From Hobby to 6 Figure Income: How this Workroom Creates Wealth, Health & Happiness

We were thrilled to catch up with WCAA member and exceptional entrepreneur Annette Faber recently to interview her on the workroom business she has built. What started as a hobby in her home has purposefully and intentionally scaled into a full-fledged workroom with state-of-the-art equipment, a professional team, and keen financial awareness. 

Annette developed Kaylee’s Creations over the past decade into a legacy business that collaborates with the top interior designers in Greenville, South Carolina, and has given her family a long and growing list of benefits that only a successful business can provide.

Get ready to feel motivated and excited to scale your own business in the home industry after reading this wonderful interview with Annette.

Meet Annette Faber

Hand smocked drapery panels, anyone? Or hand sewn trim? Kaylee’s Creations offers all that and more. Annette and her team have extensive training in the oldest and the latest window treatment fabrication techniques. Kaylee’s Creations collaborates with interior designers who view their designs as unparalleled art, and the window treatments this workroom creates are no exception.

Annette, thanks for your time today! Let’s dive into it. Tell us - what is the most enjoyable part of your work as a custom workroom owner?

“I love it when I can do something to help my clients! I love when I can be their hero or take something off their plates to make their day better and their life easier. I love to see that look of relief in their eyes or hear it in their voice when I can solve something for them.

“I also love my team! I am intentional about making this a fun place to work and I want them to always think of me as their best boss ever. I have a wonderful team and I truly appreciate them and want them to know how valuable they are to me. 

“I also enjoy taking a flat piece of fabric and turning it into something beautiful.”

And to keep things balanced, we have to ask: What is difficult about your career?

“I don't particularly enjoy the engineering part of my job, but I have an employee who loves it and provides a good balance. Because I’ve always believed that I could manage my time better, I've recently hired an operations manager. She keeps me on track and has been a game changer for the efficiency of my workroom.”

How has this career changed your life for the better?

“My original business was making and teaching heirloom sewing. When I transitioned to soft furnishings, I realized that I had a hobby, not a business.

“I then hired Michele Williams of Scarlet Thread Consulting as my business coach. Over a decade later, me and my business look completely different. Today I am a confident business owner with a financially healthy business.

“We have steady work year-round and are still picking up new clients. It is such a wonderful thing to look at what my coach Michele, my team, and I (and a mastermind group) have built and how I have transformed into a strong, capable person over the years. I still smile in awe and thank God for all the blessings.”

Here’s exactly how Annette’s life has changed for the better since starting Kaylee’s Creations:

  • Working regularly with the top interior designers in South Carolina

  • Reaching impressive financial milestones 

  • No longer being afraid of taxes

  • Having enough profit in the business to invest in a $13,000 pleating machine

  • Sending her daughter, Kaylee, to a private Christian school that has changed her life in all the best ways

  • Funding her own retirement account

In the words of Annette,“I feel accomplished and grown up - haha!”

What training or education, if any, did you have prior to starting this career?

“When I decided to transition to windows, I went to the Custom Home Furnishings Academy. I took lots of classes and earned multiple certifications. Some of them were business classes and many were fabrication classes. I've taken the Pricing Without Emotion course by Michele Williams three times.”

What ongoing education, if any, are you pursuing to further your career?

“I have continued my education over the years by attending classes and conferences and, recently, IWCE. I have also continued coaching with Michele. I can't see a time where I won't benefit from her wisdom and friendship. I am also in constant contact with the girls from my mastermind group. We solve lots of world problems together!”

Where do you get the majority of your projects and clients?

“Of all my clients, 99% are local, high end interior designers. We do get the occasional retail client.”

How has the WCAA helped shape or improve your career?

“I joined WCAA when I transitioned into fabricating window treatments. I’ve truly never been in business alone because I befriended several kind colleagues within the WCAA who took me under their wing at the very beginning of my career. 

“Over the years, I have saved thousands of dollars in discounts with various WCAA industry partners, as well.”

Thank you so much for sharing your inspiring entrepreneurial journey with us, Annette! 

Stay in touch with Annette Faber of Kaylee’s Creations through any of the following:

  • Website: www.kayleescreations.com 

  • Instagram: @kayleescreations.studio

  • Facebook: Kaylee's Creations

Renee Gurganus