TOSSED IN THE WIND.
In some cultures, the paths to success are laid for young people by their families.
Before I graduated from high school in the Philippines, I felt like someone was carving my path for me. It felt like I had a choice, but not really.
I did not have a solid plan unlike my classmates and friends. I knew that I would like to go to college, but I did not know exactly what I would like to pursue. I knew my interests and disinterests, but that's about it.
I took an entrance exam in one of the most prestigious universities in the Philippines for an architectural degree. I wasn't able to wait for the result because we migrated to America a month after my high school graduation. During that short period of time before we migrated, my mom somehow got my grandpa to convince me to take Nursing course. We had a conversation for hours, and he went on about how this course could give me secure future in America. During that time, nurses were so in-demand abroad, especially in America. I also had some family in the medical field, so somehow a familiar territory. After taking the Architectural entrance exam, I took a Nursing entrance exam in one of the Universities in the Philippines that was affiliated with a really good hospital. Most of my friends got in the program. I did not even know if I passed. I cared less.
NURSING BACKGROUND.
Years after we migrated, I found out that I passed the Architectural entrance exam. I was already in a community college in California pursuing Nursing during that time. There was something inside of me that got sad and happy at the same time. I was happy because I passed, but sad because it did not matter anymore.
I went to college when I was 16. I was the youngest in class, but I excelled. During my first few years in America, my family moved several times, and I had to take different general education classes from 4 different community colleges. I studied for 6 years. It felt forever, especially because I was uncertain of my future. I just knew that I "had" to be a nurse. I gained a lot of Filipino friends who were also taking Nursing that time. They were in the same predicament. I was so busy fulfilling all these requirements that I forgot that at some point, I would enter the workforce. I loved and enjoyed my science classes, but in reality, I never saw myself being a nurse. I dreaded being in the hospital because when I was young, I was hospitalized several times, and those memories were not fun. Imagining that I had to be around patients, doctors or hospitals gave me anxiety.
I've always found a creative outlet for myself, may it be volunteering to do some artwork for people or in church that I attended. I loved being lost in time with my mind empty and my hands leading me to create something unique.
THE HEART
Dr. Davis, my college professor in Anatomy and Physiology II class in Merritt College reprimanded me for spending too much time on my Human Body System diagrams. I can still hear him say, "Karmela, this is not an art class. You should spend more time studying for the exam. You must be in the wrong class."
Cardio Vascular System was my favorite chapter in the book, and I spent hours on drawing this human heart for my homework. Little did I know, this work reflected my deeper desire to be artistic.
NOT ALL QUITTERS ARE LOSERS.
A year before I completed most of my requirements, I took a preparation class to take TEAS, an exam required to get in to a Nursing Program. I encountered a professor that would alter the trajectory of my life. At one particular session, he gave us a warning: "If you are not passionate about becoming a nurse, you better quit now. If you don't have a heart for it, you're not gonna make it (paraphrased)." I was so taken by what he said that I felt like he was talking directly to me. For few days, I took those words to heart, and I decided to approach him after class.
For the first time, I admitted out loud, in front of a stranger, that I did not really want to be a nurse. I have been going with the flow for a while. I was almost scared of my future. It truly felt like it was going to be a death sentence for me. I dreaded it, as I get close to applying for the program. I felt like I was forcing myself in a mold that had a entirely different shape. I voiced it out to him, and to my surprise, he encouraged me to quit. He started to share his story. From what I remember, this professor used to work for Chevron as a researcher or scientist for many years, and he was very successful. I realized that success did not equal happiness or contentment. Sadly, his heart was not in the research field. His heart was in teaching, so he left that career, and he pursued his passion. He was a well accomplished man with accolades, but there he was, teaching college students in the community college where I was attending that time. He chuckled, and he said that his mother-in-law was still upset with him. He did not have one ounce of regret because he became a happier man. I forgot all the exact advises he gave me, but at that moment, I envision that it's possible to create my own path like he did for himself. I simply wanted to be happy like him. I wanted to pursue something that I love doing.
