Big Changes to Our Small Team (and Some You Can Hire)

There is no shortage of fun and love on the EHD team, and when this team changes, it can be very emotional for all of us. But nothing makes me happier than when my employees leave to go on to pursue their own work or make a positive career shift to better their lives. Orlando, Ginny, Mel, Brady, Bonnie, Carolina, Michael, Tessa… I could go on and on. They all have left me (on such good terms, thankfully) to become more successful and fulfill their own career goals. So it’s time to celebrate a few people whose careers are making such a shift right now (and yes, some you should hire). I’m refocusing/shifting the blog and company in a few ways this year and the stars aligned for a few people who were ready to take their career next level (thus the post – hire them!)

Velinda Hellen: This designer, writer and producer (a true power player) is going freelance. She will forever be a contributor here, so you’ll see her around (she’s still working on her Makeover Takeover, stay tuned), but she is also ready to take on her own work, have her own clients and fly as the talented creative that she is. I’m hiring her to help me finish the book, she’ll be producing some of our major shoots, and we have another big TV project in the works that she will be on if it moves forward. But for now, she is also taking on her own design and styling clients. I know the second I put this out there, she’ll get snatched up and become unavailable to me, but you’d be lucky to have her designing your space or styling out your shoot. Plus as you can presume correctly, she’s funny, smart, grounded and generally a gift to the world. To work with Velinda you can contact her via her website velindahellendesign.com. She wants everyone to know that her first few clients, if they come as referrals from the blog, will get a special discounted “friends and family” rate. So if you have any new personal or professional projects in the new year, grab her fast.

A Few of Velinda’s Top Posts:

Velinda’s Tiny Kitchen Makeover Takeover (With Tons of Smart Storage Hacks)

Velinda’s Under-$20000 DIY Kitchen (& Laundry Room) Gut Reno

Velinda and Katie’s Love-Filled Backyard Wedding + Their Genius Budget Tips

Emily Bowser: After over three years here at EHD, Emily Bowser is also ready to style on her own. She came in as a new-to-styling assistant when Charlie was 2. CRAZY. Despite her inexperience in this world back then, she worked really hard, never stopped, would do any part of the job and had a great attitude (plus, she is extremely fun to be around). If I haven’t given you my “work hard with a smile” lecture in a while, that’s the key to get where you want to go fastest. Emily exemplifies that. She has been an integral part of our production team, she has SUCH GOOD IDEAS, can DIY most anything and knows the styling world in and out. EHD will forever be hiring her if she is available to style shoots, and she will continue to contribute here on the blog. We discussed this move to freelance starting in January a while ago, so that both parties involved could get ducks in a row. Literally the day that this idea of going freelance was on the table, Orlando texted me asking if I had any production/styling people I could recommend for his TV show. INDEED I DID. She got the job, started almost immediately, and she already feels like she’s grown so much. Hilariously, she is working with Rebecca Zajac, my former intern from 10 years ago on “Secrets From a Stylist”. We’ve also kept in touch, and well, it definitely felt like the universe was telling us this was the right thing to do. The show is wrapping up soon though, and Emily will be taking on private clients (styling shoots and residentials) in 2020. You can contact her via her website emilyedith.com. She is extending the same “friends and family” rate as Velinda and they may even have some ideas for teaming up in the new year!

A Few of Emily Bowers’ Top Posts:

MOTO Reveal: Emily Bowser’s Bedroom “After” is Unrecognizable from the “Before”

New MOTO Reveal: Emily Bowser’s “Refreshed For Function” Small Living Room Makeover

What It REALLY Costs to Buy an Income Property in LA

If this were goodbye, I would be bawling right now, but it’s not; it’s just a shift to hiring these two experienced stylist/designers and producers on shoots (or to write posts) on a freelance basis (and thus higher rate for them), rather than full-time employees. It’s scary for everyone involved, but I’m so confident that these two are going to TAKE OFF. I literally can’t recommend them both enough.

Arlyn Hernandez: A month ago, Arlyn told me that after nearly 13 years in the editorial world (half of that time in digital media producing daily content) that she needed a big shift in her career and was taking a new job. Creating daily content is hard. The burnout is real, guys, and I would be lying if I didn’t relate to her. She was ready to try something new and will now be the marketing director at a furniture company, on the other side of this industry. I’m so happy for her, truly, despite the panic of how we’ll move forward. She’s helped grow this blog exponentially in the last two years. When blogs were folding, our traffic is up almost 40%. She’s also really helped lead the team in ways that I don’t know if I can. The team bawled when we announced it at our holiday party. She has been such a beloved part of our team and our office culture. Arlyn, we love you and you will be missed.

A Few of Arlyn’s’ Top Posts:

Chandler Frame: Chandler was my wonderful executive assistant and aside from being incredibly smart, kind, funny and resourceful, she is super fashionable. And that fact helped her to realize that while she was a natural fit for our team, because she’s awesome, she wants to pursue her love of fashion (and things shifted for me personally as well). That’s what your 20’s are for right? Trying on “different hats” and seeing which one feels the best. So our Chandler is up for hire and I have nothing but wonderful things to say about her so HIRE HER. Here is a link to her LinkedIn and her Instagram.

Chandler wasn’t an editor with her own posts,  but she was a HUGE help/model in this post:

So, how will we move forward?

I don’t fully know, but I do know this: I have an excellent team. We are smaller now, but I’m also more comfortable leading a smaller team. Besides, with some major projects behind us, I’m excited to take over as editorial director again and write more posts. Working in digital media and running a daily design blog means being super nimble and shifting all the time. As a company owner and human being, I know that every challenge, every shift, whether it’s positive like these changes or scarier (more on that soon), it’s an opportunity for growth. I get to learn lessons that others haven’t yet.

So readers, let’s give a “see you soon” to Emily and Velinda and a “fare thee well” to Arlyn and Chandler… four more EHD team graduates. If you’ve enjoyed them, feel free to let them know in the comments. I’m so lucky to have known and worked with them and again, if you are in LA and need a designer/stylist, I hope you can benefit as I have.

Okay ladies, now that I’m no longer your boss, WE GET TO BE REAL FRIENDS. 🙂

Emily can be reached here.

Velinda can be reached here.

Be sure to follow them on Instagram, too (@velindahellendesign, @emilyedithbowser, @arlynhernandez and @chandlerframe). I know I will be. xx

Now speaking of growth, and most importantly all of you, we would love, love, love for you to take our Reader Survey. It will help us give you the content you want. Everybody wins.

I spent the break analyzing what truly worked this year, and trying to figure out WHY so we can really hone in on that. We have so many reveals in the works, but those projects take time. So in between, we are trying to figure out what you want, and there is no better way to find out than just ASK. It’s fast and kinda fun, I promise.

Thank you, thank you, thank you. xx