

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kate Riemer.
Kate, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I began in the interior design field right out of high school, over 10 years ago. I was offered a dream job at an Interior Design Firm as an Assistant Designer so in grabbing that opportunity I went the route of learning on the job, rather than through college.
In 2012, I wanted to up my game in the design field. That’s when I started learning the field of Landscape Design & Construction. It was love at first site.
I always wanted to own my own business, live the dream, the whole thing. When I decided to take on Landscape Design as my main career I decided to create Kate Anne Designs.
I didn’t realize how much I still needed to hustle so I continued working 70-80 hours a week and just didn’t give up.
Around that time, a lovely gent stepped into my life, Ryan Gross. At first I thought he was cheezeballin’ his way into my life. We had everything in common, including his own interior design background so it all seemed too good to be true.
Within our first month of dating Ryan decided to build Kate Anne Designs with me. I brought the design & he brought the build. Pretty crazy, I know.
I reflect back on the last 3 years and it has been… interesting to say the least. I will say I have learned & grown more than any other time period in my life. I uniquely built a business, a relationship and continued to educate myself in Interior & Landscape Design.
I will say the largest thing I have taken from my entrepreneur endeavors is how key it is to educate yourself on the subject of business and your trade and to accept sometimes the only form of education is simply jumping in and experiencing it all. I learned that hard work is what got me where I am today & that giving up just isn’t cute.
Great, 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?
I wish I can say that starting your own business is easier than having a 9-5. I will say long term it has a beautiful, beautiful pay off, but it takes some initial investment of your time, money & emotions.
Some struggles I have run into is everything from finances, people, customer service, marketing to the Landscape Field itself. I thought I only had to be educated in Landscape Design to start my own Landscape business. I quickly found that wouldn’t cut it.
That’s when I began taking classes literally on every subject above. The more I educated myself the more I could see clearer into the future with some stabilities to think with.
Kate Anne Designs – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Kate Anne Designs is a turn-key Landscape Design + Build Company.
We take on full exterior remodels. We have it all!
My favorite part of our process is the plants… of course. Going to the nursery and really experiencing nature. I didn’t have that aspect in interior design so much.
We recently began taking on full interior & exterior projects. This is the stuff that really excites me. I get to combine all of my knowledge & creativity into one project? I’m in!
I think what sets us apart is that we are a (soon to be) husband & wife team, we love design, we love working really hard, sometimes too hard and we really just care so much about the quality of our work. This is our passion… our art.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
The moment when I stopped being fearful of my own opportunities & successes and willing to just let myself calmly succeed is funnily my proudest moment.
I used to worry about… well everything since starting this business. When that subsided, it was replaced with a feeling of invincibility.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.kateannedesigns.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kateriemer/
Image Credit:
Jeffrey Brian Photo
Getting in touch: VoyageLA 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.
Percy
June 6, 2017 at 03:15
Working with Kate and Ryan was a great and enjoyable experience. Kate’s truly has an eye for design both indoors and outdoors. Her customer service experience is personable and seamless. I recommend working with her if you’re a homeowner or professional.
Kate Riemer
August 13, 2017 at 20:12
Awe thanks Percy! Means a lot 🙂