In that same year, I did my due diligence to submit my applications for the Nursing program to 4 different schools. I was very stressed during that process. I was anxious because I was afraid that I might not be able to get in the program knowing that it was very impacted, but I was more anxious because there was a probability that I might get in, and I did not really want to. Few months after, I received 4 letters from the schools I applied to. It was a huge relief. Those were 4 rejection letters. The selection of students was based on a lottery. I did not get picked in any one of them. Secretly, I couldn't be any happier.
That was my confirmation. Nursing was really not meant for me. I did not even bother to fight it. I let it go, just like that. Those closed doors truly opened an opportunity for me to pursue what was in my heart.
I also had a friend in church who was a nurse. What she said struck me forever. She described how she loved being a nurse. She said she loved the smell of the hallway in the hospital where she worked. It sounds weird, but that said a lot about her passion. She truly wanted to be a nurse, unlike me. If I was to be a nurse, I could honestly say that I wouldn't have the same enthusiasm.
WHEN BOREDOM YIELDS TO A GOOD THING.
Another turning point in 2009 was taking the only art class I had to take for my Nursing requirements. Out of all classes I had in college, it was the most boring 8am class that I ever attended. The professor turned off the lights to play art history slideshows, and half of the class, including me, slept on these presentations. One day, I had an epiphany. I turned my notebook, and at the back, I wrote "I will be an Interior Designer." It was like a gush of emotion, insight, inspiration and aspiration. I knew I would be. I did not know how, but I decided that I would find out.
This photo was taken in Oakland Museum. Visiting the museum was a requirement in ART10, the only Art class I had to take during my Nursing years.
WAKING UP FROM CHILDHOOD.
It just clicked! I have always been creative ever since I was 4 years old. When our house in the Philippines was being remodeled, I loved being involved in the design process. My mom used to take me to plumbing showrooms and tile stores, and I enjoyed it. I had an eye for furniture selection, and I knew how to harmonize colors together. I had an innate artistic skill that I practiced in school when I was younger. I knew at the moment when I was at a fork road that I did not want the creative part of me to be just expressed in my leisure. I wanted to express it in my career. I would like to be motivated and inspired when I go to work.
GOOD LUCK TELLING MOM.
That vision of myself being happy at my workplace gave me a fiery drive. While I was still in Nursing school, I started researching for Interior Design schools. If found a lot of them, mostly private schools. I went on a secret trip to Academy of Arts, San Francisco with my sister, and I was more eager to pursue this career. I felt an excitement that I never felt when I was taking Nursing. I knew right then and there that I had to overcome a big obstacle: my family. It wasn't easy because if I had to shift to a different major, it would seem like I would have to start all over again. Most young people in my batch was taking Nursing. It was almost uncommon to find one of my peers who are not in the same bandwagon. Were those 6 years a waste? I sure felt so at that moment! The person that I was so afraid to disappoint was my mom. Not only she had to scramble for money to pay my tuition in cash for the first few semesters, but she already had an assurance that my future would be secure in Nursing career. It wouldn't be hard to find a job right away after college. She had it all figure out. My brother is a nurse. Why wouldn't I become one, too?
I was aware that she wanted what's best for me, and I appreciated the path of assurance she laid out for me, but I felt a sense of responsibility for myself. I knew that I did not want to live my life dragging myself to work everyday because I hated my job. I couldn't imagine her bearing that blame from me.
It wasn't easy communicating my fears to her, so my mom and I went through a lot of disagreements and frustrations at each other during that time. We had fights. Big ones. Apparently, it was all a big misunderstanding. I was always defensive about this newly found dream, so I wasn't really paying close attention to what she had to say. One day, I decided to hear her out. I found out that she wasn't really being unsupportive of my dream and passion, but she did not want me to be buried in student loan debt from the private school that I was choosing, Academy of Arts. She already told me that she wasn't going to co-sign for me after we had a meeting with the school administrator (which turned out to be one of the biggest blessings in my life). She said something that struck me: "If you are really good, you will excel everywhere you go. You do not have to graduate from an expensive school. You can try a community college and find out if you really want to pursue this." Yes, I told myself. I want to pursue "this."
Whatever "this" is kept me for many years.
KICK-START.
When I transferred to Chabot College, a community college where they offer Interior Design Program and I had a mission: to graduate and to be a successful Interior Designer.
