different from where you planned. By allowing that space for the universe to flow in, we meet new people, discover new flavors, colors, sensations and destinations. Life can be exciting without overwhelming, joyous in its discoveries and even heartbreaking in some of its unexpected consequences. A rich life is one lived with eyes and hearts wide open.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m thrilled to be able to say my interior design company, Charlie M, is wrapping up its 19th year in business. I started this firm when I was single and just entering design school, I’d dedicated years as a performer and theater producer and knew that I wanted a creative career that would both sustain me as an artist and entrepreneur while allowing me time for a family. To my joy, I have been able to make a life that fills me with light. My husband and two sons, who are now deep into their salty teen years, keep me grounded and laughing (and sometimes pulling my hair out). Creating experiential designs and branding for boutique hospitality, restaurant and retail projects and custom residential interior designs for whole house remodels, additions and ADUs has been fruitful and thrilling. I still feel like I am just getting started, which is delightful considering the experiences I’ve logged over almost 20 years in business.

Okay, so here’s a deep one: What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
As a child, I felt like the world didn’t quite know what to do with me, and I was terrified of being too much, wanting too much and feeling too much. I thought that if I shared my feelings and ideas they would be ridiculed, that if I was honest about who I was, what I cared about and how I thought the world should be, that I would be told to shut up or shunned or told my ideas were ridiculous and impractical. What I learned over time was that I have great ideas, that I am clever and inventive and kind. I now embrace that in a world of Plain Janes, my bold point of view is rare, and welcome. I now get paid for my ideas, valued for what I think and cherished by those who know me because I am not afraid to share my weirdness. I invite folks to be the most themselves they will ever get to be, and to be brave about who they are and what they want. I didn’t feel a lot of joy growing up, and now it finds me in the smallest of moments, and I am so grateful.

What did suffering teach you that success never could?
Oh jeez, this is a hard one. I think I would equate suffering with failure, to the extent that I only think of suffering in terms as a wrong I can never right. I think you have to accept that some hurts, some mistakes and some slights can’t be undone. The way it was described to me is that if you have a roll of toothpaste and you accidentally squeeze some out, even as you try to put it back in the tube, its never quite the same again. In life, and on projects, most things can be repaired. But it is important to recognize that sometimes, even repairs leave scars, and learning to live with those, even find the beauty in them, and forgiveness for yourself, is valuable. It’s taught me to be humble and recognize that even at my lowest, even when it feels like there is no way forward, there is always something to be gained by changing my perspective. To remember that phoenixes burn, then rise from the ashes.

Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? Is the public version of you the real you?
I think the public version of me is very close to the real me.. I wish I was as calm, centered and happy as I project to folks. Inside, I am more insecure, impatient and anxious than I let on. Mostly I’m still a work in progress. I use humor to bridge the gap between the person I endeavor to be and how I feel inside. It takes work and a great support system, and I’m succeeding at becoming the better version of myself with practice. Life has been complicated lately with all the pulling and pushing going on in the world, and the weight of that has forced me to be braver, speak more plainly and engage with more people in an ongoing way than I might have done in the past. Now is the time to be the most authentic versions of ourselves and be the light for those who might need permission to stand up and care for each other.

Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
I am doing exactly what I was born to do, and I don’t know any other way to do it. I’ve always been a creative, deeply feeling, intuitive person. Those traits, which I have honed into finely tuned skills, have been the guiding force in my personal and professional life. So much of what I do is intuit what people want, and then present it back to them for their approval. It requires bravery, kindness and knowing how to share that vision and create space for someone else to discover what you already see. My curiosity, sense of humor and adventure, mixed with my obsession with facts and “getting it right” have made running my own business really the only way forward for me. That I get to do so, making people lives better and making the world a more beautiful, quirky place, makes heart sing.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://charliemdesign.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/charliemdesign/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meredith-pominville-allied-asid-979b451/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CharlieMDesign
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/charlie-m-a-design-company-pasadena?osq=Charlie+M+a+Design+Company

Image Credits
Marisa Vitale Photography