I did not know what to expect on this new journey, but my hunger to become who I wanted to be brought me to places and opportunities that I did not imagine. This time, it was my choice. I went to school excited, challenged and motivated.
I wasn't aware that the Interior Design industry was so broad. There was a hospitality designer, lighting designer, residential designer and many more. I discovered a lot of exciting avenues during those 2 years in school. We had field trips to San Francisco Design Center, and we were encouraged to attend design events as students to get exposed in the industry while giving us a chance to connect with professionals. At first, I wanted to be a restaurant designer. Sounds really fun, but it's not as personal as being a residential designer.
One of the requirements in the program was to take a "Kitchen and Bath Design" class. That was my first exposure to the field.
My professor, Barbara Daher, who was the head of the department had been teaching design classes for many years. She was my first influence. She encouraged us to be a student member of "National Kitchen and Bath Association". She brought guest speakers to our class who were active designer/members of the organization, and she orchestrated the full semester of our class to finish a project that we could enter at the NKBA's student design competition. I loved every challenge, and I poured all my heart and determination in all of my projects. I attended all the design events available to me when I was a student. I also volunteered to be a docent in one of the Marin Showcases. I got inspired more and more as I opened my eyes. I was very natural at what I did, and I excelled in all my classes. On many occasions, I had spent continuous 8 hours or more on my school projects.
INTERNSHIP.
While I was in the Kitchen and Bath Design program, we were also required to find an internship to fulfill certain amount of hours. That opportunity was also a big stepping stone into my future.
One day, I sat outside a coffee shop in Alameda with my phone and laptop, and I searched for 10 remodeling companies in the area. Before I started making phone calls, I prayed that God would lead me to a company that was right for me, and a company that I could be a blessing to. I called each companies and introduced myself as a student who needed internship. It might have been the after effects of recession during that time, so companies were not as busy with work. Also, from that list, nobody was patient enough to consider mentoring a student who needed internship. Rejections after rejections, and finally I called the last company on my list: Custom Kitchens by John Wilkins, Inc., a family-owned reputable and award winning design/build in Bay Area. A man named Nader answered the phone, and all I could remember him saying was "Let me think about it." After our conversation, I crossed it off my list and turned off my laptop.
Approximately after 3 months, I received a call from Nader, and he invited me to their showroom in Oakland for an interview. I started my internship with Custom Kitchens on August 11, 2011. I worked 3 days a week for 5 hours per day while I was attending school (I also had a caregiving job in the afternoon). When I got my internship, I was glad to do anything they asked me to do: from filing documents, receiving deliveries, drafting, ordering materials and many more. I knew that being there was a foothold to success. I was willing to learn anything new.
THE SUMMER CLASS THAT FOREVER CHANGED MY STORY.
Before I started my internship, I took a summer AutoCad class for 8 weeks at Chabot. The skill that I learned opened a big door for me at Custom Kitchens. I started drawing their plans by hand, but eventually, I transitioned their project drawings in AutoCad. I also influenced the Chief Designer to take the same class at Chabot.
During my last semester- before I graduated, my classmates voted me to be the President of the school's Interior Design club where I was privileged to bring our Chief Designer to one of our meetings as a guest speaker. Weeks before graduation, I also got an award from the Interior Design department.
Mom was right. It did not matter which school I attended, I would excel, as long as I was passionate with what I do.
A JOB BEFORE GRADUATION.
By the end of 2011, after I finished my internship hours, Jerry, the owner of the company offered me a full time job at Custom Kitchens. I was speechless. I had some classmates at Chabot who transferred from Academy of Arts, and I had some other qualified friends, but here I was being offered a full time job that I did not apply to.
I started on Jan. 9, 2012, 4 months before I graduated from Chabot College. I got married with my high school dream-heart, and I also took the Interior Design Exam California (IDEX) right away after graduation, and I passed. This exam was a pre-requisite to take a more extensive exam to become a state licensed Certified Interior Designer (CID). Opportunities after opportunities opened for me, and I finally felt the ownership to my future. I was no longer scared of being in the work field because I knew something new will excite me everyday. 2012 was definitely a big year for me!
I worked for Custom Kitchens for 8 years where I learned mostly everything I knew in the residential remodeling business. They sent me to different design events, product and sales trainings, and they consistently brought vendors in to update our team with the newest and greatest products in the market. I was trained to network within the industry to meet professionals in the field.
I was involved in the design process from the moment clients step in to the showroom, to visiting their homes, designing their spaces, being part of the whole construction all the way to completion. I was living my dream at a young age.
I enjoyed my role as a designer and the part that I interact with different clients all the time. I mostly enjoyed the fulfillment of being a part of drastic transformations of every space that I designed. I get excited to see the different styles of home in the area. For years, I worked hand in hand with some talented and skilled project managers on all my design/build projects. From visiting homes, designing, pricing, specifying products, client presentations and managing projects, working with those fine men who were seasoned and knowledgeable in construction made me who I am today. I learned from Jerry, the business owner, to Joy, the Chief Designer, to Nader, Eric, and Andy, the project managers. I am a mixture of all of them. I took every advice and learned from their selling skills and mistakes. All of them were my mentors. I asked millions of questions, and they were delightful to answer all of them. If I did not understand a process, they would illustrate them to me. They brought me to job sites during construction and exposed in the process. They thought me to communicate and work with carpenters, laborers and sub contractors.
School was fun, but Custom Kitchens became the Academy for me. I have met real craftsmen there, and I learned from them. I learned to value true quality and high-end customer service.
I was fortunate to be able to finish some of the most fun projects from small bathrooms to whole house projects.
You can find some of my projects on my LinkedIn profile under "Projects".
DESIGN CERTIFICATION.
In 2015, I took the academic exam to be certified as an Associate Kitchen and Bath Designer by National Kitchen and Bath Association, and in 2016, I passed the examination to be a Certified Kitchen and Bath Designer.
The CKBD exam process was probably one of the most challenging exam experience in my life. My colleague/ designer best friend, Lisa and I were the first ones to take this exam nationally.We were given a 72-hour window to generate 16 pages of drawings, design solutions and specifications for both kitchen and bath clients. We took the exam on a Friday afternoon to Monday afternoon on Labor Day Weekend, clocking in from 5am to 1am. It took a great amount of intense problem solving, critical and creative thinking and careful planning. Although I got very sick while taking the test, I finished the exam on Monday afternoon, 6 hours before it was due. I can say that this certification gave me an edge in my career and helped me to be more qualified in the field.
To read the article about my Certification interview:
I LOVE MY JOB.
In my time at Custom Kitchens, I got familiarized with East Bay's homes and architecture, building codes, and different cultures. My people skills, such as effective communication and active listening were sharpened because I dealt with clients everyday.
I understood early in my career that although I had trained eyes for design, my role was not to dictate and coerce clients into making decisions, but to provide them with professional guidance and expertise, enhance their creativity, knit together the puzzles of inspirations they envision for their spaces and provide them with a quality human experience, so they could enjoy the process as they invest on improving their spaces. Designing within their budget and beyond their expectations were also a huge part of it.
I learned to love the "sales" part of my job. I did not realize that this was needed in the design field, but 85% of my role was about sales. Working with potential leads and current clients honed my sales skill. I learned to ask meaningful questions that lead to pertinent information in transforming their spaces. I also learned the "art of closing a sale."
Assisting clients on making decisions, may it be presenting sample materials, finishes, 3D renderings, illustrations or visit to other showrooms or previous clients' homes were also part of the process. Decisions could be overwhelming, but with my guidance, clients could continue on the process without going off tangent.
I enjoy being a residential designer because it's a very personal experience for the clients. Homes are the most expensive investments people could ever have, and it's a place where families dwell. Improving interior spaces definitely improve people's lifestyles.
Aside from being a designer, I got involved in staging and job photo shoots where we hired professional architectural photographers to take photos of our finished jobs, so we could showcase them in different social media platforms or simply use them on our design presentations.
I was able to utilize these before, progress and after photos in Design Competitions as well such as National Kitchen and Bath Association Kitchen and Bath Contest, National Association of Remodeling Industry (REMMIES), Subzero and Wolf Kitchen Design Contest, and Chrysalis Contest.
While working for the same company, I also had an opportunity to work hand in hand with web designers and developer while relaunching a new website.
I was like a sponge, and I went after every challenge and opportunity that came my way. I rarely had a bad day at my work because I loved it so much. I had my fair share of difficult and demanding clients and job issues, which also made me a wiser designer.
THE ROLLER COASTER RIDE.
After my 8th year at Custom Kitchens, I reached the peak of my own "self-fulfillment" and the maximum potential of my role. I asked myself, "What's next for me?" That simple but crucial question scared me. I just had my first baby, I was happily married and I had a full time job. However, I was young and deep inside, I knew that there are more greater things for me. I knew that I wouldn't achieve that by staying in the same company. I was getting too comfortable that thinking of leaving scared me. I got frustrated because I felt stagnant. I felt like I ran out of challenges to strive for. It was a dark phase for me, and I felt so lost.
Have you felt that before? You reached your dream that you set for yourself, and you did not know what's next for you?
I started looking for a new job and new opportunities, and secretly, I was afraid because it had been a while since I looked for one, and I really only had one employer for the past 8 years. I listed all the companies that I may want to apply for, but there was something inside of me that did not want to send my resume and applications. I waited and waited and did nothing for few months. I got more frustrated up to a point that it bothered my husband. He told me, "You're not yourself. What happened? You never tell me stories about your jobs, and you act so mechanical."
My inner thoughts were starting to creep on my outside appearance.
THE JOB THAT FOUND ME.
Suddenly, I got an email from a recruiter named Eric. I have been contacted by other recruiters on LinkedIn, but this one felt different. Eric was professional, not pushy and not "sales-y". He offered me an opportunity in South Bay/Silicon Valley. Immediately, I felt hope! My husband is currently going to San Jose State University, and we were discussing that he might apply on companies in that area, so I told myself that maybe...eventually we will move in that area. I told my husband about this opportunity, and he couldn't be more supportive. He actually enumerated all the great things that were going to come out from this offer.
I responded to Eric, and he connected my to the owner of Artistic Kitchen, Greg.
We met in his showroom for a 2 hour interview, and he introduced me to his team. It wasn't the interview that I expected. I felt like I already got a job before I showed up. He stressed out that his team had been looking for a designer like me for the past few years. I had both design and sales skill needed for a design/build business model. Instantly, we had a good connection. The roles he offered me ignited a new excitement in my life. Finally, I began to feel challenged again! I needed that. I needed a refreshing reason to strive again!
I resigned at Custom Kitchens on September 2019, and I started a new position at Artistic Kitchen as the Manager of Design-Build on the same month after a week vacation. I couldn't believe it. I did not even apply for this job...again!
Custom Kitchens, a thriving 70 year old design/build company raised me as a designer, and I am forever in-debted to them. However, I had to close that chapter and start on a new slate.
I look back from where I came from, and I did not even graduate from the most prestigious school. I had 2 years in community college, but I spent most of my time in the real school: the field.
After months of frustrations and wandering, a new me was reborn.
A NEW PATH TO THE UNKNOWN.
Although I still live in California, working in Silicon Valley is like living in a different country. The architecture of homes, cultures of people, demographics, building codes, vendors and competitors are all different. Because of the responsibility that comes with my new role, which is to grow the company, I was drawn to learning more about the business and leadership. I took advantage of my long commute and started binging on podcasts from entrepreneurship, self development, leadership, spiritual and more.
Pursuing my dream was not an easy path. There was no template to follow, but with hunger and passion, I paved "the road" to the unknown. My "road to success is under construction." Most of the stubbornness in my life lead me to destruction, but I am glad that I stuck to this one. I am responsible for my own future, and I made my own decisions. My mom would always tell people, "If Karmela puts something in her head and heart, she would do it."
Being able to reach every milestone was not just a fruit of hard work, dedication and determination, but this was the will of God in my life: to live with a purpose and live my life to the full potential using the gifts and talents He gave me.
I hope that my story inspired you to pave your own road to the unknown.
Start on your journey today. It's never too late.
Ready, set, go......!
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